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Greater  Indianapolis 


The  History^  the  Industries^  the  Institutions^  and 
the  People  of  a  City  of  Homes 


BY 


Jacob  Piatt  Dunn 

Secretary  of  the  Indiana  Historical  Society 


VOLUME  I 

ILLUSTRATED 


THE  LEWIS  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 
CHICAGO 

1910 


Copyright.   1910, 

by 

THE    LEWIS     PUBLISHING    CO. 


PREFACE 


If  any  a])<rlogy  were  lUH'dod  for  tlu'  apiJi'urance  of  a  history  of  Indian- 
apolis at  this  time,  a  sufficient  one  wonld  he  found  in  the  fact  that  no  sueli 
history  has  lieen  published  for  more  tliaii  a  quarter  of  a  century;  and  in 
that  period  Indianapolis  has  de\elop(d  from  an  overgrown  town  to  one 
of  the  leading  cities  of  the  country,  tlie  material  growth  being  acconi- 
])anied  by  a  development  in  government  and  institutions  that  is  perhaps 
the  most  interesting  feature  of  the  history  of  the  city  as  it  now  is.  But 
there  are  other  considerali<ins  tliat  made  a  new  history  desirable.  The  first 
history  of  Indianapolis  was  prepared  by  Ignatius  Brown,  and  published 
as  part  of  the  citv  directory  of  18.57'.  Mr.  Brown  was  a  patient  delver  in 
historical  material,  and  in  tlie  course  of  tlie  next  decade  he  found  so  many 
errors  in  his  first  publication,  and  acquired  so  much  additional  informa- 
tion, that  he  revised  and  enlarged  his  work  and  republished  it  in  the 
city  directory  of  1S()8.  This  second  publication  was  more  than  four  times 
as  large  as  the  first,  and  lias  been  the  basis  of  all  the  history  that  has 
since  been  published,  being  closely  followed  by  others,  errors  and  all, 
with  the  exception  of  J.  H.  B.  Xowland,  whose  two  books,  Early  Reminis- 
cences (18T0),  and  Skctdies  of  I'romiiiciit  CHIzens  (1870),  were  on  a 
wholly  independent  basis. 

^Ir.  Brown's  history  was  moi-e  ]>n)perly  a  chronology,  the  events  being 
grouped  by  years.  In  1870  ilr.  ^^'m.  K.  llolloway  published  his  Historical 
and  Statistical  Sketch,  juade  an  effort  at  topical  treatment,  but  was  still 
largely  chronological,  and  tlii-refore  disconnected.  In  1884,  Berry  R. 
Sulgrovc,  who  wrote  a  large  ])art  of  the  llolloway  publication,  issued  his 
Historti  of  Indianapolis  and  Marion  Countij.  This  made  a  still  further 
effort  at  topical  treatment,  but  it  was  also  biographical,  and  the  biographies 
are  so  mixed  with  the  historical  text  that  it  is  difficult  to  get  trace  of  any 
special  subject.     In  both  of  these  'Wr.  Brown's  work  is  closely  followed. 

In  the  present  history,  the  method  followed  is  strictly  topical,  the 
chapters  being  ari'anged  as  nearly  iji  chronological  order  as  was  prac- 
ticable. The  entire  ground  has  been  gone  over  from  the  beginning,  with 
consultation  of  original  authorities,  a  number  of  which  were  not  in  reach 
of  previous  writers.  Especially  full  treatment  has  been  given  to  disputed 
questions;  and  free  citation  of  authorities  has  been  made  to  facilitate 
research  by  those  who  may  care  to  investigate  any  question  more  fully. 
Effort  has  been  made  to  secure  not  only  full  illustration,  but  illustration 
of  a  historical  character.  The  biographical  matter,  while  essential  to  the 
history,  has  been  placed  in  a  separate  volume  where  it  will  not  obstruct 
the  general  reader.  It  would  be  extraordinary  if  some  errors  had  not  crept 
into  a  work  of  this  size:  but  the  publishers  and  the  author  feel  that  they 
are  offering  the  public  a  history  that  is  accurate,  "accessible",  and  com- 
prehensive. 


CONTENTS 


CPTAPTER  I. 
In   the    negiiiiiing 1 

CHAPTER   IL 
Tlie   Lay  of  the   Land 7 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  Xaviga1)le  Stream 10 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Phmning  tlio  City 26 

CHAPTER   V. 
Tlie    First    Settlers 36 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  R(>giiiiiini;-:  of  CDvernnient 47 

CHAPTER  Vll. 
Tlie    Primordial    Life 61 

(TIAPTER  VIII. 
The  Coming  of  the  Capital 7-1 

CHART Kl{   l.\. 
The    floral    Foundation 82 

CI! Ai'TFR  X. 
Development  of  the  Town 9;! 

cjiAr'i'Ki;  XL 

The   State    Build.< 101 

CIl.M'TLI!   .\I1. 
'I'he    Town    (love  rnments 112 

(■ir\l"i'Ki;  .XIII. 
The  iviiiy  SchiHils 121 

{'lIVrTKI!  .XIV. 
Thr    McNiran    War 13-1 


vi  COT^^TENTS  : 

I 
CILM'TER  XV.  I 

Advent  of  ilio   Kaili-oads 1-12 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Becoming    n    Pity 1-5-1       i 

CHAPTER  XVII.  i 

'The  Volunteer   Fire  Com]wnie^: 167       j 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Some    Old-'l'ime    Religion 177 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
As  Others  Saw  Us ISC, 

CHAPTER  XX. 

The   Germans   in    Indianapolis 302 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Civil    War    Times 217 

CPIAPTER  XXII. 

The   Colored    Brotlier 2,10       ; 

1 

CHAPTRR    XXIII.  ' 

Railroad  Development   2.")4       i 

CHAPTE1£  XXIV.  < 

The    Pul)lie    Schools 2GS      '] 

CHAPTER  XXA^ 
The   Paid    Fiiv    Department 2S1 

CHAPTER  XXVr. 
.\    Political    Epoch 292       i 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 
The   City    Charter 300 

CHAPTER  XXVIII.  ; 

Public  Utilities    322 

CHAP'I'ER  XXIX.  i 

Business  Di>velopment    . 340       i 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

Insnranee  Companies    3f;0       1 

fllAI'TF.i;    XXXI, 
Fraternal    Organiza'. i  n*    3^1       ^ 


CONTENTS  vii 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 
The  rro>?   :588 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

Tender  the  Charter 41G 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

'I'lie    Suburban    'I'owns 434 

CHAPTER  XXXY. 
"The  Demon  Rum" 445 

CllAl'TKR  XXXVI. 
1"lie  Tlioater  and   Theatricals 4.58 

CHAPTKi;  XXXVII. 
The    Fine    Arts 4T3 

CTFAPTER  XXXVIII. 
The   .Social    Swirl 490 

CHAPTER   XXXIX. 
Tlie  Eiterary   .Vtmo^jibere 504 

CFIAPTKR  XL. 
The  Soul  of  Mu-^ie 521 

CIlAl'TKi;   XiJ. 
Tlie    ^fcdioal    Profession 541 

r||\r'l'i!:H  XLll. 
Courts,    Renoh    and    Piar 554 

CHAPTER   X  I.I  1 1. 
The   Churclies    riG7 

CHAPTER  XEIV. 
The    CJiurohe.'^    (Continued) 591 

CHAPTKH  XLV. 
The    Churches    (Continued) (51.-, 

Ill  AI'TKI!    .XI.Vl. 
Roster  of  City  Officials,  1847-1909 634 


INDEX 


Abundance    of   Game,    65. 
Academy   of   Music,   468. 
Act    for    Removal    of    Capital.    75. 
Adams.  H.   Alden.  765. 
Advance   in   Commerce.   350. 
Advent   of   Railroads,    142. 
Adventists.    6.'50. 
African  Methodist  Church.  fiOn. 
African  Methodist    Episcopal   Zion  Church,  603. 
.Agiiculture.    96. 
Agricultural   Papers,  396. 
Air  Line    2'>B. 
Allison.   William    D.,   967. 
All  Souls  Unitarian  Church.  622. 
Amendment    to    State   Constitution,    159. 
American   Manufacturers   Mutual   Insurance  Com- 
pany,   362. 
Amusements,  490;   Early,  84. 
Ancient    Order   of   Druids,    384. 
Ancient   Order  of   Hibernians.  385. 
Ancient  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  376. 
Annexation    of    Irvington.    428. 
Annual   Report   of   Public  Schools.   1S66.  268. 
Anti-Masonic    Movements,    373. 
Arrivals  in   1820.  46;   in  1821.  46. 
Artists,   473. 
Art   Publications.   486. 
Asbury    Chapel,   598. 
Ashby.  Samuel,  1061. 
As   Others   Saw   Us,   186. 
Atkins,    Ellas    C.    1054. 
Atkins.  Henry  C.  1058. 
"Aunt   Cheney."   239. 
Australian   Ballot  Law,  307. 
Automatic    Electric    Alarm    System,    288. 
Averill,   Charles   E..  780. 
Ayres,   Alexander   C,   755. 
Ayres,  Levi.  755. 

Bachman.  Valentine,  1077. 

Racon.  Hiram.   250. 

Rad    Roads.   75. 

Raggs.   Mrs.   Anna  C.   177. 

Bailey.   Francis   P.,  740. 

Bailey,  ,Tames  F..   1125.  ' 

Baker,  Albert,  1095. 

Baker.   Conrad,   1093. 

Baker.  .Tames   P.,  979. 

Baker.  .John  E.,  121. 

Baker,   Milledge  A.,  1028. 

Ballenger,   Walter   S.,   947. 

Bals.   Henry  C.   C.  1016. 

Banking  Facilities,  350. 


Banks.  351. 

Bank  of  Commerce,  353. 

Baptists,  86,   122,  567. 

Barbour,    Lucian,   1159. 

Barnes    Chapel,    575. 

Barnhill,   John    F.,    1095. 

Barnhill,  Robert,  36. 

Barrett,   Charles   E.,   1126. 

Barrett,  Thomas  F.,  901. 

Bartholomew,  Pliny  W.,  734. 

Bass,   George   F.,   1119. 

Bass,  William   H.,  1152. 

Bassett.  Edward  W.,  1115. 

Bates,  Harvey,  49. 

Bauer,   George,   1070. 

Beck,  Frank  A.,  1227. 

Becoming  a  City,  154. 

Beech    Grove,   441. 

Beecher,    Henrv    Ward,    Rev..    110,    149,    170.    24:1 

396,  582. 
Beecher's  Church,   1893,   277. 
Beecher's  Home.  195. 
"Bee  Line,"   150. 
Beginnings   of   Government.   47. 
Bell.  Eliza  C,  1230. 
Bell.  William  A..  274,  398.  1228. 
Bellis.  William  K.,  989. 

Belt  Railroad  and  Stockyards  Company.  256. 
Benevolent   and    Protective   Order  of  Elks,   382. 
Bennett,    Henry   W.,   851. 
Bennett.   William   H.,  1242. 
Berry.  David  F.,  663. 
Berryhill.  James  M.,  749. 
Berryhill,  John   S.,  964. 
Beveridge,  Albert  J.,  704. 
Big  Four  R.  R.,  1.50,  255. 

Birdseye  View   of   Indianapolis.   1854.   138.   191. 
Birdseye    View,    Indiana|)olis.    1907,    315. 
Blackford   Street   Church.  fiOI. 
Black    Hawk    War.    135. 
Black.   .Joshua.   781. 
Blackwell.  John  J..   1113. 
Blaine    Avenue    Methodist    Cb\irch.    598. 
Blair.   Willet   B..   893. 
Board  of   Park  Commissioners,  637. 
Boards  of  Aldermen.  640. 
Boards  of  Health.  637. 

Boards  of  Public  Health  and  Charities.  637. 
Boards  of  Public  Safety,  635. 
Boards  of  Public   Works.  635. 
Board  of  Trade   Map,  1853.  355. 
Bobbs,  John   S.,  982. 
Boice,  Augustin.   1028. 


INDEX 


Bolton,  Mrs.  Sarah  T.,  504. 

Books    Scarce    in    Early    Days,    507. 

Bookwalter,   Charles  A.,   1103. 

Bowen-Merrill    Fire,    284. 

Boyfl.  Linnaes  C,  766. 

Bradford,  Chester,  1122. 

Brenneke,  David  B.,  1215. 

Breiuiig,   George   T.,   1163. 

Brigham,   Edwin   B.,   1134. 

Brightwood    438. 

Brightwood  Methodist  Church,  602. 

Bristor,  William  A.,  717. 

Broadway  Methodist   Episcopal  Church,  601. 

Brown,   Arthur  V.,   1182. 

Brown,  Demarchus  C,  1193. 

Brown,   George   P.,   279. 

Brown,  Hilton  U.,  757. 

Brown,   Parker.   1177. 

Brown,  William  T.,  688. 

Browning,  Eliza  G.,  953. 

Broyles,  Moses,  574. 

Bruce,  James  A.,  973. 

Bruce,    Margaret    T.,    973. 

Bruett,  Jean   Baptiste,  541. 

Bryson,  Robert  H.,  959. 

•'Buck  Town,"   434. 

Buennegal.  Jacob,  1160. 

Building  Inspectors,  635. 

Bull.   Ole,  529. 

Bullitt  Law,  313. 

Bunting,   George  W.,   Sr.,   1216. 

Burckhardt.  Louis,  1182. 

Burford.  William  B.,  711. 

Buschmann,  Charles  L.,  876. 

Buschmann,  William,  877. 

Bush,   Rev.   George,   576,   579. 

Business  Development,  342. 

Butler.  Amos  W..  1239. 

Butler.  Ovid.  131.  116.5. 

Butler  University,  131. 

Cahier,  Madame,  540. 

Cahier.  Madame,  as  "Orpheus,"  535. 

Canals,  20. 

Cannon,  William  T..  1048. 

Capitol,    107. 

Capitol,   First,   105;    Second,   111. 

Capitol    Avenue   Methodist   Church,   602. 

Capitol  Building,  Vincennes.  Erected  1806,  3. 

Captains   of  the   Watch,   635. 

Carey,  Ada  M.,  1043. 

Carey,  Jason  S.,  1042. 

Carey,  John  N.,  972. 

Carr,  Carroll  B.,  1099. 

Carter,  Vinson,  834. 

Catching   Fish,   67. 

"Caterpillar  Deadening."  15. 

Catholic   Knights   of   America,   386. 

Catholic    Order   of    Foresters,   386. 

Catholics.   132.   615. 

Caven.  John,  164. 

Center    Township,    51. 

Central    Bank,    352. 

Central  Canal,  20,  23. 

Central   Art  Association,  486. 


Central   Avenue   Methodist   Church,   599. 
Central  Christian  Church,  608. 
Central   Medical   Society,   545. 
Central  Trust  Company,  356. 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  234. 
Chambers,  Dr.  John,  550. 
Change  in  Theater,  234. 
Changes  in  Street  Names,  31. 
Chanticleer.  The,  394. 
Chapman,  George  A.,  388. 
Chapman,  Jacob  P.,  388. 
Charter.   City,   156.  309. 
Chase,   William   Merritt,   480. 
Chase,   William   M.,   First   "Pot-Boiler,"    479. 
Cheyne,  Frederick  H.,  695. 

Chicago.  Indianapolis,  &  Louisville  R.  R..  255. 
Chief  Anderson,  38. 
Chief  Fire  Engineers,  635. 
Chiefs  of  Assessment  Bureau,  637. 
Chiefs  of  Police,  635. 

Childhood    Home    of    Mrs.    Robert    Louis    Steven- 
son, 516. 
Chipman,  John  W^.,  1165. 
Chislett,   John,   1131. 
Choral   Union,   530. 
Christ   Church.   609.   611. 
Christian  Church,  606. 
Christian   Church  Union.  610. 
Christian    Scientists,   623. 
Christian.  Wilmer,  783. 
Churches,    567-633. 
Church   of   Christ.   610. 
Church  of  God,   631. 
Church  of  the  Assumption,  619. 
Church   of   the   Holy    Innocents,   613. 
Church  of   the   Holy   Trinity,   620. 
Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Lourdes.  620. 
Cincinnati,  Hamilton  &   Indianapolis  R.  R.,  255. 
Cincinnati.  Indianapolis  &  Western  R.  R.,  255. 
Cincinnati    &    Indianapolis    Short    Line,    254. 
Citizens   Company,  336. 

Citizens  Gas  Light  and  Coke  Company.  323. 
Citizens   National   Bank,   351. 
Citizens  Trust  Company,  356. 
Cily  Attorneys.  634. 
City  Charter.  156.  309. 
City   Clerks,   634. 
City  Common  Councils,  638. 
City    Commissioners,    636. 
City  Comptrollers.  634. 
City  Gas  Inspectors.  636. 
City  Government,  154. 
City  Gravs,  219. 
City   Guards.  219. 
City  Judges,  634. 
City  Hospital.  551. 
City  Library.  512. 
City   Marshals,   635. 
City  Officials.  634. 
City   Regiment,   232. 
City   Sanitarians,  6:'.7. 
City  Seal,  157. 
City  Solicitors,  634. 
City   Weigh   Masters,   636. 
Civil  Engineers.  634. 


INDEX 


SI 


Civil  War  Times.   217. 

Clark,  Edmund  D.,  993. 

Clark,  Salem  D.,  687. 

Cla.v,  Joseph  T..  1137. 

Claypool,  .Jefferson   H.,   713. 

Cla.vpool.  John  W.,   1066. 

Claypool.  Solomon,   1063. 

Clerk  of  Park   Board.  638. 

Clerks,  Board  of  Aldermen,  641. 

Coburn,   Henry,   1237. 

Coburn.   Heniy    P.,   1235. 

Cocknim.   .Tohn   B.,   658. 

Coe.  Dr.  Isaac,  542,  577.  579. 

Coffin,  Charles  F.,  1218. 

Coffin.   Charles  E.,   703. 

Coffin.  David   W.,   939. 

Coffin.  Orlando  S.,  914. 

Coldest    Day  on   Record,    234. 

"Cold   Spring,"   59. 

Coleman,  Christopher  B..  649. 

Coleman.  Lewis   A..   1187. 

Collins.  James  A..  1162. 

Colonial   Theater,   472. 

Colored   Brother.  The.  239. 

Colored    Methodist   Episcopal   Chtirch.   603. 

Cohimhia   Club.   1192. 

Coming  of  the  Capital.  74. 

Commercial    Club.    311.    358.    416. 

Commissioners.  First  Meeting  of.  4:   Report  of.  7. 

Conduitt.  Allen  W.,  809. 

Cones,  Constantine.  1071. 

Congregationalists.  604. 

Conner.  William,  4. 

Cook.   George  J..   948. 

Cool.   Dr.   Jonathan.   541. 

Cooper,    Charles    M.,    701. 

Cooper.    John    J..    699. 

Corbaley.   Jeremiah.   36. 

Corporation    Counsels,    635. 

Corydon.    74. 

Cost  of  War  to  the  Town,  238. 

Cotton.  Fassett  A..  1026. 

"Cotton    Town."    434. 

Coulnn.    Charles.    162. 

Council  Men.  1832-1847.  120. 

Councilmen-atl.arge.    639. 

County   Divided    into   Townships.    51. 

County  Jail.  57;  First,  58:   Second,  59:   New.  .59. 

County   Library.  511. 

County  Seal   Adopted.   51. 

County  Seal  Now  in  Use.  51. 

Court   House.  First.   61. 

Court  House.  560. 

Court   Proceedings,  555. 

Courts.  Bench  and  Bar.  554. 

Cowan.  John.  36. 

Cox.  Jacob.  474. 

Cox,  T-inton   A..  1024. 

Coy.  Sim.  293. 

Craig,  Charles  W..  1077. 

Cross,   Charles   M..   828. 

Cruse,  James  S.,  688. 

"Da   Capo,"   525. 

Daily  Evening  Republican.  394. 


Daily.   Thomas  A..   1105. 

Daniels.  Edward,  772. 

Dark,  Charles  E  ,  761. 

Dark,  Wilbur  W.,  763. 

Davis.   Frederick   A.   W.,   912. 

Davis,   Henry.   36. 

Davis.   Samuel,   36. 

Day,  Thomas  C,  986. 

Decatur  Township,   51. 

Delawares,    64. 

Democrat,   71. 

Denny,   Caleb   S.,   166,   675. 

Depots,    151. 

Deschler,  Louis  G.,  738. 

Deterding  Missionar,v  Training  School,  437. 

Deutsche  Haus,  Das,  215. 

Deutsche  Klub,  Der,  215. 

Development  of  Town,  93. 

Disciples,    130. 

District  Councilmen.  641. 

District  Schools,   123. 

Dodds.  William  T.  S..  716. 

Dorsey.   Francis   O.,    1196. 

Dorsey,   Robert  S..   1194. 

Dowd.  Frank  T.,  1171. 

Downey.   Brandt    C,   1120. 

Downing,  Michael  A.,  857. 

Dougherty,  Hugh,  829. 

Drake.   Mrs.   Alexander,   458. 

Dress  of  Early  Settlers,  69. 

Duncan.   John   S.,   59,   698. 

Dudley    Letter.    The.    299. 

Dunlap,   James    Boliver.    475. 

Dunlap.  James  E..  Work  of,  476. 

Dunn,  Jacob  P.,  1255. 

Dunn,  John  G.,  474. 

Dye.  William  H..  1112. 

Dyer,   Sidney,   569. 

Eaglesfield.   Caleb   S..   1014. 

Eaglesfield.   James   T..    1013. 

Eaglesfield,  William.   1012. 

Early   Amusements,   73,   84. 

Early  Criminal  History,  59. 

Early  Fires,  282. 

Early  Fourth  of  July  Celebrations,  88. 

Early  Mails,  71. 

Early   Manufactures.   94. 

Earlv  Reminiscences,  99. 

Early  Social  Life.  490. 

Early   Sunday   Schools,  87. 

Early  Wearing  Apparel,  69. 

Earnshaw,    Emeline    C,  ^243. 

Earnshaw,  Joseph,   1242. 

East  Washington  Street  Presbyterian  Church,  588, 

Eastman,   Joseph,    1106, 

Eastman,  Joseph   R..   1110. 

Eastman,  Thomas   B..  662. 

Edenharter.   Frank   T..   1146. 

Edenharter.   George    F.,   975. 

Edwin    Ray   Methodist    Church.   601. 

Egbert.   James.   1046. 

Elani.   John   B..   850. 

Elder,  John   R..   1011. 

Elder,  William  L.,  1012. 


xu 


INDEX 


Elections,   Early,   74. 

Election,   1862,  230. 

Electric   Lighting,  Gas   Heating   and   Illuminating 

Company.  328. 
Elevation  of  Tracks,  430. 
Eleventh    Presbyterian    Church,    588. 
Eleventh   Regiment,  219. 
Elliott,  Byron  K.,  665. 
Elliott.   David   M..   711. 
Elliott,  George  B.,  874. 
Elliott.  Joseph  T..  990. 
Elliott.  William   F.,  665. 
Emmanuel  Baptist  Church,  573. 
Emmaus  Lutheran  Church,   614. 
Emrich,  John  H.,  1046. 
End  of  Early  Steamboat  Navigation,  19. 
English,  William  E.,  887. 
English.  William  H.,  159,  880. 
English's  Opera  House,  470. 
Episcopalians.   129,   611. 
Erdelmeyer,  Frank,   807. 
Evangelical   Association.   633. 
Ewing,  Calvin  K..  899. 
"Ezra  House,"  518. 

Fahnley.  Frederick,  763. 

Fairbanks,   Charles   W.,  1183. 

Family  Visitor,  The,  394. 

Farmers  Trust  Company.  356. 

Fauvre.   Frank   M.,   697. 

Federal  Building.  305. 

Feuerlicht,  Rabbi  Morris  M..  629.  1102. 

Fidelity   Trust   Company.   356. 

Fifth  Christian  Church,  608. 

Fifth   Presbyterian   Church,   586. 

Financial    Conditions    Improve,    102. 

Finch,  Fabius  M..  44. 

Fine   Arts,  The,   473. 

Fire  Association,   171. 

Fire    Companies.   Volunteer.    167. 

Fire  Department  Headquarters,  290. 

Fire  Department  Paid.  281. 

First   Adventist    Church,   631. 

First   Baptist   Church.   571. 

First  Child  Born  on  Donation,  36;   First  Born  on 

Original   Townsite.  36. 
F^rst   Church,   Evangelical   Association.   633. 
First    Church    of   Christ,    Scientist,    623. 
First   Church    Organization.   86. 
First    Congregational    Church,   605. 
First   County   Treasurer,  50. 
First  Election,  49. 

First    English    Lutheran    Church.    614. 
First  Exposition,  The.  483. 
First  Fire,  167. 
First   Friends  Church,  626. 
First  Free  Methodist  Church,  604. 
First  Free  Will  Baptist  Church.  575. 
First  German  Baptist  Church,  572. 
First  German  Methodist  Eniscopal  Church.  597. 
First  Indiana  Regiment.  139. 
First  Justices  of  the  Peace,  53. 
First  Masonic  Temple.  1848-50,  375. 
First  Mayor,  160. 
First  Medical   College,  547. 


First  Military  Execution.  232. 

First  Musical  Festival,  533. 

First  Musical  Instruction,  521. 

First  National  Bank,  351. 

First  Negro  on  Site,  239. 

First  Odd  Fellows   Hall.  380. 

First   Physicians,  36,   541. 

First  Presbyterian  Meetinghouse,  575. 

First  Presbyterian  Church,  586. 

First  Presbyterian  Church  and  School,  1823,  86. 

First  Railroads,  14,  142. 

First  Recorded  Fire,  176. 

First  Reformed  Church.  632. 

First  Religious  Organization,  591. 

First  Roads,  78. 

First  Sale  of  Lots.  32. 

First    School    Exhibition,    92;    School    House,    90; 

School  Teachers,  91. 
First  Schools.  90. 
First  Settlers.  The.  36. 
First  State  Fair  Grounds.  347. 
First  Step  to  Increase  Funds.  101. 
First  Street  Railway,  335. 
First   Surveyors,  28. 
First  Theater,  464. 

First  United  Presbyterian  Church,  589. 
First  Universalist  Church,  622. 
First  Water  Works.  330. 
First  White  Child  Born  in  County.  36. 
First  Woman  Librarian.  108. 
Fishback,  Frank  S.,  993. 
Fitton.  Bertha  B.,  1017. 
Flack.  Joseph  F.,  938. 
Flanner.  Francis  W..  1053. 
Flat  Boat  Trade,  346. 
Fletcher.  Calvin.  49.  423.  562.  643. 
Fletcher's.  Dr.  W.  B.  Sanatorium,  955. 
Fletcher  Place  Methodist  Church,  595. 
Fletcher,  Stoughton  A.  II,  1129. 
Fletcher,   Stoughton  A.  Jr.,  647. 
Fletcher.  Stoughton  A.  Sr.,  1128. 
Flood  of  June.  1875,  13. 
Floods  of  1904.  430. 
Fordham.  Ellas  P.,  28. 
Fort  Benjamin  Harrison,  443. 
Fortune,  William.  685. 
Foster,  Captain  Wallace,  479. 
Foster.  Chapin  C.  1207. 
Fourth  Christian  Church,  608. 
Fourth  National  Bank.  351. 
Fourth  of  July  Celebrations.  88. 
Fourth   Presbyterian   Church,   585. 
Fox,  William   H.,  960,' 
Francis,  J.   Richard,  742. 
Francis,  Joseph   M.,   651. 
Frank.  Henry,  1091. 
Frank.   Johanna    S..    1092. 
Franklin  Fire  Insurance  Company.  363. 
Franklin   Institute.   127. 
Franklin  Township.  51. 
Fraternal    Organizations,   371. 
Freeman,    John,    Case.    244. 
Freeman.  The.  394. 
Freemen's   League.   207. 
Free  Methodists,  604. 


INDEX 


Xlll 


Free  Soil   Banner,  395. 
Free   Will   Baptist,    575. 
Freie  Presse.  204,  395. 
Freight  Bii.siness,  357. 
Friends,   130,   62C. 
"Fundamental   School." 
Furnas,  ,Iohn  H.,  1230. 
Furs  and  Hides,  342. 


126. 


136,  480,  1174. 


Gall,  Alois  D.,  931. 

Garden  Baptist  Church.  572 

Gardner.  Fred  C,   1024. 

Gas,  322. 

Gates,  Harry  B.,  974. 

Gavin.  Frank  E..  1125. 

Gavisk.  Francis  H..  838. 

Ga.v,   George  A..  926. 

Gazette.  71.  588. 

General  Lew  Wallace, 

General  Tijjton,  4. 

German-American  Trust   Company,  356. 

German  American   Veterans   Club,   215. 

German   Evangelical   Church,   633. 

German  Fire  Insurance  Company,  360. 

Germans  in   Indianapolis,  202. 

German  House,  The.  213. 

German  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company, 

German    Newspapers,   395. 

German  Population  in  1850,  202. 

Gillette.   Doctor.   177. 

Gladding,  Nelson  A..  1254. 

Glossbrenner,  Alfred   M.,   987. 

Goar,  Charles  S.,  706. 

Golt,  Walter  F.  C,  847. 

Goss.  David  K.,  279. 

Government,  City,   154. 

Governor  .Jennings.  4. 

Governor  Morton,  226. 

Governor's  Mansion  in  the  Circle,  103, 

Grace  Episcopal   Church,   612. 

Grace  Methodist   Church.  601. 

Grace   Presbyterian    Church.    589, 

Graf.  Carl   H.,  1137. 

Graham.   Edward   F..   868. 

Grain    Dealers    National 

Company,  362. 
Greeley,   Horace,   225. 
Greenfield,   Miss,   529. 
Gregg,  Harvey.  388. 
Greiner,  Louis  A..  746. 

William   A,.   1127. 

Claude   T..   824. 

Humphrey.    1009. 

Theodore   E..   822. 
Gristmill,  First,  72. 
Grout.  Charies  S.,  654. 
Growth  of  Town.  99. 
Grubhs,  Daniel  W.,  166. 


Hack.  Oren  S.,  848. 

Hiulley,   Oscar.   784. 

Haines.  Matthias  L..  581. 

H.ill    Place    Methodist    Church, 

Hammond,  Rev.  Resin.  85. 

Ilanna,  Charles  T.,  938. 


361. 


Mutual    Fire    Insurance 


Greyer, 
Griflflth, 
Griffith, 
Grifl^th, 


599. 


Handel  and  Haydn  Society,  The,  526. 

Hanson,  Josiah,  242. 

Harding,  George  C,  401. 

Harding,  Robert,  36. 

Harding.  William  N.,  1220.- 

Harlan,   Isaac  N.,  1062. 

Harlan,  Levi  P.,  1138. 

Harold,  Cyrus  N..  805. 

Harris,  Addison  C,  1179. 

Harris.  Charles  O..  747. 

Harrison,  Benjamin,  227. 

Harrison,   General   Benjamin,   1192. 

Harrison,   Russell  B.,  1192. 

Harugari,  384. 

Harvey  Gregg  Library.  508. 

Harvey,  Lawson  M.,  1005. 

Haughville,   440, 

Hawkins,   Edward.   1075. 

Hawkins.  Roscoe  O.,   1097. 

Hays,  Bartin  S.,  478. 

Heath.  Frederic  C,  922. 

Heeb.   Emmett   ,1..    1172. 

Hempstead,  Harry  N.,  1106. 

Henderson,  John  O.,  1181. 

Henderson,  Samuel,  160. 

Hendrickson,  Alonzo  P,,   1087. 

Herald.  The,  392. 

Herron  Bequest,  487. 

Herron,  John,  487. 

Hesperian  Club,  506. 

Highest  Price  in   First  Sale  of  Lots,  32. 

Hill,  Albert  A..   1145. 

Hiileary,  Mary  C,  1066. 

Hilleary.  Ridgely   B..   1065. 

Hillside  Avenue  Christian  Church,  610, 

Hines,   Cyrus   C,   849. 

Hines,   Fletcher  S..  849. 

Hodges.  Mrs.   Edward   F.,  648. 

Hoffmeister.   August,    202. 

Hollett.  John  E,,  694. 

Holliday,  John  H..  196,  217,  1O06, 

Holliday.  Rev.  William.  127. 

Hollowell.  Amos  K.,  936. 

Holmes.  Ira  M.,   1209. 

Holt,  Steriing  R.,  1154. 

Holt.   William   A..  1105. 

Holtzman.  John  W.,  1123. 

Holy  Angels  Catholic  Church,  620. 

Holy  Cross  Catholic  Church,  619. 

Home  Heating  and  Lighting  Ciuniiany,  330. 

Home  Presbyterian  Church.  589, 

Hood.  Arthur.  M.,  941. 

Hood,  Harrison  P..  941. 

Hooton.  Elliott  R.,  681. 

Hoosier  City,  394. 

Hospitals   of   Indianapolis,    549. 

Hospital  Square,  34. 

House  Built  by  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  583. 

Howe,  Aaron  B.,  900. 

Howe,  Daniel  W.,  753. 

Howe,  Mary  S.,  901. 

Howe,  Thomas  C.  683. 

Hugg,   Martin   M..  861. 

Hume,  James  M.,  724. 

Hume,  George  E.,  726. 


XIV 


INDEX 


Humorous  Journals.  407. 

Hungarian  Ohev  Zedek  Congregation,  630. 

Hunt,   Phineas   G.   C,   844. 

Hunt,  George  E.,  844. 

Hurst,   Charles  F.,   S54. 

Hurty,  .John  N.,  741. 

Immanuel  Church,  633. 

Important  Legislation,  159. 

Impressions  of  Town   on  Visitors,   186. 

Improved   Order  of   Red   Men,   379. 

Improvement   of   Fire   Department,   286. 

Improvement  of  Town.  70. 

Inadequate   School   Buildings,   272. 

Inaugurating   the   Government.   416. 

Independent  Order  of  B'nai  B'rith.  387. 

Independent    Order   of   Odd   Fellows.   377. 

Independent   Relief   Company.   169. 

Independent   Zouaves.   219. 

Indiana  American,  395. 

Indiana    Banking    Company,    352. 

Indiana    Admitted    to    the    Union,    1. 

Indiana    and    Marine    Fire    Insurance    Company. 
360. 

Indiana   Central   University,   442. 

Indiana  Democrat.  388,  394. 

Indiana  During  War  Years.  225. 

Indiana  Female  College,  130. 

Indiana  Journal.  71,  388. 

Indiana    Lumbermen's    Mutual     Insurance     Com- 
pany. 362. 

Indiana  Millers  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company, 
362. 

Indiana  National  Bank.  351. 

Indiana  Pythian  Building.  381. 

Indiana  State  Library,  1193. 

Indiana  State  Sentinel,  388. 

Indiana  Trust  Company,  356. 

Indiana   Volksblatt,   204. 

Indianapolis,  Birdseye  View.  1907,  315;  Birdseye 
View  of,  1908,  429;  in  1820.  68:  in  1854,  138 
in  1871.  365;  Banks,  351;  Churches,  1854 
600;  Description  by  John  H.  HoUiday,  196 
Description  by  Madame  Pulszky,  186;  First 
Case  Heard  in,  559;  First  Law  School  in,  564 
First  Library  in,  509;  Hospitals,  549;  Legis 
lature  Organized,  81;  Impressions  on  Visitors 
186;  Map  of,  1855.  271;  Material  Progress  of 
237;   Mayors.  160. 

Indianapolis,  Bloomington   &   Western  R.   R..  254. 

Indianapolis  &   Cincinnati  Junction   R.  R..  255. 

Indianapolis    and    Cincinnati    Railroad.    152. 

Indianapolis  and  I^afayette  Railroad.  153. 

Indianapolis  &   Vincennes  Road,  254. 

Indianapolis  Branch  Bank.  351. 

Indianapolis   Daily   Citizen,   394. 

Indianapolis  Daily  Herald.  388. 

Indianapolis   Daily   Sentinel,   388. 

Indianapolis.  Decatur  &  Western  R.  R.,  255. 

Indianapolis  Depots,  151. 

Indianapolis  Dramatic  Society.  470. 

Indianapolis  Female  Institute.  128. 

"Indianapolis   Female   School."   121. 

Indianapolis  Fire  Company,  167. 

Indianapolis  Fire  Force.  288. 


Indianapolis  Fire  Insurance  Company.  360. 

Indianapolis  Gas  Company,  328. 

Indianapolis  Gas  Light  and  Coke  Company,  322. 

Indianapolis   Handelian    Society,   521. 

"Indianapolis  High  School,"  127. 

Indiana  Historical   Society,   510. 

Indianapolis  Horticultural   Society,  225. 

Indianapolis  Maennerchor,  206. 

Indianapolis  National   Bank,  351.  353. 

Indianapolis   Natural   Gas   Company,  324. 

Indianapolis   News,   The.   757. 

Indianapolis  Opera  Company,  532. 

Indianapolis,    Pittsburg    and    Cleveland    Railroad, 

150. 
Indianapolis  Public  Library.  953. 
Indianapolis  Sabbath  School  Union.  87. 
Indianapolis  Savings  Bank,  351. 
Indianapolis   Socialer   Turnverein.   215. 
Indianapolis    Southern    R.    R.,    255. 
Indianapolis  Street   Railroad  Company,  336. 
Indianapolis  Times.  410. 

Indianapolis  Traction  and  Terminal  Company,  339. 
Indianapolis  Turngemeinde.  202. 
Indians,  64. 

"Inductive   School,"   126. 

Inspectors  of  Scales.  Weights  and  Measures.  636. 
Insurance  Business.   360. 
Insurance  Companies,  360. 
Interior  of  a  Filter  Bed,  333. 
Interior   of   St.   John's   Church,    618. 
Interurban  Railroads,  338. 
In  the  Beginning,  1. 
Invincible  Company.  169. 
Irvington,    434. 
Irvington   Presbyterian   Church.   589. 

Jackson.  Gustavus  B.,  788. 

Jacobs.   Harry  A.,   1177. 

Jacoby,  Elias  J.,  966. 

Jameson.  Ovid  B..  1061. 

Jameson.  Patrick  H.,  1058. 

Jeffersonville   Railroad,   153. 

Jerry   Collins   and   Doctor   Cool,   450. 

Jessup.  Roscoe  C,  812. 

Jeup.  Bernard  J.  T.,  777. 

Jewish  Temple,  630. 

Jews.   628. 

Johnson,  Emsley  W..  794. 

Johnson.  Eudorus  N..  1199. 

Johnson,  .Joseph  T.,  1039. 

Johnson,  Minnie   L.,   1201. 

Johnson.   Richard   O.,  895. 

.Johnson.  William  F.,   1043. 

Johnston.  Eliza  A..  1004. 

Johnston.   Samuel   A..  1003. 

Jones.  Aquilla.  866. 

Jones,  Aquilla  Q.,  866. 

Jones.  Lewis  Henry,   279. 

Jones,  Homer  I.,  1164. 

Jordan.  Arthur,  1155. 

Joss,  Frederick  A..  1017. 

Journal.  388. 

Journal   Cartoon.   November.   18SG.   296. 

Judges.  Early.  554. 

Judge  Harrison,  28. 


iNi>i-:x 


.Iiine,  George  W..  1088. 
.rune.  William  H..  1088. 
.Justices  of  the  Peace,  First,  53. 
.luvenile  Court.  321. 
.Juvenile  Prodigy,  536. 

Kelly.  Walter  F..  854. 

Kenasses  Israel  Congregation.  630. 

Kendall.   Calvin   N..   279. 

Kennedy.  Bernays.  1004. 

Kenyon.  Clarence  A.,  1210. 

Kern,  .John   W.,  783. 

Kes.sler.  Walter.  1115. 

Ketcham.  John  L.,  1191. 

Ketcham,  William  A.,   1143. 

Kiefer.  Augustus.  1147. 

Kimball.   Howard.  750. 

"Kinderhook."  434. 

King  .Avenue  Methodist  Church.  602. 

Kiser,   Sol   S.,   809. 

Kitchen.   John    M.,   796. 

Klausmann.    Henry   W..   1025. 

Knabe.    Hclene    E.    H.,    852. 

Knight.   William   W.,   1044. 

Knights  and  I^adies  of  Honor,  382. 

Knights  of  Columbus.  386. 

Knights  of  Father  Mathew.  386. 

Knights  of  the   Maccabees  of  the   World.   385. 

Knights  of  Pythias.  379. 

Knights  of  Pythias.  Colored.  381. 

Knights  Templars,  376. 

Koehne.    Armin    C,    1039. 

Kolmer.  .John,   932. 

Korbly.  Charles  A..  817. 

Krauss.   Paul   H.,   1021. 

Kregelo,  Charles  E.,  962. 

Kregelo.  Laura  J.,  964. 

Kring,  ,Iohn  L.,  946. 

Kuhn.  August   M..  1158. 

Kurtz,    .John    A.,    942. 

Kyle,  John  J..  752. 

Lack  of  Mills.  72. 

Ladies'  Fair.  234. 

Ladies'  Protective  Association,  229. 

"Lake  McCarty,"  14. 

Landers,   Jackson,   759. 

Landers,  William  F..  761. 

Landes,  Joseph  Jr..  905. 

Landes,  William   F.,   905. 

Landon.   Hugh    McK.,   914. 

Latta.  Will   H.,  665. 

Law  Journals,   408. 

T^aw  Librarv  and  Bar  Association.  565. 

Lawyers,  554. 

Lawrence.  Ann.  91. 

Lawrence.  Henry  W..  872. 

Lawrence,  Rice  B..  91. 

Lawrence  Township,   .'il. 

I^ayoock.  Thomas  B..  1117. 

Laycock,  William   H..   1117. 

Layman.  James  T..  1089. 

Lay  of  the  Land.  7. 

Leathers,  Douglas  A..  910. 

Leathers,  James  M..   1166. 


Lemcke.  Julius  A.,  702. 

Lemon,  Marguerite,  538,  539. 

Lemon,    Marguerite,    as    "Eva"    in     Die    Meister- 

singer,  539. 
Lesh,  Charles  P.,  1032. 
Lieber.   Albert,   944. 
Lieber,  Carl  H.,  866. 
Lieber,   Herman,  864. 
Lieber,  Peter,  943. 
Lieber,  Richard.  980. 
Light,  Robert  C,  870. 
Lilly,  Charles,  1102. 
Lilly,  Eli,  689. 
Lilly.  James  E.,  826. 
Lilly,  James  W.,  903. 
Lilly,  John  O.  D.,  1100. 
Lilly,  Josiah  K.,  693. 
Lindenmuth,  E.  Oscar,  793. 
Linseed  Oil,  344. 
Literary  Atmosphere.  The,  504. 
Little  Sisters  of  the  Poor,  621. 
I^ittleton.  Frank  L,,  1147. 
Locomotive.  The,  394,  514. 
Log  Rollings.  73. 
Long.  John  B.,  739. 
Loomis,  Frederic  M.,  1103. 

Louisville,  New  Albany  &  Chicago  R.  R..  255. 
Lukenbill,   Orestes   C,   1153. 
Lutherans.  129,  613. 

Macauley,  General  Dan.,  165. 

Macadamizing,  117. 

Mack,  Frederick  J.,  816. 

Macy.   David,   1149. 

Madison   Avenue  Methodi^-t   Church.  601. 

Madison   Railroad,  142. 

Maennerchor,   210. 

Maennerchor  Hall,  206. 

Magruder.  Uncle  Tom.  243, 

Magruder,   Louisa   and   Daughter,   Last   Home   of, 

243. 
Maguire,  Douglass.  388. 
Mail  Service  Poor.  80. 
Maintenance  of   Order.   115. 
Majestic.  The,  472. 
Malarial   Diseases,  9. 
Malott.   Volney  T.,  1048. 
Manner  of  Organizing  a  New  County,  49. 
Mansfield.  Henry   A.,  827. 
Mansur.  Isaiah,  980. 
Manual  Training,  276. 
Manufactures   of   Early    Period,   343. 
Map    of    Indianapolis,    1855,    271. 
Mapleton.  441. 

Maplelon    Methodist   Chnrch,   .598. 
Marion  County   Agricultural   Society,  96. 
Marion  County   Seminary.   122,  125. 
Marion   Fire  Engine  Coniiiany.  167. 
Marion  Guards,  136. 
Marion   Rifle  Men,   136. 
Marion  Trust  Company.  356. 
Market    Masters    (East   Market).   636. 
Market   Masters    (Southside   Market),   636. 
Market  Masters  rW'est  Market),  636. 
Marmon.  Daniel   W..   1186. 


INDEX 


Marmon,  Walter  C,  1187. 

Marraon-Perry  Company,  329. 

Marott,  George  J.,  917. 

Marott.  John  R.,  959. 

Marott,  Rebecca  C,  959. 

Marshall,  Augustus  L.,   1130. 

Marshall,  Thomas  R.,   681. 

Martin,    Henry   C,   369,   1035. 

Martin,   Paul   F.,   650. 

Martintlale.  Elijah  B.,  1221. 

Mason,  Augustus  L..  767. 

Masons,  Colored,  377. 

Masonic   Hall,   374. 

Masonic  Lodges,  376. 

Masonry,  371. 

Masson,  Woodburn,  780. 

Masters,  John  L.,  1136. 

Matson,  Frederick  E.,  1207. 

Maus,  Casper,  697. 

Maxwell,  John,  36. 

Maxwell,  Samuel  D.,  163. 

Mayer,  Charles,  806. 

Mayer,  Ferdinand  L.,  1112. 

Mayflower   Congregational    Church,   605. 

Mayors  of  Indianapolis,  160,  634. 

M.  &   I.   R.  R.,  Opening  of,  148. 

McAllister.  Frank,  1073. 

McBride,  Bert,  1127. 

McBride,  Robert  W.,  789. 

McCarty,  Nicholas  Sr.,  668. 

McCartney,  William,  48, 

McClung,  Rev.  John,  85. 

McClure,  Robert   G..  773. 

McCormick,  Amos,  37,  42. 

McCormick,  James,   36. 

McCormick,  John.  36, 

McCoy,  Isaac,  38. 

McCready,  James,  161. 

McCulloch,   Carleton  B.,   1162. 

McCulloch,  Oscar  C.  M.,  606. 

McCullough,  James  E.,  715. 

McDonald.  Joseph  E.,  706. 

McDonald,  Josephine   F.,   710. 

McFadyen,  John,  945. 

McGowan,  Hugh  J..  1188. 

McGuire,   Newton  J.,  843. 

Mcintosh,  Andrew   J.,   1121. 

Mcintosh,   James   M.,   791. 

McLean  Seminary,  129. 

McKee.  Edward  L.,  797. 

McMaster,  .John  L.,  166. 

McMichael,  Henry  S.,  1068. 

McPherson,  Carey,  927. 

Mechanic,  The,  389. 

Mechanic  Rifles,  219. 

Medical  Journals,  407. 

Medical  Pioneers,  543. 

Medical  Profession,  The,  541. 

Mercantile  Banking  Company,   357. 

Merchants   National    Bank,   351. 

Merchants'   Exchange.   234. 

Merchants  Heat  and  Light  Company,  330. 

Meridian  Street  Methodist  Church,  594. 

Merrill,  Catherine,  506. 

Merrill,   Charles  W.,   1038. 


Merrill,   Samuel,   1037. 

Merrill,   Samuel,  Jr.,   1038. 

Merritt,  George,  1197. 

Messing,  Rabbi  Mayer,  629. 

Methodists,  85.   178.  591. 

Methodist  Hospital,  552. 

Methodist  Hymns,  ISO. 

Methodist  Protestant  Church,  604. 

Metropolitan  Hall,  464. 

Metzger,  Albert  E.,  721. 

Mexican  War.  134. 

Meyer,  August  B.,  795. 

Military    Funerals,    234. 

Military   Park,   348. 

Military  School,  121. 

Military  Uniforms.  136. 

Miller,  Blaine  H.,   1117. 

Miller,  Samuel  D.,  1234. 

Miller,  William  H.  H.,  1231. 

Miller,   Winfield,    811. 

Millikan.  Lynn  B.,  978. 

Mills,   344. 

Mission  Hall,  623. 

"Miss  Hooker's  Female  School,"   121. 

Mitchell,  Major  James  L.,  165. 

Mitchell.    Dr.    Samuel    G.,    36,    542. 

Modern  Art,  486. 

Modern  Woodmen  of  .America,  385. 

Moffitt,  Charles  F.,  921. 

Money  Appropriated  to  Build  State  House,  104. 

Monon  R.  R.,  255. 

Montgomery  Guards,  219. 

Mooney,  William  J.,   1171, 

Moore,  DeWitt  V.,  665. 

Moral  Foundation,  82. 

Moravian  Church,  631. 

Moriarty,   John   A..   661. 

Morrison,  John  I.,  940. 

Morrow.  Joseph   E.,   667. 

Morss,  Samuel  E.,  264. 

Most   Exciting  Day  in  Indianapolis,  237. 

Mount   Jackson,   441. 

Mt.  Zion  Baptist  Church,  574. 

Mueller,  J.  George,   1068. 

Municipal  Improvements,  417. 

Munsell's  Map  of  Indianapolis,  1830,  52. 

Murat  Temple,   469,   472. 

Murphy,  Augustus,  652. 

Murphy,  Charles  S.,  652. 

Musical  Festival,  First,  533. 

Myers,  Charles  R.,  934, 

Names  First  Suggested,  26. 

National  Guards,  219. 

Natural  Gas,  324. 

Negley.  Harry  E.,   996. 

New  Albany  &   Salem  R.  R.,  255. 

New   Bethel  Baptist   Church,  575. 

New  Charter,  116. 

Newcomb,  Horatio  C,  160. 

Newcomb,  John   R.,   1217. 

New  Jail,  59. 

"New  Lights,"  85. 

Newspapers,  Early,  71. 

New  Purchase,  The.  2,  47. 


INDEX 


New  Union  Depot.  263. 

.Nicholson,    Mereditli.    652. 

.Nintli  Piesb.vterian  Church,  587. 

.\ippert  Memorial  Church,  602. 

.Voel,  James  W.,  862. 

Xordyke.  Addison   H..   673. 

Xorth   Baptist  Church.   572. 

-N'orth  Indianapolis.  440. 

-North  Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  599. 

.Northwestern  Christian  University,  131,  435. 

.Northwestern  Fire  Company,  170. 

Notable  Incidents,  231. 

O'Donaghue,  Rt.  Rev.  Denis.  615. 
Odd   Fellows.  Colored.  378. 

Offices  of  City  Treasurer  &   City   Assessor  Abol- 
ished. 160. 
"O.  K.  Bucket  Company."  170. 
Old  Bacon  Home,  248. 
Old   Bates   House.  221. 
Old  Blake  Home,  390. 
■Old   Buckhart,"  114. 
Old  Fire  Alarm  Tower,  285. 
Old  Indiana  Medical  College,  544. 
Old   Lion  Guard,  394. 
Old  National  Bridge,  21. 

Old  National  Hoad  Bridge  over  White  River,  118. 
Old   Supreme  Court,  110. 
Old  Watch  Tower  System,  288. 
Oldest  Brick   Building.  38. 
Oldest  Brick  House,  97. 
Oldest    Frame   House,    83. 
(H.l.st  Living  Settler,  42. 
Order  of  B'rith  Abraham.  387. 
Order  of  the  Eastern  Star.  377. 
Oren,  Mrs..  108. 
Original   Methodists,   604. 
Original  Wesley  Chapel,   1829,   178. 
Orlopp.  Jeannette,  537. 
Osenbach,  William,  818. 
Other  Benefit  Associations,  385. 
Other  Insurance  Companies.  367. 
Outline  Map.  Indianapolis,  1857,  168. 

Packet  "Governor  Morton,"   21. 

Page.  Lafayette  F.,  1034. 

Paid   Fire  Department,  281. 

Paine.  Dan.  525. 

Panic  of  1893.  420. 

Parker.  Harry  C.  860. 

Parvin.  Theophilus.  995. 

Park   Purchases,  422. 

Parry.   David    M.,   819. 

Patrick,  Katheryn  C.  1071. 

Patten.  William  T.,  855. 

Patterson   Homestead,  82. 

Patli.  Adelina.  529. 

Pattison.  .Joseph  H..  902. 

Pautzer.  Hugo  C.  1161. 

Payne.  Gavin  L.,  786. 

Pearsall.  Professor  Peter  Roebuck.  529. 

"Peedee,"  434. 

Peirce.  .lames  D.,  1015. 

Pennsylvania  Street.  1856,  183. 

Pentecost   Bands   of   the   World,   625. 


Pentecost   Tabernacle,    624. 

Permanent  Seat  of  Government,  4. 

Perrin,  .John,   1251. 

Perry,  Charles  C,  751. 

Perry   Township,   51. 

Peru    and    Indianapolis    Railroad.    150. 

Pfaff.  Orange  G.,  1001. 

Physicians.   541. 

Physicians,  Early,   9. 

Pickens,  Samuel  O..  850. 

Pickens,  William  A.,  676. 

Pierce,  Oliver  W.,  720. 

Pierson,  John  C,  879. 

Pierson,  Samuel  D.,  1178. 

Pike  Township,  51. 

Pioneer  Table,  A,  42. 

Plan  for  the  City  Adopted,  29. 

Planning  the  City,  26. 

Plymouth   Congregational   Church,   604. 

Pogue,  George.  36. 

Political  Epoch.  A.  292. 

Political  Journals,  4(l9. 

Political   Parties,   119. 

Politics,  Town,  113. 

Poor   Mail   Service,   80. 

Pork   Packing.   344,   348. 

Portteus,  Theodore.   854. 

Post  Office.  The.  357. 

Potter.  Merritt  A.,   935. 

Potts,  Alfred  F.,  1121. 

Price.  C.   Lawrence,   869. 

Price  of  Manufactured  Articles,  65. 

Primordial  Life,  64. 

Pritchard,   James   A.,   693. 

Presbyterians.  86,   127,  575. 

Present  Fire  Department.  288. 

Presidents   Board   of  Aldermen.   641. 

Press,  The,  388. 

Professor  FoUansbee's  Grand  Ball,  497. 

Propylaeum.  The.  506. 

Protestant  Deaconess  Society,  552. 

Public  Schools,  268. 

"Pulilic  Squares,"  33. 

Public  Utilities,  ,322. 

Pugh,  Edwin  B.,  804. 

Pulszky,  Madame  Theresa,  186. 

Quakers,  130. 

Quill,  Leonard  M..  758. 

Railroad   Development.  254. 
Railroads.  First,  142. 
Raising  Tobacco.  96. 
Raising  Troops.  222. 
Ralston.    Alexander.    28.    239. 
Ralston  Plat  of  1821,  30. 
Rappaport,  Leo  M.,  933. 
Rates  of  Forria.ge,   53. 
Rattlesnakes,   69. 
Rauh.   Samuel   E..  814. 
Reardon.  Michael  H..  1163. 
Reasons  for  Location  of  Capital.  7. 
Record   of   Adjusted    Losses.    288. 
Record  of  Fire  Alarms,  288. 
Recruiting  Active,  228. 


IXDEX 


Reed,  Jefferson   H..   Iii74. 

Reformed  Methodists.  604. 

Reformed  Cburch.  632. 

Relics   of    1S47.    147. 

Religious  .Journals.  405. 

Religious  Jleetings.  85. 

Reminiscences,  99. 

Remster,  Charles,  661. 

Remy,  Charles  F..  664. 

Report  of  Commissioners,  7. 

Richards.  William  J.,  12;i9. 

Richardson.  Benjamin  A.,  836. 

Richardson.  Daniel  A.,  923. 

Richardson,  Sarah  C,  924. 

Richie.  Isaac  N.,  907. 

Riley.  James  Whitcomb.  1211. 

Ritter.  Eli  F.,  774. 

Ritzinger's  Bank,  353. 

River  Avenue  Baptist  Church,  573 

Roads.  First,  78. 

Roberts.  George  H.,  1086. 

Roberts,  John,  911. 

Roberts  Chapel.  177,  595. 

Roberts  Park  Church.  597. 

Robison.  Edward  J..  988. 

Ross.  David.  956. 

Roster  of  City  Officials,  634. 

"Rough    Notes,"    369. 

Royal  Arcanum,  382. 

Royal  Arch  Masons,  376. 

Royal  and   Select  Masters,  376. 

Rubush.  Preston  C,  903. 

Ruckelshaus,  John  C.  667. 

Ruddell,  Almus  G..  804. 

Ruick.  Samuel  K..  Jr.,  1146. 

Runnels,  Orange  S.,  969. 

Russe,  Henry,  824. 

Rush.  Fred.erick  P.,  929. 

St.  Anthony's  Church,  619. 

St.  Brigid's  Catholic  Church,  618. 

St.  Catherine's  Church.  620. 

St.  David's  Episcopal  Church.  613. 

St.  Francis  de  Sales  Church.  619. 

St.  George  Episcopal  Church.  614. 

St.  John's  Catholic  Church,  616. 

St.  John's  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  597 

St.  Joseph's  Church,  617. 

St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church,  610. 

St.  Patrick's  Church.  617. 

St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Church.  612. 

St.  Paul's  Evangelical  Church,  614. 

St.  Paul's  German  Reformed  Church,  632. 

St.  Peter's  Lutheran  Church,  614. 

St.  Peter  and  Paul  Cathedral,  616. 

St.    Philip's   Episcopal.   Colored,   613. 

St.  Philip  Neri's  Church.  620. 

St.  Vincent's  Hospital.  552.  , 

St.  Vincent's  Infirmary.  621. 

Sacred   Heart   Church.  618. 

Sacrifices  of  the  War.  230. 

"Salt  Water  Wells."  331. 

Salvation  Army,  623. 

Samuel   McCormick's  Home,  97. 

Sanitary  Fair,  348. 


Laws.    269 :    Journals, 


Sarah      Davis     Deterding     Missionary     Training  ] 
School.  437.  ' 

Sawmill.  First,  72.  < 

Saxe  Horn  Band,  524.  : 

Schmidt.  Lorenz,  1079. 

School  Days.  122. 

School    Expenditures.    279; 
398;   Statistics,  280. 

Schools.  Early.  121;   Grading  of,  273. 

Schroeder,  Henry  C,  801. 

Scott,  John  E.,   772. 

Scott,  William,  1133. 

Scudder.  Caleb.  95,  161.  1014. 

Seal.  City,  157. 

Sealers  of  Weights  and  Measures,  G36. 

Second  Adventist  Church.   631. 

Second  Baptist  Church.  Colored,  573. 

Second    Christian   Church.    608. 

Second  Church  of  Christ.  Scientist,  623. 

Second    Church.    Evangelical   Association.    633. 

Second    Evangelical    Lutheran    Church.    614. 

Second  German  Methodist  Church,  601. 

Second  Jail.  59. 

Second    Masonic    Temple.    386. 

Second  Presbyterian  Church,  582. 

Second  Reformed  Church.  632. 

Second  United  Brethren  Church.  632. 

Secretaries  Board  of  Public  Safety,  635. 

Secretaries  Board  of  Public  Works,  635. 

Security  Trust  Company,  356. 

Sedwick,  Charles  W.,   1041. 

Sedwick.  James  B..   1040. 

Seidensticker,  Adolph,  1223. 

Seidensticker.  Adolph,  1226. 

Seidensticker,  George.  1225. 

Selection  of  Name  "Indianapolis,"   27. 

Sentinel.  71.  388. 

Sentinel   Office.   1850.   409. 

Seventh   Christian   Church.  608. 

Seventh   Day   Adventists.  630. 

Seventh  Presbyterian  Church,  587. 

Severin.   Henry   Jr.,   875. 

Severin,   Henry   Sr.,   875. 

Sewall.   Mrs.   May  Wright.   506. 

Sewer  Tax.  14. 

Shaare    Tefila    Congregation.    630. 

Sharpe,   Ebenezer.    1080. 

Sharpe.  Joseph  K..  Jr..  776. 

Sharpe.   Thomas   H.,   1082. 

Shideler.  John  E.,  660. 

Shiel,  Roger  R..  1201. 

Shirley,  Cassius  C.   696. 

Shiriey,  Foster  C.  1131. 

Shortridge,   Abraham   C.   273. 

Shute.  Hamlin  L..  859. 

Sigler,  George  A.,  842. 

Sipe,  Jacob  C,  719. 

Sisters  of  Charity.  621. 

Sisters  of  the   Good    Shepherd.   621. 

Site   of   Union    Railway    Station.    1838.    12. 

Sixth  Christian   Church,   608. 

Sixth  Presbyterian  Church,  586. 

"Sleigho,"    434. 

Smith.   Charles  W.,   676. 

Smith.   Sol,   458. 


Ni)i:x 


Smith,  Theresa  H.,  969. 

Smock.  William  C.  778. 

.-Socialistic   Turnverein,   203. 

Social   Swirl.   490. 

Sccial   Turnverein.  202. 

s.  i.  Illy  for  the  Cultivation  of  Church  Music.  .521. 

Sm.  i(  ty  .Totirnals.  409. 

Sucii'ty  of  Friends,   625. 

Soldiers   and   Sailors  Monument.   487. 

Some  Old  Time  Religion,  177. 

Sons  of  Hermann,  384. 

Sons  of  Temperance,  452. 

Soul  of  Music.  521. 

Southerland    Presbyterian   Church.   589. 

Southern    Drivin.a;   Park   Association.   348. 

South    Street    Baptist    Church,   572. 

Sowder,  Charles   R.,  679. 

Spaan.    Henry   N..    1135. 

Spades.   Michael   H.,   1205. 

Spahr,    William    H.,    894. 

Spann.  .John  S.,  363,  389,  1213. 

Spann,  Thomas  H.,  1214. 

Spears  Case.  241. 

Spencer,  M.  J.,  920. 

Spink.  Mary  A.,  955. 

Stalnaker,  Frank  D.,  957, 

Stanton.  Ambrose  P.,  1176. 

State  Bank.  342. 

State  Bank  of  Indiana,  350. 

State  Board  of  AKriculture,  98,  348. 

State  Capitol.  107. 

State  Fair,  229.  348. 

State  Guard,  392. 

State  House  and  XJ.   S.  S.  Kearsarge.  424. 

State  House,  April,   1865,   233. 

State  House    at  Corydon,  Built  1811,  77. 

Stale  Institutions,  109. 

Stale  lournal  Building.  1850,  397. 

State   Library.   106.   509. 

State  Librarian.  106. 

State   Savings    Bank,    352. 

State    vs.    Terre    Haute    &    Indianapolis  Railroad 

Company.    263. 
Steam  Mill  Company,  104. 
Steele,  Theodore  C.  791. 
Steffen.   Andrew,  952. 
Stein.  Theodot-e.   756. 
Stempfel.  Theodore.  860. 
Stephenson.   .John   C.   878. 
Sterne.  Albert   E..  802. 
Stevenson,   iMrs.   Robert   L..  515. 
Stevenson.  William  E.,  856. 
Stewart,  Alexaniler  M..  726. 
Stewart.  Daniel    M..  924. 
Stewart,  Martha.  925. 
Stewart.  William   K.,  1044. 
Stock   Yards.  257. 
Stone.   Charles   S.,   1201.       • 
Strange  Chaijel.  596. 
Strange.  .Tohn.  591. 
Street   Commissioners.  636. 
Street  Imiirovemcnt,  117. 
Street   Imiirovements,  309. 
Street   Lighting.  322. 
Street  Railroad  System,  235. 


I 


•'Strin.etown,"    434. 

Suburl)an  Towns.  434. 

Sugar  Grove  Methodist  Church.  598. 

Sulgrove,   Berr>-   R.,    171. 

Sulgrove,  Berr.v.  527. 

Sullivan.  George  R..  1072. 

Sullivan.  .Jeremiah.  67S. 

Sullivan,  Thomas  L.,  160,  677. 

Sun,  The,  410. 

Superintendents  City  Dispensary,  637. 

Superintendents   City   Hospital,   637. 

Supreme  Court.  Old.  110. 

Surgical  Institute.  Burning  of,  286. 

Sw-amps,  11. 

Swain,  Mrs.  Harold.  537. 

Taggart.  Alexander,  1170. 

Taggart,  .Joseph,  1000. 

Taggart.  Thomas,  1204. 

Talge,    John    H..    1002. 

Tally  Sheet  Forgeries,  292. 

Tanner.  George  G..  1021. 

Tarbell,  Horace  S.,  279. 

Taylor,  Dr.  H.  W.,  10. 

Taylor,  James  H.,  1175. 

Taylor,  Major,  1142. 

Taverns,  Early,  32. 

Tavern  Rates,  53. 

Tax  Rates,  Early,  54. 

Telegraph,  The,  346.  395. 

Telegraph  and  Tiibune,  395. 

Telephone,  First,  339. 

Temperance  Chart.  394. 

Terre  Haute  and   Richmond   Railroad,  152. 

Terre  Haute,  Indianapolis  and   Hlastern  Company, 

339. 
Thalia-verein.  208. 
"The  Aig.ger,"  10. 
Theater  and  Theatricals,  458. 
Theater,  Change  in,  234. 
-The  Baby  of  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,"  242. 
"The  Capital  in  the  Wilderness,"  101. 
"The  Demon   Rum."  445. 
The  Freeman.  394. 
The  Indiananian,   399. 
"The  .Teff,"  153. 

The  name  "Indianapolis"  in  other  Slates,  27. 
The  Navigable  Stream,  16, 
The  State   Builds,   101. 
"The  Soldier's  Friend,"  226. 
Thespian  Corps.  The,  460. 
"The  West  Market,"  34. 
"The  Wigwam."  63. 
Third   Christian  Church.  608. 
Third   Presbyterian   Church.   584. 
Third  Reformed  Church.  632. 
Third   Wesley   Chaiiel,  593. 
Thomas,  Edwin  C  1116. 
Thomas,  William  H..  655. 
Thompson,  Charles  N.,  1140. 
Thompson,   James  L.,  765. 
Times.  388. 

Town,  Development  of,  93. 
Town  Governments.  112. 
Town  Incorporated,  112. 


INDEX 


Town  Officers,  First,  112. 

Town  Politics,  113. 

Township  Library,  .511. 

Tr.iiie  .Tournals,  395. 

Transfer  and  Belt  Railway  Compaay,  258. 

Treat,   Edward    R.   L.,   1252. 

Treasurer,  First  Annual  Report  of,  56. 

Tribe  of  Ben  Hur,  383. 

Tribune,  395. 

Trinity  Danish  Church,  614. 

Trinity  Lutheran   Church.  614. 

Trinity   Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  599. 

Troub   Memorial   Church,  588. 

Trustees.   1832-1847,   120. 

Tuck,  Claude  T.,  1044. 

Tutewiler,  Harry  D.,  1086. 

Tutewiler.  Henry  W.,  1084. 

Tuxedo  Methodist  Church.  602. 

Tuxedo  Park  Baptist  Church,  573. 

Twelfth  Presbyterian  Church,  588. 

Tyler,  S.  E.,  in  Uniform  of  Indianapolis  Band,  523. 

"Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,"  242. 

Under  the  Charter,  416. 

Underground    Railroads.    250. 

Underground  Railroad  Lines  ia  Indiana,  250. 

Union  Company,  170. 

Union  Depot  and  American  Hotel,  1854,  256. 

Union  Fire  Insurance  Company,  361. 

Union  Literary  Society,  103,  513. 

Union   Railway  Company.  263. 

Union  Traction  Company.  339. 

Union  Trust  Company,  356. 

United  Brethren,  631. 

United  Brothers  of  Friendship,  385. 

United  Hebrew  Congregation,  630. 

United  Presbyterians,  589. 

Unitarians.  622. 

Universalists,  622. 

University  Heights,  444. 

University  Place  Baptist  Church,  573. 

University  Square,  34. 

Van  Arsdel,  William  C.  831. 
Van  Camp.  Cortland,  907. 
Van  Camp.  Frank,  935. 
Van  Camp.  George,  1010. 
Van  Vorhis.  Flavius  J..  718. 
"Virginia  River,"  14. 
Volksblatt,  395. 

Volunteer  Fire  Companies,  167. 
Volunteers  of  America,   623. 
Vonnegut.  Bernard,  965. 
Vonnegut.  Nannie  S.,  966. 
Voss,  Gustavus  H.,  968. 

Wales.   Ernest  DeW.,  815. 

Walk,  ,Tulius  C,  727. 

Walker.  Lewis  C,  771. 

Walker,  Merle  N.  A.,  906. 

Walker.  Sarah  Layton,  535,  540. 

Wallace,   General   Lew,   136,   480,   1174. 

Wallace,   Harry  R.,   1020. 

Wallace,  Henry  L.,  1175. 

Wallace,  Lew,  1000. 


Wallace,  William,  998. 

Wallace,  William  J.,  162,  1019. 

Wallace,  Mrs.  Zerelda  G.,  505. 

Wallick.  John  F.,  928. 

Wallingford.  Charles  A..  961. 

Ward,  Marion,  1098. 

Ward  Councilmen,  640. 

Warren  Township,  51. 

Warman,  Enoch,  912. 

Warrum,  Henry,  985. 

Washington   Hall   Tavern.   445. 

Washington  Street,   1862,  158. 

Washington  Street  Views,  1854.  173. 

Washington  Township,  51. 

"Waterloo,"  114. 

Water   Works  Company  of  Indianapolis,  332. 

Waugh,  Henry  W.,  474. 

Wayne  Township,  51. 

Welch,  John  R.,  833. 

Wesley  Chapel,  593. 

Wesley  Chapel,  Present,  602. 

West,  Henry  F.,  161. 

West  Indianapolis,  440. 

West  Park  Church,  610. 

West  Washington  Street  Presbyterian  Church. 
587. 

Westbrook,  Adjutant  Emma.  623. 

Western  Censor  and  Emigrants  Guide,  71,  388. 

Western  Liberties  Company,   169. 

Western  Presage,  395. 

Whallon.  Thomas  C,  950. 

Wheatcraft,  Charles  O.,  1181. 

Whetzell,  Jacob,  39. 

Whetzell.  Lewis,  39. 

White  River,  16;  First  Large  Boat  on,  18:  Im- 
provement of,  17. 

White  Water  Valley  Canal.   20. 

Whitehead,  Herbert  L.,  1008. 

Whitfredge.  Thomas  Worthington,  477. 

Wholesale  Trade,  345. 

Wick,  William  Watson,  48. 

Wicks,  Frank  S.  C,  1078. 

Wiegand,  Antoine,  710. 

Wild,  John  F.,  1111. 

Wilkins,  John  A.,  1034. 

Wilkinson,   Philip.   1141. 

Williams,  Charles  N.,  740. 

Willis.  Frank  B.,  1069. 

Wilson,  George  S.,   1092. 

Wilson,  Isaac,  36. 

Winter,  Carl  G..  919. 

Wilson,  Medford  B.,  748. 

Wishard,  Dr.  Milton  M.,  550. 

Wishard,  William  H.,  65,  1244. 

Wishard,  William  N.,  1248. 

Wood,  Edson  T.,  842. 

Wood,  Horace  F.,  813. 

Wood,   Samuel   F.,   839. 

Wood.  William  A.,  841. 

Woodruff  Place,  439. 

Woodruff  Place  Baptist  Church,  573. 

Woodruff  Avenue  United  Presbyterian  Church, 
589. 

Woodbury.  Herbert  L.,  1169. 

Wolf,    George,    723. 


INDEX 


XXI 


Woolen  Manufactures,  344. 
Woollen.   Greenly  V..  867. 
Woollen,  Leonard.  781. 
Woollen,  Milton  A.,  782. 
Worrall,  .Josephus  Cicero,  12G,  177. 
Wright.  Anna  Haugh,  658. 
Wright,  Charles  E.,  657. 
Wulschner,  Emil,  1132. 
Wvnn,  Wilbur  £f.,  769. 


Yandes,  Daniel.  50,  555,  728. 

Yandes,  Simon,  555,  731. 

Year  of  Donations,  1907,  432. 

Youngest  Prosecutor,  59. 

Young  Men's  Library  Association,  512. 

Young  Men's  Institute,  386. 

Zion's  Church,  633. 
Zouave  Guards,  217. 


History  of  Greater  Indianapolis. 


CHAPTER    1. 


IX  THF.  BEGINNING. 


The  time  had  come  when  ludiana  had  need 
of  a  new  capital — not,  indeed,  that  there  had 
been  any  lack  of  capitals,  for  they  had  been 
iiuniorous  and  varied.  The  first  seat  of  govern- 
iiicnt  was  Paris,  France, — shifting  to  Aler- 
saillcs — with  tiie  provincial  capital  for  the 
northern  ]iart  of  the  state  at  (^ncliec,  and  inter- 
mediate authority  at  Detroit ;  while  the  ^oiitli- 
ern  end  of  the  state  had  its  provincial  capital 
at  Xew  Orleans,  with  intermediate  authority 
at  Fort  Chartres,  in  Illinois.  This  continued 
until  the  close  of  the  Seven  Years  War,  when, 
by  the  'J'reaty  of  Paris,  in  1763,  the  capital 
became  T^ondon,  and  the  provincial  govcrn- 
nipnt  was  centered  at  Quebec,  with  intermedi- 
ate authority  at  Detroit.  This,  in  turn,  con- 
tinued until  Gen.  George  Kogers  Clark  took 
forcible  possession  of  the  region  for  Virginia, 
in  HTS,  and  the  capital  came  over  to  Rich- 
mond. 

Virginia  acted  promptly,  and.  in  October, 
1TT8,  establislied  the  (!i)unty  of  Illinois,  includ- 
ing all  of  her  territory  ''west  of  the  Ohio 
river."'  On  December  12.  Col.  .Tohn  Todd  was 
appointed  ('ounty  Lieutenant,  with  power  to 
appoint  subordinate  ollicials,  except  that,  by  the 
law,  "all  the  civil  otncers  to  which  the  said 
inhabitants  have  been  accustomed,  necessary 
for  the  ])reservation  of  ])pace  and  the  adminis- 
tration of  justice,  shall  be  chosen  by  a  major- 
itv  of  the  citizens  of  their  res])ective  district*.""" 
'i'odd     came    West     in     ITTfl.    and     called     an 


^IfrnitHi's   Sliilx.   Ill    Lnnjr. 
Vol.  I— 1 


\'(ii.  :i. 


election  for  the  "general  court""  of  \"in- 
cennes,  wdiich  was  the  first  election  ever  held 
in  Indiana.  The  persons  then  elected  were 
commissioned  by  Todd,  excepting  one  known  as 
Cardinal,  who  "refused  to  serve."  It  is  not 
recorded  whether  this  uniq\ie  action  was  due 
to  modesty,  or  to  fear  of  being  led  into  temp- 
tation in  an  American  ofiice.  The  A^irginia 
rule  continued  until  the  organization  of  the 
Northwest  Territory,  when  the  capital  w-as 
transferred  to  Marietta,  Ohio.  It  tarried  there 
until  1800,  when,  on  the  organization  of  In- 
diana Territory,  it  came  to  Vincennes.  Here 
it  remained  until  1813,  when  it  was  removed 
to  Corydon. 

But  now  Indiana  had  left  the  territorial 
status,  and  had  been  admitted  as  a  sovereign 
state  of  the  Union  in  1810.  It  was  putting 
away  the  things  of  childhood.  It  must  have  a 
permanent  capital,  and  not  merely  one  suited 
to  the  temp(n-ary  convenience  of  the  existing 
population.  This  involved  its  location  near  the 
center  of  the  state,  for  no  ]U'inciple  was  nioi'e 
firmly  fixed  in  the  minds  of  the  early  settlers 
than  that  "equality  is  equity,"'  so  far  as  dis- 
tance from  the  seat  of  government  is  con- 
cerned. Travel,  at  that  time,  w-as  tedious  and 
difficult,  and  from  the  time  the  Americans  be- 
gan settling  in  the  Northwest  there  had  Iteen 
complaint  on  this  subject.  And  Congress  had 
recognized  the  justice  of  the  complaint.  In 
the  report  of  1800,  on  the  division  of  North- 
west Territory,  the  House  Committee  said : 
"The   actual    distance    of    traveling    from    the 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIAXAPOLIS. 


places  of  holding  courts  the  most  remote  from 
each  other  is  thirteen  hundred  miles,  and  in  a 
countrj'  so  sparsely  settled,  and  so  little  re- 
claimed from  its  native  wildness.  this  distance 
alone  seems  to  present  ijarriers  almost  insuper- 
aljle  against  the  exercise  of  the  functions  of 
government."  hi  the  debate  of  1804,  on  the 
separation  of  ilichigan,  it  was  urged  that  "it 
was  unjust  to  deprive  the  citizens  of  Detroit 
of  the  benefits  resulting  from  the  administra- 
tion of  justice;'"  and  that  Michilimackinac, 
'"exporting  annuallv  produce  of  the  value  of 
$->00,000,  from  which  the  United  States  had 
a  revenue  of  $1T,000.  was  more  than  800  miles 
from  the  present  seat  of  government."  Mich- 
igan had  the  best  ground  for  complaint,  and 
was  separated  in  1805,  but  other  sections  were 
also  clamorous.  In  180.5  the  people  of  Dear- 
born County — then  all  of  Indiana  east  of  the 
Greenville  Treaty  Line — ])etitioned  for  reun- 
ion to  Ohio,  on  the  ground  that  they  were  "at 
a  Distance  of  Xearly  Two  Hundred  Miles  from 
the  Seat  of  Government ;  that  the  Interme- 
diate Space  is  a  Wilderness  oecupy'd  only  by 
Indians,  and  likely  for  many  years  to  Remain 
Unoccupied  by  any  Other  persons."  In  the 
same  year,  the  ]X'op]e  of  the  Illinois  settle- 
ments asked  for  separation  on  the  ground  that 
they  were  separated  from  Vincennes  by  "about 
one  hundred  and  eighty  miles,  through  a 
dreary  and  inhospitable  wilderness,  uninhab- 
ited, and  which,  during  one  part  of  the  year, 
can  scarcely  afford  water  to  sustain  nature, 
and  that  of  the  most  indifferent  quality,  be- 
sides presenting  other  hardship!^  equally  se- 
vere, while  in  another  it  is  in  part  imder  water, 
and  in  places  to  the  extent  of  some  miles,  by 
which  the  road  is  rendered  almost  impassable." 
Congress  refused  these  petitions,  but  after 
others  to  the  same  effect  in  1806  and  1807, 
provided  for  the  separation  of  Illinois  in  1809; 
one  of  the  chief  reasons  given  being  that,  "The 
great  difficulty  of  traveling  through  an  ex- 
tensive and  loathsome  wilderness,  the  want  of 
food  and  other  necessary  accommodations  of 
the  road,  often  presents  an  unsurmountable 
barrier  to  the  attendance  of  witnesses;"  and 
that  when  witnesses  did  attend,  the  expense 
was  "a  cause  of  much  embarrassment  to  a  due 
and  impartial  distriliution  of  justice. "- 

These  considerations  wt're  uppermost  in  the 


-Ind.  Hist.  Soi:  I'nhs..   \\ 


No.   M. 


minds  of  everybody  in  connection  with  tlie 
establishment  of  the  permanent  capital,  and 
it  was  a  matter  of  common  consent  that  the 
capital  must  be  in  the  central  part  of  the  state, 
which  was  then  an  unsettled  wilderness,  held 
by  the  Indians.  It  was  equally  understood 
that  it  should  be  located  on  the  West  Fork 
of  White  River — properly  the  main  stream — 
which  was  the  only  stream  in  the  central  part 
of  the  state  that  was  considered  navigable. 
After  the  admission  of  the  state.  Congress,  by 
resolution  of  December  11,  ISKi,  made  a  dona- 
tion of  four  sections  of  land  for  a  capital,  to 
be  selected  by  the  state  legislature  from  "such 
lands  as  may  hereafter  be  acquired  by  the 
United  States,  from  the  Indian  tribes  witiiin 
the  said  territory ;"  and  all  of  these  lands  lay 
to  the  north  of  the  existing  settlements. 

The  original  title  to  this  region  was  in  the 
iliamis,  with  a  special  claim  in  the  l'iaid<e- 
shaw  tribe  of  that  nation;  but  about  1T5()  tlic 
Piankeshaws  had  sold  the  right  of  occupancy, 
if  not  their  full  title,  to  the  Delawares,  who 
then  formed  their  settlements  on  White  River. 
The  controversies  that  arose  over  the  title,  be- 
tween the  Miamis  and  the  Delawares,  were  so 
threatening  that  Governor  Harrison  secured 
ail  agreement  in  the  treaty  of  Ft.  Wayne,  in 
1809,  tliat  the  iliamis  "explicitly  acknowledge 
the  equal  right  of  the  Delawares  with  them- 
selves to  the  country  watered  by  White  River," 
and  that  "neither  party  shall  have  the  right 
of  disposing  of  the  same  without  the  consent 
of  the  other."  Accordingly,  at  the  opening  of 
Octolier,  1818,  both  triiies  were  assembled  at 
St.  Marys,  Ohio,  wliere  Jonathan  Jennings, 
Lewis  Cass,  and  Benjamin  Parke,  for  the 
United  States,  made  treaties  with  them.  On 
October  .T,  the  Delawares  relinquished  "all  their 
claim  to  land  in  the  State  of  Indiana."  On 
October  fi,  the  Miamis  ceded  all  their  lands  in 
Indiana  lying  between  the  Wabash  and  the 
lands  already  acquired  by  the  whites  in  the 
siuitbern  part  of  the  state,  except  a  few  small 
reservations,  together  with  a  smaller  section 
tiuit  they  still  held  in  nurtbwestern  Ohio.  The 
lands  so  acquired  wei'e  popularly  known  as 
"The  Xew  Purchase,"  and  by  that  name  have 
passed  down  in  history.  They  covered  about 
one-tliird  of  the  -state — the  central  third,  as 
distinguished  from  the  north  and  south  ends. 
The  government  surveys  of  them  were  begun 
in  1819,  and  continiu'd  for  several  vears  after. 


HiSTOKV  or  (;i;i:atki{  Indianapolis. 


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HISTOKY  OF  (JKKATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


All  thf  jjifliniiiiarios  being:  now  anangcd, 
the  legislaturi',  which  repR'sunted  the  southern 
end  of  the  :<tate.  and  which  was  in  no  hurry 
for  the  actual  removal  of  the  capital,  passed  an 
act  on  January  11,  1820,  appointing  ten  com- 
missioners to  locate  the  capital.  The  men 
named  by  the  law  were  George  Hunt,  of  Wayne 
County;  John  Conner,  of  Fayette;  Stephen 
Ludlow,  of  Dearborn:  John  Gilliland,  of 
Switzerland;  J ose]ih  Bartholomew,  of  Clark; 
John  Tipton,  of  Harrison:  Jesse  B.  Durham, 
of  Jackson;  Frederick  Kapp,  of  Posey;  Will- 
iam Prince,  of  Gibson:  and  Thomas  Kmmer- 
son,  of  Knox.  They  were  all  men  of  promi- 
nence in  their  several  communities:  and  all 
except  William  Prince  accepted  the  appoint- 
ment and  served.  By  the  law  they  were  re- 
quired to  meet  "at  the  house  of  William  Con- 
ner, on  the  West  Fork  of  White  River,  on  a 
day  to  be  named  in  the  proclamation"'  (it  was 
May  22).  and  proceed  to  select  "a  site  which, 
in  their  opinion,  shall  be  most  eligible  and  ad- 
vantageous for  the  permanent  seat  of  govern- 
ment of  Indiana."  The  house  of  William  Con- 
ner was  at  what  was  known  as  Conner's  Sta- 
tion, or  Conner's  Prairie,  some  four  miles 
below  Noblesville.  Conner  and  his  brother 
John,  who  founded  Connersville,  had  been 
captured  by  the  Indians  when  children,  and 
had  been  brought  up  by  them.  William  Con- 
ner had  served  as  an  interpreter  and  as  Indian 
agent  for  a  number  of  years,  and  had  estab- 
lished his  trading  station  at  this  point  in 
180-2.^  The  law  required  the  commission- 
ers to  employ  a  clerk,  who  was  to  make 
a  record  of  their  proceedings,  and  sub- 
mit it  to  the  next  legislature.  This  report 
was  prepared,  signed  by  the  nine  members  who 
served,  and  submitted,  but  it  is  merely  a  sum- 
mary statement  of  the  final  action  of  the  com- 
mission.* But  General  Tipton  kept  a  journal 
of  his  trip  which  is  comparatively  full.  The 
original  is  now  in  the  possession  of  John  H. 
Hollidny  of  Indianapolis,  and  it  has  l)con  print- 
ed  twice.'' 

Tipton  started  from  Corydon  on  ilay  17,  in 
compan)'  with  Governor  Jennings, who  was  with 


'Obitnarv  sketch  in  Jndinnapolis  Journal.  Au- 
gust 23,  18.5.5. 

*U(iu.sp  Journal,  1821,  p.  2.5. 

'••Xcu-s,  April  IT,  1879;  Indiana  QuarlcrUi 
Ma;/,  of  Hist.,  Vol.   1.   p]).   !»-I5;  ',  \-:'.K 


the  party  during  the  trip.  They  took  with 
them  a  negro  boy  named  Bill.  On  the  next 
day  they  reached  Colonel  Durham's,  at  Val- 
lonia,  where  Durham  and  General  Bartholo- 
mew were  awaiting  them,  and  they  were  also 
joined  here  by  Gen.  John  Carr,  and  Ca])tain 
])ueson,  of  Charlestown,  who  were  going  up  to 
look  at  the  country.  The  party  traveled  north 
in  quite  a  direct  line,  passing  about  a  mile  east 
of  Irvington,  directly  through  Castleton,  strik- 
ing and  crossing  White  Kiver  at  the  Hamilton 
County  line,  and  reaching  Conner's  at  1  o'clock 
on  the  22nd.  Here  they  found  Himt,  Conner. 
Ludlow,  Gilliland,  and  Emmerson :  and  that 
evening  they  met  and  w'ere  sworn  in.  Eapp  ar- 
rived on  the  following  day,  and  the  commis- 
sion organized  by  electing  Hunt  chairman  and 
Benj.  I.  Blythe  clerk.  They  then  adjourned 
to  meet  on  the  24th  at  "the  mouth  of  Fall 
Creek."  The  next  three  days  were  spent  in 
exploration,  the  commissioners  going  down  the 
river  as  far  as  the  Bluffs.  On  the  27th  the 
commissioners  met  at  the  mouth  of  Fall  Creek 
and  definitely  "agreed  to  select  and  locate  the 
site  Township  15  north  of  K.  3  E.,  which  town- 
ship was  not  divided  into  sections."  But  the 
surveyors  were  working  on  it;  and.  in  reply  to 
a  note  of  inquiry.  Judge  Wm.  B.  Loughlin  of 
Brookville,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  survey- 
ing party,  informed  the  commissioners  on  the 
morning  of  the  28th  that  the  work  would  be 
sufficiently  advanced  in  ten  daj-s  to  allow  tlie 
location  by  sections.  The  main  point — the 
lf)cation  at  the  mouth  of  Fall  Creek — being 
now  disposed  of,  two  of  the  commissioners, 
.Tohn  Conner  and  George  Hunt,  returned  home 
and  the  other  seven,  with  Governor  Jennings, 
went  up  to  Conner's  Station.  The  time  was 
passed  in  various  ways  until  June  5,  Tipton, 
Bartholomew  and  Durham  examining  the  lands 
as  far  down  the  river  as  Spencer.  They  recon- 
vened on  June  5,  and  the  section  lines  lutving 
been  run,  passed  the  Gth  "in  reading  and  walk- 
ing aroinid  the  lines  of  the  sections  that  wo 
intend  to  locate."  On  June  7.  Ti])ton  savs: 
■■\Ve  met  at  McCormick's.  and  on  my  motion 
the  commissioners  came  to  a  resolution  to 
select  and  locate  sections  numbered  1  and  12, 
and  east  and  west  fractional  sections  num- 
bered 2,  and  east  fractional  section  11,  and 
so  much  off  the  east  side  of  west  fractional 
section  number  .3,  to  be  divided  by  a  north  and 
south  line  running  parallel  to  the  west  bound- 


THSTOItY  OF  m^EATEi;   IXDIAXAPOLTS. 


ary  of  said  sectiou,  as  will  equal  in  amount  4 
I'litiro  sections  in  tp.  13  >.'.  of  IJ.  3  li.  \\\; 
left  our  clerk  making  out  his  minutes  and  our 
leport,  and  went  to  cam])  to  dine.  Keturned 
after  dinner.  Our  paper  (not)  being  ready 
H.(artholomew),  D.(urliam)  and  myself  re- 
turned to  camp  at  4.  They  went  to  sleep 
and  me  to  writing.  At  5  we  decamped  and 
went  over  to  JlcCormick's.  Our  clerk  having 
his  writing  ready  the  commissioners  met  and 
signed  their  report,  and  certified  the  service 
of  the  clerk.  At  6:45  the  first  boat  landed 
that  was  ever  seen  at  the  seat  of  government. 
It  was  a  small  ferry  flat  with  a  canoe  tied 
alongside,  both  loaded  with  the  liousehold 
^■oods  of  two  families  moving  to  the  mouth  of 
[•"all  Creek.  They  came  up  in  a  keel  lioat  as 
far  as  they  could  get  it  up  the  river,  then  re- 
loaded the  boat  and  brought  up  their  goods 
in  the  flat  and  canoe.  I  paid  for  some  corn 
and  w(hiskey)   621X>- 

The  clerk  of  the  commission.  Benjamin  1. 
Blythe,  was  a  Pennsylvanian  of  Scotch  de- 
scent, who  afterwards  located  at  Indianapolis. 
lie  was  also  clerk  of  the  surveyors  who  laid 
off  the  city,  and  for  a  time  the  state  agent 
for  the  sale  of  lots.  He  was  captain  of  the 
first  artillery  company,  which  welcomed  the 
steamer  "Robert  Tlanna""  with  a  national  salute 
when  she  arrived  here  A])ril  11,  1831.  i^atei- 
he  was  well-known  and  successfvil  in  the  bus- 
ini'ss  of  the  city,  especially  as  a  dealer  in  hides 
and  leather,  and  as  one  of  the  pioneer  pork- 
packers.  Mc(!'ormick'"s,  where  the  commission- 
ers lield  their  meetings  and  took  their  meals, 
was  an  ordinary  double  log  cabin  that  stood  on 
the  triangle  now  made  by  Wgihington  street. 
Xaticnal  avenue,  and  the  river.  It  fronted 
the  river.  Alost  of  the  time  the  commission- 
ers camped  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  just 
al)Ove  the  mouth  of  Fall  Creek,  which  was 
then  about  200  yards  north  of  the  National 
iJoad  l)ridge.  They  named  the  bank  where 
they  camped  "Bartholomew's  i'lulT,"  but  the 
name  did  not  last.  The  lands  they  selected, 
and  which  were  duly  confirmed  by  the  legis- 
lature, are  bounded,  east  of  the  river,  on  the 
norlh  by  Tenth  street;  on  the  east  by  Shelby 
•street  extended  north  to  the  L.  E.  &  \V.  tracks 
above  Massachusetts  avenue;  on  the  south  by 
Morris  street:  and  on  tlie  west  hv  the  river 
lielow  Washington  street,  and  by  Hiawatha 
slriTt    above   \Vashin<;ton   street.      West  of   the 


river  they  are  bounded  on  tln'  north  by  Ver- 
mont street:  on  the  east  by  the  river;  on  the 
south  by  Maryland  street;  and  on  the  west  by 
Lynn  street.  Outside  of  these  lines  the  lands 
were  sold  by  the  United  Stales  to  individuals, 
and  those  that  have  since  been  added  to  the 
city  were  laid  out  as  "additions"  by  individ- 
uals. 

On  June  8th,  Tipton  records  that  he  started 
home  "in  company  with  Ludlow,  Gilliland, 
Blythe,  Bartholomew,  Durham,  Governor  Jen- 
nings and  two  Virginians.'"'"  Who  the  Virgin- 
ians were  is  not  mentioned,  but  probably  they 
were  JIatthias  R.  Xowland  and  .\ndrew  Byrne, 
brothers-in-law  from  Kentucky,  who  had  been 
looking  at  lands  in  Illinois,  and  who  had  come 
up  from  Vincennes  \rith  a  ])art  of  the  com- 
missioners. There  were  several  others  at- 
tracted to  this  point  at  the  time,  among  them 
John  and  Absalom  Dollarhide,  who  coiTie  up 
with  a  f)art  of  the  commissioners  from  their 
farms  rn-,n-  the  southern  line  of  Marion  County. 
John  H.  B.  Xowland,  son  of  Matthias  R., 
says  that  their  party  came  up  White  River 
from  Vincennes,  past  the  Bluti's,  where  they 
found  "about  a  half-dozen  families  settled,  in- 
cluding that  of  Jacob  Whetzell."  At  the  mouth 
of  Fall  Creek  they  stopped  for  a  day,  and 
"inost  of  them  were  favorably  impressed." 
N'owiand  told  the  commissioners  that  if  they 
located  here  he  would  move  out  in  the  fall, 
and  try  to  induce  other  Kentuekians  to  join 
lum.  This  mention  of  the  favorable  impres- 
sion is  of  interest  in  connection  with  a  vener- 
able tradition  of  a  strong  conflict  of  opinion 
among  the  commissioners  as  to  the  location, 
which  is  stated  by  Brown  as  I'ollow^s:  "They 
met  as  directed  at  Conner's,  where,  after  very 
serious  disputes  between  them  as  to  sites  at 
the  Blutt's,  at  the  mouth  of  Fall  Creek,  and  at 
Conner's,  the  present  hication  was  chosen  by 
three  votes  against  two  for  the  Blufl's."  This 
has  commonly  been  followed  by  other  writers, 
but  it  is  manifestly  incorrect,  for  Tipton  ex- 
plicitly states  that  the  choice  was  made  at 
McCormiek's,  on  M;iy  'i'l.  and  there  were  then 
nine  commissioners  present.  It  is  incredible 
that  four  of  them  did  not  vote,  and  there  is 
no  contem])orary  mention  of  material  disagree- 
ment in  Tipton's  journal  or  elsewhere.  Tlie 
Indiana  Sentinel.  iiul)lished  at  Vincennes,  said 
on  .lune  :5 :  "We  understand  from  a  gentle- 
man who  has  been  some  time  in  company  with 


G 


llLsruliY  or  GKEATER  INDIAXAPOLIS. 


tlie  comiiiissioiicr!;.  tliat  it  is  most  probable 
the  permanent  Seat  of  Government  of  Indiana 
will  be  fixed  inunediately  Ijelow  the  mouth  of 
Fall  Creek,  that  empties  into  the  West  Fork 
of  White  River,  on  tiie  east  side"  On  June 
17,  the  same  paper  announeed  the  location  by 
sections,  and  added :  "It  is  just  below  the 
mouth  of  Fall  Creek,  which  is  in  full  view 
from  the  town  scite.  Fall  Creek  is  a  beautiful 
stream,  at  this  season  forty  yards  wide  at  its 
mouth,  witli  a  rapid  current  and  deep  water. 
We  are  happy,  also,  to  say  that  the  business 
of  the  commissioners  proceeded  with  ]3erfect 
concert  and  harmony,  and  that  they  suffered 
no  interest  but  the  public's  to  guide  them  in 
the  selection." 

The  presence  of  Governor  Jennings  with  the 
commissioners,    who    were    not    only    his    ap- 


]K)intees  but  also  his  personal  and  political 
friends,  would  naturally  tend  towards  una- 
nimity of  sentiment,  and  there  was  no  show  of 
(piestioniug  tjie  locatuin  afterwards.  In  fact 
the  press  of  the  state  treated  the  action  of 
the  commissioners  as  settling  the  location,  and 
the  legi.elatiire  adopted  their  decision  without 
any  recorded  question  or  debate. 

When  the  exact  surveys  were  made,  it  was 
found  that  section  1  contained  6.58.2  acres; 
section  2,  61]..5.'5  acres;  section  12,  G40  acres; 
and  east  fractional  section  11,  448.2  acres; 
leaving  202.07  acres  to  be  taken  from  section 
3,  west  of.the  river,  to  make  the  full  donation 
of  four  sections,  or  2, .560  acres.  The  lands 
were  so  platted,  falling  between  now  existing 
streets  as  mentioned   nl)ove. 


I 


CHAPTER  11. 


THE  LAY  OF  THE  LAND. 


'rhv  report  nl'  llir  (•(iiiniii^siniuTs  tn  tlu'  k'f;- 
islature  makes  no  stali'iiiciit  of  their  rca50ii>^ 
for  the  location  chosen  beyond  the  following: 
"The  nnilersigned  have  endeavored  to  connect 
with  an  eligible  •^ite  the  advantages  of  a  naviga- 
ble stream  and  fertility  of  soil,  while  they 
have  not  been  unmindful  of  the  geographical 
situation  of  the  various  portions  of  the  state ; 
to  its  political  center  as  it  regards  both  the 
jiresent  and  future  population,  as  well  as  the 
inesent   and    future   interest   of   the   citizens."' 

Among  tiie  features  that  went  to  make 
ii|i  the  "eligible  site,"  tradition  records 
the  consideration  that  the  banks  of  the 
river  at  this  ])oint  afforded  a  good  boat 
landing,  and  that  Fall  Creek  and  Eagle  Creek 
were  good   mill   streams. - 

But  there  were  other  considerations  that  no 
doulit  had  weight.  At  this  time  the  TJ.  S. 
Commissioners  to  locate  the  National  Road 
had  finished  their  work  in  central  Indiana, 
and  had  located  the  inad  abotit  fifteen  miles 
south  of  Indianapolis,  'i'his  was  brought  to 
the  attention  of  the  legislature  at  this  same  ses- 
sion, and  on  January  S,  182L  it  adopted  a  me- 
morial to  (jongress  asking  for  a  change  in  the 
lim^  of  the  road,  so  that  it  wcndd  come  to  the 
new  ca])ital.  Hi  this  memorial  the  legislature 
urged  that  the  site  of  the  capital  was  not 
only  nearer  the  center  of  the  state,  but  that 
it  had  "many  other  advantages,"  among  which 
was  the  fact  that  at  this  point  there  were 
'■'elevated  banks  on  both  .=ides  of  the  west 
branch  of  White  lliver ;"  and  that  this  condi- 
tion insured  "in  time  of  hish  water  a  certain 


passage,  and  that  a  similar  advantage  is  not 
to  be  found  on  the  said  river  at  less  than 
thirty  miles  sonth  of  the  location  aforesaid."' 
This  was  also  true  of  the  river  for  some  ten 
miles  above — to  the  head  of  the  backwater  above 
Broad  Ripple — there  being  bottom-land  on  one 
side  or  the  other  when  not  on  both.  Of  course  in 
those  days  a  heavy  fill  was  a  much  more  seri- 
ous undertaking  than  at  present,  and  there 
was  no  point  near  here  that  afforded  as  great 
natural  advantages  for  a  crossing  .as  the  pres- 
ent Washington  street  crossing  of  the  river. 
Indeed,  it  is  almost  certain  that  the  commis- 
sioners gave  weight  to  this  consideration,  for 
they  located  on  both  sides  of  the  river  and 
the  only  place  where  the  lands  selected  come 
to  the  river  on  both  sides  is  from  a  block 
below  Washington  street  to  abo\it  the  same  dis- 
tance above.  Congress,  however,  did  not 
change  the  location  of  the  road  until  ISi."), 
when  Jonathan  Jennings  secured  an  anu'nd- 
ment,  bringing  the  line  to  Lidianapolis.'' 

But  there  was  another  reason  for  the  selec- 
tion. Tipton  says:  "The  bank  of  the  river  on 
which  McCormick  lives  is  from  '2')  to  30  feet 
above  the  water  at  this  time — the  country  back 
is  high,  dry  and  good  soil ;"  which  (lemon- 
strates  that  1S20  was  not  a  wet  year.  Hut  at 
an<ither  jilace  he  speaks  of  the  site  as  being 
"level  and  rich;"  and  his  objection  to  the 
HhifFs  is  recorded  in  these  words:  "Back  of 
the  bluff  runs  a  beautiful  creek;  they  front  oit 
the  river  near  1  mile — if  they  were  level  on 
top  it  would  be  the  most  beautiful  site  for  a 
town  that  T  have  ever  seen."  It  is  certain 
that  the  other  commissioners  also  ijave  weight 


''Ilniisr  ./oiiniitl.  IS-iJl,  p.  ■>:>:  Iiiil.  Ilisl.  Soc. 
I'lihs..  Vi>l.  1,  p.   ].■>;!. 

-//((/.  Ilisl.  Soc.  Pubs..  Vol,  -2,  p.  :i8():  \'ol. 
■J.  p.  :!i:. 


■\Acfx  of  is:i.  p.  ]  ;■:.. 

*Stah.  (ll   Liirijr.   \',,|.  -I.  pn.   I'.'S.  :i.^>l  :  Cun,;. 
Pchates,  Jan.  i:  and   1S.  IS-.'."),  pp.  -MO.  -Jl.-,.  ' 


8 


IIISTOKV  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


to  the  fact  that  at  this  point  tln-iv  was  an 
abundance  of  level  ground  for  a  town.  When 
Stephen  Ludlow,  tlie  Dearborn  county  com- 
missioner, returned  to  Lawreneeburg,  he  was 
met  l)_v  William  Tate,  a  young  mechanic  from 
Boston,  wlu)  inquired  how  they  had  succeeded. 
"Oh.  splendidly,"  was  the  reply,  "l  tell  you. 
Billy,  we  have  got  the  finest  piece  of  land  you 
ever  .<aw.     It's  as  level  as  a  barn  Hoor."" 

"Oh  pshaw!"  said  Tate,  '"what  did  vou  do 
that  for?"" 

'■And   why   not?" 

"Why,  what  will  tliey  over  do  for  drainage?'"' 

Stephen  scratched   his   head   for  a   moment, 

and    then    responded,    "Well,    I'll    lie    d d. 

A'ol)ody  but  a  Yankee  would  ever  have  thought 
of  tliai." 

It  was  natural  eno\igh  that  the  commission- 
ers should  be  attracted  by  this  feature  of  the 
site,  for  they  were  all  from  the  south  end  of 
the  state  where  the  alternation  of  knobs  and 
channels  of  streams  makes  it  difficult  to  place 
more  than  two  houses  on  a  common  level,  but 
its  effects  on  the  future  city  were  somewhat 
serious,  and  they  are  not  yet  wholly  overcome. 
The  plain  on  which  the  city  stands  has  an 
average  elevation  of  about  720  feet  above  sea 
level,  and  is  quite  flat,  with  somewhat  higher 
ground  on  all  sides.  Jt  has  been  conjectured 
by  geologists  tliat  it  was  in  some  past  age  the 
bed  of  a  lake,  .\cross  it  runs  the  valley  of 
Pogue"s  Run,  which  has  lost  much  of  its  origi- 
nal breadtli  liy  filling,  and  which  was  formerly 
ratlier  swampy  in  character. 

Xortheast  of  the  city — north  of  the  Atlas 
Works — was  an  extensive  swam]),  later  known 
as  Fletchers  Swanij),  which  in  wet  seasons  dis- 
charged its  overflow  through  the  site  of  the 
city  in  what  were  called  "the  ravines;"  and  in 
time  of  floods  Fall  Creek  also  discharged  much 
of  its  surplus  water  through  this  swamp  and 
the  same  channels.  From  the  swamp  the 
water  ran  south  past  the  Atlas  Works,  then 
■westerly,  crossing  the  L.  E.  &  W.  tracks  in 
the  low  ground  still  seen  about  Fifteenth 
street.  Below  there  it  divided,  one  ravine  go- 
ing a  little  west  of  southerly,  and  crossing  New 
Jersey  street  at  Walnut ;  from  there  it  ran 
southerly  between  Alabama  and  New  Jersey 
streets,  crossing  Washington  street  at  Xew  Jer- 
sey, where  there  was  a  culvert  for  it  in  Xa- 
(ional  Road  days,  and  emptying  into  Pogue":- 
Run.     The  other  ran  a  little  south  of  westerlv. 


crossing  Penn>ylvania  street  at  the  big  elm, 
which  still  stands  in  front  of  X^o.  I'il'y,  and 
which  is  sometimes  called  "the  McC'ulloch 
elm,'"  on  account  of  Rev.  Oscar  McCulloch"s 
devotion  to  it.  From  there  it  veered  to  the 
south,  crossing  ileridian  street  at  Eleventh  and 
Illinois  at  St.  Clair;  then  between  Illinois 
and  Capital  avenue  across  Vermont ;  then 
southwesterly  past  the  corner  of  the  State  Cap- 
itol grounds  to-the  old  canal  bed  on  Missouri 
street,  and  down  it,  and  across,  emptying  into 
the  river  just  above  Kiugan's  packing-house 
through  what  was  called  "the  big  ravine,"  or 
sometimes  "the  River  Styx,""  and  which,  when 
subsequently  dammed  uj),  became  the  lower 
basin  of  the  canal. 

In  these  ravines  tliere  were  a  number  of 
deep  places  where  the  water  stood  most  of  the 
year;  and  outside  of  them,  scattered  through 
the  dense  forest,  were  many  low  places  whert' 
the  water  stood  for  weeks,  especially  in  wet 
seasons.  Southfl-est  of  Oreenlawn  Cemetery 
was  a  body  of  stagnant  water  known  as  "Grave- 
yard Pond,"'  of  wliicli  was  said:  "In  the  sum- 
mer it  is  covered  with  a  green,  filthy  scum, 
and  is  the  habitation  of  various  kinds  of  rej)- 
tiles  and  bull-frogs.  At  the  lower  part  of  this 
pond  is  a  bridge,  supposed  to  have  been  built 
by  Governor  Scott's  army,  to  get  to  the  ford 
of  the  river,  about  the  year  lTi)0."""  These 
conditions  made  a  natural  field  for  malarial  dis- 
eases, whatever  the  direct  cause  of  those  dis- 
eases. The  favorite  theory,  until  quite  recently, 
was  that  they  were  the  jiroduct  of  miasma' 
and  there  was  certainly  ami)le  cause  for 
miasma  in  the  dam))  soil  and  the  de- 
caying vegetation.  But  some,  esiieiially 
in  later  years,  held  to  the  theory  that  malarial 
diseases  were  caused  by  alternations  of  heat 
and  cold.  Dr.  Tlios.  15.  Harvey,  one  of  the 
best  physicians  Indianapolis,  or  any  other  eitv, 
ever  had,  was  a  warm  champion  of  this  theory, 
and  there  was  ample  basis  for  it  here,  ilore 
recently  the  mosquito  theory  has  been   gener- 


4(5. 


''N^oirhnnf's  Tlriiiiniscrnces.  ]i 

"Locomotive.  M»y  27,  1848. 

~Ind.  Hist.  Soc.  Piihs..  Vol.  ?.  p.  400;  ('Jkuh- 
hrrlaiii's  Gazetteer,  p.  41 ;  Bejioi-t.-i  Stale  Jleallli 
Comm..  1880,  p.  339. 

ally  accepted,  though  there  are  a  few  old  doc- 
tors who  scoff  at  jt,  and  declare  that  they  have 
known  people  to  be  "almost  eaten  up  by  mos- 


lIISTOIiV   OF   (MtKATKi;    1  XDI  A  \  Al'OLlS. 


9 


iiitos"  without  liaviiifi'  malarial  iliscasui^.    I'os- 
-  bly  I'lirther  scientiiic  invt':^tigation  may  dera- 
astrate  that,  on  the  germ  theory,  tiie  germs 
iiay    be   introduced    into   the    blood    otherwise 
lian  througli  mosquitos,   and  that  there   is  a 
"issibility    of    acclimation    or    inoculation,    by 
A  hich    the    individual    may    develop    an    anti- 
"xin  that  makes  him  to  some  extent  immune, 
'.lit   doctors  disagree  as  to  everything,  except 
'■rhaps   the   number   of   bones   in   the   human 
u'ldy,  and  the  writer  has  no  desire  for  a  medi- 
cal controversy. 

Suffice  it  to  say  that,  whatever  the  causes  of 
malarial  diseases,  they  were  here  in  abundance 
and  so  were  the  diseases,  especially  in  wet . 
years.  Old  settlers  maintained  that  it  rained 
much  more  in  the  earlier  years  of  the  settlc- 
mejit  of  Indianajiolis  than  later"*  and  tliis 
is  ])robable  enough  because  the  conditions 
were  peculiarly  favorable  to  local  evap- 
oration and  reprecipitation.  Brown  says: 
"The  summer  of  1S21  was  distinguished  by 
the  general  sickness  resulting,  it  was  thought, 
from  the  lieavy  fall  of  rain.  It  is  said  that 
storms  occurred  every  day  in  June,  July  and 
Augu.st.  Clouds  would  suddenly  gather  and 
send  a  deluge  of  water,  tlien  as  quickly  break 
aw*y,  while  tiie  sun's  rays  fairly  scorched  the 
drenched  herbage,  generating  miasmatic  va- 
pors with  no  wind  to  carry  them  oil.  Sicknes.s 
began  in  July,  but  did  not  become  general  till 
after  the  lOtii  of  August,  on  which  day  .Mat- 
thias Xowland  had  a  raising,  all  the  men  in 
the  settlement  assisting.  Kemittent  and  inter- 
mittent fevers,  of  a  jieculiar  type,  then  began, 
and  in  three  weeks  the  community  was  pros- 
trated. Thomas  Chinn,  Enoch  Banks  and 
Nancy  Hemh-icks  were  the  only  persons  who 
escaped.  Though  so  general,  tlii'  disease  was 
not  deadly,  about  twenty-five  cases  only,  most- 
ly cliildren  who  had  been  too  much  ex])osed, 
dying  out  of  several  iumdrcd  cases.  The  few 
wlio  cduld  go  about  devoted  their  time  to  the 
sick,  anil  many  inslances  of  generous,  devoted 
friendship  occurred.  Their  mutual  suffering 
at  this  time  bound  tiie  early  settlers  together 
in  after  life,  and  none  recur  to  this  period 
witliout  emotion.  Xew  comers  were  disheart- 
ened at  till'  prospect,  and  some  left  the  coun- 
try, c-ircuhiting  extravagant    repm-ts  alioiit   the 


health  of  the  town,  greatly  retarding  its  sub- 
sc(pient  growth.""'  In  fact  tiie  conditions  here 
were  not  much  worse  than  at  iiiany  other  places 
in  the  state,  and  the  year  was  noted  foi-  the 
])revalent  sickness.'" 

The  doctors  fared  no  l)ctter  than  the  rest 
of  the  community.  Dr.  ^litchell  and  all  of 
his  family  were  prostrated  with  ague,  as  was 
Dr.  Livingston  Dunlap,  who  was  then  living 
with  them.  These  two  physicians  were  not 
only  unable  to  minister  to  others,  but  were  in 
so  helpless  a  state  that  Matthias  Xowland  took 
Dunlap  on  his  back  and  carried  him  to  his 
caliin  to  care  for  him.'^  Xowland  and  his  fam- 
ily were  soon  in  as  bad  a  plight.  His  son 
vividly  portrays  their  situation  by  recording 
tliat  one  day  '"my  father  was  suffering  for 
water,  and  no  one  able  to  draw  a  bucket.  He 
crept  to  the  door  of  the  cabin  and  saw  a  man 
passing.  He  beckoned  to  him  and  requested 
him  to  draw  a  bucket  of  water.  'Wiere  is 
your  friend  Blake?'  the  man  inquired.  'He. 
too,  was  taken  sick  this  morning,'  was  the 
answer.  'What  on  earth  are  the  people  to  do 
now?"  said  (lie  man;  'God  had  spared  him  to 
take  care  of  the  people;  they  would  now  suf- 
fi'r  as  they  never  had  before."  ""'-  Indeed  "riule 
Jimmy""  Blake  was  a  guardian  angel.  He  w^as 
then  a  bachelor,  and  though  he  was  having 
chills  every  other  day  the  malady  was  not  bad 
enough  to  disable  him,  and  Xowland  says:  "He 
would  employ  the  well  days  in  gathering  the 
new  corn  and  grating  it  on  a  horse-radish 
grater  into  meal  to  make  mush  for  the  con- 
valescent. Indeed  our  family,  as  well  as  the 
others,  would  havi'  suffered  for  food  had  it 
not  been  for  his  kind  offices  in  this  way,  not 
only  because  the  mush  made  from  the  new  corn 
was  more  i)alatable,  but  the  old  could  not  be 
got,  as  there  were  no  mills  nearer  than  (lood 
Landers",  on  the  Whitewater  IJiver."  '■  |)i-. 
('oe  was  the  only  physician  able  to  altenil  to 
patients,  and  he  was  kept  going  night  and  dav. 
comliating  the  disease  single-handed  iiniil  |)r. 
Jonathan  Cool  arrived  in  the  fall. 

In  fact  the  ague  was  so  ])rominent  a  feature 
of  earlv  Indianapolis,  that    it  calls   fur  special 


''Hroini's  I iiiliiiiiiiiiiills.  |i.  'i :  Juiiniiil .  .June  7, 


°ffis:f.  of  lililidliiliiolis,  p.  .'>. 
^"Chauibt'rlaiu'x  Gnzctircr.  j) 
^^Novhiiid's  ririniiiisrciiccx.  p 
^-Nnirltnid's  Rcmiiiiscrnrcx.  p.  (il. 
^"fiJarli/  UrminiKcences,  p.  (II. 


lit. 
4.5. 


10 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


notii-c  as  one  of  the  institutions  of  lliu  jilacu; 
not  that  it  was  worse  than  elsewhere,  but  the 
natural  conditions  were  favorable  to  it.  and 
th()ii<;]i  it  becanie  le.ss  common  as  the  land  was 
cleared,  it  continued  to  some  extent  for  many 
years,  csijecially  in  wet  reasons.  The  writer 
passed  the  summer  of  1870  with  it,  having  six 
recurrent  attacks  after  the  disease  was  sup- 
posed to  be  "broken"  in  each  case.  Most  nf 
the  early  settlers  could  say  as  Demas  Mc- 
Farland  did,  that  he  "served  a  regular  appren- 
ticeship at  the  ague,  and  worked  at  journey 
work  at  the  chills  and  fever,  and  thought  he 
had  gi'aduated.""'''  T'sually  the  disease  was  not 
fatal,  unless  complicated  with  sometliing  else, 
although  Mrs.  Beecher  portrays  it  as  vcrv  (laii- 
gerous  in  her  "F'rom  Dawn  to  Daylight."  but  it 
was  decidedly  annoying.  The  popular  view  of 
it  was  never  better  expressed  than  in  tlie  fol- 
lowing dialect  poem  by  Dr.  H.  W.  Taylor, 
wjiich  a])|icared  in  The  Ciinriit.  in  ISS."): 

THE    AIGGER. 

Em  folks  at  thess  moved  thrum  the  East 

Haint  gut  the  least 
Idee  of  Aigger,  thess  a-tall  I 
Haint  no  Aigger  hee-yur  ess  Fall, 
Haint   seed   Aigger  anywhawr 

Thess  sencc  the  War. 

Now-days,    feller    gits    the    chills 
Thess  well  quit  payun  boardun  bills, 
Yusen  to  be.  ef  Aigger  tuck 

Holds  on  a  feller,  it  thess  ud  whet 
His  ap-tite  up — harder  he  shuck 

The  more  he  et. 

A  feller  ats  ben 

Round  hee-yur  when 
Terry  Hut  wair  thess  in  the  bresh. 
Hez  seed  the  right  Aigger,  thess  ])linn   fresh, 

.\pt  to  feel  thess  ornery  mean 
Time  the  pawnds  uz  tnrnun  green. 

Thess  along  when   Dawg-days  come 

Ef  a  feller  swum 

Thess  en   the  Wabash. 
Git  kivvered  uth   at-air  yeller  scum, 
Fn  et  thess,  thess,  a  mess  a  trash. 
He  gut  ut,  shore! 
Cawn-trairyest  Aigger  to  kee-yore. 


^^Loroiiiollfc.  .Tune  1:3,  1S.")!1. 


Thess  git  out  un  set  en  the  sun 
Lack  a  torkle  on  eend  of  a  log, 
Caillestest  theng  yevver  done  I 
Feel  too  ornery  fur  a  dog ! 
Thurreckly  the  theng  has  taken  its  track 
Streekun  un   streakun  up  yer  back 

Zef  a  slice 

Thess  plum  ice 
Thess  a-meltun  long  the  sken 

T'n  freezun  en  I 

Draw  a  feller  euto  a  knot  I 
After  a  spell,  he  gits  so  hot. 
Rasslun  roun  un  makun  a  furss, 
Tho-un  the  kivvers  evvurwhurs ! 

Feller"d  thenk 
He's  thess  a  fish,  to  see  him  drenk; 
Long's  UTver  kin  hold  the  cup — 
Un  en  turn  roun  un  tho  ut  up! 

Thess  when  the  theng  hcz  gut  you  het 

Thess  hot  enough  to  thess  about  bile. 
Hit  starts  a  dad-burned  ornery  sweat. 

Smells  zef  yous  bout  to  spile 

Worse  un  a  key-yarn ! 
Smells  fur's  thrum  hee-yur  to  the  barn  I 
That  air  sweat  that  usen  to  pour 
Clur  throo  un  throo  ar  feather-bed  • 

Thess  onto  the  floor ! 

Run  en  a  stream  j)!uni  outen  the  door  I 

At   is,   a-peerntly   hit   did, 

Ez   the   feller   said. 

************ 

Third-day   Aigger,   sometimes,    brung 

Enfurmation  en  strifFen  of  the  lung. 

Take  the  feller's  maidjur  thess  long  down 

Ez  you  brlmg  the  doctor  u])  thrum  town. 

Curn-jestuff  chills  uz  thess  the  same ; 

.\irry  a  defPerunce.  thess  en   tlie  nami'. 

I  hed  the  second  un,  wunst  cumun  on. 

Thinl  un.  a  feller  az  good  az  gone. 
************ 

Shake?  thess  dad-lnmi  my  hide 
Ef  I  haint  thess  tried  un   tried 

Shake  the   clabljoards  offen   the  ruff! 

Tliess  ast   Sniiryniuss  ef  she  haint   hilt 

^le  thrum  sliakun  ofTen  the  bed 
By  settin  on  the  end  of  the  quilt. 

Shuck  the  teeth  right  outtm   inv  head. 

Leave  it  to  pa]). 

Woosli  I  may  drap 

Right  en  my  tracks 

Ef  them   haint    facks. 


IITSJTOnV   OF  (IKKATRK   IXDIAXAPOLTS. 


11 


This  dialect  was  broader  than  was  often 
heard  in  Indiana,  but  it  might  be  heard  in 
some  regions  where  the  popuhition  was  South- 
ern in  origin,  for  most  of  the  so-called  "Hoo- 
sier  dialect"  came  to  us  from  the  South,  and 
especially  from  the  mountain  districts.'"'  A  few- 
explanations  may  aid  tlie  uninitiated,  "Thess"' 
is  just;  "Thrum"  is  from:  "Key-yam"  is  car- 
rion, and  in  words  like  this,  "Hee-yur,""  "Kee- 
yore,"  etc..  the  first  syllable  is  very  short — in 
fact  would  be  better  represented  by  the  in- 
itial consonant  alone.  "Curn-jestuff"  is  con- 
gestive; "Knfurmation"'  is  inflammation;  and 
"Striffen"  is  a  detached  membrane,  especially 
the  diaphragm.  Hon.  John  E.  Wilson  used  to 
tell  of  a  woe-begone  Virginia  neigliljor  who 
complained  of  his  health,  and.  when  asked 
wliat  was  the  trouble,  replied:  "Obi  my  strif- 
fen  hez  rotted  out,  and  my  lungs  hev  dropped 
down  into  my  stummik."" 

This  description  of  the  symptoms  and  the 
course  of  the  malady  is  excellent.  l)ut  neither 
the  afflicted  nor  their  doctors  had  any  idea 
of  what  caused  it,  according  to  the  present 
accej)ted  mosquito  theory,  which  has  been  de- 
veloped almost  wholly  since  1898;  and  a  state- 
ment of  it,  in  plain  language,  is  ai)rt)pos  here, 
even  at  the  risk  of  incurring  medical  criti- 
cism, ilalaria  is  a  germ  disease  of  the  mos- 
quito, which  does  not  appear  to  bother  the 
nios()uito,  but  one  stage  of  the  life-cycle  of 
the  jiarasite  is  passed  in  the  blood  of  man,  and 
possiV)ly  some  other  animals.  There  are  three 
common  genera  of  mosijuitos.  cidex,  stegomyia. 
and  ano])lieles.  The  first  and  second  are  not 
germ-carriers,  and  are  easily  distinguished  in 
the  larva  state  by  the  fact  tluit  their  "wiggle- 
tails"  appear  '"with  flowing  mane  and  tail 
erect" — or,  in  other  words,  rest  witli  their 
tails  at  tlie  to))  of  the  water  and  their  heads 
and  whiskers  below.  But  a  "wiggle-tail""  that 
lies  flat  at  the  surface  of  the  water  belongs  to 
the  anopheles,  and  these  are  the  ones  that  make 
the  tro(d)le.  Various  s])ecies  of  anopheles  carry 
different  germs,  which  cause  respectively  three 
t^-pes  of  malarial  disease.  The  first  two  are 
known  as  tertian  and  quartan,  according  to 
the  period  of  re[)rodnetion  of  the  germs,  every 
other  day  or  every  third  day.  and  the  attend- 
ant convulsion.  When  two  or  more  alternat- 
ing shifts  of  germs  are  working  on  the  victim 


■7»'/.  //I'v/.  S(h:  I'lihs..  Vol. 


X. 


he  will  have  a  chill  every  day.  Those  of  the 
third  type  are  the  aestivo-autumnal  fevers 
which  are  commonly  known  as  bilious  remittent 
and  typho-malarial.  These  are  the  dangerous 
ones.  A  patient  may  get  over  them  without 
treatment,  but  he  is  much  more  apt  to  die  if 
not  intelligently  treated.  How  the  experience 
of  Indianapolis  hinges  with  the  recent  theory, 
developed  since  we  exterminated  yellow-fever 
in  Cuba,  that  malaria  is  a  cause  of  physical 
and  mental  deterioration,  and  was  responsible 
for  the  decadence  of  Greece  and  Rome,  I  leave 
to  the  mosquito  experts  and  historians  of  those 
countries. 

In  addition  to  the  sii-kiiess  which  was  an  in- 
direct result  of  the  topography,  there  was  con- 
siderable annoyance  from  floods.  When  the 
swamp  northeast  of  the  city  overflowed,  and 
Fall  Creek  overflowed  through  it,  the  "ra- 
vines" became  raging  torrents.  They  did  little 
damage  in  the  early  years,  because  the  cabins 
were  out  of  their  reach,  but  they  obstructed 
travel.  Where  the  east  ravine  crossed  Wash- 
ington street  there  was  ((uite  a  broad  valley, 
reaching  from  Xew  Jersey  stri-et  well  over  to- 
wards Alabama,  and  so  deep  that  after  Wash- 
ington street  was  graded  for  the  National  Road 
the  property  owners  there  did  not  have  to  dig 
cellars,  but  had  to  fill  their  lots.  Before  that 
time'  old  settlers  say  that  in  flood  time  the 
water  at  this  p)int  "would  swim  a  horse."  With 
this  ravine  and  l'ogue"s  Kun  on  the  east  and 
south,  and  Fall  Creek  on  the  north  and  west, 
with  the  river  occupying  the  same  valley  or 
bottom  as  the  creek,  the  city  was  in  flood  time 
almost  on  an  island;  and  when  the  streams 
were  all  flooded  at  once,  as  often  happened, 
the  jilaie  was  almost  isolated,  for  there  were 
no  bridges  for  several  years.  In  April  and 
May,  1821,  the  publication  of  the  Gazette 
was  sus]>endcd  for  a  month,  because  the  edi- 
tors ba(l  gone  out  of  town  and  could  not  get 
back  through  the  floods.  On  May  10,  1824. 
the  W'steni  Censor  apologized  for  its  limited 
amount  of  outside'  news  for  the  reason  thai 
the  mail  carriers  had  been  unable  to  get  out 
of  or  into  the  town.  In  Manh  and  April. 
1820,  the  mails  were  slopped  for  some  <lays. 
The  worst  of  these  early  floods  were  in  1824 
and  1828,  and  of  these  the  latter  did  the 
greater  damage,  becauM'  farmers  had  begun  to 
cultivate    the    hottom-hinds.    and     fences    were 


HISTOKV  OF  (iKK.Vl'Ki;    1 XDIAXAPOUS. 


z 

« 

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O 

Oh 

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■^     Z 


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.-a     O 


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JilS'JUUY    Ui"  UREATEK  INDIANAPOLIS. 


13 


washed   away,   and   fertile    fields   were   envered 
with  sand  and  gravel. 

The  '"ravines"'  also  made  some  tnnible  liy 
the  seejjage  of  water,  which  made  it  dithcult 
to  get  dry  cellars  along  their  liiu's.  When 
David  V.  Culley,  liegister  of  the  Lai\d  Otlice, 
moved  his  family  here  in  1838,  they  lived  for 
a  time  in  a  honse  on  the  point  between  In- 
diana avenue  and  Tennessee  street  (now  Capi- 
tol avenne)  just  above  New  York  street.  The 
west  ravine  crossed  Tennessee  street  liack  of 
liis  house,  and  was  furnished  with  a  foot- 
l)ridge  for  the  accommodation  of  jiedestrians. 
One  day,  in  a  wet  season,  his  daughter  (Mrs. 
Hannah  Mansur)  went  down  cellar  for  some 
peaches  and  while  there  the  cellar  «all  caved 
in,  burying  her  to  the  neck.  When  her  mother 
came  in  response  to  her  calls  for  help,  she 
cried:  "Send  .some  one  to  dig  me  out.  Tve 
saved  the  peaches."  Possibly  there  is  a  con- 
nection between  this  and  the  fact  that  Mr. 
Culley  later  made  the  first  stone-walled  cellar 
in  the  city.'" 

Altogether  the  "ravines"  became  such  uui- 
sances  that  the  legislature,  by  ail  <>(  l-'i  lnuaiy 
4,  1837,  appointed  Calvin  Fletcher  and  Tbouia-; 
Johnson  "commissioners  to  superintend  the 
drainage  of  the  swamps  aiul  lowlands  immedi- 
ately northeast  of  Indianaixdis,  the  outlet  of 
which  overllows  the  grounds  wes-t,  northeast 
and  north  of  the  State  House  square."  The 
state  engineer  was  directed  to  make  the  neces- 
sary surveys,  and  the  coinmissionei-s  to  take 
subscriptions  for  the  work,  and  |)i'oseeute  it  '"as 
they  may  deem  most  expedient.""  rejjorting  their 
proceedings  to  the  county  commissioners.  They 
didy  proceeded  to  cut  "the  state  ditch"'  from 
near  the  present  crossing  of  Twentieth  street 
and  the  L.  E.  &  W.  tracks,  in  a  direction 
slightly  south  of  west,  to  Nineteenth  and  CVn- 
I  tral  avenue;  thence  west  along  the  south  linf 
of  ^lorton  i)lace  to  Delaware  street:  thence, 
north  to  the  Fall  Creek  bottom ;  thence  west- 
erly, along  tlu'  south  line  of  the  bottom-land  to 
Fall   Creek   at    Twenty-second   street. 

For  some  ten  years  this  disposed  of  ti-oulde 
with  the  "ravines,"  but  in  December,  184G, 
there  were  heavy  rains  on  a  hard  frozen  sur- 
face, and  on  January  1,  1847,  all  the  streams 
wore  running  over.  'I'he  bank  of  the  ditch  gave 
way,  and  the  water  came  down  its  old  channels 


in  volume  that  startled  those  wlio  had  invaded 
them.  For  exanii)le,  Israel  Jennings,  who  had 
been  living  peacefully  at  the  northwest  corner 
of  Walnut  and  New  Jersey  streets,  was  awak- 
ened by  a  noise  in  the  night,  and  on  rising 
from  his  high-post  bed  to  investigate  went  into 
water  almost  to  his  waist.  He  managed  to 
get  ashore  with  his  family ;  and  in  the  morn- 
ing rescued  his  belongings  by  aid  of  a  wagon 
and  team.  The  Hood  of  184?  was  quite  gen- 
eral throughout  the  state,  and  did  so  mucli 
damage  that  the  legislature  ])rovided  foi' 
the  reappraiscment  of  real  property  that 
had  been  injured,  and  for  change  of  the' 
tax  duplicates  to  the  extent  of  the  in- 
jury.'" The  state  diteli  was  repaired,  and  no 
further  trouble  was  ex])erienced  until  the  peo- 
ple had  almost  forgotten  the  "ravines,"  when 
in  June,  18.58,  the  bank  of  the  state  ditch 
either  broke,  or  was  cut  by  uuschief-makers, 
near  Central  avenue,  at  a  time  of  very  high 
water  in  the  creek  and  river;  and  the  water 
sought  its  ancient  channels,  making  its  way 
as  far  down  the  west  ravine  as  Illinois  and  St. 
Clair  streets,  where  it  was  stopped  by  the  street 
fills.'"  Fortunately  the  break  was  discovered 
and  stopped  before  any  great  damage  was  done. 
Again  the  ditch  was  repaired,  and  a  long 
period  of  immunity  followed  in  which  there 
grew  up  a  generation  that  knew  not  the  "ra- 
vines," except  as  the  youth  of  their  neighbor- 
hoods utilized  the  remains  of  their  cdd  chan- 
nels for  coasting  and  skating  places.  But  on 
.June  1,  187."),  the  city  was  visited  by  a  severe 
electric  and  wind  storm,  followed  by  a  deluge 
1)1'  rain.  After  nightfall  on  June  2,  the  bank 
III'  the  state  ditch  broke  again,  and  the  waters 
surged  down  through  what  was  then  becoming 
the  fashionable  residence  district  of  the  city. 
The  merchant  police  displayed  their  utility 
liy  waking  the  residents  and  warning  them  nf 
danger,  and  hundreds  of  ])ec)|>le  turned  out  to 
see  the  unusual  sight,  and  pre])are  for  any 
emergency.  The  water  playetl  havoc  with  the 
new  block  pavement  on  Delaware  street — the 
first  laid  in  the  city — and  covered  several  other 
streets  for  some  blocks.  The  Kaufman  and 
Caylor  residences  (then  618  and  620  N.  Penn. 
street — now  about  1210)  were  flooded  on  the 
first  floors,  and  so  were  several  othei-s  northeast 


'"Locomollrc.  Jlav  12,  184!). 


'Mr/.t  /,"?.'/ 7,  p.  nC. 
"•■/niirnal.  .lune  11.  1S,-)8. 


H 


iiisi(ii;v  OF  (;i!L-:ateh  ixdiaxatolis. 


ol'  thiit  point.'''  At  this  tiiiii'  tiiree  vouiig  laeii. 
George  Curry,  Charles  Culley,  and  Louis  New- 
burger,  rowed  iu  a  boat  from  near  Eleventh 
street,  on  Pennsylvania,  to  beyond  Eighteenth 
and  Alabama. 

This  was  the  last  time  the  state  ditch  broke 
its  bounds,  and  the  old  "ravines"'  have  been  so 
completely  tilled  that  there  is  little  trace  of 
their  course  now  except  in  the  slope  of  some 
street  grades  and  lots  towards  their  old  loca- 
tions. After  they  were  filled  there  was  quite 
a  i)revalent  impression  that  there  were  "ty- 
phoid belts'"  along  their  old  channels  and  trib- 
utary swales.  The  medical  profession  did  not 
seem  to  attach  much  importance  to  this,  but 
very  generally  held  that  they  affected  the  wells, 
wliich  were  then  commonly  sunk  only  to  the 
first  level.  Dr.  Samuel  E.  Earp,  the  first  city 
sanitarian,  expressed  his  opinion  that  "the  dug- 
well  supply  of  a  greater  portion  of  this  city 
is  none  too  good,  becaijse  it  is  drawn  from  a 
swampy  source,  which  formerlj'  extended  from 
al)ovc  the  Atlas  Works  to  somewhere  near  the 
State  buildings.""-" 

I'ntil  the  coming  of  the  first  railroad,  in 
1847,  the  region  south  of  Pogue"s  Eun  was 
"country,"  and  its  flood  conditions  were  of 
little  importance.  The  city  made  its  first 
rapid  growth  in  that  direction  between  1860 
and  18"0,  and  it  was  then  that  the  topography 
of  that  section  first  demanded  serious  atten- 
tion. There  were  two  natural  features  that 
made  trouble.  "Lake  McCarty"'  and  "Virginia 
Eivcr."'  Lake  ilcCarty  was  a  pond  in  the  low 
ground  in  the  vicinity  of  the  J.  M.  &  I.  tracks, 
between  Eay  and  ilorris  streets.  It  was  partly 
natural  and  partiv  due  to  the  excavations  and 
fills  for  the  road!  In  1866  the  City  Council 
ordered  Nicholas  ^fcCarty  to  cut  a  ditch 
through  his  land  to  White  River  and  drain 
the  pond.  He  complied,  but  notified  the  coun- 
cil that  this  was  for  temporary  accommoda- 
tion only,  and  that  a  different  arrangement 
would  have  to  be  made.  In  1868,  the  city 
fathers  having  become  convinced  that  under- 
ground sewers  would  have  to  be  adopted,  a 
s])ecial  sewer  tax  of  1.5  cents  on  ^100  was 
levied,  which  produced  about  $-'50.000 ;  and 
one  of  the  first  appropriations  from  this  was 
for  a  sewer  throuirh    Hav  street   to   the  river. 


draining  Lake  McL'arty.  It  is  still  in  use. 
When  it  was  finished  ilr.  McCarty  was  given 
leave  to  fill  the  pond.-' 

The  decision  for  sewers  was  hastened  by  the 
j)erformances  of  "A'irginia  Eiver,"  which  was 
described  by  the  Committee  on  Sewers,  in  a  re- 
port to  the  council  in  1869,  as  follows:  "The 
so-called  Virginia  Eiver  rises  in  a  wet  tract 
southeast  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum,  and 
after  a  winding  course  of  about  two  miles, 
tlu'ough  Fletcher"s  pasture  and  Fletcher  and 
Stevens"  addition,  ]iassing  down  East  street  and 
Airginia  avenue  to  Pogue's  Eun.  In  former 
days  when  entirely  unobstructed,  it  was.  after 
heavy  rains,  a  swiftly  flowing  stream,  from  lo 
to  100  feet  wide,  and  deep  enough  iu  places 
to  swim  a  horse.  It  drains  a  territory  half  as 
large  as  the  city  plat,  and  now,  when  obstruct- 
ed by  street  grades  and  culverts,  forms  many 
deep  ponds  along  its  course ;  but  its  channel 
is  deep  and  rapid,  carrying  a  formidable  body 
of  water  after  long-continued  heavy  rains.  It 
has  already  cost  the  city  many  thinisands  of 
dollars  in  culverts  and  embankments  and  tliere 
have  also  been  large  sums  claimed  as  damages 
from  its  overflow."  The  committee  urged  that 
these  evils  would  increase  with  future  street  im- 
provements, and  recommended  a  sewer  through 
Virginia  avenue  from  the  corner  of  Pine  and 
Elm  streets  to  Pogue"s  Eun."-'  Instead  of  this 
the  "river"'"  was  lodged  in  the  South  street  arul 
Kentucky  avenue  sewer. 

The  chief  source  of  the  trouble,  and  the  im- 
mediate cause  of  final  action  was  the  eidvert 
under  Virginia  avenue,  for  the  other  culverts 
did  their  work  fairly  well.  When  Virginia  ave- 
nue was  a  country  road  there  was  at  this  point  a 
wooden  culvert  or  bridge  10  feet  wide  with  a 
waterway  of  4  feet  under  it.  But  when  it  was 
improved  as  a  street  in  18.59,  there  was  sub- 
stituted for  this  a  culvert  of  masonry  "214  feet 
wide  and  3  feet  high.  This  worked  very  well 
in  dry  weather,  but  in  floods  the  water  could 
not  get  out  fast  enough,  and  backed  up  like 
a  reservoir.  By  the  statements  of  several  wit- 
nesses, Herman  Huffer,  whose  property  was  a 
short  distance  above  it.  "had  to  swim  out'" 
repeatedly,  and  after  the  heavy  flood  of  1866 
he  sued  the  eitv   for  his  accumulated   immer- 


"City  papers,  .lu)u>  ;i  and  4.  1ST 

^"AVh'.s-.  .laniiarv  2.5.  ISST. 


H'niniril   I'm,-..    isiKI-T.   p.   68:5:   1867-8.   n. 


160. 


--('oiiikH   I'nii..    ISCil-Tll.    pp.    1.57-8. 


HISTOUY  OF  G1;EATJ:U   lM)lANAi'ULlS. 


1." 


sions.  He  iveovered  dainajji's,  and  the  city 
appealed  to  the  Supreme  Court,  wliieh  attirnied 
the  city's  liability  for  the  insutticient  culvert. 
Further  consideration  of  the  drainage  will  be 
found  in  a  later  chapter  on  the  city  irovcrn- 
ment  under  the  new  charter. 

There  was  another  natural  feature  of  the 
site  that  may  be  mentioned  here.  When  the 
pioneer  .settler  located  in  the  forest  lands  of 
the  New  Purchase,  he  prepared  for  his  tirst 
years  crop  by  makinji  a  "deadening."  In 
other  words  he  killed  the  larger  trees  by  gir- 
dling them  with  an  a.\,  and,  having  cleared  out 
the  underbrush,  planted  his  crop  between  the 
deadened  trees.  Fortunately  for  the  first  set- 
tlers at  Indianapolis,  nature  had  done  this  work 
for  them,  for  there  was  in  tiie  northwestern 
part  of  the  city  an  irregular  strip  of  land, 
variously  estimated  at  from  100  to  200  acres, 
on  which  the  large  timber  Mas  dead.  Tipton 
passed  through  it  twice,  coniing  from  and  go- 
ing to  Conner's  Station,  and  describes  it  thus: 
"The  most  of  the  timber  tor  some  distance 
from  the  river  having  beuit  sugar  tree  has 
been  killed  abt  2  years  since  by  the  worms, 
and  is  now  thickly  set  with  ]irickly  ash — near 


tlie  creek  the  timber  is  better. "-■'  This  tract 
began  a  short  distance  north  of  ililitary  Park, 
and  extended  irregularly  northeast  towards  Fall 
Creek  in  the  vicinity  of  Senate  avenue.  It 
was  sometimes  called  "'the  Caterpillar  Deaden- 
ing," and  is  said  to  have  been  the  work  of 
"locusts  or  caterpillars,"'  but  locusts  and  cater- 
pillars do  not  kill  sugar  trees,  and  it  was  no 
doulit  caused  by  maple-borers.-*  The  first 
settlers  united  in  making  a  cominon 
lield  of  the  soutliern  end  of  this,  by 
clearing  out  thi'  underbrush,  wliich  W'as  used 
for  a  fence  to  keep  out  their  cattle.  Their 
crops  were  in  and  well  started  before  the  sick- 
ness of  1831  became  prevalent,  and  this  fact 
saved  them  from  the  danger  of  starvation.  This 
tract  was  cultivated  by  the  settlers  for  several 
years,  while  the  clearing  of  other  land  was  in 
])rogress,  and  was  notable  for  the  fine  vegetables 
it  produced.-'' 


-■'Iiul.  Miui.  of  Hid..  \'i)l.   1.  pp.  12,  1.".. 
-*Fifih  Bcpl.  of  U.  S.  Kiiluiiioliii/ii'dl  Com., 
pp.  3T4-90. 

-'-Xew.i.  ^rarch  29.  1S79. 


CHAPTER  111. 


thp:  xayigable  steeam. 


I  doubt  that  any  other  watercourse  ever  had 
White  Kiver's  experience  of  being  a  navigable 
stream  for  nearly  a  century,  and  then  losing  its 
character.  Tliis  was  due  to  a  manifest  change 
in  the  legal  meaning  given  to  the  word  "navi- 
gable," and  is  an  illustration  of  "judge-made 
law"'  that  may  possibly  result  in  somewhat 
serious  consequences  in  connection  with  future 
movements  to  improve  the  river.  The  ordin- 
ance of  1787  provided:  "The  navigable  waters 
leading  into  the  ilississippi  and  St.  Lawrence, 
and  the  carrying  places  between  the  same,  shall 
be  common  highways,  and  forever  free,  as  well 
to  the  inhabitants  of  the  said  territory  as  to 
the  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and  those  of 
any  other  states  that  may  be  admitted  into  the 
confederacy,  without  any  tax,  impost,  or  duty 
therefor."  It  is  beyond  question  that  "navi- 
gable" in  this  provision  means  navigable  by 
canoes  and  bateaux,  for  no  other  craft  were 
used  on  these  streams  at  the  time,  nor  could 
any  other  be  used  in  approaching  "the  carry- 
ing places  between  the  same."  The  United 
States  courts  have  always  recognized  this  pro- 
vision of  the  Ordinance  as  continuing  in  force, 
and,  in  one  of  the  cases,  as  to  the  Wabash  at 
Terre  Haute.'  By  the  act  of  Congress  of 
17  9().  for  the  survey  and  sale  of  the 
public  lands,  it  was  expressly  declared 
tliat  "all  navigable  streams  within  the 
territory  to  be  disposed  of  by  virtue  of  this 
act  shall  be  deemed  to  be  and  remain  public 
highways."  As  such  their  beds  were  always 
excluded  from  the  lands  surveyed  and  .sold. 
The  United  States  surveyors  were  governed 
by  these  provisions  in  Clarion  County,  and  did 
not  include  the  bed  of  White  River  in  tlic  sur- 
veys, but  "meandered"  the  stream,  and  the 
land  was  sold  onlv  to  the  meander  lines.   Xever- 


theless,  when  the  question  of  the  navigability 
of  White  Eiver  came  before  the  Indiana  Su- 
preme Court  in  1876,  the  court,  by  Judge  Per- 
kins, said:  "The  court  knows  judicially,  a-;  a 
matter  of  fact,  that  White  River,  in  Marion 
County,  Indiana,  is  neither  a  navigated  nor  a 
navigable  stream;"  and  as  to  the  bed  not  Ijcing 
surveyed  and  sold,  he  said:  "The  idea  that  tbe 
j)ower  was  given  to  a  surveyor  or  his  deput}', 
upon  casual  observation,  to  determine  the  ques- 
tion of  the  navigability  of  rivers,  and  thereby 
conclude  vast  public  and  private  rights,  is  an 
absurdity.""-  Hence  he  held  that  tliere  were  no 
"vast  pulilic  rights,""  and  the  whole  stream  be- 
longed to  the  owners  of  the  banks. 

The  reasoning  of  this  case,  at  least,  was 
abandoned  by  the  same  court  in  1878,  when  it 
held  that  the  Wabash  in  Warren  county  was 
"a  navigable  stream,  the  bed  of  which  has 
neither  been  surveyed  nor  sold.""-'  This  put 
the  court  in  line  with  the  legislature 
which  had  always  recognized  the  action 
of  the  United  States  in  its  surveys  and 
sales  as  conclusive.  Thus  the  act  of  Janu- 
ary 23,  1829,  "relative  to  navigable  streams  de- 
clared highways  by  the  ordinance  of  Congress 
of  1787,"  prohibits  any  obstruction  to  "any 
stream  or  river  which  is  navigable,  and  the  bed 
or  channel  of  which  has  not  been  surveyed  and 
sold  as  land  by  the  United  States."'  And  so 
the  law  of  18.32  provides  a  penalty  for  obstruct- 
ing "any  navigable  stream,  the  bed  or  chaniud 
whereof  may  not  have  been  surveyed  and  sold 
as  land  by  the  United  States."''  Tlie  survey  and 
sale  were  not  mere  acts  of  a  surveyor  or  his 
deputy.  Their  work  was  ratified  and  eontirmed 
by  their  superiors,  and  was  as  much  the  action 


'G  McLean,  p.  237. 


=.i4   Incl.  -J:1. 
="64  Ind.,  p.  162. 
*Rei:  Siafs..   18.V2. 


Vol. 


]).  t:?2. 


16 


I!IS'|-()|;V    OF  (illKATKI!   IXDIAX.VroUS. 


17 


i>f  the  T'nitod  StatL':^,  being  in  pursiuiiu-L'  of  a 
ilirt'ct  requirciiiciit  of  law,  as  any  otlit-ial  action 
•  ould  be.  Mo;it  of  the  states  have  been  more 
fortunate  than  Indiana  in  the  attitude  taken 
as  to  i)ublic-  rights  in  such  streams,  and  the 
general  rule  is  that  any  stream  that  will  carry 
commerce,  even  by  floating  logs,  is  a  navigable 
stream.^ 

The  decision  in  the  Marion  County  case  was 
quite  imnecessary.  The  (luestion  in  the  case 
was  the  right  of  a  riparian  owner  to  gravel  in 
the  bed  of  the  stream ;  and  while  the  decisions 
are  conflicting  there  are  a  number  that  sustain 
that  riglit  without  regard  to  the  navigability  of 
the  stream,  subject,  of  course,  to  the  easement 
for  navigation."  Rut  the  most  important  jioint 
in  the  (|uestion  of  navigability  was  not  raist'd  in 
the  Marion  Cotintv  case,  and  was  not  considered 
by  the  court  at  all.  It  is  the  well  established 
law  ill  this  country  that  a  state  has  plenary 
power  over  navigable  streams  completely  within 
its  borders,  at  least,  until  Congress  acts.'  This 
power  is  to  be  exercised  by  the  legisla- 
ture and  the  legislature  of  Indiana  had 
acted  repeatedly  and  consistently  as  to 
thi-  miviKability  of  White  h'iver.  The 
act  of  January  17,  "[f^-iO.  declared  '•Wliite 
River  from  its  mouth  to  the  main  forks;  the 
west  fork  from  thence  to  the  Delaware  towns," 
and  certain  other  streams,  to  I)e  "public  liigh- 
ways"'  and  made  it  a  ))enal  offense  to  obstniet 
"any  stream  declared  navigable  i)y  this  act,"  the 
only  e.\ce])tion  being  the  erection  of  dams  undei' 
certain  conditions,  by  any  person  who  has  "pur- 
chased from  the  Tnited  States  the  bed  of  any 
stream  by  this  act  declared  navigalde."  This 
law  has  never  been  repealed,  hut  was  slightly 
modified  by  the  act  of  February  10.  1831.  which 
declared  the  West  Fork  of  White  ll'wrv  na\i- 
gablc  as  high  as  Yorktown,  in  Delaware  County. 
This  law  was  notable  for  r'eeognizing  that  a 
navigable  stream  need  not  be  navigal)le  at  all 
seasons,  for  it  i)rohil)ited  any  obstruction  that 
would  "injure  or  impede  the  navigation  of  any 
stream,  reserved  by  the  ordinance  of  Congress 
of  1787  as  a  public  highway,  at  a  stage  of 
water  when    if    wnuld    Dlherwise   be  naviirable." 


■■2  Mich..  21!) ;  1!)  Oregon,  .3:.',;  3.-5  \V.  \\v- 
ginia,  I.T:  W  liorhoiii:  X.  W..  0;  14  Kentuckv 
Law,  r,-2]  :  87  Wisconsin,  ^:U. 

"  ol  111..  ?fif, :  42  W'is.,  20.3. 

M2.5  TT.  S.,  1  :  148  I'.  S.,  320. 
Vol,  1—2 


If  this  law  was  not  repealed  by  the  Supreme 
Court,  it  is  still  in  effect. 

As  has  been  note<l  the  .'^eat  of  government  was 
located  at  this  point  on  the  understanding  that 
the  river  here  was  navigable.  On  ac<'ount  of 
the  ]wor  roads,  the  peo])le  here,  and  inde<'d 
throughout  the  state,  gave  much  more  thought 
to  navigai)le  streams  then  than  they  did  later 
on.  A  j)ublic  meeting  held  at  Cruml)augh''s 
Tavern  on  September  26,  1822,  ])etitioned  the 
legislature  for  the  improvement  of  White  River, 
but  the  legislature  was  then  using  its  avail- 
able means  for  the  improvement  of  the  Wabash, 
and  nothing  was  done  at  the  time.  But  on 
February  12,  182.5,  the  legislature  made  Alexan- 
der Ralston  a  commissioner  to  survey  White 
River  and  report  the  probaiile  expense  of  keep- 
ing it  clear  from  obstriu-tions.  He  nuule  the  sur- 
vey that  summer,  and  reported  tiie  distance  from 
Sample's  Mills,  in  Randolph  County,  to  this 
point,  130  miles:  from  here  to  the  forks,  28.5 
miles;  from  there  to  the  Wabash,  40  miles; 
and  that  for  this  distance  of  4.5.5  miles  the 
stream  could  be  made  navigable  for  three 
months  in  the  year  by  an  ex|)eiiditure  of  $1,.50(). 
lie  found  two  falls,  or  ra])ids.  one  of  IS  imlies, 
eight  miles  above  ^Martinsville,  and  one  of  !) 
feet  in  100  yards  about  10  miles  above  the 
forks.  There  was  also  a  great  drift  at  the  line 
between  Daviess  and  Greene  counties.  On  this 
report,  the  legislature,  on  January  21,  182(), 
passed  a  law  "to  improve  the  navigation  of  the 
Fast  and  West  Forks  of  White  Ri\'er,"  a,s  high 
u])  as  Saiuide's  ^lills  in  Randol]ih  County.  It 
ilirected  the  county  boards  of  the  counties  on 
these  streams  to  appoint  supervisoi-s  for  them,  as 
for  highways,  and  to  call  out  all  persons'  liable 
for  road  work  within  two  miles  of  the  streams, 
and  im|)rove  the  streams  as  hinhways.  It 
sei'ms  rather  startling  to  contemplate  navigat- 
ing White  River  130  miles  above  Indianapolis, 
but  it  was  actually  done  in  the  spring,  and  a 
number  of  loaded  flatboats.  usually  about  fortv 
feet  in  length,  came  down  the  ri\(i-  fi-oin  Ran- 
dolph County  in  an  early  <\:\\^  Tins  law  was 
niaile  general  by  the  act  nl'  M.i\  31.  1S.52, 
which  empowered  all  county  boai-d<  to  declare 
streams  navigable,  and  to  work  them  a<  higb- 
wavs." 

The  act  of  January  28,   1828.  appropriated 


"[[isl.   lldiiiluljjh    ('(Jiiiih/.   p. 
Virv.  Slafs.,  1852,  Vol.'  I.  p. 


3::!. 


18 


ISTOlii'  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


$1,000  for  "tliL'  purposo  of  improving  the  navi- 
gation of  tlic  We^it  Fork  of  White  River,  from 
Andersontown  in'  the  eounty  of  Madison  to  the 
junction  of  the  same  with  the  East  Fork  of  said 
river."'  These  appropriations,  like  those  for 
state  roads,  were  made  from  "the  three  per 
cent,  fund."  which  was  derived  from  the  sale 
of  pulili'^  lands.  When  Congress  provitied  for 
their  sale  it  reserved  five  per  cent  of  the  net 
proceeds  for  roads  and  canals,  and  provided 
that  three-fifths  of  this  should  be  expended 
under  direction  of  the  legislatures  of  the  states 
in  which  the  lands  were  located.  This  was 
"the  three  per  cent,  fund;"  and  in  1828  it  lic- 
gan  to  be  used  for  canals,  the  first  appropria- 
tion for  that  purpose  being  then  made  to  the 
Wabash  and  Miami — later  the  Wabash  and 
Erie — canal.  In  a  few  years  the  entire  ener- 
gies of  the  people  were  turned  in  that  line, 
under  the  delusion  that  they  could  make  new 
watercourses  better  than  they  could  improve 
natural  ones.  But  they  did  not  wholly  forget 
the  streams,  for  when  the  general  law  was 
adopted  in  1843  putting  the  authorization  of 
mill-dams  in  the  courts,  it  required  the  court 
to  inquire  whether  by  the  proposed  dam  '"or- 
dinary navigation  will  be  oljstructed."'"  While 
the  legislature  retained  this  power,  it  looked 
after  navigation.  Thus  the  act  of  June  13. 
1826,  granting  John  W.  Cox  power  to  construct 
a  dam  across  White  River,  in  Morgan  Countv. 
required  him  to  put  "a  good  and  sufficient  lock 
or  slope  in  said  dam  at  least  sixty  feet  wide 
and  tliirty-six  feet  long,  so  as  in  no^'i.^e  to  ob- 
struct the  passage  of  water-craft,  either  in 
ascending  or  descending  the  said  stream." 

Moreover,  White  River  was  not  only  offi- 
cially recognized  as  a  navigable  stream  but 
also  was  actually  navigated  by  boats  of  con- 
siderable size.  Hundreds  of  flatboats  went  out 
over  it.  loaded  with  the  produce  of  the  country 
and  several  came  up  tlie  river  in  the  early 
times  when  there  were  no  roads,  or  only  very 
bad  ones.  In  the  spring  of  1821,  Matthias  R. 
Xowland  and  Elisha  Herndon  loaded  a  keel 
boat  at  Frankfort,  Kentucky,  witli  flour,  bacon, 
whiskey  and  other  necessaries  of  life  and 
brouglit  it  up  to  this  point.  It  was  on  this 
boat  that  A.  W.  Russell  came  to  Indianapolis, 
and  on  it  the  picnic  party  went  to  .Vnderson's 


s])ring  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  1821."  In  May. 
1822,  the  keel-boat,  "Eagle"'  of  fifteen  tons  bur- 
then, arrived  here  from  Kanawha,  loaded  with 
salt  and  whiskey ;  and  the  same  month  the  keel- 
l)oat  "Boxer."  of  thirty-three  tons,  arrived  here 
from  Zanesville,  loaded  with  merchandise.  The 
same  j'ear  Luke  Walpole  came  up  the  river 
with  two  large  keel-boats  bringing  his  family, 
household  goods,  and  a  large  stock  of  assorted 
merchandise.  In  May,  1824,  the  "Dandy",  of 
twenty-eight  tons,  came  up  with  a  load  of 
salt  and  whiskey,  and  Mr.  Brown  says  that 
"many  other  boats  arrived  from  the  lower 
river,  and  departed  loaded  with  produce."'  '- 
The  flat-boat  commerce  down  the  river  increa.«ed 
in  importance  as  agriculture  developed,  and 
continued  until  the  first  railroad  furnished  a 
more  expeditious  exit. 

But  Governor  Xoble  was  convinced  that  the 
river  was  capable  of  still  more  extensive  naviga- 
tion, and  in  1828-9  he  offered  a  reward  of  $200 
to  the  first  captain  who  would  bring  a  steamlioat 
up  to  this  point,  and  also  to  sell  his  cargo  free 
of  charge.  This  induced  two  attempts  in  April. 
1830.  Captain  Saunders  came  up  to  Spencer 
with  the  "Traveller,"'  and  the  steamer  ""\'ic- 
tory"  came  within  fifty-five  miles  of  this  point, 
but  the  river  began  to  fall  rapidly  and  both 
soTight  safety  down  the  river.  But  this  did  not 
discourage  Indianapolis.  Gen.  Robert  Hanna 
and  several  others,  who  had  taken  contracts  on 
the  Xational  Road,  determined  to  bring  xip  a 
boat  to  haul  stone  and  timbers  for  bridges. 
They  invested  in  a  medium-sized  boat,  and 
after  some  difficulty  she  arrived  here  on  April 
11,  1831.  loaded  and  towing  a  loaded  barge. 
This  event  was  hailed  with  joy  by  the  whole 
population.  A  public  meeting  was  called,  and 
Lsaac  Blackford,  James  Morrison.  James  P. 
Drake.  Alfred  Harrison.  Samuel  Henderson. 
John  H.  Sanders.  Samuel  G.  "Mitchell.  A.  W. 
IJussell,  Nicholas  ilcCarty.  ^forris  Jlorris. 
Homer  Johnson.  John  ^filroy.  Daniel  Yandes 
and  Eivingston  Dunlap.  were  ajipointed  a  com- 
mittee "to  make  arrangements  to  demonstrate, 
in  some  appropriate  manner,  the  high  gratifi- 
cation which  is  and  should  be  felt  by  all  who 
feel  interested  in  our  commercial  and  agricul- 
tural prosperity."'  The  committee  met  and 
adopted  resolutions,  the  chief  one  l)ein'g  that. 


">Rrr.  Stiil.<..  \K  '.n: 


"A'oH'/((//(/\-   tt'i'iii  Itiisci'iicrs,   11.    2^ 
^"Hisfdri/  /)itliaii(iiiolix.  ]i.  20. 


IIISTOUY    Ub'  liUEATKii  IMUlAXAi'OJ.lS. 


19 


•"The  arrival  of  tlie  stcainboat  'Gen.  llaniia/ 
from  Cincinnati,  at  tliis  plat-c.  should  be  vie  wed 
bv  the  citizens  of  the  Wliite  Kiver  countrv,  and 
of  our  state  at  large,  as  a  proud  triumph,  and 
as  a  fair  aud  unanswerable  ilenionstration  of 
the  fact  that  our  beautiful  river  is  susceptible 
of  safe  navigation  for  steam  vessels  of  a  much 
larger  class  than  was  anticipated  by  the  most 
sanguine."  The  committee  also  resolved  "that 
Captain  Blythe's  company  of  artillery  be  in- 
vited to  parade  on  this  day  at  2  oVloek  near  the 
boat  to  fire  a  salute  in  honor  of  the  occasion," 
whicii  was  duly  done.  It  also  extended  an  in- 
vitation to  the  proprietors  and  officers  of  the 
boat  to  a  public  dinner,  but  this  was  declined 
by  General  Hanna,  because  "our  arrangements 
make  it  necessary  that  she  should  leave  this 
place  for  the  BiutTs  early  tomorrow  morning." 
However,  the  boat  made  two  excursions  up  the 
river  on  the  Tith  with  large  loails  of  passen- 
gers. In  one  of  these  she  ran  into  an  over- 
hanging tree,  knocking  down  her  pilot-house 
and  chimneys,  greatly  frightening  the  passen- 
gers, a  number  of  whom  took  to  the  water. 
Tlie  boat  started  down  the  river  on  the  13th 
but  grounded  on  a  bar  at  Hog  Island,  and  did 
not  get  oil'  for  six  weeks;  and  went  out  of  the 
river  in  the  fall. 

This  ended  steanilioai  navigation  in  this  jiart 
of  White  River  until  1865,  when  the  Indian- 
njiolis  and  White  River  Steamboat  Company 
Iniill  and  launched  the  "Governor  Morton"'. 
Slie  was  a  sidc-wheeler,  100  feet  long,  '2\.  feet 
beam,  and  'i  feet  4  inches  deep.  Her  regis- 
tered capacity  was  l.")0.87  tons,  and  tlie  in- 
spector permitted  her  to  carry  'iOO  passengers. 
but  she  carried  more  if  more  desired  to  ride. 
She  was  laimclied  on  July  1,  and  made  her 
trial  trip  on  August  25,  1865,  running  up  the 
river  ])ast  tlie  mouth  of  Fall  Creek,  as  far  as 
Crowder's  IoimI.  successfully  going  over  all 
ripples,  though  with  some  bum[)ing.  She  was 
licensed  at  the  port  of  Cinciniuiti,  on  October 
1 1.  "to  carry  on  tlie  coasting  trade"  between  In- 
(liana])olis  and  points  unnamed,  'i'he  highest 
point  up  the  riMT  she  ever  made  was  Cold 
Spring,  (111  .V|)ril  'i'.K  ISdi;.  In  an  ctl'ort  to 
repeat  this  achievement  in  I  lie  latter  part  of 
July  she  grounded,  and  was  liadly  strained  in 
getting  off.  f)n  .\ugust  (I.  1cS(;(;,  she  sank  at  her 
luniirings  below  the  .N'ational  bridge,  with  no 
one  aboard  but  the  watchman,  and  he  as!e(>p. 
It     wa-    l)clic\ccl    that     she    was    scuttled,    whirli 


would  not  have  been  difficult,  as  she  was  built 
of  soft  ])ine.  Sli(!  was  raised  and  dismantled, 
the  hull  being  sold  for  $1,200  to  Levi  Comcgys, 
who  used  it  for  some  time  to  haul  bowlders 
for  paving  pnriioses.  The  "Governor  Morton" 
was  a  source  of  much  joy  to  the  people  of 
Indianapolis,  both  those  who  cared  for  boat 
riding,  and  those  who  constructed  jests  on  nav- 
i<ration.  Henry  M.  Socwell  was  captain.  He 
came  here  from  Vevay  in  1859,  and  had  ac- 
cumulated much  steamboat  experience  on  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  before  coming.  He  was 
dubbed  "A'ice  Admiral,"  and  other  sea-faring 
terms  were  introduced  into  the  Indianaijolis 
vocabularv.  Michael  R.  Scudder  and  Hiram 
Minick  acted  as  pilots.  As  a  financial  venture 
the  boat  was  a  failure.  It  was  alleged  that 
her  most  profitable  trip  was  one  when  she 
stuck  on  a  sandbar  for  several  hours,  and  the 
bar  took  in  •$168  for  drinks,  at  25  cents  per 
quench.  It  was  expected  that  governmental 
aid  would  be  obtained  for  the  removal  of  ob- 
structions from  the  river,  and  memorials  were 
made  for  that  ])urpose,  but  nothing  came  of 
them.  It  was  really  surprising  that  the  boat 
went  as  far  as  she  did,  with  the  accumulated 
drifts  and  bars  of  forty  years  to  contend 
against. 

rn((uesfionably  White  liivor  is  not  so  easily 
navigalile  now  as  it  was  ninety  years  ago, 
though  probably  as  much  water  passes  out 
through  its  channel  in  the  course  of  a  year  as 
there  did  then.  The  flow  is  not  so  steady  be- 
cause the  clearing  of  the  land  and  improved 
drainage  make  the  surface  water  pass  off  more 
rajiidlv.  .\iid  this  has  increased  the  obstruc- 
tions in  the  streams,  for  the  soil,  sand  and 
gravel  wash  much  more  easily  from  cleared 
Tand.  Moreover,  in  the  natural  state,  most  of 
I  111'  timber  that  got  into  the  river  came  from 
the  undermining  of  banks  on  which  it  stood, 
and  this  usually  did  not  float  away  but  hung 
bv  the  roots  where  it  fell.  But  after  the  ax- 
men  got  to  work,  every  freshet  brought  down 
logs  and  rails  which  formed  drifts  at  some 
places.  Some  logs  stranded  as  the  water  went 
down,  decayed,  became  water-logged,  and  made 
bases  for  sand  and  gravel  bars.  The  wash  of 
the  sand  and  gravel  is  the  worst  source  of  ob- 
struction to  navigation,  for  the  timber  can 
be  easilv  removed — much  of  it  could  l)e  burned 
at  low  water  in  a  dry  season.  The  early  work 
diuic   on    the   liars   was   wasted,    for    it    usually 


20 


HISTORY  OF  GREATEE  INDIANAPOLIS. 


eonsis-tcd  ol'  ciittiiii;'  rhaniicls  iln-dugh  tlu'iii. 
and  the  channels  would  till  in  the  eourse  of  a 
year  or  two.  Tims  the  act  of  January  31,  \S:H, 
for  tlie  improvement  of  the  Wabash,  called  for 
cutting,  "at  tlie  riyiples  and  rapids  channels 
at  least  two  and  oni'-half  feet  deep  from  the 
surface  of  the  olistruction.  and  tliirty  feet 
wide." 

The  first  cause  of  the  neglect  of  naviga- 
tion of  our  streams  was  the  internal  improve- 
ment system,  which  was  largely  one  of  canals. 
Xoliody  seemed  to  realize  the  practical  impos- 
sihility  of  high-line  canals  with  retaining  walls 
of  loose  earth,  and  the  numher  iniilt  and 
abandoned  is  astounding.  In  ISSO  the  total 
of  aiiandoned  canals  in  the  Fniled  States  was 
i;>.")o  miles,  which  cost  $44,0i;i,l(!{;.  and  of  this 
Indiana  had  4.53  miles  that  cost  $r,72.5.2Gv'. 
The  Whitewater  Valley  canal,  the  first  com- 
pleted in  the  state,  washed  out  twice  before 
it  was  finished,  and  the  damage  was  estimated 
at  $n(),000.  The  small  amount  constructed 
at  and  near  Indianapolis — about  seven  miles 
of  the  Central  canal — was  little  used  for  com- 
merce, liut  is  still  in  use  for  water-jiowcr.  It 
has  been  put  out  of  commission  repeate<lly  by 
breaks  at  the  points  where  it  was  built  up  in- 
stead of  dug  out.  An  energetic  miiskrat  would 
dig  a  hole  through  the  bank,  and,  unless  the 
opening  was  very  quickly  di,<covered,  that  was 
an  end  of  the  canal  for  weeks.'''  The  company 
paid  a  bounty  on  muskrat  scalps  for  years,  on 
this  account,  and  it  never  made  a  more  profit- 
able investment.  But  with  all  this  experience  it 
is  doubtfnl  if  the  American  people  have  yet 
learned  that  if  you  want  to  make  a  |icrma- 
nent  waterway  yon  must  dig  it  out  and  not 
build  it  U]) — indeed  \lc  have  already  started 
on  a  re|)etition  of  the  same  old  absurdity  with 
the  L'anaina  Canal. 

In  fact  White  River  does  not  present  a  dif- 
ficult i)roblem  in  practical  connnereial  naviga- 
tion. The  elevation  above  sea  level  of  the 
tracks  at  the  Union  Depot  in  Indianapolis  is 
707  fent,  which  is  about  33  feet  above  low  wa- 
ter level  in  White  River  at  this  jioint.  The 
relative  level  of  the  river  below  here  will  not 
vary  materially  fnun  the  relative  level  of  rail- 
road tracks  at  towns  on  its  bank,  which  are 
as  follows:  Brooklyn.  <i58  feet,  Martinsville, 
."iOil,    (ios])ort,    .j!)().    Spencer.    .5.58.    Bloomfield, 


•5 ■.'!».  Wortbingt<in,  .5 "25,  Sandy  Hook,  Rogers 
and  Blackburn  (stations  nearest  the  forks  on 
both  sides),  each  44ts  feet.  The  railroad  at  lUack- 
burn  is  43  feet  above  low-water  level.  In 
other  words  the  total  fall  in  the  285  miles 
from  here  to  the  forks,  where  the  river  is  now 
navigated,  is  260  feet,  or  an  average  of  less 
than  one  foot  to  the  mile.  The  low-water  flow 
at  this  point  was  estimated  at  840  cubic  feet 
l)er  second  by  Rudolph  Hering,  when  he  re- 
IKjrted  on  a  sewer  system  for  Indianapolis:'* 
i)ut  Prof.  Sackett,  of  Purdue,  in  1905,  re- 
ported the  average  flow  at  Indianapolis  103,- 
000,000  feet  in  24  hours,  or  1,200  cubic  feet 
|)L'r  second;  and  the  Indianapolis  Water  Works 
report  for  l!)0(i,  which  is  based  on  weir  meas- 
urement, makes  it  117,000,000  feet  in  24  hours, 
or  1,350  cubic  feet  per  second.  This  last  is 
the  most  reliable,  and  is  for  the  low-water 
flow  at  a  point  above  the  mouth  of  Fall  Creek 
and  the  discharge  of  the  canal.'"'  There 
is  a  rock  outcrop  at  ilartinsville,  and  several 
below  Spencer,  but  none  that  would  present 
a  serious  obstacle  to  imjirovement.  Indeed, 
they  would  afford  advantagecnis  sites  for 
dams,  of  which  several  would  be  needed,  as 
they  would  furnish  .solid  bottoms  and  solid  abut- 
ting sides.  The  lower  one-third  of  the  channel 
between  here  and  the  forks  is  outside  of  the 
"Drift"  area,  and  contains  practically  no 
gravel,  though  there  are  a  number  of  sand- 
bars. The  solution  of  the  problem  is  the  con- 
struction of  a  few  dams  and  locks,  and  the 
deepening  of  the.  channel  at  ])oints  by  the  re- 
moval  of  sand  and  gravel. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  more  real  progress 
towards  making  the  river  iiractically  naviga- 
Ide  has  been  made  in  the  last  ten  years  than 
ever  before,  and  W'ithmit  any  intention  of  it. 
For  years  people  have  been  taking  sand  and 
gravel  from  the  bars  for  various  n.ses,  but  in 
18i)7  was  begun  the  business  of  pumping  them 
from  the  bottom  of  the  stream,  where  they 
could  not  be  reached  by  the  old  process  of 
shovel  and  wagon.  Tliis  business  has  devel- 
oped until  now  there  arc  si.\  steam  pumps 
working  on  the  river  at  Indianapolis,  and  sev- 
eral at  otlu'r  )ioints.  These  jiumps  arc  set  on 
scow  boats,   averaging  from   50  to   Go   feet   in 


'■f.ocoiiioiiri'.  Septend)i'r  ;!0.  ISIS. 


"('1(1/   li'i-jils.    Tinnnl  <i{   Worh<.    1S!I2. 
''■/'roccedinf/a       first       ('(iiirciil  ion       /mliiniii 
Ili'inrh  iif  L'irrrx  mid  llarliors  CoiKjresg,  p.  104. 


iiisToKV  OF  (;i;k.\'ii:i!  ixni.WAPoi.is. 


21 


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a 
z 


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OS 
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E- 

a 

o 

<: 


22 


HISTORY  OP  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


length  and  --'O  to  25  in  width,  and  by  centrif- 
ugal suction  power  draw  up  a  mixture  of 
water,  sand  and  gravel  through  8-inch  pipes. 
The  pipe  entrance  is  protected  from  tlie  admis- 
sion of  stones  over  four  or  five  inches  in  diame- 
ter, to  avoid  clogging.  The  stream  passes  out 
over  screens  that  separate  the  material  into  two 
grades  of  sand  and  two  of  gravel.  The  prod- 
uct is  used  for  plastering,  locomotive  sand, 
concrete  work,  asphalt  mixture,  rooting  and 
street  improvement.  Formerly  Lake  Michigan 
sand  used  to  be  shipped  here  in  considerable 
amount,  but  now  its  place  is  filled  by  this  prod- 
uct. The  capacity  of  a  pump  is  about  loO 
cubic  yards  a  day,  and  the  actual  product 
about  30,000  yards  in  a  working  year.  In 
otlier  words  these  six  pumps  now  at  Indian- 
apolis are  taking  about  180,000  cubic  yards  of 
obstruction  out  of  the  river  annually,  and  mak- 
ing money  at  it.  They  are  shipping  by  rail 
over  30,0b0  cubic  yards  to  the  suburbs  and 
to  outside  points,  and  the  balance  of  their  prod- 
uct is  used  in  the  city.  They  take  out  the 
material  to  an  average  depth  of  fifteen  feet, 
and  in  the  eleven  years  that  this  work  has 
been  in  jirogress  over  three  miles  of  Indian- 
apolis river  front  has  been  made  actually  navi- 
gable for  any  kind  of  river  craft.  In  addi- 
tion to  these  pumps  there  have  been  two  steam 
dredges  working  at  Indianapolis  on  Fall 
Creek.  They  operate  from  the  shore,  and  have 
taken  out  large  quantities  of  gravel. 

Either  system  is  easily  applicable  at  almost 
any  point  on  the  river,  and  of  course  it  would 
be  needed  only  at  intervals  for  improving  nav- 
igation for  there  are  now  long  stretches  of 
deep  water,  and  there  are  few  localities  on  the 
river  where  sand  and  gravel  are  not  in  de- 
mand for  highway  and  other  purposes.  In 
fact  thousands  of  dollars  have  been  paid  to 
riparian  owners  for  gravel  from  the  river  bed 
for  public  uses,  when  the  river  bed  shouUl 
justly  belong  to  the  state.  The  American  peo- 
ple have  shown  a  fearful  lack  of  foresight  in 
the  exhaustion  of  the  natural  resources  of  the 
country.  They  have  seemed  to  exert  them- 
selves to  put  mineral  lands  and  forest  lands 
into  private  hands.  They  have  taxed  them- 
selves to  encourage  the  exhaustion  of  our  for- 
ests and  coal  mines  by  tariff  laws,  when  they 
could  have  got  timber  and  coal  from  abroad 
cheaper  than  they  could  be  produced  at  home. 
But  of  all  stupid  aberrations  of  public  policy. 


none  ever  was  more  absurd  than  this  aban- 
donment of  public  right  by  a  hasty  and  ill- 
considered  Supreme  Court  decision.  We  have 
now  reached  the  point  where  the  "good  roads" 
movement — and  it  is  a  very  important  move- 
ment to  Indiana — is  handicapped  by  this  dona- 
tion to  private  parties  of  the  best  road  material 
found  in  many  localities,  and  which  can  be 
taken  from  the  river  by  the  pumping  process 
at  a  cost  of  20  to  25  cents  a  cubic  yard.  And 
by  taking  it  out  the  work  would  be  promoted 
of  luaking  practical  highways  of  streams  that 
would  be  of  immense  commercial  value  to  the 
state.  It  is  practically  certain  that  the  "Lakes 
to  Gulf  Canal"  movement  is  going  to  result 
in  a  vast  improvement  of  the  Mississippi  and 
its  tributaries,  and  Indiana  approaches  partic- 
ipation in  that  result  with  an  impediment  to 
reaping  its  benefits  that  should  never  have 
been  created. 

Can  it  be  removed?  That  is  a  question  for 
the  courts.  They  can  reverse  the  decision  if 
they  wish,  and  there  is  ample  authority  for  the 
position  that  the  beds  of  streams  not  sold  by 
the  government  belong  to  the  state.  It  is  not 
easy  to  conceive  where  any  court  obtained  the 
jiower  to  annul  the  declared  policy  of  the 
United  States  and  the  expressed  legislative 
will  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  as  was  done  in  thi: 
case.  Can  the  Supreme  Court  repeal  a  law 
that  is  consistent  with  the  Constitution,  ap- 
plying to  a  matter  over  which  the  legislature 
has  unquestionable  power,  merely  because  tlu 
judges  differ  from  the  legislators  in  opinion; 
That  is  not  commonly  understood  to  be  a  pre 
rogative  of  the  courts.  It  may  be  irrged  that 
the  decision  has  become  "a  rule  of  property," 
hut  this  is  hardly  tenable  in  fact.  Discreel 
conveyors  of  property  bordering  on  White 
River  in  Marion  County  do  not  warrant  titlt 
to  the  center  of  the  stream,  but  only  to  the, 
meander  line,  and  quit-claim  from  there  to  the 
center.  It  may  be  thought  by  some  that  this 
property  right  would  be  of  little  value  to  the 
state,  but  a  moment's  reflection  on  the  amount 
of  gravel  taken  out  now  should  dispel  this 
delusion.  In  fact  the  state  fovnid  it  worth 
while  to  maintain  an  agent  for  years  to  sell 
gravel  from  the  frontage  of  the  old  ferry  sitt 
on  the  west  side  of  the  river  (Outlot  1),  and 
old  residents  remember  when  ''Bill  Aleck" 
IMorrison  used  to  superintend  the  taking  of 
gravel  from  the  bar  there  prior  to  the  sale  of 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


23 


the  property  iu  1889,  under  authority  of  the 
aet  of  ^farch  9,  of  that  year. 

The  United  State;;  authorities  liave  always 
treated  the  river  as  navigahle.  In  fact,  in 
18!)!l.  when  a  controversy  arose?  over  the  dam 
at  Riversiile  Park,  Cajit.  Geo,  A.  Zinii  of  the 
Euf^ineers  Corps,  informed  the  Park  Super- 
intendent that  they  could  pay  no  attention  to 
state  decision.*,  so  long  as  U.  S.  laws  and  de- 
cisions made  a  stream  navigable,  as  they  did 
White  River.'"  In  connection  with  this  con- 
troversy the  Xeirs  sent  an  "expedition"  down 
the  river,  consisting  of  F.  D.  Xorviel  and  two 
other  men,  on  a  house-boat  22  feet  by  8,  It 
went  to  the  forks  of  the  river,  and  Norviel 
reported  that  the  river  was  navigable  for  that 
distance,  which  he  estimated  at  218  miles,  and 
ought  to  be  improved.''  This  e.xpedition  was 
made  in  a  very  dry  season  when  the  river  was 
"abnormally  low."  In  189.5  the  engineering 
corps  of  the  War  Department  made  a  survey  of 
lower  White  River,  and  reported  that  the  navi- 
gation could  be  improved  to  the  forks,  and  14 
miles  up  the  West  Fork  without  dams  and  locks, 
but  that  these  would  be  needed  on  the  West 
Fork  above  that  point  for  "slack  water  naviga- 
tion." This  is  leased  on  an  estimate  of  a  flow  of 
only  .'i.'JO  cubic  feet  |>er  second  near  the  mnutli  <if 
the  West  Fork,  which  is  not  reconcilable  with 
the  estimates  at  this  ])oint.  Inasmuch  as  the 
commerce  on  the  lower  river  could  not  lieconie 
imjiortant  until  the  Wabash  was  improved,  the 
engineers  recommended  that  work  on  White 
River  be  deferred  until  then."* 

In  this  connection  may  be  mentioned  the 
canal,  which  was  made  for  navigation,  and 
which  originally  had  a  flow  of  about  20{)  cubic 
feet  per  second — it  now  does  well  when  it  has 
half  that  amount.  The  Central  Canal  was 
one  branch  of  the  "internal  improvement  sys- 
tem'' of  183G.  It  was  to  start  at  a  conven- 
ient point  on  the  Wabash  &  Erie  Canal,  thence 
south  to  iliincie.  theiU'C  down  the  vallev  of  the 
West  Fork  of  White  River  to  the  forks,  ami 
thence  by  the  most  practicable  route  to  Evans- 
ville.  (!onsi(lernble  excavation  was  done  at 
various  ))oints,  but  the  only  yjart  ever  put  in 
operation   was  some   seven    miles,   frcuii    Itroad 


'"Netvs.  November  7.  1899. 
"Xfirs.  December  2.5.  1899. 
^'Ifoiisr    Donimnil    No.    .j:.     Vol.     •.'•). 
Session  .")lth   CdUKress. 


Ripple  to  Indianapolis.  The  line  of  the  canal 
iu  Indianapolis  was  as  at  present,  except  that 
there  was  a  stone  lock  at  the  IxMid  above  .Market 
street,  and  the  canal  continued  on  a  lower  level 
from  there  down  the  line  of  Missiouri  street 
to  the  edge  of  the  river  bottom  near  Kansas 
street,  where  there  were  two  wooden  locks,  and 
thence  across  the  bottom.  This  lower  part  was 
abandoned  in  1870,  and  a  sewer  laid  in  the 
channel  from  Market  to  Kentucky  avenue, 
where  it  connects  with  the  main  sewer;  and 
the  whole  channel  has  since  been  filled  and 
restored  to  its  original  street  use.  At  the  west 
end  of  the  arm  that  runs  south  of  Military 
Park  there  were  two  basins,  one  extending 
north  and  one  south,  on  the  line  of  Bright 
street.  At  the  north  end  of  the  north  basin 
was  a  grist  mill  which  operated  by  an  overshot 
wheel,  the  waste  water  from  which  ran  north 
to  about  New  York  street,  past  the  old  Burton 
cooper  shop,  then  west  to  Geisendorf  street, 
then  south  to  the  lower  level  of  the  canal.  The 
"tumbles''  were  as  at  present,  and  the  lower 
level.  At  the  corner  of  ilarket  and  the  south 
basin  was  the  Caledonia  paper  mill,  and  at  the 
lower  end  of  the  basin,  half-way  to  Washington 
street,  were  the  Gibson  mill  on  the  east  side 
and  the  Carlisie  mill  on  the  west,  both  front- 
ing on  Washington  street.  Just  west  of  the 
Carlisle  mill  was  the  Chandler  &  Taylor  plant 
which  also  used  water  ])ower.  At  the  lock  at 
Missouri  street  were  the  Sheets  paper  mill  on 
the  west,  now  occupied  by  Balke  &  Kraus  as 
a  store  room,  and  a  flour  mill  on  the  east,  now 
covered  by  the  store  room  of  the  Deere  agri- 
cultural implement  company.  These  were  all 
the  mills  on  the  upper  level,  or  "hydraulic." 
On  the  lower  level  there  was  Merritt's  woolen 
mill  at  the  corner  of  Washington  street,  and 
the  W'ater  Works  Pumping  StatioiL  and  the 
paper  mill  south  of  it  as  at  present.  The  Mer- 
ritt  mill  is  now  occupied  by  the  Sandstrom 
Short-Turn  Buijgy  Co. ;  the  Gibson  mill  is 
replaced  by  the  .\cme  i\rilling  Co.:  the  Cale- 
donia Paper  Mill  by  the  Johnson-Smith  Ex- 
celsior factory,  and  the  site  of  Carlisle's  mill 
is  covered  by  an  extension  of  the  ChaniUer  & 
Taylor  plant.  The  basins  or  arms  nf  the 
"hydrdaulic"  were  filled  u])  years  ago,  ami  the 
whole  of  the  water  power  is  concentrated  at 
the  old  or  low(-r  pumping  station,  where  there 
ai'e  fdU'-  tui-liiTic>.  but  sometimes  not  water 
enou'di  to   run  one.     Tiic  liu-k  nl'  water  is  due 


•ii 


HISTOEY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


to  tlie  smaller  low-wator  flow  above  Broad 
Ripple,  where  the  level  now  is  often  below  the 
top  of  the  dam,  but  forty  years  ago  the  com- 
pany commonly  used  "splash-boards"'  on  top 
of  the  dam  in  low-water,  and  had  at  least  a 
foot  more  of  water  in  the  canal  than  at  pres- 
ent. 

It  was  naturally  cxpegted  that  there  would 
be  considerable  traffic  on  the  canal,  especially 
as  everybody  expected  it  to  be  soon  opened  to 
Xo^lesville  on  the  north  and  ^lartinsville  on 
the  south,  and  considerable  preparation  was 
made  for  it.  As  soon  as  it  was  opened  to 
Broad  Ripple  an  effort  was  made  to  utilize 
it  on  an  outing  basis,  and  the  following  ad- 
vertisement appeared  in  the  local  papers  in 
July,  1839: 

THE  CANAL  BOAT. 

"iSi"ow  running  on  the  canal  between  Indian- 
apolis and  the  Broad  Ripple  will  ply  daily. 
The  boat  leaves  Indianapolis  at  ten  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  and  retui'us  at  six  o'clock  in 
the  evening.  Good  order  will  at  all  times  be 
maintained  on  the  boat,  and  every  attention 
paid  to  render  those  comfortable  who  nuiy 
take  passage.  Fare  $1.  Persons  visiting  the 
Broad  Ripple  are  assured  that  good  entertain- 
ment will  be  found  by  those  desiring  eat- 
ables, etc. 

"Robert    Karl." 

Alluring  as  the  triji  miglit  seem,  there  were 
few  persons  in  Indiuajjolis  at  that  time,  when 
.50  cents  was  the  legal  allowance  fnr  a  day's 
\vork  on  the  roads,  that  could  indulije  in  such 
luxuries  very  often,  and  as  there  was  very 
slight  occasion  for  travel  over  this  line  on  busi- 
ness the  canal  boat  was  soon  found  an  unprof- 
itable venture,  and  was  drop|)ed  altogether. 
At  a  later  day  the  com])aiiy  used  boats  \vitli 
.scythes  attached  to  the  stern  to  cut  the  moss 
and  grass,  which  almost  stopped  the  flow  of 
water  at  times,  but  in  the  early  period  they 
got  rid  of  it  by  .'ihutting  off  the  water  jiiiil 
raking  it  out.  So  for  twenty-five  years  theic 
was  no  navigation  oxc(  pt  a  limited  and  inter- 
mittent use  of  skiff's. 

T'ractically  all  of  the  "commerce"  that  oc- 
curred on  the  canal  was  the  work  of  Aldrich 
&  Gay.  Frank  .\ldrich.  and  his  father-in- 
law,  Alfred  (iay,  came  here  in  1858,  and 
started  a  saw-mill  with  George  D.  Stevens  un- 
der tlie  firm  name  of  Gay  i^-  Stevens.     It  was 


located  on  the  iladison  tracks  one  S(|uare  south 
of  the  old  iladison  depot  on  South  street, 
and  used  the  first  circular  saw^  operated  in 
Indianapolis.  Mr.  Aldrich  was  with  the  Army 
of  the  Tennessee  during  the  war,  and  after  it  he 
and  ;\[r.  Gay  started  a  wood  yard,  first  at  the 
corner  of  Michigan  street  and  the  canal,  but 
later  moving  north  of  North  street,  where  the 
yards  of  the  Western  Construction  Co.  now  are. 
They  bought  the  timber  on  a  lot  of  land  above 
Broad  Ri]:)ple,  and  established  a  camp  of  ref- 
ugee negroes  to  cut  it.  It  was  brought  down 
the  canal  in  two  scow  boats,  8.5  feet  long,  25 
feet  wide,  and  3  feet  deep,  each  of  which  car- 
ried about  25  cords  of  wood.  They  also  brought 
down  considerable  C(uantities  of  corn,  bowlders 
for  street  paving,  and  flour  from  the  mill  at 
Broad  Ripple.  There  were  formerly  locks  at 
Broad  Ripple  through  which  boats  could  be 
taken  into  the  river,  and  a  fair  tow-path  up  the 
south  side  as  far  as  "the  big  slough,"  opposite 
what  is  now  known  as  "the  rip-rap."  These 
boats  were  also  quite  popular  for  Sunday 
school  and  other  picnic  parties  which  were 
towed  up  to  (Jolden  Hill  (D.  :\r.  Parry's 
grounds)   or  the  site  of  Fairview  Park. 

The  canal  was  a  great  disappointment  to  tlie 
people  of  Indianapolis,  who  had  been  warm 
supporters  of  the  internal  improvement  system. 
When  the  bill  passed  the  senate,  on  January  1(3, 
183(i,  there  was  a  general  illumination  of  the 
town,  and  in  the  summer  of  1839,  when  the 
canal  was  open(Hl  from  here  to  Broad  Ripple, 
there  was  an  excursion  by  boats  to  that  place. 
But  the  crash  of  that  year  put  an  end  to  the 
work  that  had  cost  so  much.  There  had  been 
Jfl.nOO.OOO  expended  on  the  (V'utral  Canal, 
and  comparatively  little  more  would  have  put 
it  in  o|)eration  from  Xoblesville  to  ilartins- 
\ille.  'I  he  state  operated  what  there  was  of 
it  until  1850,  but  not  very  satisfactorily.  The 
ehnnnel  was  much  impeded  by  moss,  and  the 
1)1(1  plan  was  to  turn  off  the  water  to  clean  it 
<iut.  which  naturally'  caused  complaint  from 
the  lessees  of  water-power.  The  flood  of  1847 
washed  out  the  banks  and  the  aqueduct  over 
Fall  Creek,  and  the  canal  was  dry  for  months. 
Lessees  refused  to  pay  rent  and  stiits 
were  brought.  lly  tlie  acts  of  January 
19  and  21.  1S50.  the  governor  was  au- 
thorized to  com]ii'omise  the  suits  and  sell 
the  whole  ]jro])erty  to  the  highest  bid- 
der.    He  reporlecl   tii  the  next  .session  that  he 


liisTouv  OF  (;i;i:atei£  ixDi.vxAi'ou.s. 


liail  rokl  all  of  the  canal  north  of  Morgan 
Coiiiity  to  George  G.  Shoup,  James  h'ariilen 
ami  John  8.  Xewman,  for  $2, "^4.3,  anil  that 
in  Morgan  County,  which  was  simply  laud 
with  partial  excavation,  to  Aaron  Alldredge, 
lor  •$()(»().''•'  These  purchasers  assigned  to  the 
Central  Canal  Manufacturing.  HydrauTu-  and 
Water  Works  Company,  under  which  name  were 
incori)orated  Francis  Conwell,  Henry  Von 
Bergess,  Wm.  Jiurnett,  Luther  G.  Bingham, 
and  David  F.  Woi'cester,  on  Fehruary  i:i.  1S.J4. 
They  did  not  find  it  profitahle,  and  the  title 
became  somewhat  involved  by  sheriffs"  sales, 
_but  in  1859  it  was  transferred  to  the  Indiana 
Central  Canal  Company,  which  cleared  \\p  the 
title,  and  rented  water  power  for  some  years, 
finally  transferring  the  property  to  the  In- 
dianapolis ^\'ater  Works  Company,  the  pres- 
ent owners. 


'Ifotisc  JiiiiniitJ.  lS.-)()-l. 


.'W. 


Since  the  Water  Works  Company  has  owned 
the  canal  it  has  broken  several  times  at  built- 
up  points,  especially  at  the  aqueduct  over  Fall 
Creek,  and  near  F'airview  Park.  One  of  the 
most  disastrous  breaks  was  during  the  iiood 
of  1904,  when  the  creek  was  already  high,  the 
added  flood  carrying  it  over  the  levee  at 
"Cerealine  town"  and  causing  large  damage 
there.  A  number  of  the  breaks  have  been  due 
to  the  burrowing  of  niuskrats,  and  the  canal 
patrol — the  company  has  for  years  had  the 
bank  patrolled  daily  by  two  men — is  specially 
charged  with  the  duty  of  watching  for  and 
killing  these  animals.  It  has  also  paid  a  bounty 
of  five  cents  for  tail  tips,  and  distributed 
traps  free  of  charge  to  farmers  along  the  line. 
One  would  naturally  expect  fur-bearing  ani- 
mals to  be  almost  extinct  in  this  vicinity,  but 
for  the  past  five  years  there  have  been  over 
one  hundred  muskrats  killed  annually  in  this 
little  stretch  of  canal. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


PLAXNIXG  THE  CITY. 


By  the  act  of  January  fi.  1821,  by  whicli 
the  legislature  ratified  the  scleetion  of  the  site 
for  the  capital  that  had  been  made  by  the  com- 
missioners, it  was  also  provided  that  the  house 
and  senate  should  elect  by  joint  ballot  three 
commissioners  to  lay  out  a  town  on  the  site, 
and  an  agent  for  the  sale  of  lots.  These  com- 
missioners, "or  a  majority  of  them",  were  di- 
rected to  meet  on  the  site  on  the  first  Monday 
in  April,  1821,  and  "proceed  to  lay  out  a  town 
on  such  part  of  the  land  selected  and  hereby 
established  as  the  seat  of  government  as  they 
may  deem  most  proper,  and  on  such  plan  as 
they  may  conceive  will  be  advantageous  to  the 
state  and  to  the  prosperity  of  said  town,  having 
specially  in  view  the  health,  utility  and  beauty 
of  the  place."  They  were  authorized  to  em- 
ploy a  surveyor  and  such  assistants  as  were 
needed;  and  after  the  survey  was  completed 
.were  to  advertise  the  sale  of  lots,  and  sell  as 
many  as  they  deemed  expedient,  "reserving  \m- 
sold  every  second  odd  number  commencing  at 
number  one."  Purchasers  of  lots  were  to  pay 
one-tifth  down,  and  the  balance  in  four  an- 
nual installments,  with  forfeiture  if  payment 
were  not  completed  "within  three  months  after 
the  last  installment  beconu's  due."  At  any  time 
prior  to  advertisenu'nt  and  sale  on  forfeiture, 
the  purchaser  could  redeem  by  ])aying  arrear- 
ages and  costs.  The  agent  was  to  keep  his 
office  at  the  town,  and  within  nine  months  of 
the  passage  of  the  act  to  fix  his  permanent 
residence  there.  The  money  received  from  the 
sale  of  lots  was  to  be  kept  as  a  separate  fund 
by  the  State  Treasurer,  and  to  be  used  for 
"erecting  the  necessary  public  buildings  of  the 
state."  No  sale  of  lots  was  to  carry  any 
right  of  ferriage  to  the  purchaser,  but  this 
right  was  permanently  vested  in  the  city. 

By  the  same  law  the  new  capital  was  nanicd 


Indianapolis,  after  a  prolonged  discussion  by 
the  House,  in  Committee  of  the  Whole.  The 
circumstances  of  the  naming  were  stated  by 
Judge  Jeremiah  Sullivan,  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  who  was  a  member  of  the  legislature 
at  the  time,  as  follows:  "The  bill  (if  1  re- 
member aright)  was  reported  by  Judge  Polk, 
and  was  in  the  main  very  acceptable.  A  blank 
of  course,  was  left  for  the  lunne  of  the  town 
that  was  to  become  the  seat  of  government, 
and  during  the  two  or  three  days  we  spent  iu 
endeavoring  to  fill  the  blank  there  was  iu  the 
debate  some  sharpness  and  much  amusement. 
General  Marston  G.  Clark,  of  Washington 
County,  proposed  Tecumseh  as  the  name,  and 
very  earnestly  insisted  upon  its  adoption. 
When  it  failed  he  suggested  other  Indian 
names,  whicli  1  have  forgotten.  They  all  were 
rejected.  A  member  ])roposed  'Suwarrow,' 
which  met  with  no  favor.  Other  names  were 
proposed,  discussed,  laughed  at,  and  voted 
down,  and  the  house  without  coming  to  any 
agreement  adjourned  until  the  ne.xt  day..  There 
were  many  amusing  things  said,  but  my  re- 
uuuid)rance  of  them  is  not  sufficiently  distinct 
to  state  them  with  accuracy. 

"I  had  gone  to  Corydon  with  the  intention 
of  proposing  Indianapolis  as  the  name  of  the 
town,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  adjournment 
above  mentioned,  or  the  next  morning,  I  sug- 
gested to  Mr.  Samuel  Merrill,  the  representa- 
tive from  Switzerland  County,  the  name  I  pro- 
posed. He  at  once  adopted  it  and  said  he  would 
support  it.  We,  together,  called  on  Governor 
.Jennings,  who  had  been  a  witness  of  the  amus- 
ing proceedings  of  the  day  previous,  and  told 
him  what  conclusion  we  had  come  to,  and  asked 
him  what  he  thought  of  the  name.  He  gave 
us  to  iinderstand  that  he  favored  it,  and  that 
he   would   not   hesitate    to   so  express    himself. 


iriSTORV  OF  GURATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


27 


When  the  House  met  and  uoiit  into  loiiveu- 
tioii  on  the  bill,  1  moved  to  fill  the  blank 
with  Indianapolis.  The  name  created  quite 
a  laugh.  Mr.  Merrill,  however,  seconded  the 
motion.  We  discussed  the  matter  fully;  gave 
our  reasons  in  support  of  the  proposition ;  the 
members  conversed  with  each  other  inform- 
ally in  regard  to  it,  and  the  name  gradually 
commended  itself  to  the  committee,  and  was 
accepted.  The  ])rincipal  reason  given  in  favor 
of  adopting  the  name  proposed,  towit:  that  the 
Greek  termination  would  indicate  to  all  the 
world  the  locality  of  the  town,  was,  I  am  sure, 
the  reason  that  overcame  the  opposition  to  the 
name.  The  town  was  finally  named  Indiana- 
polis, with  but   little,  if  any,  o|i]i()sition.""' 

The  tradition  in  the  Merrill  family  is  that 
the  name  was  originally  suggested  by  Mr.  Mer- 
rill himself,  but  he  never  cared  to  insist  on 
his  claim.  Indeed  there  was  no  great  in- 
diicement  to  do  so,  for  the  name  was  not  re- 
ceived with  universal  applause.  The  Indiana 
Ccntinel.  publislied  at  Yinccnncs,  which  had 
favored  the  name  "Tecumseh,'"  announced  the 
new  name  on  January  15,  1821,  in  the  fol- 
lowing passage:  "One  of  the  most  ludicrous 
act';,  however,  of  the  sojourners  at  Corydon.  was 
their  naming  the  new  seat  of  state  government. 
Such  a  name,  kind  readers,  you  would  never 
tind  by  searching  from  Dan  to  Beershelia;  nor 
in  all  the  libraries,  museums,  and  pat<'nt  of- 
fices in  the  world.  It  is  like  nothing  in  heaven, 
nor  on  earth,  nor  in  the  waters  under  the  earth. 
It  is  not  a  name  for  man,  woman,  or  child ;  for 
empire,  city,  mountain  or  morass;  for  bird, 
beast,  fish  nor  creeping  thing;  and  nothing 
mortal  or  immortal  could  have  thought  of  it, 
except  the  wise  men  of  the  East  who  were 
congregated  at  Corydon.  It  is  composed  of 
the  following  letters: 

"1— X-D— I— A— N— A— P-O-I— l-S. 

"Pronounce  it  as  you  please,  gentle  readers 
— you  can  do  it  as  yon  wish — there  is  no  dan- 
ger of  violating  any  system  or  riile,  either  in 
accent,  cadence  or  emphasis — suit  your  <iun 
convenience  and  be  thankful  you  are  enabled 
to  do  it.  by  this  rare  effect  of  the  scholastic 
genius  of  the  age.  For  this  title  your  future 
capital  will  be  greatly  indeiitcd,  either  to  some 
learned  Ifrhniist.  some  veneraiile  Grecian,  some 


sage  and   sentimental   Bnilimin,  or  some   pro- 
found and  academic  Faullowatlumie." 

A  weeJv  later  the  Ccntinel  gave  the  name 
an  editorial  broadside  in  similar  vein,  and  also 
|)ublished  a  communication  which  closed  with 
these  words:  "Or  should  you  require  the  ety- 
nwloqif  of  the  word  itself,  I  beg  leave  to  refer 
you  to  the  P  A  T  A  P  H  R  E  A  Z  E  L  Y  (a 
new  work  and  very  rare)  under  the  head  "S 
I  L."  (This  work  serves  as  a  Lexicon  to  the 
ancient  Hindoo  language!)  and  reversing  the 
letters  you  have  SILOPANA  IDNI 
which  signifies  "A  HEAD  WITHOUT 
HHAINS."- 

There  has  been  more  or  less  facetiousness 
evoked  by  the  name  ever  since,  but  really, 
«hen  one  becomes  accustomed  to  it,  it  is  no 
more  stilted  than  "Philadelphia."  Its  inven- 
tors had  precedents  not  only  in  ancient  names, 
but  also  in  "Annapolis"  and  "Gallipolis"  in 
this  country:  and  they  have  had  successors  in 
"Cassopolis,"  "Minneapolis,"  "Iliopolis,"  "Ten- 
toiiolis,'"  "Lithopolis"  and  "Kanopolis."  Jlore- 
o\er  "Indianapolis"'"  itself,  has  four  times  been 
appropriated,  once  by  Te.xas;  once  by  Colorado; 
once  by  Iowa,  and  once  by  Oklahoma,  without 
the  slightest  regard  to  its  meaning — City  of 
Indiana— -but  solely  for  its  melody  and  dig- 
nity; and  in  consequence  our  postotiSce  author- 
ities were  subjected  to  much  annoyance  by  the 
miscarriage  of  mails  and  finally  succeeded  in 
having  all  but  the  Oklahoma  town  aliolished. 
And,  really,  why  is  not  the  (Ireek  ending  just 
as  rational  as  the  German  "burg,""  or  the 
l-'rench  "ville,"  or  the  .\nglo-Saxon  "wick," 
or  any  of  the  common  Indian  endings  that  sig- 
nify "town"  or  "place"?  "Indianapolis"  may 
not  be  so  suggestive  as  the  old  Miami  name  of 
"Clianktunoongi,"  or  "Makes-a-Noise-Place", 
but  it  at  least  serves  to  command  attention, 
(•\(n  if  some  occasioind,  sensitive  barbarian 
mav — 

"Shriek 
To  arms!  they  conic!   the  (Jreek,   the   Greek." 

I'.ut.  to  resume  the  story;  on  January  6, 
l^'.M.  the  same  day  that  the  law  was  approved. 
the  Hc)use  and  Senate  met  in  joint  session  and 
elected  (Jen.  John  Carr  agent  for  the  sale  of 
lots,  and  James  W.  .fones,  Samuel  P.  Booker 
and    Christopher    Ifarri~<in,    commissioners    to 


'  11  ijll(iiriii/'s    1 11(1  iitiDi imlis-.    p.    111. 


-luiliiina   Crnhnrl.  .lanuarx'   22,   1821. 


■v'S 


H18T0KY  OF  GKEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


lay  out  tliu  town.  Ol  tlivsc  liarrijiou  alone  ap- 
peared at  the  site  at  the  time  fixed,  Init  he  was 
not  a  man  to  be  disturbed  by  a  little  thing 
like  that.  Judge  Jlairisou,  as  he  was  called, 
wa.<  one  of  the  most  interesting  characters  that 
ever  reached  Indiana.  He  was  not  oi  the  Har- 
risons of  Virginia,  but  a  ilarylander,  of  some 
wealth,  fine  education,  and  a  taste  for  art.  Dis- 
appointed in  love,  it  is  said  with  Elizabeth 
Patterson  who  married  Jerome  Bonaparte, 
afterwards  King  of  Westphalia,  Harrison  came 
to  Indiana  and  for  seven  years  lived  a  her- 
mit near  Hanover,  on  a  blutt'  overlooking  the 
Ohio  River.  In  181.5  he  decided  that  he  had 
served  full  time  for  his  Rachel,  and  went  to 
Salem  and,  opened  a  store.  In  ISKS  he  was 
put  on  the  ticket  \fith  Jonathan  Jennings,  and 
elected  lieutenant  governor  of  the  new  state. 
He  followed  the  uneventful  life  appertaining 
to  this  office  until  1818,  when  Governor  Jen- 
nings was  appointed  a  commissioner  to  make 
treaties  with  various  Indian  tribes,  and  ac- 
cepted the  appointment.-  Inasmuch  as  the  con- 
stitution of  the  state  provided  that  "no  per- 
son holding  any  office  under  the  United  States 
shall  exercise  the  office  of  governor  or  lieuten- 
ant governor,"  Harrison  declared  that  Jennings 
had  vacated  his  office,  and  thereupon  proceeded 
to  act  as  governor.  But  Jennings  dissented; 
and,  when  he  had  finished  tlie  treaties,  re- 
sumi'd  governing,  and  the  legislature  recog- 
nized him.  Then  Harrison  resigned,  and  the 
legislature  adopted  a  resolution  that  his  con- 
duct had  been  "both  dignified  and  correct  dur- 
ing the  late  investigation  of  the  differences 
existing  in  the  executive  department."  In 
1819  he  ran  for  governor  against  Jennings, 
and  was  badly  beaten,  but  that  did  not  inter- 
fere with  the  public  appreciation  of  liis  talents; 
and  so  he  was  chosen  commissioner  by  a  legis- 
lature that  would  not  have  done  anything  dis- 
pleasing to  Jennings.' 

When  he  found  that  the  other  members  of 
the  commission  were  not  coming  he  decided 
himself  "a  majority  thereof,'"  organized  him- 
self, and  proceeded  to  business.  His  maiuige- 
ment  of  the  survey  and  sale  of  lots  was  legal- 
ized by  act  of  Xovemlier  28.  1S21.  He  em- 
ployed Alexander  Ralston  and  Elias  P.  Ford- 
ham  as  surveyors,  and  Benjamin  1.  Hlytlie.  who 


iiad  been  clerk  to  the  site  commissioners,  as 
clerk.  Ralston  was  a  Scotchman,  of  good  abil- 
ity, who  as  a  young  man  had  been  intrusted 
with  important  engineering  work  on  the  estate 
of  Lord  Roslin.  After  coming  to  this  country 
lie  assisted  ilajor  L'Enfant  in  the  survey  of 
Washington  City  until  that  eccentric  genius  got 
angry  and  resigned,  and  for  some  time  after- 
wards was  employed  by  the  government.  Later 
lie  removed  to  Louisville,  and  after  some  years" 
residence  there,  to  Salem,  Indiana.  In  1823 
he  removed  to  Indianapolis,  and  there  built  a 
([uaint  little  brick  house  on  the  north  side  of 
.Slaryland  street,  west  of  Capitol  avemu' — a 
square  story-and-a-half  in  the  center,  with  a 
one-story  ell  on  each  side,  well  supplied  with 
doors  and  windows — where  he  lived  with  his 
colored  housekeeper,  "Aunt  Chaney"  Lively, 
until  his  death  on  January  .5,  1827.  While 
here  he  served  as  county  surveyor.  Ralston 
was  thought  by  some  to  have  been  implicated 
in  Aaron  Burr"s  consjjiracy,  but  so  was  every- 
body that  was  known  to  speak  to  Burr;  and  it 
is  not  probable  that  Ralstou"s  conspiracy  ex- 
tended beyond  surveying  some  property  on  the 
Washita  River,  in  Arkansas,  known  as  "the 
Bastrop  lands."'"  which  Burr  had  purchased.  He 
was  held  in  high  esteem  here — he  fed  the  birds 
in  severe  winters,  and  all  the  children  doved 
him — what  higher  certificate  of  character  could 
one  have  ?* 

Fordham  dropped  so  completely  out  of  local 
record  and  tradition  that  Sulgrove  says  of  him: 
"Of  Mr.  Fordliam  little  appears  to  have  been 
known  at  the  time,  and  nothing  can  be  learned 
tiow.""^  He  deserved  iietter.  Elias  Pym  Ford- 
ham  was  a  young  man  from  one  of  the  oldest 
families  of  the  east  of  England,  who  came  to 
this  country  in  ISIT  with  ^lorris  Birkbei-k  and 
ids  family,  ami  went  to  the  celebrated  Illinois 
colony,  where  he  located  land  on  "English 
Prairie."  He  was  well  educated,  and  of  keen 
intellect,  as  appears  from  Ids  writings.  He 
was  considered  an  excellent  engineer,  having 
been  a  pupil  of  George  Stephenson,  the  inven- 
tor of  the  locomotive  steam  engine.  He  trav- 
eled in  southern  Indiana  in  1818,  and  at  other 
times — in  fact  Birkbeck"s  c(donv  was  in  pretty 
close  touch  with  southern  Indiana — and  quite 


■■'Woollen's    Sl-t'tclifs.    |).     Kid;    'rhmiipxnrs 
!^t<irii's  (if  liiiliniHi.  ]i.  128. 


KToiiniiil.  Jaiinarv  9.  1827  ;  .Vr/,'.v.  March  22. 
187  9. 

''Illsl.     f  llllllllHI  jlollS,     p.     2."). 


H18TU1;Y    of   laiKATEK   INDIA.N Arol.lS. 


29 


probably  formed  the  acMjuaiutancc  of  Kaliitoii 
and  Harris^oii  Ix'fore  loiiiing  here." 

The  plan  for  the  city  which  was  adopted  was 
largely  influenced  by  the  plan  of  the  city  of 
Washington,  which  Halston  had  assisted  in  sur- 
veying, and  which  had  nunu'rous  admirers 
throughout  the  country.  It  had  been  taken  as 
a  basis  for  the  rebuilding  of  Detroit,  after  the 
great  tire  of  180.5,  by  (Ihief  Justice  Augustus 
]•?.  Woodward,  who  was  jn-actical  dictator  there 
at  the  time."  "The  Federal  City"  wa^  modeled 
on  Versailles,  cither  at  the  suggestion  of  Presi- 
dent Washington,  or  with  his  approval,  and  so 
the  plan  of  the  final  capital  of  Indiana  was 
based  in  ])art  on  the  capital  built  in  France  for 
the  first  ruler  of  Indiaiui.  But  it  was  not  wholly 
so.  When  the  plan  of  '"The  Federal  City'"  was 
under  consideration,  Thomas  Jefferson  favored 
a  city  of  regular  s(|uares  made  by  streets  inter- 
secting at  right  angles,  but  L"Enf'ant  preferred 
tlie  "spider- web"  idea  of  Versailles,  with  its 
principal  avenues  i-entering  at  the  royal  palaces, 
and  Washington  agreed  with  him.  The  plan 
adopted  for  Indianapolis  was  a  rational  com- 
bination of  the  two.  The  original  plat,  now 
commonly  known  as  "the  mile  squai'e".  be- 
tween North,  South,  East  and  West  streets, 
was  divided  ])riniarily  l)y  nine  north  and  south 
streets,  and  nine  east  and  west  streets  into  100 
squares,  with  certain  modifications — but  the 
streets  do  not  run  direct  to  the  points  of  the 
compass,  as  commonly  supposed;  they  bear 
about  two  and  one-half  degrees  east  of  iKirtli. 
and  south  of  east,  owing  to  variation  in  ilic 
magnetic  needle.  Most  of  the  streets  in  the 
additions,  outside  of  "the  donation",  follow  the 
Section  lines,  which  were  run  on  the  basis  of 
the  true  meridian,  and  are  tJiercfore  more  nearly 
with  the  points  of  the  compass.  The  four 
central  .squares  or  blocks  of  the  city,  taken  to- 
gether, were  called  "the  Governor's  Square", 
and  at  their  center  was  jdaced  a  circle,  nearly 
four  acres  in  extent,  surrounded  by  a  street  80 
feet  wide,  which  was  designed  for  tlie  governor's 
residence,  but  is  now  ^Monument  Place.  From 
the  four  corners  of  the  Governor's  Square  there 
were  four  diagonal  streets,  now  called  avenues, 
running  to  the  four  corners  of  the  plat,  each 
of  which  cut  four  of  the  primarv  s(pKircs  into 


"See   Fordhams    I'itsohuI    .Xdrral  Iri- :    ('Irve- 
land,  inofi. 

'  Lit  nihil  II  rl-!<  of  Di'lrnil.  p.  ■^'.'!. 


two  triangles.  Each  diagonal  street  afforded  a 
"short  cut""  to  the  center  of  the  city,  and  on 
this  account  these  have  all  become  po])ular 
thoroughfares  and  business  streets;  they  have 
been  adopted  for  street-car  lines,  and  arc  real 
conveniences  to  the  public.  All  of  these  streets 
were  90  feet  wide  except  Washington  street, 
which  was  120  feet.  The  boundary  streets, 
Xorth,  South,  East  and  West,  were  not  in- 
cluded in  the  original  plat,  but  were  added 
afterwards  by  Harrison,  at  the  suggestion  of 
James  Blake,  who  urged  that  "fifty  years  later 
they  would  make  a  fine  four-mile  drive  around 
the  city".  In  fact  no  one  then  contemplated 
the  city's  growth  beyond  "the  mile  square.'"' 
Xo  subdivision  of  the  donation  lands  outside 
the  plat  was  made  at  the  time,  and  Ralston, 
gazing  proudly  on  the  map,  declared  that  "it 
would  make  a  beautiful  city,  if  it  were  ever 
built"". 

The  only  departure  from  the  regularity  of 
the  i)lan  was  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the 
city,  and  was  caused  by  Pogue's  Run.  South  of 
it.  a  street  called  South  Carolina  street  was 
run  from  the  corner  of  Meridian  and  South 
streets  diagonally  to  the  corner  of  Georgia  and 
East  streets.  A  block  and  a  half  north  of  this 
— north  of  Pogue's  Run — Xorth  Carolina  street 
was  run,  ])arallel  to  Soutii  Carolina  street,  from 
.Meridian  street,  at  the  alley  between  Georgia 
and  Louisiana  streets,  to  East  street,  at  the 
alley  between  Washington  aiul  ^Maryland  streets. 
Xorth  Carolina  and  Soutli  Carolina  streets 
were  each  (JO  feet  wide.  The  I  ract  between 
tliem  was  divided  into  three  huge  irregular 
blocks,  which  were  given  s(|uare  numbers  80, 
84  and  8.").  Of  the  jirincipal  city  streets.  A'ir- 
ginia  street  (now  \'ii'ginia  avenue)  alone 
crossed  this  tract  but  there  was  a  small  street 
across  it  from  flic  corner  of  Delaware  and  South 
Carolina  streets,  at  right  angles  with  the  lal- 
ter,  which  was  named  Short  street.  The  ac- 
companying cut  of  the  plat  is  from  I  he  copy 
used  as  an  original  in  the  otlice  of  the  audi- 
tor of  state,  worn  with  age,  and  bearing  the 
inscription:  "St;i1e  nf  Inili.ina.  I.  .lobn  Can-, 
-Vgent  for  the  town  of  hulianapolis,  do  hercliy 
certify  that  the  above  is  a  true  plat  of  the  Town 
of  Indiana])olis.     John'  Cahh.  July  9.  1822." 

This  arrangement  contin\ied  until  18:!1. 
wlien  part  of  the  donati(ni  lands  having  been 
subdivided  into  "outlots""  in  pursuance  of  acts 
iif   the   leiiislalure   in    182  1    and    182.").   a   com- 


30 


ISTOI.'V  OF  GKEATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


t.\   -J  J-DglLj.    A. — I 


''/^^'■^1^'lrv-  HI 


f''~    .\«*'"' ,-<-^   r — II — n  r — ir — t'"  ^Ji — i<i 

>^y>i\  1 1  '  ir :  ,  I  L — IIJ — I  LUJL — i  1    \*  •■  itj 


£.:^/^-. 


OF   THE   town: 


;^A^^tf 


hlM&U-  ».^k" 


''•''"<  l.y  H.Tl.n.Col'" 


3    •»^'^v 


< 


tiTTie  tha^fi   yaanf  Ai  '  i :. 

"  arf  Ttnrvtd  JiS  rriifitm<  jnrjm.     J 

Sqaawj  t.S.  t^S.'3.  TO,  aj|_  nrJ    J 

iffliXft,  "ileMtRerr  SftanV        '  ' '^ 


H''.    //.     ■ift'^'i    Photo    Compan}!.) 


THE    RALSTON   PLAT   OF   1821. 


11  IS  TORY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


31 


plc'tu  ."-urvey  ol'  the  doiiatiuii  was  ordered,  with 
two  maps,  which  Avere  to  be  filed  as  "otlieial 
records".  This  survey  and  these  maps  were 
made  bv  Bet  Intel  F.  Morris,  aud  in  them  North 
Carolina,  South  Carolina  and  Short  streets 
were  dropped;  the  north  and  south  streets — 
Pennsylvania,  Delaware,  Xew  Jersey  and  Ala- 
bama— were  extended  across  I'ogue's  Hun ;  and 
blocks  80,  84  and  8o.  thus  cut  up,  were  added 
to  former  fractional  squares.  In  the  orifiina! 
plat  this  Pogue's  Run  tract  had  made  a  break 
in  the  square  numbers,  whicli  bejran  with  NO. 
1,  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  phit  and  num- 
bered to  the  left  to  10;  then  drop])ed  a  tier 
and  numbered  back  to  the  right  to  20,  and  so 
on.  until  Xorth  Carolina  street  was  struck: 
an<l  there  the  fractional  and  irreguhir  squares 
introduced  an  extra  square  numbei'.  so  that 
the  soutlieastern  square  of  the  phit  wa*  num- 
bered 101  instead  of  100.  and  still  retains 
that  number.  But,  in  the  readjustment  of 
1831,  square  numbers  83  and  85  were  dropped, 
so  that  now  there  are  only  99  squares,  or 
square  numbers,  in  the  original  plat,  or  ■•mile 
square". 

After  IS.'il  no  changes  were  made  in  the 
original  street  names  until  1894-."),  when  the 
City  Council  changed  the  name  of  Mississippi 
street  to  Senate  avenue,  and  Tennessee  street 
to  Capitol  avenue." 

The  former  was  due  to  the  efforts  of  John 
Puryear,  a  well-known  and  enterprising  col- 
ored ]nan,  who  rejiresented  the  Fourth  Ward  in 
the  Council  for  six  years.  'I'he  reason  he 
ga\c  for  it  was  that  he  "hateil  the  name  of 
Jlississippi".  Various  roads  which  originally 
came  to  the  mile  square  have  taken  street  names 
within  the  extended  city  limits.  The  Blulf  Road 
is  Meridian  street.  The  Madison  Road  is  Mad- 
ison avenue.  The  Brnokville  Road  is  Brook- 
ville  avenue.  Tiie  Michigan  Road  is  Southeast- 
ern avenue  below  the  old  city  line,  while  at 
the  north  it  is  called  West  street  as  far  as 
Sixteenth,  and  beyond  tlial  Xorthwesteni  ave- 
nue. Th(^  l-afayette  Road  is  Indiana  avenue. 
I'ndcr  an  act  of  1827,  the  alleys  in  squares 
nmubered  1  to  '^O,  and  78  to  101  were  vacated, 


"  Thi'  Capitol  avenue  ordinance  was  intro- 
duced liv  Wni.  II.  Cooper,  and  ])asseil  May  'i\. 
l.'^iM.  The  Senate  avenue  ordinance  was  intro- 
duced bv  Henrv  Magel,  and  |)assed  Sei)tember 
23,  ISO.';. 


and  those  squares  were  sold  as  ■"oatlots".  Hence 
no  alleys  appear  in  them  in  the  map  of  1831, 
but  in  it  the  principal  alleys  remaining  were 
named.  The  names  of  the  Xorth  and  South 
alleys,  or  streets  as  they  are  now  commonly 
called,  beginning  in  the  west  tier  of  squares 
aud  proceeding  east,  were  Columbia,  Osage, 
Huron,  iluskingum.  Severn,  Scioto,  Susque- 
hanna, Hudson,  Erie  and  Choptank.  The  east 
and  west  alleys,  between  Vermont  and  Georgia 
streets,  were  Tippecanoe,  Miami.  Wabash,  Po- 
tomac, Cumberland  and  Cliesa])eake.  Most  of 
these  names  are  still  retained,  but  there  have 
been  the  following  changes: 

Columbia  is  now  Toledo. 

Huron  is  now  Roanoke. 

Severn  is  now   Bird. 

Erie  is  now  Ogden. 

Choptank  is  now  Adelaide. 

Potomac   is   now   Court. 

Cumberland  is  now  Pearl. 

In  the  original  plat  there  were  no  alleys  in 
tlict  sqiuires  that  were  intersected  by  diagonal 
streets,  and  the  alleys  now  existing  in  these, 
and  also  in  the  squares  where  the  alleys  were 
vacated  in  1827,  were  usually  made  by  the  vol- 
untary donation  of  the  owners.  In  each  of 
the  full,  regular  squares  there  were  two  alleys, 
one  fifteen  feet  wide,  and  one  thirty  feet  wide, 
intersecting  each  other  at  right  angles,  and  di- 
viding the  square  into  four  equal  parts.  As 
each  square  contained  4.05  acres,  inclusive  of 
alleys,  there  was  nearly  an  acre  in  each  (piarter 
thus  made,  and  each  quarter  was  divided  into 
three  ecjual  lots.  The  lots  fronted  in  various 
directions,  according  to  the  supposed  import- 
ance of  streets.  Those  abutting  on  the  large 
alleys  were  (i7  feet  6  indies  wide  and  195  feet 
deep.  Those  abutting  on  the  smaller  alleys 
were  t!5  feet  front,  and  202  feet  G  inches  deep. 

The  center  of  the  original  plat  is  about  200 
yards  northeast  of  the  center  of  the  donation, 
and  was  selected  because  the  circle  was  a  nat- 
ural knoll,  covered  with  fiiu'  sugar  trees,  and 
because  of  the  relative  ])osition  of  Washington 
street.  There  is  no  question  that  Washington 
street  was  expected  to  be  the  principal  street, 
on  account  of  its  extra  width  and  the  fact 
that  the  Govi'rnor's  Square,  the  Court  House 
S(|uare,  and  the  State  tlouse  St]uare  all  fronted 
on  it.  The  obvious  rea,-;on  for  its  preeminence 
was  the  natural  crossing  jilace  where  it  struck 
the    river,    which    was    certain    to    make    it    the 


32 


HISTOKV   OF  (il! EATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


I 


main  tlutroughfarc  of  the  new  town.  In  fact, 
it  Mas  for  years  more  commonly  known  as 
"Main  street''  tiian  as  Washington  street.  The 
general  understanding  of  this  is  very  evident 
from  the  prices  paid  at  the  sale  of  lots,  which 
began  on  October  8,  IS'il.  The  survey  had  been 
completed  some  time  befin-e,  notwithstanding 
that  the  surveyors  had  been  much  impeded  by 
the  bayous,  whicli  the  wet  season  had  kept 
flooded.  It  has  been  said  that  the  sale  was 
delayed  on  account  of  the  prevalent  sickness, 
and  that  Harrison  left  the  place  for  some  time 
on  account  of  the  sickness,  but,  whether  this 
was  true  or  not,  the  time  fixed  for  the  sale  was 
fortunate.  October  brought  clear  weather,  and 
a  general  improvement  of  health.  Many  per- 
sons came  to  attend  the  sale :  business  became 
brisk :  and  everything  took  on  a  hopeful  and 
cheerful  air. 

By  this  time  there  were  three  "taverns"  at 
Indianapolis,  besides  McCormick"s.  ^latthias 
R.  Xowland  had  opeiied  one  in  his  cabin  "on 
the  west  bank  of  the  ravine"  (i.  e.,  ^fissouri 
street),  between  Washington  and  Maryland 
streets.  .Judge  Harrison  had  made  this  his 
headquarters  during  the  survey,  and  Nowland 
had  built  an  addition  to  the  cabin  for  an  of- 
fice. It  was  here  that  the  sale  was  held.  Maj. 
Thos.  Carter  had  built  a  log  tavern  north  of 
Wa.shington  street  and  east  of  Illinois — just 
west  of  the  present  Ncir.i  office.  John  Haw- 
kins had  opened  "The  Eagle  Tavern"  in  a 
double  log  house  north  of  Washington  street, 
between  Meridian  and  Pennsylvania  streets, 
about  where  the  Ijombard  Building  now  stands. 
The  attendance  at  tlie  sales  was  so  large  that  all 
these  were  crowded,  and  many  found  lodging 
in  private  houses  or  camped  out.  Nowland 
says:  "This  sale  continued  one  week,  during 
which  time  there  was  not  the  least  disturbance 
of  any  kind.  Although  the  woods  were  filled 
with  moneyed  people,  there  was  no  robbery  or 
attempt  at  the  same,  nor  was  there  the  least 
appreliension  or  fear.  There  were  no  confidence 
men  to  pray  upon  the  credulity  of  the  peo])le ; 
although  strangers,  tliey  looked  upon  each 
other  as  their  neighbor  and  friend.  Their 
money  was  almost  entirely  gold  and  silver,  and 
was  left  in  their  leather  bags  where  best  they 
could  procure  a  shelter,  and  was  considered  as 
safe  as  it  now  would  be  in  the  vaults  of  our 
banks". 

r'unouslv    enoiigli.    all    of   our    loial    histor- 


ians but  Sulgrove  say  the  sale  began  on  Octo- 
ber 10,  and  he  says  it  was  October  'J.  In 
reality,  it  began  on  October  8 — "The 
second  Monday  in  October",  as  advertised,  but 
for  some  reason  only  one  lot  was  sold  on  that 
<lay.  Brown  says:  "The  first  day  was  cold 
and  raw  with  a  high  wind,  and  a  man  at  the 
sale  came  near  being  killed  by  a  falling  limb." 
Possibly  that  may  have  been  the  cause  of  it. 
but  at  any  rate  the  sale  was  adjourned  to  the 
next  day  after  the  selling  of  lot  3  in  square  TO, 
Just  back  of  Rowland's  house,  where  the  sale 
was  held.  It  went  to  Jesse  ilcKay  for  $152.' -"i, 
but  he  did  not  seem  to  a]i]>reciate  his  bargain, 
for  he  assigned  his  certilicate,  which  finally 
came  to  Nicholas  ^[ct'arty,  who  forfeited  the 
lot  and  applied  the  money  already  paid  to 
payment  on  other  lots.  After  this  one  trans- 
action the  sale  was  adjourned  to  the  following 
morning  when  it  was  resumed  in  earnest,  with 
Maj.  Thos.  Carter  as  auctioneer,  and  James  M. 
Ray  as  clerk.  The  bulk  of  the  selling  was 
from  the  9th  to  the  12th.  and  there  were  four- 
teen sales  on  Saturday,  the  l.'ith,  when  the  sale 
closed. 

The  highest  price  received  was  for  lot  12  in 
square  57 — the  northwest  corner  of  Delaware 
and  Washington  streets — which  brought  $5<i0. 
The  next  highest  was  lot  (J  in  square  52 — the 
nortliwest  corner  of  Senate  and  Wasliington, 
which  brought  $500.  The  third  was  the  north- 
east corner  of  Capitol  avenue  and  Washington, 
which  brought  $450.  These  high  prices  were 
due  both  to  the  location  and  the  lay  of  the 
lots.  The  last  two  fronted  the  State  House 
Square,  and  had  each  a  half-square  depth  on 
Washington  street,  which  would  naturally  be 
expected  to  become  the  actual  frontage,  as  it 
since  has.  The  one  to  the  west  was  considei-ed 
the  more  valuable  because  tlie  most  of  the 
settlement  was  at  that  time  west  of  Senate 
avenue.  The  first  fronted  Washington  street, 
but  had  its  depth  facing  the  Court  House 
Square,  which  was  the  conuuon  business  center 
in  county  seats :  and  it  was  purcha.-;ed  by  Gen- 
eral Carr,  the  state  agent,  who  ]u-nmptly  started 
business  in  that  direction  by  establishing  his 
office  on  the  north  end  of  the  lot. 

The  estimates  of  comparative  value  wrre  ra- 
tional eno\igh  at  the  time,  but  they  have  been 
u]iset  in  the  development  of  the  city.  General 
Carr"s  high-priced  lot  now  has  an  as.«essed 
ground  tax  value  of  $128,830,  but  lot  7  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIA>fAPOLIS. 


33 


same  block,  the  northeast  corner  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Washington  is  now  taxed  for  $330,- 
000  on  the  land,  and  it  brought  only  $300  at 
the  sale.  All  the  lots  fronting  on  Washington 
street  between  the  State  House  and  Court  House 
Squares  sold  at  from  $200  to  $300.  Lot  6  in 
square  66,  the  southeast  corner  of  Hlinois  and 
Washington,  brought  $325,  while  the  one  diag- 
onally opposite,  where  the  Claypool  Hotel 
stands,  sold  for  $243.7.5.  The  latter  is  now 
assessed  for  taxation  at  more  than  ten  times 
that  amount  per  front  foot  for  land  value. 
The  second  highest  in  the  sale — lot  6  in  square 
52 — is  now  assessed  on  the  land  for  onlv 
$61,630. 

In  all,  314  lots  were  sold,  at  a  total  price 
of  $3.5,596.25,  of  which  $7,119.25  was  paid  in 
cash.  But  of  the  total,  161  lots  were  after- 
wards forfeited,  or  relinquished  under  the  re- 
lief act  of  January  20,  1826,  which  permitted 
this,  with  the  application  of  the  payments  al- 
ready made  on  other  lots,  provided  that  these 
lots  to  which  such  payments  were  applied  should 
then  at  once  be  paid  for  in  full.  As  specula- 
tive investments  for  immediate  returns  the 
Indianapolis  lots  were  not  successes.  The  town 
grew  slowly  for  several  years,  business  was 
comparatively  small  in  extent,  and  sickness  was 
prevalent  long  enough  to  give  the  place  a  bad 
name:  besides  all  which  the  actual  transfer  of 
the  capital  did  not  take  place  until  1825.  Con- 
sequently few  lots  advanced  in  value,  and  many 
declined.  The  total  cash  receipts  from  sales 
up  to  1831  were  less  than  $35,000.  In  1831 
an  effort  was  made  to  close  out  all  of  the  dona- 
tion lands,  the  sale  of  outlots  being  authorized 
at  a  minimum  price  of  $10  per  acre,  and  the 
receipts  for  the  next  five  years  aggregated 
nearly  $40,000.  The  total  receipts,  up  to  and 
including  1S44,  when  the  agency  business  was 
wound  up  and  turned  over  to  the  auditor  of 
state,  were  less  than  $100,000.  There  were  a 
number  of  transactions  after  that  date,  mostly 
with  forfeitures  and  delinquencies,  the  last 
recorded  receipts  being  in  1871.  The  entire 
receipts  for  the  donation  lands  were  less  than 
$125,000.  But  the  money  that  was  received  came 
op[ioi-tunely.  and  served  to  construct  the  court 
house,  the  "executive  mansion"  in  the  Gover- 
nor's Circle,  the  clerk's  oflice,  which  stood  on 
the  west  side  of  the  Court  House  Square,  and 
the  house  and  office  of  the  treasurer  of  state, 
which  were  opposite  the  State  House  Square  on 
Vol.  1—3 


Washington  street,  and  finally  the  first  state 
house.  Part  of  it  was  also  applied  to  the  con- 
•struction  of  the  state  prison  at  Jetfersonville. 
General  Carr  had  been  appointed  at  a  salary  of 
$600,  but  it  was  reduced  the  next  year  to 
$300,  and  in  September,  1822,  he  resigned.  He 
was  followed  in  the  office  successively  by  James 
Milroy,  Bethuol  F.  Morris  (December  24, 
1822)",  Benjamin  I.  Blythe  (February  1,  1825), 
Ebenezer  Sharpe  (April  8,  1828),  John  G. 
Brown  (September,  1833),  Thomas  II.  Sharpe 
(January,    1835),   and  John   Cook    (1843). 

There  is  a  difference  in  the  two  plats  of 
1821  and  1831  in  the  "public  squares"  des- 
ignated. On  the  former  three  full  squares  are 
set  apart  for  "religious  purposes."  They  are 
the  ones  adjoining,  diagonally,  the  corner 
squares  at  the  northeast,  northwest  and  south- 
west corners  of  the  plat,  i.  e.,  square  12,  bounded 
by  Senate  avenue,  Missouri,  Michigan  and  Ver- 
mont streets;  square  19,  bounded  by  Alabama, 
N"ew  Jersey,  ^Michigan  and  Vermont  streets; 
and  square  90,  bounded  by  Senate  avenue,  Mis- 
souri, Georgia  and  Louisiana  streets.  Exactly 
what  was  contemplated  in  this  reservation  is 
not  known.  Possibly  it  was  meant  for  a  com- 
pliance with  the  indefinite  provision  of  the 
law  directing  the  survey  which  requires  the 
commissioners  to  designate  on  the  plat  each 
square  intended  "as  public  ground,  and  for 
what  intended,  whether  for  civil  or  religious 
purposes."  Wliatever  the  original  purpose,  they 
were  dropped  in  1831,  and  no  peculiarly  re- 
ligious character  has  attached  to  tlicni  since 
then. 

Their  disappearance  was  doulitlcss  acceler- 
ated by  a  petition  from  the  Baptists  of  Indian- 
apolis for  a  donation  of  part  of  one  of  them, 
commenting  on  the  church  record  of  which, 
Sulgrove  says:  "The  church  petitioned  the  leg- 
islature in  November,  1824,  for  a  lot  to  build 
a  house  of  worship  upon,  but  failed.  The 
order  says:  On  motion,  agreed  that  the  church 
petition  the  present  General  Assembly  for  a 
site  to  build  a  meeting-house  upon,  and  that  the 
southeast  half  of  the  shaded  block  90  be  se- 
lected, and  that  Brothers  J.  Hobarl,  H.  Brad- 
ley and  the  clerk  (J.  W.  Reding),  be  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  bear  the  jjctition  Sat- 
urday in  February.  What  is  meant  by  a  'sliaded 
block'  can  only  be  conjectured,  but  it  probably 
referred  to  a  grove  that  made  a  pleasant  shel- 


34 


HlS'l'oltV  Of  GlIEATEK  J  XDJAXAPOLIS. 


tcr/""  The  real  n'fcreiRi-  is  to  tlif  faft 
that  the  ■"rt'ligimis  jmrpost'""  lilofks  were 
shaded  on  Ralston's  phit,  and  they  were 
at  the  time  eoiiimonly  called  "the  shad- 
ed hk)eks."  The  petition  was  presented  by 
Senator  Milton  Stajjp,  on  January  17,  1825, 
and  a  bill  granting  the  petition  passed  the  Sen- 
ate, with  the  amendment :  "Provided  that  the 
ground  donated  under  this  act  shall  never  be 
converted  to  any  other  use  or  purpose  than  that 
of  erecting  Iniildings  for  religious  worship  and 
education ;  nor  shall  any  jKirtion  of  it  Ije  used 
or  appropriated  for  a  burying  ground  under 
and  pretext  whatever.'"'"  The  house  committee 
to  which  it  was  referred  reported  it  with  "sun- 
dry amendments,*'  not  set  out,  and  on  January 
"1,  the  following  amendment  was  offered,  and 
defeated:  "Provided,  nevertheless,  that  noth- 
ing herein  c(Uitained  shall  be  construed  to  ])re- 
vent  any  regular  preacher  of  the  gospel,  in  good 
standing  in  his  own  society,  from  preaching  in 
such  houses,  when  the  society'  to  which  they 
belong  are  not  using  them  for  that  purpose. "'' 
The  legislators  now  began  to  realize  that  they 
were  confronting  a  large  problem,  and  on  the 
next  day  the  ])iil  was  indefinitely  postponed. 
Thus  ended  the  nearest  approach  to  a  connec- 
tion of  church  and  state  ever  known,  in  Indiana. 
On  the  plat  of  1831  there  were  two  public 
squares  that  did  not  appear  on  the  plat  of  1821, 
and  which  were  reserved  by  the  act  of  Janu- 
ary 26,  182T.  The.se  wvvv  the  University 
Square,  No.  2.5 — now  commonly  known  as  Uni- 
versity Park — and  Hospital  Square,  Xo.  22, 
bounded  by  Alabanui.  New  Jersey,  Vermont  and 
Xew  York  streets.  The  latter  was  set  apart 
for  a  state  hospital  and  insane  asylum,  and  a 
row  of  log  cabins  located  there  was  used  for 
that  purpose  until  the  building  of  the  central 
part  of  the  present  Insane  Hospital  in  1846-7. 
After  th(!  removal  of  the  insane  the  cabins 
were  rented  for  a  few  months  to  some  German 
families,  and  on  July  12,  1849,  the  whole  prop- 
erty was  sold  in  lots  by  the  state.'-  On  both  the 
plats  of  1821  and  1831  are  two  half-.squares 
reserved  for  markets,  one  at  the  present  market 
.«ite.  and  one  on  the  north  side  of  Market  street, 
between  ^lissouri   and  West  streets — the  south 


half  of  S(juarc  50.  This  was  held  by  the  city 
until  the  era  of  internal  improvement  arriveil, 
when  the  state  wanted  it  for  "watcr-])ower"  in 
connection  with  the  canal,  and  proposed  by  act 
of  l-"el)ruary,  1837,  to  exchange  for  it  the  north 
half  of  Square  48,  i.  e.,  the  north  quarter  of  the 
present  state  capitol  grounds.  To  this  the  city 
assented  and  made  a  deed  for  the  land  on  Jan- 
uary 24,  1838.  •■  The  new  site  was  u.sed 
for  a-  market  until  1872,  commonly  known 
as  "the  West  Market'",  when  the  ground  was 
wanted  for  the  new  capitol,  and  on  Xoveniber 
25.  1872,  the  City  Council  adopted  a  resolu- 
tion relinquishing  all  claim  to  Square  48  to 
the  state,  and  consenting  to  the  vacation  of 
Market  and  Wabash  streets,  between  Tennes- 
see and  ilississippi  streets.'*  After  extended 
consideration  the  attorney-general  decided  that 
this  w^as  not  a  sutHcient  transfer,  and  on  August 
6.  18' 7,  the  state  house  commissioners  asked  the 
city  government  for  deeds  to  the  property, 
which  request  was  promptly  complied  with.''^ 
It  is  the  uniform  tradition,  with  all  known 
facts  tending  to  support  it,  that  Indianapolis 
owes  its  distinctive  plan,  its  radiating  avenues 
and  broad  streets,  to  Alexander  Ralston,  and 
there  has  always  been  a  sentiment  that  he  should 
be  publicly  cDUimemorated.  In  1827,  shortly 
after  his  death  Samuel  Jlerrill  called  attention 
to  the  fact  that  Kalston  had  advocated  the 
early  establishment  of  a  city  park,  and  urged 
the  citizens  to  follow  his  advice.  There  was 
no  general  interot  taken  in  this  at  the  time,  but 
in  1879,  Rev.  J.  C.  Fletcher  recalled  the  fact 
and  proposed  that  University  Square  be  called 
Ralston  Park."'  but  no  action  was  taken. 
In  1890  a  movement  was  started  for  a 
sul)scription  fund  for  a  monument  to 
Ralston,  and  $325  was  collected,  which 
was  deposited  in  Fletcher's  bank,  and  still  re- 
mains there  in  trust.  In  1907,  E.  B.  ilartin- 
dale  and  E.  F.  Claypool.  two  of  the  contributors 
and  representing  all.  offered  to  turn  this  over 
to  the  Park  Board  if  the  city  would  add  $675 
to  it  and  erect  a  statue.  They  had  a  model  for 
a  statue  prepared  by  Rudolph  Schwartz,  who 
agreed  to  execute  the  work  for  $1,000.  The 
model  met  general  criticism  on  account  of  the 


"//I'.S/.    IlKlitllKI/KlUs.    p.    .390. 

^"Senafr  Journal.  ]>.  73. 
^^Ifoiixp  JoiiniaJ.  p.  140. 
'=.A>;rs.  Julv  25.  1908. 


*^See  Record  Board  nf  Int.  Imps.,  pp.  65.  95. 
'*Counril  Frocrrdini/.i,  ]>.  746. 
'■•Cnuitril  Prorceiliiif/s.  pp.  311.  554. 
'"Netvs,  August  2,  1879. 


iiis-i'()i;v  ()|-  (;i;i-;a'I'Ki:  i xiuanai'oi.is.  35 

ilrc.-s,  anil  till'  I'ai'k  Roiird  (leolincd  i(j  MccL'pt  on  (i  recti  lawn     Ci'iiielerv,    and     ivr^ted     there     for 

the  gnjuntl  that  Ilie  faee  did  not  jxirporl  to  be  nearly     half    a    century.      On    Seiiternlier    "^l. 

a  likeness  of  KaUton,  but  sugirested  future  ac-  ]8'4.     Calvin     Darnell     made     a     motion     in 

tion  in  the  line  of  a  memorial  fountain,  with  the   City   Couneil    for   a   committee    to    remove 

a    tablet    of    bronze    acknowledging    Kalstou's  the  remains   of   Alexander   Kalston    to    Crown 

service.''      Jialston"s    renuiins    were    liuried    in  Hill.     It  carried,  and  Messrs.  Darnell,  Gimber 

and  Ballman  were  named  as  the  committee.    On 

September   30,    the    remains    were   escorted    to 

".Vcic.s.  June   H.  1!I(I7  ;  Slur,  November  2'i,  Crown  Hill  bv  half  a  dozen  old  citizens,  and 

23,  24,  IDOT:  X'-irs.  November  22,  2(i,  30,  De-  buried  in  the' "Teacher's  Lot"  by  the  side  of 

ceinber   i:!.  lim:.  John  B.  Dillon. 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE  FIRST  SETTLEES. 


Although  Tipton  mentions  no  settler  near  the 
mouth  of  Fall  Creek,  when  the  commissioners 
came  to  make  the  location,  except  John  McCor- 
mick,  there  were  some  fifteen  families  here, 
including  those  of  James  McCormick  (John's 
brother);  George  Pogue;  John  Maxwell  and 
John  Cowan,  who  came  early  in  March,  1820, 
and  located  near  the  present  city  hospital ; 
Isaac  \Yilson  who  came  on  April  6  and  located 
on  what  is  now  the  State  House  Square,  build- 
ing the  first  house  on  the  town  plat;  Henry 
and  Samuel  Davis,  chair-makers,  who  located  in 
the  Fall  Creek  bottom  near  where  Walnut  street 
crosses;  the  widow  Harding  and  her  married 
son,  Robert  Harding,  both  of  whom  located 
near  John  McCormick's;  Robert  Barnhill  and 
his  son-in-law,  Jeremiah  Corbaley,  who  came  on 
March  6,  and  located  on  Fall  Creek,  above  In- 
diana avenue;  and  probably  two  or  three  others 
whose  names  are  not  preserved.  Richard  Cor- 
baley, born  August  7,  1820,  was  the  first  white 
child  born  in  the  county;  and  Mordecai  Hard- 
ing, second  son  of  Robert,  was  the  first  child 
born  on  the  donation.  James  ilorrow,  son  of 
Samuel  Morrow,  was  the  first  child  born  oi^ 
the  original  town  site.' 

For  many  years  there  has  been  a  controversy 
as  to  whether  the  first  of  these  settlers  was 
John  McCormick  or  George  Pogue — or  rather 
a  difference  of  opinion,  for,  curiously  enough, 
it  never  took  the  form  of  a  direct  controversy, 
as  such  things  usually  do.  The  most  notable 
champion  of  Pogue  was  Ignatius  Brown,  while 
McCormick's  most  stalwart  defender  was  John 
H.  B.  Nowland,  and  these  two  were  the  most 
careful  of  the  early  historians,  though  both 
trusted  too  much  to  unverified  tradition.  Mr. 
Brown  declared  Pogue's  priority  in  his  origi- 


nal history  of  the  city,  published  in  the  city 
directory  of  1857,  and  reiterated  it  in  his  re- 
vised history,  published  in  the  city  directory  of 
1S68.  On  February  25,  1870,  in  the  Sentinel. 
Mr.  Nowland  proposed  a  celebration  of  the  semi- 
centennial of  the  coming  of  John  McCormick, 
whom  he  asserted  to  be  the  first  settler.  In 
his  "Early  Reminiscences,"  published  in  the 
same  year,  he  renews  his  statement  that  John 
iEcCormick  was  the  first  settler.  In  his  "Prom- 
inent Citizens/'  published  in  1884,  he  refers  to 
liis  statement  of  1870,  and  says:  "This  fact  had 
been  patent  up  to  that  time,  and  had  never  been 
denied,  biit  I  was  surprised  that  some  person 
had  informed  one  of  the  city  editors  that  I 
was  in  error,  and  that  George  Pogue  was  the 
first  settler,  and  had  come  here  in  March, 
1819."  = 

On  August  17,  1898,  after  it  had  been  pro- 
posed to  demolish  the  old  National  Road  bridge, 
a  sort  of  old  settlers'  indignation  meeting  was 
held  on  the  bridge,  and  here,  for  the  first  time, 
the  McCormicks  got  their  story  before  the 
public  in  such  a  way  that  its  essential  features 
went  into  print.  On  September  9,  1899,  ^Ir. 
Brown  printed  in  the  News  a  review  of  the 
wliole  matter,  in  w-hich  he  said  that  for  "more 
than  fifty  years"  after  Pogue's  arrival  "the 
tradition  in  his  favor  was  universal  and  un- 
questioned, not  only  by  those  who  had  come 
liere  shortly  after  him,  but  all  their  descend- 
ants ;  and  all  the  later  comers  had  heard  and 
believed  the  story."  To  this  he  made  but  one 
exception,  which  he  had  himself  discovered, 
that  in  1822,  Dr.  S.  G.  Mitchell,  the  first  physi- 
cian at  Indianapolis,  had  published  an  article 
in  the  Gazette — the  one  Indianapolis  paper  at 
that  time — in  which  he  denied  the  Pojnie  storv. 


'News,  March  22,  1879. 


-'p.  14. 


36 


lllSrOKY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAi'UJ.l.S. 


aud  stated  tliat  John  MeCormick  was  the  first 
settler.  He  found  the  copj'  of  this  number  of 
the  Gazette  in  the  possession  of  Calvin  Fletcher, 
but  it  has  now  disappeared,  ilr.  Fletcher's 
bound  files  of  newspapers  were  presented  to  the 
City  Library,  but  the  Gazette  goes  back  only  to 
June  1,  1824,  though  an  earlier  volume  of  this 
paper  was  evidently  in  existence.-'  However, 
^[r.  Brown's  statement  as  to  this,  or  any  other 
matter  of  fact  in  his  knowledge,  is  entirely 
reliable. 

In  the  light  of  all  the  evidence,  the  statements 
<if  both  Nowland  and  Brown  are  too  sweeping, 
and  the  case  is  one  of  the  co-existence  of  two 
conflicting  traditions,  the  holders  of  which  for 
many  j-ears  either  ignored,  or  were  not  aware 
of,  the  opposing  claims.  And  after  these  claims 
were  made  jiublie  none  of  the  historians  re- 
corded a  simple  statement  of  the  story  of  either 
the  I'ogue  family  or  the  ^IcCormick  family, 
as  they  are  preserved  today :  nor  have  I  found 
any  newspaper  record  of  their  full  stories.  Tho 
Pogiio  story  is  that  George  Pogue  and  his 
family,  excepting  his  three  older  children, 
started  from  Connersville  in  February,  1819, 
and  arrived  hero  on  starch  2.  The  party  con- 
sisted of  Poo\ie  and  his  wife  :*  Joseph — an 
adjilt  son ;  John — then  aged  1 ',  :  lieiinett — 
aged  l.j :  and  two  yoxinger  cliildiiii.  James 
and  Stincy.  They  came  in  wagons,  and  cut 
their  own  road  through  the  woods,  following 
the  general  line  of  the  Brookville  road.  Pogue 
had  intended  going  farther,  but  found  White 
River  too  high  to  cross,  and  turned  back  and 
located  on  the  high  ground  east  of  Pogue's  Run, 
near  where  Michigan  street  crosses  it.  The 
exact  location  was  on  the  premises  now  known 
as  420  Highland  avenue,  and  there  was  a  fine 
spring  some  three  rods  west  of  the  cabin,  which 
long  since  disappeared.  The  McCormicks  did 
not  come  till  February,  1820,  and  stopped  at 
the  Pogue  cabin  while  building  their  own.  The 
year  after  the  Pogues  came,  two  of  the  boys 
went  back  to  Connersville  and  helped  move  out 
Hains  Tyner,  one  of  the  old  residents  of  War- 
ren Township.     The  clearest  living  witness  to 


''■Jouninl,  .Tune  7,  IS.").'). 

*  Her  name  is  given  Cassa  Ann  in  the  land 
roiords  and  the  census  returns  of  1S;!().  Miss 
Xaney  Pogne  savs  that  her  niai<len  name  was 
Pavne. 


this  story  is  Miss  Nancy  Pogue,  daughter  of 
Bennett  Pogue,  now  65  years  of  age,  who  lives 
with  her  brother,  James  Pogue,  northeast  of 
Brightwood.  She  says  that  her  grandmother 
lived  until  she  was  sixteen  j-ears  of  age;  that 
she  was  with  her  much  of  the  time;  and  that 
she  has  often  heard  her  tell  the  story  as  above. 
The  same  tradition  is  given  by  Thomas  Pogue, 
of  Sullivan  County,  and  other  members  of  the 
Pogne  family." 

The  MeCormick  story  is  that  John  MeCor- 
mick started  from  Connersville  for  the  mouth 
of  Fall  Creek,  with  his  family,  in  February, 
1820.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  family,  his 
two  brothers — James  and  Samuel — and  nine 
employes  who  served  as  teamsters  and  axmen. 
They  followed  Whetzell's  trace  to  a  point  near 
Rushville,  and  cut  their  own  road  from  that 
point.  When  they  reached  Buck  Creek,  some 
twelve  miles  east  of  White  River,  they  were  de^ 
layed  for  several  days  by  a  heavy  snow.  They 
started  on  again  on  the  morning  of  February 
25,  and  arrived  at  White  River  on  the  26th  at 
10  o'clock  in  the  morning.  The  twelve  men  at 
once  set  to  work  on  a  cabin,  and  had  it  up 
and  covered  by  night,  so  that  John  McCormick's 
family  occupied  it.  Pogue  and  his  family  ar- 
rived in  March,  and  did  not  build  a  cabin,  but 
moved  into  one  that  had  been  built  and  aban- 
doned in  1819  by  Ute  Perkins,  of  Rush  County, 
on  Pogue's  Run,  which  was  known  as  Perkin's 
Creek  until  the  time  of  Pogue's  disa])])earance 
in  1821,  when  it  began  to  be  called  Pogue's 
Run.  The  oldest  living  witness  to  this  is  Amos 
MeCormick,  a  son  of  Samuel,  who  was  brought 
here  a  baby,  one  year  old,  in  the  fall  of  1820. 
He  lived  at  Indianapolis  until  he  was  si.xteen 
years  old  and  now  lives  on  his  farm  near  Car- 
te rsburg.  The  accompanying  cut  shows  him 
seated  at  the  table  at  which  the  commissioners 
ate,  when  they  were  selecting  the  site  for  the 
capital  in  1820.  It  is  a  solid  cherry  table,  and 
originally  had  balls  at  the  ends  of  the  legs; 
but  it  has  been  slid  over  rough  floors  until 
these  are  all  worn  away  except  a  small  disc  on 
one  leg.  The  same  story  is  told  by  descendants 
of  all  three  of  the  JlcCormick  brothers.  They 
have  been  holding  annual  family  reunions  since 
1901,  on  August  23,  which  is  the  birthday  of 


'■'  See  also  N'eir.'<.  JainiMry  ■.';  .iml  Aiigusi   IS, 
1  !)()()■,  Star,  Se])teinber  1.').   l!Hi:. 


38 


mSTOltV  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


Amos  >rc('oriiiiik.  and  tlicso  liavo  liecn  duly 
noticed    in    the   citv    |)ii])ei's.'' 

After  gcttinj;  John  McCorniifk  settled  James 
and  Samuel  returned  to  (^'oniiersvilie,  James 
came  back  with  his  family  on  March  T,  and 
Samuel  with  his  family  on  October  4.  They 
located  northwest  of  Military  Park,  Samuel's 
cabin  standinfi  about  wliere  the  ilaus  brewery  is 
located.  In  liS"^:>  they  moved  farther  north, 
.fohn  built  a  sawmill  on  the  ea.st  side  of  White 
River  at  the  upper  end  of  Riverside  Park,  op- 
posite "Sycamore  Island",  where  the  remains 
of  the  dam  are  to  be  seen  at  low  water  to  this 
day.  Samuel  located  just  below  Emmerichs- 
ville,  on  what  was  later  known  as  the  Garner 
farm,  and  in  188~  erected  the  brick  lunise  which 
still  stands  Just  west  of  the  Riverside  dam.  The 
brick  for  it  were  made  on  the  place,  and  it  is 
now  the  oldest  brick  building  standing  iu  In- 
dianapolis. At  this  point  he  operated  a  ferry 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  his  account  book, 
in  which  he  entered  the  names  of  all  who  crossed 
and  the  toll  paid,  is  still  preserved  by  his  grand- 
son, Louis  ilcCormick,  of  Cartersburg. 

In  tliis  ])eculiar  conflict  of  the  two  families 
for  precedence  there  have  been  occasional 
charges  of  misrepresentation  and  bad  faith,  but 
none  of  the  members  of  either  family  that  I 
have  met  have  shown  any  inclination  to  mis- 
represent the  facts  as  they  understand  them, 
and  all  declare  that  the  statements  above  given 
are  as  told  to  them  by  their  parents  and  grand- 
)iarents.  Of  necessity  one  of  the  traditions  has 
become  distorted — possibly  both  to  some  e.xtent 
— and  as  a  preliminary  to  their  consideration  it 
will  be  well  to  take  a  glance  at  the  condition 
of  the  region  at  the  time.  It  was  well  known 
to  the  Indians,  and  fairly  well  known  to  the 
whites,  (^onner  had  been  at  his  trading-post 
sinci'  18()'2.  and  a  number  of  white  men  had 
])assed  through  the  region  at  intervals.  Tipton 
and  Bartholomew  identified  several  ])laces 
where  they  had  stopped  on  an  ex])edition 
against  the  Indians  in  1813.  Among  other 
white  visitors  are  recorded  Dr.  Douglass,  who 
came  up  the  river  as  far  as  the  Blutfs  in  the 
fall  of  1818;  Isaac  JlcCoy,  the  missionary,  who 
went  ut)  the  river  and  visited  Thief  .Vnderson 


in  1818,  and  again  in  hSllt;  and  James  Pa.\ton, 
who  came  down  the  river  from  the  head-waters 
in  the  winter  of  1819-21).  To  the  whites  the 
place  was  known  as  "the  mouth  of  Fall  Creek", 
which  was  virtually  the  Indian  name,  for  they 
designated  it  simply  by  the  name  of  the  creek. 
Chamberlain  gives  the  Delaware  name  of  the 
creek  as  "Soo-sooc-pa-hal-loc",  and  says  it  means 
"S])ilt  Water."  This  is  fanciful.  "Sook-pe- 
liel-luk",  or  "Sokpehellak"  is  the  Delaware 
word  for  a  waterfall,  and  the  name  refers  to 
the  falls  at  Pendleton.  The  Miami  name  is 
Chank-tun-oon-gi,  or  "Makes  a  Noise  Place", 
which  also  refers  to  the  falls;  but  they  also 
applied  this  name  to  the  site  of  Indianapolis, 
and  to  the  town  itself  in  its  earlier  years. 

There  was  no  Indian  village  at  this  point. 
The  nearest  one.  some  twelve  miles  north,  was 
what  Tipton  calls  "the  Lower  Delaware  Town", 
but  it  was  not  inuih  of  a  town.  On  the  east 
side  of  the  river,  a  Delaware  known  as  "The 
Owl"  had  a  clearing  of  about  \'i  acres,  whicli  hi' 
cultivated  ill  a  way,  and  he  also  raised  souie 
pigs  and  chickens.  On  the  west  side  was  a 
l-'rench  half-breed  doctor,  named  Brouett 
(  yBrouillette)— often  called  Pruitt — who  had 
a  white  wife  that  had  been  captured  and  brought 
up  by  the  Indians.'  He  practiced  medicine 
after  the  Indian  fashion,  and  had  considerable 
l)atronage.  Both  of  these  were  just  north  of 
the  Hamilton  County  line,  and  they  constituted 
the  "town".  Just  south  of  the  line,  on  an  ele- 
vation on  the  east  side,  were  ti'aces  of  Indian 
occupancy,  and  the  old  settlers  called  that  i)oint 
"the  old  Indian  town".  The  place  was  com- 
mon! v  called  "Brouettstown".  and  was  some- 
what noti'd  for  the  wild  ])lnni  thicket  there.'' 
The  Delaware's  had  a  sugar  camp  within  the 
present  confiiu's  of  the  city  where  they  com- 
nionlv  made  sugar  in  the  spring,  and  sometimes 
eamjK'd  when  hunting.  It  was  not  far  from 
the  end  of  Virginia  avenue,  on  what  was  know  n 
a>  the  Sander's  place,  later  the  Birkenniayer 
|jlace,  and  still  later  the  Weghorst  ])lace.'' 

The  whole  county  at  that  time  was  covered 
with  a  dense  forest,  with  more  or  less  under- 
growth, and  the  few  ojien  spaces  were  .still  more 


"See  also  Strir.  August  2(i,  li)0-i  and  Deeeni- 
her  31.  1!)0.-):  Sun.  ?ilay  M.  li)()(i;  Xms.  Jan- 
uarv  27.  IDoc.  Aui;ust  is.  1 !)()(;,  August  li). 
]S9!1. 


"Broirii's  llisl.,  p.  1. 

"Xnirlniid's  Eurlij  Urntiiilsccnces,  ji.  loT. 

•'  The  northeast  quarter  of  section  13  :  i.  e., 
east  of  East  street  and  south  of  Morris  street. 
See  Xoirland's  Bcininixrrnrrx.  pp.  Tt'l.  4(11.  40.5. 


iii.sToKY  UK  (;i;i;atku  i.xdiaxai'uljs. 


;?!) 


(leiiisely  oovt-rod  with  undercrowtli.  It  was  im- 
[Mifsible  t(i  taki'  a  waf;on  aiiywluTO  without 
euttiiifT  a  road,  but  there  were  several  Indiau 
trails  that  eould  he  followed  on  horseback. 
The  i)rinei]ial  trail  from  Coiiuer's  to  the  Bluffs 
crossed  to  the  east  side  of  the  river  at  Brouetts- 
town,  and  from  Indianapolis  down  the  river 
followed  quite  closely  the  line  of  the  Blutf 
road. 

In  the  summer  of  liSlS  Jncoij  Wlu-tzell  visited 
Chief  Anilerson.  and  obtained  |)ermission  to 
out  a  road  from  Connersville  to  the  Bhitfs  on 
White  Hiver.  He  was  the  eelel)rated  Indian 
fighter— brother  of  Lewis  Whetzell.  the  still 
more  celebrated  Indian  fi^diter.  Tlieir  father, 
John  Whetzell,  a  "Pennsylvania  Dutchman", 
settled  near  Wheeling.  West  Virginia,  in  KliSl, 
and  in  KTi  liis  house  was  attacked  by  Indians. 
John  Whetzell  was  killed,  and  his  two  sons, 
Lewis,  aged  Hi,  and  Jacob,  aged  11,  were  taken 
captive.  Young  as  they  were,  the  boys  made 
their  eseajK'  on  the  fir.st  night  out,  evaded  pur- 
suit, and  returned  to  the  settlements,  where  they 
vowed  eternal  vengeance  against  the  red  man : 
and  most  fearfully  they  ke()t  their  vnw.  But 
the  Delawares  had  long  been  friendly,  and 
Whetzell  who  had  been  living  on  the  White- 
water since  l.sil,  desired  to  ))ush  farther  into 
the  wilds — in  fact  it  is  said  that  he  urged  the 
commissioners  to  locate  the  capital  at  the  mouth 
of  Fall  Creek,  rather  than  at  the  Bluffs,  as  he 
did  not  desire  to  he  crowded  by  a  town.  Hav- 
ing obtained  Chief  Anderson's  consent,  he  be 
gan  cutting  iiis  trace  in  July,  ISIS,  aideil  by 
his  son  Cyrus  and  four  men.  Its  general 
course  was  slightly  south  of  west.  ])assing  aliout 
si.\  miles  south  of  l{ushvillc,  and  about  four 
miles  north  of  Shelhyvillc.  In  Man-h.  ISli),  the 
Wliotzells  moved  to  the  Bluffs  over  this  trail,' 
and  located  aiiout  a  quarter  of  a  mile  below 
Waverlv,  arriving  llicrr  nn  March  !!•.  This 
trace  was  mucli  used  by  early  immigrauls.'" 
\t  practically  the  -auv  time  the  fii'st 
wagon  road  was  o]iened  to  the  Delaware  towns. 
It  ran  west  of  north  from  Connersville  to 
Bucktown.  a  few  miles  above  Anderson,  where 
it  crossed  the  river  and  went  down  it  to  .\nder- 
son,  Strawtown  and  Conner's.  .\  number  of 
settlers  went  in  over  that  road  in  March  and 
Ajiril,   1S1!I.   including  George  Shirts.  Charles 


Lacey,  George  Bush,  Solomon  Finch  (uncle  of 
Judge  Fal>ius  .M.  Finch)  and  Israel  Finch." 
These  located  northeast  of  Conner's  Prairie,  and 
the  settlers  there  rai.sed  an  abundant  corn  crop 
in  1820,  which  was  a  godsend  to  the  people  at 
Indianapolis  and  the  scattered  settlers  else- 
where. In  fact,  Conner's  Prairie  was  a  granary 
for  the  whole  region  for  several  years.  In 
IS'^'i  Benjamin  Thornburgh  of  Morgan  County, 
bought  a  boat  load  of  corn  there  and  floated  it 
down  White  River  to  a  ])oint  near  Mooresville.'" 
In  IS'M  and  1S25  c-orn  was  brought  from  Con- 
ner's to  Johnson  County  when  squirrels  and 
raccoons  had  destroyed  the  crops  there.''' 

If  Pogue  came  to  Indianajwlis  on  March  2, 
1819,  he  started  from  Connersville  only  a  few 
days  before  the  Whetzells  started  to  the  Bluffs, 
and  the  other  families  to  C'onner's  Prairie,  from 
the  same  point :  and  in  that  case  they  would 
certainly  have  known  of  it.  But  the  Finches 
and  their  associates  claimed  to  be  tlu'  first 
fanulies  that  located  in  the  New  Purchase  ex- 
cept the  Whetzells.'*  and  it  seems  improbable 
that  they  would  have  gone  by  their  cir- 
cuitous route,  which  took  them  two 
weeks,  if  Pogue  had  o])ened  an  almost  direct 
road  to  the  mouth  of  Fall  Creek.  The  Whetzells 
were  in  e(|ual  ignorance,  for  on  March  Id,  1870, 
Cyrus  Whetzell  wrote  to  Xowland:  "T'lie  sub- 
ject to  which  you  call  my  attention  I  thought 
was  settled  many  years  since,  i.  e.,  that  John 
McCormick  built  the  first  house  in  Indianapolis 
in  February,  1820,  and  that  George  Pogue  set- 
tled on  the  bank  of  the  creek  that  takes  its 
luune  from  liim  the  following  ^larcb.  1  am  con- 
fident that  there  was  not  a  whiti'  man  living 
in  Marion  County  in  1S19.  My  father  and 
self  settled  where  I  now  live  in  the  spring  of 
181S),  when  I  was  in  my  nineteenth  year,  and 
at  an  age  calculated  to  retain  any  impression 
niailc  iin   my  iiiiiul."  '' 

-Vt  first  blush  this  would  seem  to  bear  as 
strongly  against  the  Perkins  story  as  against 
the  Pogue  story,  but  it  does  not.  .V  solitary 
man  might  have  come  into  this  region,  and  have 


'"Judge    I ».    I),    r.aiita.   ill   llisl.  ./iilnisiiii   Co. 

tip.  •.'!i:i-(;. 


"Sliirt.s'  Hist,  (if  Ildiiiillijii   ('('..  p.  !>. 

'-Hist.  Morgan  Co..  pp.  101-'.'. 

"'Johnson   Co..  pp.  331-2,  3  11. 

'*Sul!/rorc's  I ndiannpolis  jip.  -.'1.  "-Ml  I);  1  ii- 
diamipolis  papers,  Mai-cli  I'.'.  llHio  -death  n|' 
Judge  Finch. 

^^Nowldnil's  I'rdnniiriit   ('ili;rns.  p.   II. 


40 


HISTOKV  OF  GREATEll  IXDIAXAI'OLIS. 


built  a  cabin  in  llie  dense  forest,  more  thau  a 
mile  from  any  known  trail,  without  even  the 
Indians  knowing  it.  But  it  is  not  possible  that 
the  Pognes  could  have  cut  a  wagon  road  branch- 
ing off  from  Whetzell's  trace,  without  the 
knowledge  of  the  Whetzells,  when  they  moved 
in  over  the  trace  two  weeks  later.  The  Ute 
Perkins  story  has  very  strong  contirmation  out- 
side of  the  McCormick  family.  His  grand- 
daughter, ]ilrs.  Laura  A'ewman,  and  his  great- 
grandson,  Mr.  Orville  Bartlett,  both  of  Eush- 
ville,  inform  me  that  it  has  always  been  the 
Perkins  family  tradition  that  Ute  Perkins 
came  to  the  site  of  Indianapolis  in  1819  and 
built  a  cabin,  but  became  dissatisfied  and  re- 
turned to  Rushville.  Ellsbury  Perkins,  a  well- 
known  old-time  printer  of  Indianapolis,  and  a 
grand-nephew  of  Ute  Perkins,  says  he  has  al- 
ways heard  the  story  in  the  several  branches  of 
the  Perkins  family.  Hon.  John  F.  Moses,  the 
historian  of  Kush  County,  furnishes  me  the 
following  statement  from  Jefferson  Carr,  75 
years  of  age,  a  native  of  Rushville.  and  a  son 
of  one  of  the  first  settlers  there :  "He  knew  the 
Ute  Perkins  in  question  well,  is  familiar  with 
the  tradition  of  his  having  built  a  cabin  on  the 
site  of  Indianapolis,  and  says  that  in  early 
days  it  was  a  matter  of  common  report  locally, 
and  generally  accepted  as  true.  After  quitting 
his  cabin,  Ute  Perkins  came  back  here  and 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  this  neighbor- 
hood. His  home  was  a  cabin  on  the  Brookville 
road,  about  one  mile  southeast  of  Rushville. 
He  supported  himself  and  family  by  making 
hickory  baskets.  Ho  was  a  large  man,  five  feet 
ten  inches  or  more  in  height,  and  quite  corpu- 
lent. He  had  keen,  black  eyes  and  even  when 
well  advanced  in  years  his  jet  black  hair  was 
almost  unmixed  with  gray.  He  possessed  pe- 
culiarities which  made  him  a  well-known  char- 
acter in  his  lifetime.""  Perkins  was  a  native  of 
Xorth  Carolina.  His  descendants  do  not  know 
why  he  was  called  "Ute",  but  say  that  was  his 
proper  name.  He  died  at  Rushville  in  ^larch, 
1S.")S,  aged  75  years. 

Of  equal,  if  not  higher  rank  as  evidence 
than  these  traditions  is  the  recorded  statement 
of  Dr.  S.  G.  Mitchell,  which  is  presented  by 
Brown  as  follows:  "Pogue's  claim  as  the  first 
settler  has  been  contested,  and  in  a  published 
article  by  Dr.  S.  d.  ;Mitchell,  in  the  Indian- 
apolis Gazette,  in  the  summer  of  1822,  it  is 
stated  that  the  ^rcCormicks  were  the  first  emi- 


grants in  February,  18:20,  and  that  Pogue  ar- 
rived with  others  in  March,  1820,  a  month  later. 
It  is  singular  that  this  statement,  if  ill  founded, 
should  not  have  been  contradicted  publicly  in 
the  paper  at  the  time,  but  the  weight  of  tra- 
dition is  against  it  and  concurs  in  fixing 
Pogue's  arrival  in  1819.'"'  This  is  all  that  is 
now  known  concerning  Dr.  Mitchell's  article, 
for  the  paper  containing  it  has  disappeared, 
but  so  far  as  it  goes  Mr.  Brown's  statement  may 
be  accepted  without  question.  It  is  much  to  be 
regretted  that  the  article  itself  is  not  pre- 
served, for  it  would  probably  give  some  clue  as 
to  why  it  was  published.  And  why  was  it  pub- 
lished? If  the  Pogue  tradition  were  correct  it 
is  not  only  singular  that  this  article  was  not 
denied,  but  it  is  at  least  equally  singular  that 
it  should  be  published  at  all.  Dr.  Mitchell 
had  no  conceivable  personal  interest  in  the 
matter,  and  was  an  intelligent  and  reliable 
■  man.  He  got  his  information  on  the  subject 
from  others.  The  Pogues,  McCormicks  and 
others  familiar  with  the  facts  were  here  at  the 
time.  No  possible  explanation  can  be  given 
for  such  a  publication  if  it  were  not  true. 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  if  the  McCormick 
story  be  true  the  cause  of  the  publication  is 
i[uite  obvious.  Pogue  had  disappeared  in  the 
spring  of  1821.  The  little  stream,  formerly 
kno\\Ti  as  Perkins  Creek,  was  beginning  to  be 
known  as  Pogue's  Run.  It  would  be  natural  for 
newcomers  to  inquire  the  reason  of  the  name, 
and  for  the  information  to  be  given  that  it  was 
named  for  the  first  settler  on  that  stream.  Like- 
wise, if  a  newcomer  should  inquire  whose  was 
the  first  cabin  built  here,  the  answer  would  be 
■"Pogue's";  because  both  traditions  agree  on 
that  point.  From  these  conditions  the  impres- 
sion would  naturally  develop  among  the  later 
arrivals  that  Pogue  was  the  first  settler  and  Dr. 
Mitchell,  meeting  this  growing  error  in  his  pro- 
fessional rounds,  was  moved  to  correct  it,  in 
the  village  newspaper,  and  settle  it  permanently. 
It  is  hardly  possible  that  such  a  publication 
would  be  made  at  that  early  day  unless  there 
was  some  difference  of  opinion  to  call  for  it. 
.\.fter  it  had  been  made,  those  who  had  taken  up 
the  Pogue  theory,  and  might  he  disposed  to 
question  the  article,  found  on  investigation  no 
basis  for  questioning  it  among  the  then  living 
witnesses.  On  this  basis  the  incident  is  nat- 
ural enoujrh.  but  on  the  thoorv  that  the  Posiie 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


41 


irailitiou  is  correct  it  is  wholly  incoinprehen- 
>ible  from  begiuuing  to  end. 

One  other  item  that  might  be  classed  as 
primary  evidence  is  Mr.  Brown's  quotation  of 
Gen.  John  Colmrn  as  saying  that  "iiis  father- 
in-law,  Judge  Charles  H.  Test,  was  a  chairman 
in  the  surveying  jjarty  under  Judge  Laughliu ; 
that  the  party  camped  for  a  long  time  in  1819 
on  the  river  l)ank  where  Kingan's  packing-house 
now  stands" ;  and  that  Judge  Test  spoke  fre- 
quently of  repeated  visits  to  Pogue's  cabin  while 
there.  This  is  clearly  erroneous,  for  Laughlin 
did  not  do  any  surveying  here  in  1819.  The 
township  lines  were  run  in  1819,  those  for 
Township  15  being  completed  on  August  10, 
but  that  would  not  have  called  for  any  lengthy 
stay,  and,  as  shown  by  the  field  notes  on  file 
in  the  office  of  the  Auditor  of  State,  that  work 
was  done  by  John  McDonald.  Tlie  subdivisions, 
or  section  lines,  were  run  by  Judge  Wm.  B. 
Laughlin's  ])arty  in  the  summer  of  1820,  as 
shown  by  Ti]iton's  Journal  and  by  the  field 
notes.  This  Coburn  statement,  which  Mr. 
Brown  treats  as  conclusive,  is  simply  an  error 
of  one  year. 

Passing  to  what  may  be  called  secondary  evi- 
dence, Mr.  Brown  states  that,  when  he  was 
preparing  his  original  publication  of  1857,  he 
found  so  much  of  coiillict  in  the  statements  of 
old-timers  on  various  points  that  he  called  a 
meeting  of  a  number  of  old  settlers  at  his  office, 
and  those  wlio  attended  w^ere  "Sidney  D.  Max- 
well (son  of  John),  James  Vanblaricum,  An- 
drew Wilson,  Calvin  Fletcher,  James  M.  Ray, 
George  Norwood,  James  Blake,  Douglas  Ma- 
guire,  and  Daniel  Yandes."  As  'Sir.  Brown 
justly  observes,  "their  united  testimony  would 
settle  questions  of  property  or  life  in  any  court 
in  the  country"',  and  yet  he  furnishes  conchi- 
sive  evidence  of  their  united  fallibility  in  tra- 
ditional matters  by  the  statement  that  when  he 
mentioned  Dr.  Mit^^hell's  article  to  them,  they 
unanimously  denied  that  any  such  publication 
had  ever  been  made.  On  being  convinced  that 
it  had  been,  thoy  explained  the  fact  that  it 
had  never  been  denied  on  the  inferential  basis 
that  "it  was  so  generally  known  to  be  untrue 
tliat  nil  one  ihouglit  it  necessary  to  denv  it". 
But  they  all  agreed  that  the  common  tradition 
was  that  Pogue  was  the  first  settlor.  Maxwell, 
who  was  the  first  to  come  of  those  ])resent, 
having  arrived  with  his  father  earlv  in  ^rarch. 
1S-3II.  .aid  tlint  ■■he  iiersonallv  knew   MilcheH's 


story  to  be  false,  for  Pogue's  cabin  had  evi- 
dently been  built  for  a  considerable  time,  prob- 
ably a  year,  while  the  McCormick  cabins  were 
not  then  completed.'" '"  Vanblaricum  aiul  Wil- 
son confirmed  this;  and,  according  to  J[r. 
Brown,  they  came  "about  two  months  after  the 
McCormicks"',  which  is  probably  correct,  al- 
though Nowland  places  both  of  them  in  1821.^' 

This  argumentative  conclusion,  however,  is 
not  well  founded,  for  the  facts  would  apply 
quite  as  w'ell  to  a  cabin  built  by  Ute  Perkins 
as  to  one  built  by  George  Pogue.  But  evi- 
dently none  of  those  present  had  heard  of  Ute 
Perkins ;  and,  indeed,  it  is  singular  how  little 
had  been  heard  of  him  generally.  It  is  certain 
that  Mr.  Brown  never  heard  the  Perkins  story 
until  the  old  bridge  meeting  in  1898,  and  Mr. 
Xowland's  daughter,  who  did  all  of  his  writing 
in  his  later  years,  informs  me  that  her  father 
had  never  heard  it  until  then.  Nevertheless 
this  idea  that  a  cabin  was  built  here  in  1819, 
and  tenii)orarily  abandonded,  crops  out  repeat- 
edly in  the  confused  traditions  of  the  early 
settlers.  At  the  semi-centennial  celebration 
which  was  held  at  "the  Crown  Hill  picnic 
ground"  on  Jime  7,  1870,  this  story  was  told, 
i)ut  the  builder  was  said  to  be  "Samuel  Hard- 
ing, of  Connersville,"'  and  some  denied  this 
story  and  ascribed  ]n-iority  to  the  ^[cCormicks.'*' 
On  "May  IC,  1870.  ^Irs.  Beriah  King,  widow  of, 
John  ^rcCorniick,  was  reported  by  tiie  Journal 
as  saying  in  an  interview  that  Pogue,  the  Mc- 
Cormicks. and  others,  twelve  in  all,  came  here 
in  1S19  and  built  a  cabin  into  which  her  hus- 
band witli  herself  and  family  moved  in  the  fol- 
lowing spring.  In  this  interview.  iMrs.  King, 
M'ho  was  tlien  seventy-five  years  of  age,  was 
either  woefully  confused  or  sadly  misrepresent- 
ed by  the  reporter:  and  the  latter  is  not  im- 
probable, for  he  calls  her  "Xlrs.  Bethiar  King'", 
and  avers  that  she  said  she  was  "the  first  ])erson 
that  ever  wore  a  bonnet  in  this  neck  of  woods". 

While  Mr.  Brown's  assembly  of  old  settlers 
agreed  in  the  tradition  that  Pogue  was  the 
first  comer,  there  were  others  who  did  not. 
The  Nowland  family  held  to  tlie  ^IcCormick 
tradition,  and  ^fattjiias  R.  Nowland  and  his 
brother-in-law.  .\nilrew  Bvrne,  were  hen>  with 


'"See  al-ii  sanif  statenieiit  in  uliiniiii'v  sketch 
of  Saniuei  1).  ^laxwell,  Xrirs.  Jiih    "i.   Is;:!. 
'' l-!iirh/  Ii'riiiiinsrcnrcx.  p]i.  80.   1  1  1. 
^''.Jiiiiniiil.  June  8.   1870. 


42 


HISTORY  OF  GHEATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


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HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAl'OIJS. 


43 


the  commissioners  in  1820.  Xowiand  returned 
with  his  family  on  Xovember  4.  1820,  and 
Byrne  in  Mareli,  1821.  Lsaac  Wilson  arrived 
on  April  6.  1820,  and  ilrs.  Frank  Riley,  who  is 
a  jrranddaughter,  lioth  of  Isaac  Wilson  and  of 
Robert  Patterson,  who  came  in  1821,  informs 
iiie  that  her  family  always  put  the  McCormicks 
lirst,  and  that  her  mother,  Mrs.  Patsy  Patter- 
son, and  her  aunt.  ilrs.  Betsy  Harris,  both 
daujrhters  of  Isaac  Wilson  would  wax  indignant 
if  anyone  claimed  that  the  Pogues  were  the  first 
settlers.  It  must  he  l)orne  in  mind,  however, 
that  tradition  is  an  uncertain  guide — more  un- 
certain than  is  commonly  realized.  To  ilhis- 
trate.  Sarah  T.  Bolton  would  naturally  he  sup- 
posed to  be  informed  on  this  subject,  as  her  hus- 
band's family  were  among  the  earliest  settlers, 
and  she  had  live(l  here  from  the  vear  1831  ;  and 
yet  in  her  poem  "The  Last  Adventure  and 
Death  of  (Jeorge  Pogue."  written  for  the  meet-, 
ing  of  llie  Pioneer  Association,  on  October  2, 
1878,  .she  says: 

"It  chanced  one  year  in  autumn,  that  a  liardy 

pioneer. 
From  bis  Iiome  in  obi  Kentucky,  came  and  made 

his  cam]i  fire  here ; 
Witli  Ills  wealth  on   two  stout  horses,  he   had 

threaded  the  pathless  woods. 
One  bearing  his  wife  and  children,  the  otlier 

bis  JiouseJiold  goods. 

*        *        ;(c 

While  the  wild  birds  sang  aliovc  him.  and   the 

free  waves  sang  below. 
He  built  the  first  log  cabin  six  and  lifty  years 

ilf-'o. 

It  was  built  of  Inickeye  sa]dings,  with  mmlar 

and  chunks  between. 
But  it   led  the  van  of  our  city,  the  beautiful 
Railroa<l  Queen". 

It  is  unipu'stionabb'  tbat  I'nguc  canir  in 
^farch,  instead  of  autvimii:  and  tliat  be  lanie 
from  Rushville,  and  not  from  Kentncky.  It 
is  ('([uaJly  certain  that  his  wife  and  children 
were  not  on  one  horse,  for  there  were  five  of 
the  children,  and  two  of  them  were  grown  boys. 
"Six  and  fifty  years  ago"  would  make  1822, 
and  no  one  questions  that  Pogue  came  at  least 
two  years  earlier  than  that.  Xo  pioneer  ever 
built  a  cabin  of  "saplings"":  and  it  is  not  prob- 
able that  there  was  ever  a  cabin  built  of  "buck- 
eye"" logs  in   Indiana,  altbcmgh  it  has  been  tlie 


literary  fashion  to  sav  so  ever  since  John  Fin- 
ley  introduced  it  in  "The  Hoosiers  Xest"'. 
Buckeyes  were  not  so  plentiful  as  that,  and 
there  was  an  abundance  of  l)etter  limber. 

In  all  this  traditional  conflict,  tlie  real  ques- 
tion is  whether  the  Pogues  came  in  1819  or  in 
1820 ;  for  all  agree  that  they  came  in  the  month 
of  March,  and  all  agree  that  the  ilcCormicks 
came  in  February,  1820.  Aside  from  the  rela- 
tive question  of  priority  tjiere  is  considerable 
direct  evidence  that  the  Pogues  came  in  1820, 
and  it  includes  nearly  everything  in  the  natitre 
of  documentary  evidence.  The  original  Pres- 
byterian church  records  jiut  the  first  settlement 
in  1820,  the  historical  entry,  made  by  Dr.  Isaac 
Coe,  in  1823,  mentioning  the  sale  of  lots  in 
1821,  and  adding,  "a  few  families,  however, 
settled  in  and  around  the  town  the  year  pre- 
vious"'. In  184(i,  Rev.  .1.  ('.  I'letcher  wrote  a 
series  of  articles  for  tbe  ■Imtninl  on  "Indian- 
apolis a  Quarter  of  a  Centui-y  Ago",  in  which 
he  made  this  statement:  "As  early  as  February, 
1820,  Samuel  and  James  ^IcCormick  erected 
a  cabin  near  the  spot  now  occupied  by  the  steam 
mill.  Soon  other  cabins  crowded  the  banks  of 
White  River  near  the  place  where  now  stands 
Scudder  and  Hannaman's  Carding  ]klachine. 
In  ^larch,  ilessrs.  Harding,  Wilson,  ^laxwell, 
Cowen  and  Pogue  made  ini])rovements  near  the 
town.""  '"  These  articles,  as  Mr.  Fletcher  stat- 
ed, were  based  on  the  diaries  of  his  father  and 
mother,  reinforced  by  inquiries  of  them,  and  of 
other  old  settlers.  The  earliest  historical  pub- 
lication in  book  form  relating  to  this  region, 
that  mentions  the  subject  is  Chambi'rlaiii'a 
Gazetteer-"  and  it  states  that  Pogue  came  in 
1820.  Tliis  statement  is  entitb'd  to  weight, 
liccause  wliile  the  ])ook  was  jmblished  over 
('haniberlain's  name,-'  most  of  tbe  historical 
matter  was  prepared  by  Samuel  Merrill,  who 
came  here  in  1824,  as  Treasurer  of  State,  lie 
was  a  very  careful  and  methodical  man,  nmcli 
interested  in  liistorieal  matters:  and  by  bis 
labors  contributed  materially  to  tbe  preservation 
of  tbe  early  bistm'v  of  tbe  state.  It  may  be  taken 
as  assured  that  his  statenu'iit  was  made  on  tes- 
timonv  tbat  was  at  least  satisfying  to  him. 


'"■/(jiiniiil.  Xovemln'r  2i),  IS  1(1. 

-"184<)-r)0,  p.  2.55. 

-'Chamberlain  was  a  bookseller,  who  bad  a 
little  store  at  what  was  then  2(!  Fast  Washing- 
Inn  street — now  in  tbe  neiLibborbodd  <if  Xo.  .-)2. 


44 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


Sulgrove  quolus  Robert  Duncan  as  stating 
that  he  heard  George  Rogue's  widow  say  at  an 
old  settlers'  meeting,  in  1854  he  thought,  that 
they  came  on  llarch  3,  1820.--  As  to  this  Miss 
Nancy  Pogue  says  that  her  grandmother  was 
liere  in  1854.  but  that  if  she  ever  attended  an 
old  settlers'  meeting  she  never  heard  of  it;  and 
she  feels  certain  that  she  never  said  they  came 
in  1820,  because  she  hoard  her  say  repeatedly 
tliat  they  came  in  1819.  Nevertheless,  Mr.  Dun- 
can was  a  very  accurate  man,  and  there  was  an 
old  settlers'  meeting  here  on  June  6,  1854,  at 
the  house  of  Jlorris  Morris,  where  an  association 
was  formed,  limited  to  those  who  were  here 
prior  to  1826,  which  was  to  meet  annually  OJi 
the  first  Tuesday  in  June.  This  was  a  very 
early  meeting  of  the  kind,  and  the  JoxLrnal, 
some  months  later,  said  that  if  the  idea  of  such 
meetings  did  not  originate  here,  this  meeting 
at  least  "gave  an  impulse  to  the  formation  of 
such  companies."  Meetings  were  hold  there- 
after, at  Calvin  Fletcher's  in  1855 ;  at  James 
Blake's,  in  1856;  and  at  the  Fair  Grounds  in 
1857  and  1858.  In  1859  the  meeting  was  post- 
poned to  September,-^  but  was  not  held.  There 
is  no  mention  of  Mrs.  Pogue  in  the  reports  of 
the  meeting  of  1854,  nor  indeed  of  others, 
though  there  were  more  than  fifty  present  who 
came  before  1826.  Neither  were  there  lists  of 
those  in  attendance  at  any  of  the  meetings  pub- 
lished in  any  of  the  newspaper  reports.  And  in 
none  of  the  reports  of  any  of  the  meetings  is 
there  any  reference  to  the  Pogue-McCormick 
question,  except,  constructively,  in  the  fact  that 
in  1856  Mrs.  King  (widow  of  John  McCor- 
mick)  claimed  and  received  a  bouquet  as  "the 
fir-^t  lady  settler,"  "* 

But  Mrs.  Pogue  was  at  the  meeting  of  1855, 
for  Calvin  Fletcher  kept  a  diary,  which  is  still 
preserved,  and  in  his  record  of  this  meeting, 
at  his  house,  he  speaks  of  the  presence  of  "Old 
Mrs.  Pogue,  one  of  the  first  settlers,  whose  hus- 
band was  killed  by  the  Indians  in  1820  or  1821. 
He  went  to  an  Indian  camp  for  his  horses  but 
never  returned.     She  is  now  about  90  vears  of 


"TTist.  of  Iinlianapolis,  ]>.  22. 

-"Locomotive,  June  18,  1859. 

-''  The  best  reports  are  JounuiJ.  June  12, 
1854;  June  7,  1855;  June  10,  1857;  Locomo- 
tive. June  11,  1856:  June  13,  1857:  June  26, 
18.58. 


age.  ]\[r.  Hiser-^  and  wife  brought  her  in"". 
And  again  he  mentions,  "Old  Father  Mat- 
thews, 84,  and  Mrs.  Pogue,  90,  the  old- 
est present."  In  his  account  of  the  meeting 
of  1854,  Mr.  Fletcher  says:  "The  55  present 
registered  their  names  and  the  time  of  arrival 
in  Indianapolis  from  its  settlement  in  1820 
till  1825".  This  registration  was  continued  at 
the  later  meetings,  and  in  1855  !Mr.  Fletcher 
again  speaks  of  "the  first  settlement  in  1820". 
But  on  this  day  Mrs.  Pogue  was  his  guest,  and 
attracting  his  especial  notice,  and  if  she  had 
registered  as  coming  in  1819  he  would  hardly 
have  made  this  error.  Further,  in  the  Journal's 
account  of  the  meeting  of  185G,  at  James 
Blake's,  Berry  Sulgrove,  the  editor,  .says:  "Be- 
fore the  meeting  was  called  to  order,  we  spent 
some  time  in  looking  over  the  register  of  names, 
which  contains  the  date  of  arrival  of  each  Old 
Settler  and  his  place  of  birth.  The  earliest 
arrival  that  wc  noticed,  was  that  of  Fabius  M. 
Finch,  who  came  (to  Conner's  Station)  in  Sep- 
tember, 1819"".-"  Mr.  Fletcher  includes  this  in 
liis  diary,  and  it  is  very  conclusive 
proof  that  ^Irs.  Pogue  did  not  register 
as  of  ilanli  2,  1819.  at  the  meeting 
of  1855.  Probably  1855  is  the  meeting 
to  which  Mr.  Duncan  referred,  for  ]\Ir.  Fletcher 
would  have  been  apt  to  mention  Mrs.  Pogue  if 
she  had  been  at  the  meeting  of  1854,  and  he 
did  not.  Considering  Mrs.  Rogue's  advanced 
age,  a  divergence  of  one  year  in  her  story  of 
this  and  later  years  woiild  not  be  at  all  sur- 
prising. W 
In  1884  Elijah  Hackleman  published  a  series 
of  "Reminiscences"  in  the  RushviJle  Republi- 
can, in  one  of  which  was  the  following  sketch 
of  George  Pogue,  apparently  obtained  chiefly 
from  his  oldest  .son.  William  Pogue  :-^ 
"George  Pogue  cuiigrated  fmni  South  Caro- 
lina in  the  year  1841.  and  settled  at  tlie 
'Block-house'  at  William  Wilson's,  on  the  west 
fork  of  Whitewater,  six  miles  above  the  town 
of  Brookville,  Franklin  County.  At  that  time 
it  was  necessary  for  all  immigrants  to  settle 
near  some  military  post,  for  protection  against 
Indian  invasions.     In  the  spring  of  1816    he 


-^Samuel  IToizor,  a  neighbor  and  friend  of 
^[rs.  Pogue. 

-'■Journal.  June  11.  1856. 

-"  Republislicd  in  Ilisl.  Fai/i'th'  Citiiiil i/.  jip. 
19J-5. 


IIISTOT^V  OF  GIIKATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


45 


moved  to  Fayette  County,  about  live  miles 
>outliwest  of  Conuertville,  and  in  1818  he 
moved  to  the  town  of  Counersville,  remaining 
there  until  1S20,  when  he  fitted  up  a  team,  and 
with  two  or  three  of  his  sons  started  to  locate 
a  home  on  White  River.  Mr.  Pogue  was  ac- 
loiiipauicd  by  John  McCormack  and  family 
(a  wife  and  two  children)  wlio  had  resided 
for  many  years  in  the  vicinity  of  Conuersville. 
Mr.  McCormack  went  out  with  the  douljle  pur- 
pose, hrst  of  boarding  Mr.  Pogue's  hands  while 
engaged  in  building  a  cabin  and  clearing  a  few 
acres  of  ground;  and  secondly  of  locating  a 
home  for  himself.  *  *  *  (His  (Pogue's) 
famil_v,  after  the  cabin  was  built,  immediately 
moved  from  Counersville  to  their  new  home. 
The  next  year  (1821)  Mr.  Pogue's  ncigiibors 
were  John  Willson,  Thomas  Chinn  and  Harris 
Tyner.  *  *  *  The  land  on  which  the  cabin 
stood  was  bought  by  Governor  Noble,  and  the 
only  time  I  ever  visited  the  site  was  on  the  occa- 
sion when  the  Great  Commoner  from  Kentucky, 
Jlenry  Clay,  made  his  first  and  only  visit  to 
the  capital  of  our  state,  in  October,  1842,  and 
made  his  celebrated  speech  to  30,000  persons 
assembled  in  tlie  beautiful  grove  near  the  resi- 
dence of  Governor  Noble.  »  *  *  After  the 
speech,  William  Pogue  invited  me  to  take  a 
walk  with  him,  a  few  rods  north  from  the  speak- 
er's stand,  and  visit  the  site  where  he.  twenty- 
two  years  before,  had  helped  his  father  erect  the 
first  cabin  in  all  that  country,  on  the  banks  of 
a  beautiful  little  creek  that  still  bears  the  name 
of  Pogue's  Run.  *  *  *  After  the  erection 
of  Pogue's  cabin,  ^Ir.  McCormack  located  and 
built  up  a  home  somewhere  in  the  vicinity, 
probably  on  what  was  aflcrwards  the  'Donation', 
but  of  the  e.\act  site  neither  history  nor  tradi- 
tion affords  any  satisfactory  information  at  this 
late  day.  Mr.  McCormack  died  a  little  over 
fifty  years  ago,  and  part  of  his  large  family 
found  homes  in  Rush  County.  *  *  *  ]y{j.g_ 
McCormack  always  claimed  to  be  the  first  white 
woman  that  lived  within  the  limits  of  Indian- 
apolis, and  her  claim  was  probably  correct.  She 
died,  abo\it  the  year  1878,  having  lived  a  num- 
ber of  vcars  with  a  second  husband,  a  Mr.  King, 
near  tlie  Ttlufi's  of  White  River."  -^ 

It  will  be  noted  that  this  version  of  the  Pogue 
story  varies  in  several  respects  from  that  given 
by  the  Pogue's  of  Marion  County,  as  is  very 


commonly  the  case  with  family  traditions  when 
the  branches  of  the  family  are  separated.  But 
they  agree  in  several  respects,  and  one  note- 
worthy point  of  agreement  is  that  Harris  Tyner 
came  "the  next  year"  after  the  Pogues.  This 
was  impressed  on  the  Marion  County  branch 
of  the  family  because  two  of  the  boys  went  back 
to  move  him  out,  and  because  he  was  here  when 
Pogue  disappeared,  in  the  spring  of  1821.  They 
preserve  a  story  of  Mrs.  Pogue  going  to  Tyner's 
house  for  aid  and  counsel  after  Pogue's  dog 
came  back  alone.  But  Hackleman  states  that 
Tyner  came  in  1821,  and  this  is  confirmed  by 
Tyner  himself,  for  he  went  on  record  to  that 
effect  at  the  old  settlers'  meeting  in  1857. ^'■' 
On  the  whole  evidence,  the  conclusion  seems 
irresistible  that  Ute  Perkins  came  here  in  1819, 
and  built  the  first  cabin ;  that  Johir  McCor- 
inick  was  the  first  permanent  settler;  and  that 
George  Pogue  came  on  March  2,  1820,  and  oc- 
cupied the  Perkins  cabin.  The  JlcCormick  and 
Perkins  traditions,  with  their  coufinnatory  evi- 
dence, cann<it  be  explained  away  on  any  rational 
l)asis.  The  Pogue  tradition  is  readily  explained 
as  an  error  of  one  year  in  date  which  probably 
developed  after  the  tradition  had  been  started 
l)y  the  facts  that  Pogue  was  the  first  settler  on 
Pogue's  Run.  and  that  his  cabin  was  the  first 
one  built  at  Indianapolis.  Dozens  of  erroneous 
traditions  have  growoi  up  on  slighter  founda- 
tion. Its  persistence  is  largely  due  to  Pogue's 
Hun  which  has  been  a  permanent  and  obtru- 
sive memorial  to  Pogue,  while  I'erkins  and  Mc- 
Cormick  have  had  no  monuments  to  keep  their 
memories  alive.  Moreover  Pogue  was  a  center 
of  romantic  interest,  for  he  was  the  one  man  in 
all  the  settlement  that  was  killed,  or  supposed 
to  be  killed  by  the  Indians.  In  the  spring  of 
1821  he  missed  his  horses.  One  story  is  that 
111-  was  told  by  a  straggling  Indian,  known  as 
"Wyandotte  John",  that  he  had  seen  horses 
"with  iron  hoofs"  at  the  camp  of  a  party  of 
Delawares  on  Buck  Creek,  and  went  there  alone 
in  search  of  them.'''"  Another  is  that  he  went 
to  Conuersville  in  his  search,  and  on  his  return 
sto]iped  at  the  house  of  his  relative  Rieliard 
'I'yner,  on  Blue  River,  near  Morristown.  Here 
lie  heard  of  some  horses  at  an  Indian  town  on 
Sugar  Creek,  aiul   wi'ut  after  them.     All   the 


■'Hist.  Fayette  Co.,  pp.  194-5. 


-''Locomotive,  June  l.'i,  18.-(7.     See  also  Sid 
grove,  p.  614. 

■"'Nowl(ind'.<<  Early  liemiuiscrincx.  p.  2il. 


4(i 


lIlSTOliV  ol'  (MfEATEli  INDIAXAPOLIS. 


stories  agree  that  he  never  returned,  and  the 
mystery  of  liis  fate  was  naturally  a  common 
topic  in  early  times,  giving  rise  to  several 
somewhat  conflicting  stories.'''  Of  his  children, 
Joseph  died  here  in  1855,  John  in  1858,  and 
Bennett  in  ]85"i.  The  yonnger  children,  John 
and  Stincy,  died  earlier,  the  latter  soon  after 
her  marriage  to  James  Sailors.  Pogne  had 
three  older  children  who  never  lived  here,  ac- 
cording to  Jliss  Xancy  Pogne.  Of  these, 
'J'hoinas  died  at  Cumberland,  William  at  Ensh- 
villc,  and  Anna  (Airs.  Fuller)  at  Crawfords- 
ville.  Ill  addition  to  iliss  Xancy  Pogue  and 
her  brother  Joseph  there  are  two  grandchildren 
now  living  at  Indianapolis — Mrs.  A.  L.  Mar- 
shall, of  151  r  Yandes  street,  and  A.  W.  Pogue, 
of  15  X.  Tacoma  avenue. 

In  addition  to  the  very  early  settlers  of  In- 
dianapolis that  have  been  named,  the  following 
may  be  mentioned  among  the  arrivals  in  1820 
and  1821:  182(i:  Samuel  Morrow,  William 
Townsend  (miller).  Thomas  Anderson  (wagon- 
maker),  Conrad  Brassell  (baker),  Henry  Brad- 
ley, James  B.  Hall  (carpenter),  Milo  E.  Davis 
(plasterer),  Robert  Wilmot  (merchant),  Thom- 
as Johnson  (farmer),  Jacob  E.  Crumbaugh 
(justice  of  the  peace),  Michael  Ingalls  (team- 


'■"Nowland's  Jlfiiiliiisrences,  pp.  20-22:   Uol- 
loway,  p.  9 ;  Brown,  p.  2 ;  Sulgrove,  [i.  2^5. 


.-ter).  1^21:  Daniel  Shatter  (January — mer- 
chant), Daniel  Yandes  (January — tanner). 
Dr.  S.  G.  Mitchell  (April),  Dr.  Isaac  Coe 
(Jlay),  Alexander  Eussell  (May — merchant), 
Caleb  Scudder  (cabinet  maker),  Jos.  C.  Eeed 
(tirst  teacher),  David  ilallory  (barber),  John 
G.  Osborn,  ilaj.  Thos.  L'arter  (tavern  keeper), 
Dr.  Livingston  Dunlap  (July),  James  Blake 
(July  25),  Dr.  K.  A.  Scudder,  Rice  B.  Law- 
rence (teacher),  Daniel  Larkins  (grocer),  Lis- 
mund  Basye  (Justice  of  the  peace),  James  Kit- 
tleman  (shoemaker),  Wilkes  Reagan  (butcher), 
Obed  Foote  (lawyer),  Amos  Hanway  (cooper). 
James  iL  Ray  (first  county  clerk),  Samuel 
Rooker  (painter),  James  Linton  (millwright), 
John  \A'ilkins  (tanner),  Enoch  Banks.  Demas 
L.  JIcFarland  (farmer),  Calvin  Fletcher 
(lawyer),  George  Smith  (printer),  James  Scott 
(Methodist  preacher).  James  Paxtoit  (October 
9),  George  Myers  (potter),  Xathaniel  C.  Bol- 
ton (editor),  John  Sluink  (hatter),  Isaac  Lynch 
(shoemaker),  Robert  Patterson  (farmer),  Sam- 
uel Henderson  (first  postmaster),  Harvey  Gregg 
(lawyer),  Xathaniel  Cox  (carpenter),  Morris 
Morris  (October),  Dr.  Jonathan  Cool,  Hugh 
O'Xeal  (lawyer),  James  and  Jolin  Givan  (mer- 
chants), John  Wyant,  Samuel  ilcGeorge,  John 
Hawkins,  David  Wood,  Xicholas  McCarty, 
Aaron  Drake,  John  McClung  (Campbellite 
preacher)  James  Loucks  (carpenter). 


CHAPTER  VI 


THH    BKCIXMNCS  OF    GOVERNMENT. 


After  the  acquisitidii  of  'Flic  New  I'ui-chaso, 
the  legif^hiture  added  small  traets  of  it  to  the 
counties  of  Fayette,  .lackson  and  Wayne.  By 
the  aet  of  January  ''O.  1S30,  it  also  added  sniail 
traet.-i  to  the  eounties  of  Franklin.  Handolpli 
and  Jennings,  and  divided  all  the  remainder 
into  Wabash  and  Delaware  eounties.  A  map  of 
the  state  published  in  Cary  and  Lea's  American 
Atlas  in  IS'i'i  purports  to  show  these  new  eoun- 
ties, and  it  was  rc]iroduecd  in  the  t^iatc  Legisla- 
tive Miiiniiil  for  lUO.i.'  Ii\it  the  boundaries 
shown  arc  wholly  erroni'iiu>.  In  ccality  the  two 
counties  were  divided  by  the  Second  Prin- 
cipal .Meridian,  all  the  region  east  of  it 
being  Delaware  County,  and  all  west  Wa- 
bash County.  To  insure  immediate  govern- 
ment, the  circuit  courts  of  all  the  counties  bor- 
dering on  The  N'ew  Purchase  were  given  con- 
current jurisdiction  in  it  in  civil  cases;  that  is 
to  say,  the  courts  of  V'igo,  Owen  and  Monroe 
were  given  concurrent  jurisdiction  in  Wahasli 
Countv.  and  those  of  Jackson,  .Jennings,  Ripley, 
Franklin,  Fayette,  Wayne  and  Randoljih  were 
given  concurrent  jurisdiction  in  Delaware 
County. 

But  these  counties  of  Wabash  and  Delawai'c 
were  never  organized,  an<l  by  the  ne.xt  session 
of  the  legislature  it  was  felt  necessary  to  make 
some  provision  for  government  at  Indianapoli.-. 
Accordingly,  by  aet  of  January  H,  IS-.'I,  the 
Governor  was  authorized  "to  appoint  and  com- 
mission two  or  more  persons  to  act  as  justices 
of  the  peace,  at  Indianapolis,  who  shall  continue 
in  otlice  until  the  county  of  Delaware  is  organ- 
ized, and  justices  of  the  ])eace  shall  be  elected 
and  (|ualifleil."  Provision  was  made  for  ap|ieal 
from  their  <lecisions  to  the  circuit  court  of  Bar- 
tholoiiiew    Countv,    which    was    created    at    the 


same  session,  and  added  to  tlie  second  judicial 
circuit.  I'nder  this  law,  Governor  Jennings  on 
January  !)  commissioned  .John  .Maxwell,  and 
on  February  '■},  Jacob  R.  Crumbaugh.  as  justices 
of  the  jjcace  for  Indianapolis.  Maxwell  re- 
signed in  June,  and  his  place  was  vacant  for 
some  time.  On  Septeiuber  24  William  Vande- 
griff  was  eommi.ssionod ;  but  this  was  "recalled", 
and  on  October  2,  a  commission  was  issued  to 
James  Mcllvain,  who  served  until  justices  were 
elected  for  Marion  County.  Mcllvain  seems  to 
have  had  most  of  the  iiusiness,  and  Brown  says 
of  him:  "His  twelve-foot  cabin  stood  on  the 
north-west  corner  of  Penn.sylvania  and  Michi- 
gan streets,-  where  he  held  court,  pipe  in 
mouth,  in  bis  cabin  door,  the  jury  ranged 
in  front  on  a  fallen  tree,  and  the  first 
constable,  Corbaley.  standing  guard  over 
the  culprits,  who  nevertheless  often  esca|)ed 
through  the  woods".  But  escapes  were  not 
mourned.  There  was  no  jail  here,  and  none 
nearer  than  Connersvillc  .\t  that  time  the 
criminal  jurisdiction  of  a  justici'  extended  only 
to  the  imposition  of  a  line  not  exceeding  $3  for 
jietty  offenses.  For  anything  more  serious  all 
he  could  do  was  to  bind  the  prisoner  over  to  the 
circuit  court.  For  this  reason  criminal  business 
was  largely  dis])osed  of  on  a  basis  of  "bluff". 
Brown  records  a  characteristic  instance.  Ivirly 
on  Christmas  morning,  lS-^1,  four  tough  Ken- 
tucky boatmen,  who  had  strayed  to  the  Bluffs, 
and  had  come  up  from  there  for  a  Christmas 
spree,  undertook  to  break  into  the  grocery  of 
Daniel    Larkins.   where   tlu're   was  a    barrel   of 


')>.    I  K 


-  His  grandson.  S.  II.  Mcllvain,  informs  me 
that  it  was  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Ohio  and 
Meridian,  where  the  City  Library  stands:  and 
this  is  confirmed  bv  Rev.  J.  C.  Fletcher.  .Yews, 
May  31,  1879. 


47 


48 


lIlsroKY   OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


whisky.  The  alarm  was  spread,  and  citizens 
gathered  at  the  scene.  When  asked  to  desist 
the  Kentuckians  showed  fight.  But  Indian- 
apolis did  not  lack  nerve.  A  consultation  was 
held,  and  James  Blake  offered  to  grapple  the 
leader  if  the  rest  of  the  citizens  would  take  the 
other  three,  and  this  program  was  speedily  exe- 
cuted. The  prisoners  were  taken  before  Mcll- 
vain  who  bound  them  over  to  the  Fayette  cir- 
cuit court,  and,  in  default  of  bail  committed 
them  to  jail  at  Connersville.  But  getting  the 
prisoners  to  Connersville  would  have  been  a 
greater  hardship  on  the  community  than  the 
punishment  would  have  been  to  the  prisoners, 
so  while  ostentatious  preparations  were  made  by 
a  posse  for  the  journey  on  the  following  day, 
the  guard  was  cautioned  not  to  be  too  watchful 
that  night,  and  under  cover  of  darkness  the 
broilers  softly  and  silently  vanished  away,  to 
the  great  relief  of  the  settlement. 

But  the  sitiuition  involvi?d  more  serious  con- 
siderations than  mere  inconvenience.  The  legal 
power  of  a  justice  was  to  bind  an  offender  over 
to  the  circuit  court  of  his  county,  but  there 
was  no  county  in  fact  and  no  court.  The  courts 
of  the  bordering  counties  had  been  given  con- 
current jurisdiction  in  civil  cases,  but  the  law 
said  nothing  about  criminal  cases,  and  in  gen- 
eral a  criminal  case  had  to  be  heard  in  the 
county  where  the  offense  was  committed.  More- 
over the  constitution  provided  that  "justices 
shall  be  elected  in  each  township  in  the  several 
counties",  and  said  nothing  about  their  ap- 
pointment, even  where  there  were  townships  for 
them  to  serve  in.  In  the  fall  of  1821  a  meet- 
ing was  held  at  Hawkins'  Tavern  to  consider 
the  situation,  and  it  was  decided  to  ask  the 
legislat\iro  for  the  organization  of  a  new  county. 
James  Blake  and  Dr.  S.  G.  Mitchell  were  se- 
lected to  go  to  Corydon  to  secure  the  passage  of 
the  law. 

They  were  successful  in  their  mission,  and 
on  December  31,  1821,  the  law  creating  Marion 
County  was  approved.  The  county  was  unique 
in  two  respects.  It  was  surrounded  entirely  by 
unorganized  territory — not  touching  any  other 
organized  county,  although  cut  out  of  what 
had  been  set  off  as  Delaware  County ;,  but  it  was 
touched  at  the  southwest  by  Morgan  County, 
and  at  the  southeast  by  Shelby  County,  both  of 
which  were  created  at  the  same  session.  It 
was  made  twenty  miles  square,  with  its  present 
boundaries,  but  for  the  time  being  there  was 


added  to  it,  for  governmental  purposes,  a  tract 
of  land  larger  than  itself  lying  to  the  northeast. 
This  tract  began  at  the  first  section  corner  east 
of  White  River  on  the  north  line  of  the  county, 
the  boundary  running  thence  north  20  miles  to 
the  present  north  line  of  Hamilton  County ; 
thence  east  24  miles  to  a  point  two  miles  west 
of  the  present  east  boundary  of  Madison 
County;  thence  south  18  miles  to  the  present 
south  line  of  Madison  County;  thence  west  21 
miles;  thence  south  2  miles;  thence  west  3 
miles  to  the  place  of  beginning.  The  object 
of  this  addition  was  to  provide  government  for 
the  settlements  forming  at  Anderson,  Pendle- 
ton, Strawtown,  and  near  Xoblesville  and  Con- 
ner's Station ;  and  tlie  law  provided  that  '"the 
inhabitants  of  the  said  district  of  coimtry  shall 
i)e  entitled  to  all  the  privileges  of  citizens  of 
said  county  of  Marion,  and  shall  be  subject  to 
ilie  same  taxation  and  other  regulations  and  re- 
strictions". The  "privileges"  were  construed 
to  include  office-holding,  and  one  of  the  first 
county  commissioners  of  Clarion  County  was 
Wm.  McCartney,  who  lived  at  Pendleton. 

For  judicial  purposes  the  new  county  was 
added  to  the  Fifth  Judicial  Circuit,  including 
also  the  coimties  of  Lawrence,  Monroe,  Morgan. 
Green,  Owen,  Henry,  Rush,  Decatur,  Bartholo- 
mew, Shelby  and  Jennings.  The  court  was  to 
sit  "in  the  county  of  Morgan  on  the  fourth 
^londays  in  March  and  September,  and  shall 
sit  three  days  if  the  business  require  it;  in  the 
county  of  Marion  on  the  Thursdays  succeeding 
the  rising  of  the  courts  in  Morgan,  and  shall 
sit  three  days  if  the  business  require  it".  At 
that  time  the  circuit  court  consisted  of  a  "presi- 
dent judge"  who  was  appointed  by  the  Governor 
for  the  whole  circuit,  and  two  "associate 
judges"  Avho  were  elected  by  the  people  in  each 
county.  On  January  3,  Governor  Jennings 
appointed  William  Watson  Wick  president 
judge  of  the  Fifth  Jtidicial  Circuit.  He  was  a 
young  Pennsylvanian  who  had  settled  at  Con- 
nersville in  1810,  and  had  for  some  time  served 
as  a  clerk  in  the  State  Senate.  He  was  after- 
wards prominent  at  Indianapolis,  and  in  the 
state. 

The  act  creating  the  county  established 
square  58  as  "the  seat  of  justice",  and  provided 
that  the  courts  should  be  held  at  the  house  of 
John  Carr  "until  a  court  house  or  other  house 
more  suitable  can  be  had".  It  gave  to  the  new 
cciunty  $8,000  from  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of 


isToin'  OK  (;i;i;ati 


XDI.WArol.lS. 


49 


lots  to  build  a  court  liou.su,  wIulIi  w;i-  to  be  "in 
eizo  at  least  lil'ty  feet  squaiv.  to  lie  Iniilt  of 
brick  of  the  bust  <[uality  and  two  stories  hiuli, 
to  be  completed  in  a  workmanlike  manni'r, 
which  shall  be  coniiiunced  within  one  year  from 
the  taking  eti'ect  of  this  act,  and  be  completed 
within  tlireo  years  thercal'tcr,  and  when  the  said 
court  house  shall  be  completed  it  shall  be  lor 
the  use  of  the  CJeneral  Assembly,  the  Supreme 
and  federal  court,  until  a  state  house  shall  lie 
completed  at  the  seat  of  Government"".  The  act 
furtlier  reserved  'i  per  cent  of  the  receipts  from 
the  sale  of  lots  for  a  county  library;  and  pro- 
vided that  "the  .said  new  county  of  ilarion  siiall 
form  and  after  the  first  day  of  April  next,  en- 
joy all  the  rights,  privileges  and  jurisdictions 
which  to  separate  counties  do.  or  may  properly 
appertain  and  belong'". 

The  manner  in  which  a  new  county  should 
organize  "as  prescribed  by  the  general  law  of 
January  '2.  1818,  which  directed  the  Governor 
to  issue  a  writ  of  election  to  some  resident  of 
the  county  whom  lie  should  appoint  as  sheritf, 
until  a  sheriff  should  be  elected  at  the  next 
general  election.  This  appointed  sheriff  was  to 
call  a  special  election,  on  the  day  set  in  the  writ, 
at  sucli  ]daces  as  he  misjlit  designate,  for  choos- 
ing two  associate  circuit  judges,  a  clerk  of  the 
circuit  court,  a  recorder,  and  throe  county  com- 
missioners. The  election  was  by  ballot,  and 
was  managed  wholly  by  the  sherifC,  who  gave 
10  days  notice  by  posting  three  notices  in  each 
election  district  or  precinct.  He  a])pointed  the 
elect  inn  ollicers,  administered  the  necessary 
natlis,  received  the  returns,  canvassed  the  vote, 
issut'd  certilicates  to  the  successful  candidates, 
and  Sent  co])ies  to  the  Secretary  cd'  Slate,  who 
issued  their  commissions. 

On  January  1,  1822,  Harvey  Bates  was  com- 
missioned sheriff — an  excellent  man  for  tiu' 
place,  though  not  a  resident  of  the  county  at 
the  time.  He  was  born  in  ^7^5  at  Fort  Wash- 
ington (later  Ciiuiiuiati).  his  father  being  a 
master  of  transportation  during  the  Indian 
wars  that  ended  in  that  year.  He  ha<l  a  fair 
Knglish  education,  and,  on  attaining  manhood, 
moved  to  Brookville,  Indiana,  where  he  married 
Miss  Sidney  Sedwick,  a  cousin  of  Senator 
James  >Joble.  Soon  afterward  he  moved  to 
Connersville,  where  he  lived  until  after  his  ap- 
pointment, and  then  came  to  Tndianajiolis,  ar- 
riving here  on  February  22.  On  the  same  day  he 
issued  his  proi-lainalion  foi-  the  I'lrelioii  In  be 
Vol.   1—4 


held  on  A]iril  1,  fixing  the  \oting  places  at 
(icneral  John  Carrs  house  in  Indianapolis,  at 
John  FiuclTs  above  Conner's  Station,  John 
l*aige"s  at  Strawtown,  John  Berry's  at  Ander- 
son, and   W'm.   AicCartney's  at   Pendleton. 

The  campaign  hail  l)egun  in  fact  before  the 
law  for  the  creation  of  tlie  county  was  passed; 
and  Galvin  Fletcher  notes  in  his  diary  that  on 
Christmas,  1821,  he  found  the  candidates  a.s- 
sembled  at  ^IcGeorge's  store,  treating  promiscu- 
ously. Mctieorge  had  the  oidy  barrel  of  cider 
in  town,  and  it  had  frozen  on  to[);  so  a  hole 
was  bored  through  the  ice  with  a  red  hot  poker 
and  the  concentrated  Huid  was  disilt  out  to  the 
crowd,  after  which,  says  ^Ir.  Fletcher,  ■"they 
took  brandy,  which  soon  produced  intoxica- 
tion"". At  least  it  did  with  some,  for  ]Mr. 
Fletcher  thought  it  best  to  guide  one  of  his 
overloaded  friends  home,  leaving  the  crowd,  as 
to  which  he  adds:  "The  candidates  led  the  con- 
course from  one  place  to  another  until  sun- 
down"".'' He  also  mentions  a  [lart  of  the  can- 
didates, as  follows:  "For  associate  judges 
James  JIcMllvain  and  .\lr.  I'atti'rson;  county 
clerk  James  M.  Ray,  ^lorri>  Morris,  .Milo  K'. 
Davis,  J.  Hawkins,  et  al.;  for  inunty  coinini>- 
sioners  Messrs.  Hogdeii,  (Jsborii  and  .Morrow". 
l>ut,  as  the  campaign  warmed  up,  more  candi- 
ilates  came  out,  there  being  a  total  of  li.'i  an- 
nounced in  the  Gazelle,  and  Mr.  Fletcher  men- 
tions several  others,  making  in  all  lU'ar  -40. 

Theoretically  there  were  no  parties,  no  con- 
ventions, no  caucuses,  but  the  election  was  a 
free  fight  for  all  comers.  Yet  Rev.  J.  C. 
Fletcher  writes:  ".Vlthough  caucuses  we're  not 
known  in  the  first  political  canvass  in  Indian- 
apolis, yet  there  was  a  great  deal  of  free  inde- 
l>endent  campaigning  and  there  were  cliques 
and  inner  circles.  The  divisions  were  not  ac- 
cording to  the  political  ]iarties  of  the  day. 
They  •\vere  local,  or  rather  geographical  divi- 
sions. My  father  informed  me  that  the  combat- 
ants Were  ranged  under  the  titles  of  'White- 
water' and  'Kentucky".  The  emigration  from 
these  two  sections  was  simultaneous.  The  peo- 
ple fnuii  Whitewater  were  as  clannish  as  those 
from  Kentucky.  Each  wished  to  have  the  dis- 
tribution of  the  ])ublic  loaves  and  fishes.  The 
Whitewater  paity  had  some  advantages  over 
Kentucky  in  that  it  had  received  some  acces- 
sions from  people  from  Ohio  and  Pennsvlvania, 


Sews.  A|n-il   i:.  is:  It. 


50 


HISTORY   OF  (IIJKATKR    I  XDIAXAP*  )LIS. 


who  had  re^idi'il  \in\g  enou<ih  in  tlio  casteru 
part  of  the  state  to  qualify  them  as  voters. 
Here  the  Keiitueiviaiis  were  at  a  ilisailvautage 
for  many  of  them  had  not  resided  a  year  in  the 
state.  The  Whitewater  peo()le  were  eonsum- 
mate  politicians;  they  had  been  led  and  disci- 
])lined  by  such  men  as  Governor  Jennings,  the 
two  Xohles,  and  Jesse  1?.  Tlionias,  ])revious  to 
their  arrival  in  the  'Xew  Fureliase".  My 
father  informed  me  that  they  were  men  of 
talent,  and  that  greati'r  adepts  at  political 
warfai'e  never  lived"".'' 

But  in  reality  this  contest  was  one  of  the  state 
political  organizations.  Whitewater  was  not 
merely  clannish  from  local  prejudice.  Jt  had 
been  molded  in  the  old  Territorial  struggle 
over  the  slavery  question  into  a  \erv  com])act 
mass.  In  the  race  of  Jennings  with  Randolph 
for  Congress,  in  1807,  the  upper  Whitewater 
district  had  given  Jennings  every  vote  but  one. 
and  as  politics  developed  that  solidarity  had 
been  nourished  and  preserved.  The  organiza- 
tion Ijecame  as  compact  as  any  political  organi- 
zation of  today,  and  any  one  who  doubts  it  may 
profitably  read  Oliver  H.  Smith"s  account  of 
the  manner  in  which  Seiuitor  Xoljle.  (Jovernor 
Jennings,  and  William  Hendricks  controlled 
legislation,  ami  divided  patronage."' 

The  contest  centered  principally  on  the  otfice 
of  clerk,  which  was  considered  the  most  im- 
portant county  office  at  the  time.  Whitewater 
put  forward  James  M.  Ray,  an  excellent  young 
man  from  X'ew  Jersey,  who  had  studied  at  C'o- 
luml)ia  College  and  had  had  jn-actical  experi- 
ence as  a  deputy  clerk  at  Lawrenceburgh  and 
Connersville.  Kentucky's  candidate  was  Morris 
Morris,  a  strong  and  able  man,  who  fired  the 
first  gun  by  issuing  a  campaign  i)ami)hlet  on 
January  30, — the  first  literary  ])roduct  of  the 
city  outside  of  the  newspaper.  Calvin  Fletcher 
had  alhliated  with  Whitewater,  and  was  evi- 
dently put  in  ciiarge  of  the  literary  bureau,  for 
on  January  ;iO  Mrs.  Fletcher  entered  in  her 
diary:  "Mr.  Morris  has  written  a  pami)hlet  and 
had  it  put  in  print.  Mr.  Fletcher  has  just  left 
me  to  write  an  answer  to  it,  and  I  am  all  alone 
this  evening".  On  February  2,  she  noted  that 
Mr.  Osborn.  Whitewater  candidate  for  county 
commissioner,  "canu'  and  staid  all  night"":  and 
on  Sundav,   Fcbruarv  .'!:  "The  handiiills  canu' 


*Xewg.  A])ril  -.'(i,  is:!i. 
''Knrhj  Iiiilidiiii  Trials,  p.  84. 


out  in  opposition  to  what  Mr.  Morris  wrote"  . 
On  February  1").  ilorris  came  back  with  an- 
other handbill  and  that  next  night  Mrs. 
Fletcher  wrote:  "1  went  to  bed  early,  i)Ut  ilr. 
F.  was  writing  an  answer  to  the  handbill  ami 
did  not  go  to  bed  that  night.  Sunday,  Mr.  F. 
went  to  bed  early  in  the  afternoon  and  sle]it 
until  after  8  p.  m.  when  I  aw^akened  him,  and 
we  both  went  to  the  printing  office  and  stayed 
until  two  o'clock  in  the  morning"".  And  so  the 
war  progressed.  ^Irs.  Fletcher  mentions  nu- 
merous long  consultations,  and  threats  of  libel 
suits;  and  probably  grew  weary  of  the  whole 
business,  for  on  May  31,  the  day  before  the 
election,  she  wrote:  "I  spent  the  day  very  un- 
satisfactorily, for  there  were  so  many  candidates 
coming  in  that  I  could  lU'ither  read  nor  write, 
nor  do  anything  else"". 

The  election  was  a  lan<lslide  for  Whitewater. 
Bars  were  not  closed  on  election  days  then,  aiuJ 
any  man  who  went  thirsty  neglected  the  privi- 
leges of  a  freeman.  Mr.  Fletcher  says  that 
"Whitewater  and  whisky  carried  the  day  against 
Kentucky  and  whisky"",  and  it  is  probalile  that 
whisky  did  not  much  affect  the  result,  for  both 
sides  supplied  it  in  almost  unlimited  quantity. 
James  M.  Ray  received  the  highest  vote — 217 
out  of  33G  votes  cast  in  the  county.  There 
were  22-1  votes  cast  in  Indianapolis.  James 
Mcllvain  and  Eliakim  Harding  were  elected 
associate  judges;  Joseph  C.  Reed  recorder,  and 
John  McCormick,  John  T.  Osborn  and  Wm. 
McCartney  County  ccunmissioners.  Among 
those  who  went  down  in  defeat  was  Alexander 
Ralston,  who  hail  been  a  candidate  for  recorder. 

The  newly  elected  commissioners  met  on 
.Vpril  15,  but  McCormick  not  being  present  they 
ailjourned  to  the  next  day,  at  .lohn  Carr's 
hou.^e,  where  their  first  business  was  the  ap- 
pointment of  Daniel  Yamles  as  county  treasurer 
and  the  approval  of  his  bond.  He  was  a  Penn- 
sylvanian  who  had  served  in  the  war  of  1812, 
attaining  the  rank  of  major  at  the  age  of  21. 
He  came  to  Indiana  in  1818  and  located  near 
Connersville  till  the  spring  of  1821,  when  he 
came  to  Indianapolis,  and  built  him  a  log- 
cabin  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Washington 
and  Illinois  streets.  He  brought  with  him 
about  $4,000,  which  made  him  the  ranking 
capitalist  of  the  ))lace  for  some  years.  His 
service  as  Treasurer  was  so  satisfactory  that  he 
was  reappointed  every  year  until  1829,  when  he 
withdrew  to  give  his  attention  to  his  j)crsoual 


HISTORY  OK  C 


.VVVAl   INDIAXAl'OI.lS. 


51 


atfairs.  The  next  business  oi'  the  eoniiiiissioiiers 
was  (lividins;  tlic  c-ouiity  proper  into  nint'  towii- 
sliips,  practieally  as  they  still  exist — Pike, 
Washiiiirton  ami  Lawrence  at  the  north;  Wayne, 
Centre  and  Warren  aeross  the  center  of  the 
county;  and  Decatur,  I'erry  and  Franklin  at 
the  south.  The  principal  change  since  made 
in  tlieni  is  in  the  line  between  Decatur  and 
Perry,  which  was  originally  an  extension  of  the 
west  line  of  (.'enter  townshi]),  but  later  was 
made  White  Hiver — the  part  of  Decatur  east 
of  the  river  being  added  to  I'erry.  On  March 
;!,  l!-i".i.S,  three  sections  of  Pike  townsiiip — o,  !l 
and  Ki — were  added  to  Washington.  Otherwise 
the  townsiiips  stand  as  originally  made.  But  as 
the  population  did  not  justify  tJie  immediate 
establishment  of  nine  separate  township  gov- 
ernments, they  were  consolidated  for  the  time 
being  into  four,  known  as  "Washington-Law- 
rence",  ''Cent  re- Warren".  "Decatur-Perry- 
Franklin",  and  "Pike-Wayne".  These  combi- 
nations were  continued  only  until  population 
and  |)ul)lic  convenience  called  for  separation. 
Decatur  first  was  made  a  separate  township  on 
August  12,  182;!.  Pike  and  Wayne  were  sep- 
arated on  May  10,  1S24;  Centre  and  Warren 
on  .May  1,  182(1;  Washington  and  Lawrence  on 
Octoijer  (i,  182(i :  and  l-'rankjin  and  Perry  on 
Septendier  :i,   1827. 

The  tract  to  tiie  north,  which  was  a<lded  for 
temporary  governmental  purposes,  was  divided 
as  nearly  as  possible  into  four  equal  parts.  The 
northeastern  (piarter  was  made  Antlerson  Town- 
ship, and  included  the  settlement  at  Anderson. 
Till-  southeastern  was  named  Fall  Creek  Town- 
ship, and  included  the  settlement  at  Pendleton. 
'I'he  southwestern  was  named  Delaware  Town- 
ship, and  included  the  settlements  at  Conner's 
Station  and  near  .Noblesville.  The  northwest- 
ern was  named  White  Uiver  Township,  and  in- 
cluded the  settlement  at  Strawtown.  This  con- 
nection of  this  territory  lasted  onlv  about  a 
year,  as  both  Hamilton  and  Madison  counties 
Were  established  by  tiie  legislature  in  January, 
lM2;i,  and  were  organizeil  a  few  months  later. 
.\  similar  adilition  to  the  county  was  nuule  li\' 
the  act  of  February  12,  182."),  of  a  tract  of  ter- 
ritory eight  miles  wide  and  twelve  miles  broad 
(east  and  west)  in  the  southeast  cornt'r  of 
Hoono  County,  it  was  ailded  to  i'ike  Townsiiip 
bv  the  countv  eninnn>-inners''  iiiul   mi   i-eniameil 


till  the  creation  of  Uoone  County  iiy  the  act  of 
January  2!),  18;i(i. 

Xext  came  provision  for  the  election  of 
justices  of  the  ])eace  for  the  townships,  of  which 
two  were  assigneil  to  each  of  tlie  eombiuation 
townships  exce)it  Centre-Warren,  which  was  to 
have  three.  For  the  outside  district  one  justice 
was  assigned  to  each  township.  The  election 
was  set  for  May  11,  and  the  voting-places  and 
the  election  ins])ectors  were  specified  as  follows: 
Washington-Lawrence,  house  of  Klijah  Fox, 
with  Joel  Wright  as  inspector;  Centre- Warren, 
house  of  John  Carr,  with  Thomas  Carter  as  in- 
spector;  J)ecatur-l'erry-Franklin,  house  of 
Peter  Harmonson,  with  Peter  llarmonson  as  in- 
spector ;  Pike-Wayne,  house  of  Mrs.  Barnhill, 
with  Jeremiah  J.  Corbaley  as  inspector;  Fall 
Creek,  house  of  Wm.  ilcCartney,  with  Adam 
Winsell  (Wincbell)  as  inspector;  Anderson, 
bouse  of  John  Berry,  with  John  Berry  as  in- 
spector; Wliite  Kiver,  house  of  John  Paige, 
with  John  Paige  as  inspector;  and  Delaware, 
house  of  John  Finch,  with  Solomon  Finch  as 
inspector. 

On  Ai)ril  IT,  the  c(unmissioners  adopted  a 
comity  seal,  desci-ilied  as  follows:  ".V  star  in 
til.  centre,  with  the  letters  'M.  C.  C."  around 
the  same,  with  inverted  carved  stripes  tending 
to  the  centre  of  the  star  and  "Marion  County 
Seal"  written  thereon".  This  si'al  did  not  come 
inlo  actual  use,  for  on  May  1  I  the  commission- 
ers adopted  another  described  thus:  "The  words 
'.Marion  County  Seal,  Indiana"  around  the  out- 
side, with  a  pair  of  scales  in  the  centre  emblem- 
atical of  justice,  under  which  is  a  |)loiigli  anil 
sheaf  (d'  wheat  in  representation  of  agricul- 
lure"".  This  seal  was  continued  in  use  until 
Dec.  8,  1811,  when  the  commissioners  adopted 
the  one  now  in  use,  described  as  follows:  "On 
the  margin  of  the  eirch'  the  woi'ds  ■Commis- 
sioners Seal  of  Marion  County"  and  inside  of 
this  marginal  engraving  the  engraving  of  a 
P.asket  of  fruit  and  likewise  the  representation 
(d'  a  Berkshire  pig"".'  'I'radition  ascribes  this 
ch.-uige  to  the  intluence  (d'  John  W. 
Hamilton,  who  was  llien  county  auditor. 
It  doubth'ss  ri'presenti'd  an  advancing]  senti- 
ment in  farming,  for  Henry  Ward  Beecher 
and  his  allies  were  jusi  then  preaching  fruit 
culture  and  the  improvement  in  stock  in  In- 
diaiia])olis,  and   llie  "l!erk-liii-e  pig"  deliniMled, 


''•Pifvord.  p.    l!i;. 


'•Record,  p.   Kii. 


53 


MISTOKV  OF  (iltHA'I'Kli    IXDIAXAPOUS. 


13 
o 

< 
z 

< 

Q 
Z 


c 

a. 


CO 

Z 


HISTOEY  OF  GKEATEl!.    I  M  )1  AX  APOLIS. 


53 


was  a  maniic'st  iinprovenient  on  the  "razor- 
back",  which  had  hekl  exclusive  possession  in 
this  region,  both  in  quality  and  in  disposition. 
On  September  '27,  1832,  the  Circuit  Court 
adopted  the  same  seal  as  tlie  commissioners — 
the  scales,  sheaf  and  plough — but  at  a  later  date 
the  sheaf  and  plough  were  dropped,  and  the  seal 
now  appears  with  the  scales  only.  When  the 
court  adopted  the  seal  it  also  entered  an  order 
to  "ratify,  confirm  and  approve  all  legal  \ises 
of  the  same  by  tiie  Clerk  since  the  organization 
of  this  county  of  JIarion,  as  the  seal  of  this 
court".  Inasmuch  as  the  clerk  originally  pro- 
cured ibe  seal  for  the  commissioners,  under 
their  direction  to  get  a  differing  one,  it  is  ob- 
vious tluit  the  responsibility  for  the  first  seal 
devolves  on  James  .M.  Eay. 

Following  the  adoption  of  the  seal  came  two 
ri'gulations  of  rates  that  seem  odd  now,  but 
M  liich  were  reasonable  enough  then  :  when  many 
persons  were  forced  to  travel,  and  when  fer- 
ries and  taverns  along  the  roads  were  in  the 
nature  of  monojiolies.  Many  things  were  left  to 
local  control  tlicn  that  are  not  now,  and  often 
the  powers  of  control  in  one  county  differed 
from  those  in  others,  for  it  was  an  era  of  spe- 
cial legislation — the  special  laws  of  a  legisla- 
ture being  usually  more  voluminous  than  the 
general  laws.  The  first  of  these  regulations  was 
of  the  rates  of  ferriage  over  White  l{iver  at 
Washington  street,  which  were  fi.xed  as  follows: 
For  each  wagon  and  four  horses  or  o.\en.$.C3i4 
For  each  wagon  and  two  horses  or  oxen. .  .37V-> 
For  each  wagon   (small)  and  one  horse 

or  ox 311/4 

For  each  extra  horse  or  ox l^^^ 

For  each  man  or  woman  and  horse f2i/o 

For  each  head  of  neat  cattle 03 

For  each  head  of  swine 02 

For  each  head  of  slieep 03 

For  each  footman 0(ji/4 

The  "tavern  rates"  were  lixcd  as  I'dllnus: 

Fncb  half-pint  of  whiskey $.l'2i'o 

iviih  hair-]iiiit  of  imported  rum.  brandy 

gin.  or  wine 25 

Kach  ([uart  of  cider  or  beer 12i/> 

Kaeb  i|uart  of  porter,  cider  wine  or  cider 

oil    25 

Each  half-pint  of  ])eaeh  brandy,  cordial, 

country  gin,  or  apple  brandy 18% 

l']acli  nu'al   25 

Ka.-h  iiiglit's  bidixing ^•>^U 


Each  gallon  of  corn  or  oats 12V^ 

liach  horse  to  hay  per  niglit 25 

These  tavern  rates  were  revised  on  February 
11,  1S23,  'but  the  only  change  made  was  to  in- 
crease the  price  of  a  half-pint  of  imported 
goods  from  25  to  50  cents.  Possibly  this  may 
have  been  because  somebody  had  actually  made 
an  importation,  or  was  thinking  of  it.  llaving 
now  disposed  of  the  most  pressing  affairs  of 
government,  the  commissioners  adjourned  for 
that  session. 

The  people  now  proceeded  to  the  election  of 
justices  of  the  peace,  which  resulted  in  the  se- 
lection of  Wm.  D.  liooker  and  Joel  Wright  for 
Washington-Lawrence;  Abraham  Hendricks 
and  Isaac  Stephens  for  Pike- Wayne ;  Peter 
Harmonson  for  Decattir-Perry-Franklin — there 
was  no  other  chosen  then,  or,  at  least,  none 
commissioned;  and  Wilkes  Reagan,  Lismund 
Basye  and  Obed  Foote  for  Centre-Warren.  For 
the  district  outside  the  county  proper,  Wm.  C. 
Blackmore  and  Wm.  Bush  were  chosen  for 
White  Kiver  and  Delaware  townships ;  and 
Judah  Learning  and  Abel  Ginney  for  Ander- 
son and  Fall  Creek.  This  election  was  not  so 
exciting  as  tlie  former,  but  the  result  in  Cen- 
tre-Warren was  contested  by  Moses  Cox.  His 
objeeUoiis  are  not  set  out  specifically  in  the 
record,  but  the  decision  of  the  commissioners 
is  to  the  effect  that  votes  had  been  received 
that  were  "evidently  and  constitutionally  il- 
legal, although  received  unintentionally",  and 
therefore  they  held  the  election  "null  and 
void"",  and  ordered  another  on  May  25."  At 
this  election  tlie  same  justices  were  again 
chosen,  and  on  Juiu'  G  and  7  all  of  the  justices 
elected  were  commissioned  by  the  Governor. 

Aside  from  the  county  oilicials,  the  justices 
were  the  only  local  officials  for  the  next  ten 
years,  and  therefore  filled  important  places  in 
the  commtinity.  Keagan  was  the  village  butcher 
with  a  .shoj)  at  (he  northwest  corner  of  Dela- 
ware and  Washington  strec^ts,  and  a  little 
slaughter-bouse  on  Pogue"s  Run,  between  New 
Jersey  and  East  streets.  His  supplies  of  jus- 
tice and  meat  were  both  very  satisfactory. 
Basye  was  a  Swede,  who  was  not  very  learned 
in  the  law,  but  is  credited  with  having  usually 
decided  for  the  plaintiff,  wliich  secured  him 
business,  and  was  quite  as  apt  to  be  right  as 


^Urronl.    pp.    ;')0-3-.'. 


iiisToKv  OF  <;i;eater  Indianapolis. 


wrong,  if  mil  inni-c  sci;  inr.  as  one  of  tlie  old- 
tiiiu'  jii:<titt's  argued:  "It  stands  to  reason  that 
a  man  would  not  bring  a  lawsuit  against  an- 
other unless  there  was  some  eause  for  it.'"'"  Now- 
lantl  says  that  Nathaniel  Cox,  wlio  was  the 
recognized  village  joker,  approached  Basye  dur- 
ing the  campaign  and  asked:  "Should  you  be 
elected,  ^Ir.  Basye,  and  a  jjerson  was  brought 
before  you  charged  with  ijurghiry,  and  jiroved 
guilty  beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt,  what 
would  you  do  with  hiin  ?""  Basye  studied  the 
case  for  a  moment,  raised  his  spectacles,  looked 
wise,  and  replied,  "I  would  fine  him  one  hun- 
dred dollars,  and  compel  him  to  marry  the 
woman"".  Possibly  this  was  au  early  effort  at 
fiction,  but  it  is  recorded  that  Squire  Basye  was 
at  one  time  going  to  send  a  man  to  the  peni- 
tentiary, who  had  been  brought  before  him  on  a 
charge  of  larceny,  and  Prosecuting  Attorney 
Fletcher  had  some  difficulty  in  convincing  him 
that  his  power  extended  only  to  binding  him 
over  to  the  Circuit  Court. 

The  justice  who  had  most  of  the  business, 
and  far  outranked  the  others,  was  Obed  Foote. 
He  was  a  native  of  Delaware,  a  man  of  nat- 
ural abilit}'  and  well-informed,  but  quite  er- 
ratic. He  had  read  law  and  practiced  some. 
He  was  at  the  time  of  his  election  a  bachelor, 
and  had  acquired  some  characteristic  bachelor 
habits  while  keeping  "bachelor"s  hall""  with  his 
brother.  He  made  a  fad  of  French,  and  read 
a  chapter  in  his  French  bible  every  day  to 
keep  in  practice.  He  affected  a  brusqueness 
in  speech,  but  in  reality  was  a  very  kindly 
man,  and  a  friend  of  the  children.  But  he 
had  no  tolerance  for  cither  ignorance  or  con- 
ceit, and  was  very  outspoken  in  his  views ;  so 
much  so  that  he  incurred  the  displeasure  of 
Basye's  friends  by  his  criticisms  of  his  colleague. 
All  of  his  peculiarities  cropped  out  in  his 
administration  of  justice.  He  was  fond  of 
roasting  potatoes  in  the  ashes  of  the  open  fire- 
place in  his  office,  and  when  he  settled  down  for 
a  hearing  he  would  cock  his  feet  on  the  table, 
extract  a  potato  from  the  ashes,  and  observe: 
"Now,  Messieurs  Pettifoggers,  you  can  pro- 
ceed with  your  arguments  while  1  eat  my  pota- 
toes."'" But  his  decisions  were  pretty  sound, 
and  he  was  re-elected  to  the  ol!ice  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death  in  May,  1833.  He  was  indicted 
for  malfeasance  in  otlico  in  1823.  but  was  tri- 


■■fn,l.  Hist.  Sor.  Piihs..  Vol   I. 


umphantly  accpiittcd.  and  the  Court  ordered 
the  indictment  erased  from  the  record.'" 
Basye  also  sued  him  for  slander,  but 
after  some  legal  fencing  it  was  dis- 
missed, on  a  written  agreement,  entered  of 
record,  as  follows:  "This  eause  is  to  be  dis- 
missed at  defendant's  cost,  and  indemnifying 
]ilaintiif  against  his  attorney's  fees,  and  de- 
fendant stati's  and  acknowledges  that  whatever 
he  stated  against  plaintitt'  in  the  premises  he 
stated  in  a  passion  and  in  heat  of  })lood,  antl 
that  the  foundation  of  the  charge  he  is  now 
convinced  originated  in  a  mistake  of  himself  or 
jilaintift'  on  a  law  question."" ''  In  all  his  ail- 
vertisements.  and  both  lawyers  and  doctors 
advertised  then,  Foote  announced  that  he  would 
"attend  to  any  business  in  his  profession,  not 
coming  under  the  dciiominatiim  of  jicttifog- 
.iiing"'. 

On  May  13,  1822,  the  county  commissioners 
met  again  in  regular  session,  and.  the  tax 
listers  having  finished  their  work,  the  fir.-t 
action  was  the  approval  of  their  reports.  This 
was  the  necessary  legal  preliminary  to  estab- 
lishing the  tax-rate,  which  was  fixed  on  the 
next  day  as  follows: 
For  every  horse,  mare,  gelding,  mule 

or  ass,  over  three  years  old $      -37'/^ 

For  stallions  (once'  their  rate  for  the 

season)     

For  taverns,  each 1  <>.()() 

For  every  ferry 0 .  00 

For  every  $100  of  appraised  valuation 

of   town    lots    .50 

For  each  and  every  pleasure  carriage 

of  two  wheels .      1 . 0(  t 

For    each    pleasure    carriage    of    four 

wheels      \  .'ir, 

For  every  silver  watch 2.") 

l"or  every  gold  watch .jO 

For    every    head    of    work-oxen    over 

three  years  old,   and   upwards,    per 

head 2.J 

On  each  male  person  over  the  age  of 

twenty-one   years .50 

Provided  that  persons  over  the  age  of  fifty 
years  and  not  free  holders,  and  such  as  are 
not  able  from  bodily  disability  to  follow  any 
useful  occupation,  and  all  idiots  and  paupers 
shall  be  exempt  from  said   last   naiutvl   tax. 

'"Order  Bool-.  Mav  9,  1823. 
''Order  linnl-  1.  p"  12(5. 


mSTOEY  OF  OKKATKR   TXHIAXAPOLTS. 


These  taxes  were  for  eouuty  purjxises  oiiJy, 
and  in  reality  were  nearly  all  fixed  by  law,  the 
diseretionary  powers  of  the  commissioners  ex- 
tending only  to  ferries,  which  were  "not  less 
than  five  nor  more  than  twenty-five  dollars"', 
and  taverns,  which  were  "not  less  than  ten 
nor  more  than  fifty  dollars'",  as  the  commis- 
sioners might  determine.  There  was  no  such 
thing  as  a  general  ])roperty  tax  in  Indiana,  un- 
til established  by  the  act  of  February  ",.  ISlio, 
but  the  property  subject  to  taxation,  and  the 
rates,  were  specified  by  the  legislature.  At 
this  time  the  state  was  experimenting  with 
the  principle  of  the  separation  of  the  sources 
of  state  and  nuinici|>al  revenue,  a  ])i'inciple 
that  might  be  adoj)ted  now  with  manifest  ad- 
vantages. Hy  the  acts  of  January  '^1,  1820,'- 
and  .lannai-y  8,  18".il,'''  the  state  tax  was  levied 
exclusively  on  lands,  not  including  town  lots, 
at  rates  from  $1  to  $1.50  per  100  acres,  ac- 
cording to  quality  fixed  in  three  grades,  to- 
gether with  'io  cents  on  each  $100  of  bank 
stock-,  and  these  Avere  not  taxable  for  county 
jmrposes;  while  the  objects  above  named  as 
taxed  for  county  purposes  were  not  taxable  for 
state  purposes. 

The  "tavern  license"  was  practically  a  retail 
licjuor  license,  for  at  that  time,  in  order  to  get 
a  retailer's  license,  it  was  necessary  to  give 
l)on<l  "to  keep  constantly  on  hand  the  bed- 
ding and  stabling,  with  the  other  acci)mnio<la- 
tiohs  necessary  for  the  comfort  and  convenience 
of  travellers"',  and  also  to  produce  a  certificate 
of  "4^velve  respectable  householders  that  such 
l)er.<on  is  of  good  moral  character,  and  that  it 
would  be  of  lienefit  and  convenienc(!  to  travel- 
lers for  such  person  to  be  licensed'".  The  ap- 
]ilicant  had  also  to  give  bond  to  prevent  gam- 
bling and  disorder,  and  not  to  sell  on  Sundays 
"exce])t  to  travi'llers"".'''  This  continued  until 
the  act  of  January  24,  1828  authorized 
dro])ping  the  "bedding  and  stabling""  ipiali- 
fieation  wheir  llie  licensee  was  not  a  tav- 
ern-keeper. ;ind  aniliorized  such  licenses  to 
sell  "foreign  and  domestic  groceries.""  Fur 
some  years  afterward  the  two  forms  of  retail 
license  were  known  as  "tavern  license""  and 
"grocery  license"'.     In  1831  it  was  provided  that 

'-Arts    p.  1,-iO. 
'■'Arts.  pp.  8,  9. 

'*Arl  i,f  Jdinian/  .'S.  ISIS:  Rrr.  Sluts..  ISJJ,, 
p.    ioT. 


incorporated  towns  Tuiglit  impose  a  license  tax, 
equal  to  and  in  addition  to  the  county  tax.  on 
"what  is  commonly  called  a  tijipling  house".''' 
I'nder  all  these  laws  the  retailer  was  rc- 
ipiired  to  keep  the  legal  rates  |)osted,  and 
could  not  sell  to  children,  apprentice  oi" 
servants  without  tlu'  consent  of  tbi'  pai-- 
ent  or  master,  nor  to  anyone  "in  a  state  of  in- ' 
toxication'".  There  was  an  interval,  from  the 
act  of  January,  1821  to  the  act  of  January, 
1824,  when  the  licenses  were  granted  by  the 
Circuit  Court  instead  of  the  commissioners,  but 
the  commissioners  fixed  the  I'atc  during  that 
])eriod. 

After  the  a])i)roval  of  the  reiiorts  of  the  tax 
listers  the  sheriff  was  directed  to  let  the  "clear- 
ing"" of  the  court  house  yard  to  the  lowest  bid- 
der, and  in  due  time  the  contract  was  let  to 
Earl  Pearce  and  Samuel  Hyde,  who  on  August 
14,  were  awarded  $59  for  their  services.  At 
the  suggestion  of  James  Blakt',  two  hundred 
sugar  trees  were  reserved  for  a  grove,  but  when 
the  surrounding  forest  was  gone  these  were  so 
readily  damaged  by  wind  that  within  a  few 
years  they  were  all  cut  down  and  removed.  On 
April  12,  18:58,  the  county  commissioners 
turned  the  square  over  to  the  common  council 
of  Indianapolis  "for  ornamentation"",  authoriz- 
ing it  to  .set  out  "a  ])roper  number  of  shade 
tni's  with  necessary  shrubbery""'"  and  a  num- 
ber of  young  trees  were  planted,  lint  in  Jan- 
uary, 1843,  Henry  Ward  Beecbcr  wrote  that 
they  were  promptly  destroyed  by  llu'  jailor"s 
cow,  which  was  pastured  on  the  sipiare  :  and  "a 
gentleman  not  without  a  taste  for  horticulture, 
from  day  to  day,  saw,  from  his  office  door,  this 
destruction,  as  he  infoiiiicd  me  with  great  iwi- 
vr.ir,  as  though  it  were  a  sin  to  interfere  and 
save  the  trees"".''  But  this  is  not  so  shocking 
when  it  is  remembered  that  the  |)lanting  oc- 
curred while  the  horrible  delusion  of  planting 
evergreens  and  black  locusts  prevailed  in  the 
west,  and  Mr.  Heecher  says  these  court  house 
trees  were  cbielly  locusts.  Since-  llieii  there 
have  been  no  shade  trees  on  the  sepuire,  l)nt 
some  young  ones  are  now  planted,  and  may 
eventually  produce  shade  if  some  change  of 
official  |)olicv  does  not  call   for  their  removal. 

1'he  board  next  took  up  petitions  for  ojiening 


'■■Her.  St<ils..  p.  527. 

"7iV'c.  ;).  11.  2(i5. 

''fii/I.  MiUj.  of  llisl..   \. 


56 


HISTOKV   01-'   Ch'i'lA'I'l'. 


Mil.W.Vrol.IS. 


new  roads.  Win.  TDWuseud,  the  lirst  Quaker 
in  the  settlement  wanted  two — one  to  "the 
Mills  at  the  Falls  of  Fall  Creek",  and  the  other 
from  the  north  end  of  Pennsylvania  street  to 
Strawtown.  Viewers  were  appointed  for  both. 
The  first,  as  established  was  the  continuation 
.of  Massachu.setts  avenue  beyond  East  street, 
and  the  old  Pendleton  road.  The  second  has 
now  become  l"t.  Wayne  avenue.  Central  ave- 
nue, Sutherland  avenue  in  part — the  old  Xobles- 
villo  road.  Eliakim  Harding  asked  for  a  road 
west  of  the  rivei-,  on  the  future  line  of  the  Na- 
tional road.  John  ilcCormiek  wanted  a  road 
from  the  end  of  Indiana  avenue  to  his  mill  on 
■Wliite  Kiver — about  the  line  of  the  old  La- 
fayette road.  Demas  JIcFarland  wanted  a  road 
to  the  southwest — the  line  of  the  old  iloores- 
ville  road.  All  of  these  were  ordered  "viewed", 
and  in  due  time  "cut  out"',  so  that  in  dn' 
weather  a  driver  had  no  difUeulty  in  getting 
through,  if  he  could  steer  around  stumps. 

On  the  14th  the  commissioners  divided  the 
county  into  road  districts  and  appointed  road 
supervisors.  The  "donation"  was  made  a  sepa- 
rate district,  with  John  Yanblaricum  as  super- 
visor. The  board  then  appointed  constables  as 
follows:  in  the  outlying  districts — for  Fall 
Creek  Township,  Isaac  Jones ;  for  Anderson, 
Allen  Makepeace;  for  White  Kiver,  Levi  Dick- 
son ;  for  Delaware,  Chapel  W.  Brown  and  Ed- 
ward M.  Dryer:  in  the  county  proper — for 
Washington-Lawrence,  Wm.  Cris  and  John 
Small ;  for  Pike-Wayne,  Joel  A.  Crane  and 
Charles  Eckard;  for  Centre- Warren,  Israel 
Harding,  Josejih  Duval,  Francis  Davis,  George 
Harlan,  Wm.  Phillips,  Caleb  Eeynolds,  Daniel 
Lakin,  Lewis  Ogle,  Samuel  Eoberts,  Joseph  Cat- 
terlin,  Henry  Cline,  Joshua  Glover  and  Pat- 
rick Kerr.  Later  in  the  day  Elias  Stallcop 
was  appointed  for  Dt>catur-Perry-Franklin.  The 
large  number  appointed  for  Centre- Warren  may 
have  been  in  view  of  probable  calls  on  them  for 
police  duty  in  the  town.  The  preponderating 
element  in  the  settlement  was  determined  to 
preserve  order,  and  indictments  for  "assault  and 
Ijattery"  and  "affray"  were  quite  common  in  the 
early  days. 

On  May  15  the  commissioners  made  np  their 
lists  of  petit  and  grand  jnrurs — 72  of  the  for- 
mer and  54  of  the  latter — from  which  the 
sheriff  was  to  take  his  venires.  As  the  treas- 
urer. Daniel  Yandcs,  declined  to  take  cliarge  of 
the  tax  duplii-atr.  Harris  Tyner  was  a])p(>inted 


collector  of  taxes,  as  provided  by  law.  At  that 
time  there  was  no  treasurer's  office,  and  the 
collector  usually  gave  public  notice  "to  all  who 
have  any  taxes  to  pay"  to  call  on  the  collector 
at  some  specified  place  and  pay.  And  this  they 
were  in  no  greater  hurry  to  do  in  those  days 
than  at  present,  as  appears  from  the  first  an- 
nual report  of  the  treasurer,  which  was  made  on 
Xovember  13,  1822,  as  follows: 

DANIia  YAXDES,   COIM'V  TltKASLlilCll.         Uli. 

To  amount  of  receipts  up  to  this  date, 
for  store  licenses,  tavern  licenses, 
and  taxes  on  certificates  and  sales 
and  writs    $169.93% 

To     certified     amount     of     county 

revenue  assessed  for  1822 726. TO 

To  the  balance  in  vour  favor  on  set- 
tlement  this    day    79 .  11^4 

$975.81 

TREASURER  CR. 

By  payment  to  grand  jurors  to  this 
"date" '. 2.25 

By  payment  to  county  commission- 
ers ' ." 36.00 

Bv  pavment  to  listing,  appraisers, 
"etc.  ". 70.50 

By  payment  to  prosecuting  attorney     15.25 

By  payment  to  expenses  of  the  courts 

and  juries 40 .30 

By  payment  to  returning  judges  of 

of  elections 9 .  50 

By  payment  to  building  county  jail         ^ 
account    140 . 50 

By  payment  to  Mork  on  court  house 
"square    59.00 

Bv  pavment  to  viewers  and  survevors 

of  roads    ."...       S.lSi/o 

P.y  payment  on  poor  account 5.00 

By  payment  on  school  section  ac- 
count             1 .  50 

By  payment  for  printing 32.871/^ 

$421.00 
To  treasurers  per  cent,  on  $421.00 

at  5  i)er  cent    21 .00 

By  amount  of  county  revenue  yet  due 
from  Harris  Tvner,  collector,  for 

the  year  1822    490.841/2 

Bv  amount  deducted  from  revenue 
'by  delinquents   42 . 871/2 

$975.84 


insTORV  OF  (; 


AT 


IXDl.WAI'OI.IS. 


The  "county  jail"'  iiiuutioiiud  in  tliis  state- 
ment was  ordered  ou  ilay  15.  IS'i'i.  when  Har- 
vey Bates,  sheriff  was  directed  to  take  bids  for 
a  log  structure,  fourteen  feet  cquare  inside,  and 
two  stories  higli.  The  lower  story,  or  dungeon, 
was  to  be  of  hewed  logs  at  least  12  inches  square, 
with  two  rounds  of  oak  or  walnut  logs  under- 
ground. The  sides  and  second  floor  were  of 
logs  of  the  same  size,  '"of  walnut,  oak,  ash, 
beech  or  sugar  tree"".  The  third  floor,  or  more 
properly  the  ceiling  of  the  second  story,  was 
of  logs  six  inches  thick  and  at  least  one  foot 
wide,  .\bove  this  was  a  roof  covered  witli 
jointed  shingles.  There  was  no  door  in  the 
lower  story,  and  but  one  window,  which  was 
one  foot  square  and  furnished  with  grate  liars 
of  iron  11^4  inches  thick,  let  3  inches  into  the 
logs.  There  was  a  similar  window,  two  feet  b}' 
six  inches  in  the  second  story,  and  also  a  door 
four  feet  by  two,  by  which  the  jai!  was  en- 
tered. This  door  was  reached  by  "a  carpenter's 
ladder"  on  tlie  outside,  and  the  prisoners  were 
put  into  the  dungeon  over  another  ladder  from 
a  traj)  two  feet  .square  in  the  center  of  the 
second  floor.  Both  doors  were  of  double  thick- 
ness of  two-inch  oak  iilank  and  furnished  with 
heavy  strap  hinges  and  locks.  The  contract  was 
awarded  to  Xoah  Leverton.  on  a  bid  of  $312, 
and  the  jail  was  built  on  the  northwest  corner 
of  tlie  Court  House  Square,  and  accepted  liy  the 
commissioners   on   August   12. 

But  liie  grand  jury  was  more  critical  than 
the  commissioners,  and  six  wi^eks  later,  on  Se]i- 
tember  28,  it  reported  that  it  found  "the  lower 
room  in  the  jail  of  said  county  insuflicient  to 
hold  criminals  for  want  of  sealing  the  inside 
and  boxing  the  corner.s".  and  further  "the  said 
lower  room  in  said  jail  at  this  time  needs 
cleansing" ;  from  which  it  would  appear  that 
Jeremiah  Jolinson,  the  first  jailor,  set  the  pace 
for  his  successors  in  oflice,  for  there  have  been 
few  jail  examinations  since  that  time  that  did 
not  result  in  some  criticism.  The  Grand  Jury 
was  quite  right  as  to  the  insecurity  of  the  jail, 
for  though  such  a  structure  might  seem  impreg- 
nable to  the  uninitiated  it  was  far  from  secure 
to  people  wiio  were  aeeuslonied  to  jirying  up 
a  log  in  a  cal)in  wall  and  throwing  out  the  cross 
log  under  it  for  an  entrance  when  they  did  not 
want  to  take  time  to  cut  a  door.  .Vnd  experi- 
ence convinced  tlie  commissioners  of  this,  for 
in  July,  1825,  they  ordered  the  jail  rebuilt,  or 
rather  reinforced  by  building  a  second  log  struc- 


ture around  it,  leaving  nine  inches  between  the 
two  all  around,  which  space  was  filled  by  logs 
set  on  end.  This  looked  safe,  but  they  had  over- 
looked the  to]),  and  the  prisoners  did  not.  On 
January  19,  1831,  the  aroused  commissioners 
ordered  the  sheriff  "to  have  a  new  log  put  in  the 
upper  loft  of  the  jail,  and  have  the  said  loft 
of  logs  closely  spiked  over  with  two-inch  plank, 
and  all  other  necessary  repairs  requisite  to 
make  the  jail  secure  for  prisoners,  as  well  debt- 
ors as  criminals" ;  also  to  "have  chains  and  bars 
to  secure  any  prisoner  safel}'  in  the  criminal 
room,  so  as  to  render  confinement  entirely  se- 
cure therein,  and  also  to  employ  a  sutlicient 
guard",  if  deemed  necessary. 

This  brought  peace  to  the  commissioners  for 
a  few  months,  but  on  September  24,  1831,  the 
Journal  contained  this  discouraging  item:  "The 
fall  term  of  the  Marion  Circuit  Court  com- 
mences on  ]\Ionday  next.  Those  persons  who 
were  confined  in  jail  on  suspicion  of  criminal 
offences  have  made  their  escape."  After  ma- 
ture deliberation,  on  Xovember  9,  1831,  the 
commissioners  ordered  "the  upper  log  to  be 
spiked  up,  and  the  jail  made  as  secure  as  it 
was  before  the  late  General  Jail  Delivery". 
These  precautions  sufliced  for  a  time,  presum- 
ably because  the  county  had  a  less  ingenious 
class  of  prisoners,  but  in  the  summer  of  1833  a 
new  nightmare  arose  before  the  commissioners. 
The  original  "Buffalo  J^ill"'  came  to  town — a 
strolling  negro,  wearing  a  black  cap  with  a  red 
leather  band,  and  leading  or  riding  at  jileasure 
a  ijuffalo,  from  the  exhibition  of  which  he  eked 
out  a  precarious  existence.  For  offense  against 
the  peace  and  dignity  of  the  state  he  was  locked 
up  in  the  dungeon,  and,  whether  inspired  by  the 
spirit  of  the  youth  "who  fired  the  Ephesian 
dome",  or  that  of  Samson  in  the  tenqile  of  the 
Philistines,  he  set  fire  to  the  building.  He  did 
it  so  efi'ectually  that  he  narrowly  escaped  death, 
and  left  nothing  of  the  jail  but  the  Imle-  where 
the  underground  logs  had  lain,  which  re- 
mained many  years  to  mark  the  spot. 

The  commissioners  took  some  time  to  devise 
a  system  of  imprisonment  that  would  imprison, 
and  on  January  (i,  1834.  ordered  a  new  jail 
"built  of  brick  principally",  that  was  at  least 
ingenious.  It  was  4fix20  feet  and  two- stories 
high,  with  a  hall  G  feet  wide  across  the  middle, 
making  two  rooms  20  feet  square  on  each  side, 
on  both  floors.  One  side  was  occupied  by  the 
jailor,  and  on  the  (itliev  I  he  upstairs  room  was 


58 


HISTORY  OF  0 HEATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


THE   FIRST   JAIL. 
(From   a  sketch   by  James   B.   Dunlap.) 


]I1ST()|;V    OF   (iREATEi;    IXDIANAI'Ol.lS. 


.".!» 


for  ili'blur.-  anil  thai  iluwn.-tairs  i'or  (jrunioals. 
Tlie  walls  of  the  criminal  room  rested  on  a 
brick  foundation  32  inches  thick,  and  were 
made  with  it  inches  of  brick  outside,  then  10  in- 
ches of  log,  and  inside  1.'5  inches  of  brick.  He- 
tween  each  two  layers  of  logs  there  were  three 
courses  of  brick  the  width  of  the  wall.  On  the 
inside,  at  intervals  of  3  feet,  were  scantling, 
''ironed  into  the  timber  between  the  two  walls", 
and  over  these  a  sheath  of  two-inch  oak  plank, 
fastened  with  (j-inch  spikes.  The  floor  was  on  a 
base  of  8-inch  timliers  laid  close  together,  above 
which  were  two  courses  of  brick  laiil  in  mortar; 
then  scantling  l(i  inches  apart  and  "levelled  u|i 
between  with  bricks  and  mortar",  to  which  was 
spikeil  the  floor  proper  of  "-i-inch  oak  plank. 
The  ceiling  was  of  brick,  set  on  edge  and  archeil, 
with  a  spring  of  18  inches.  And  finally,  the 
walls  and  floors  were  covered  with  "thick 
sheet  iron'',  nailed  on  with  8-penny  nails  which 
were  not  more  than  4  inches  apart  in  any  direc- 
tion. The  contract  for  this  jail  was  let  to 
Jacob  Turner,  for  $2,500,  and  it  served  to  hold 
the  prisoners  thereafter.  The  only  reinforce- 
ment it  received  was  a  cover  of  weather-board- 
ing which  was  put  on  in  IS-H).'"  Sulgrove 
states     that     "a      hewed-log     addition"     was 

'  made  on  the  north  side  of  the  jail  in 
!m4.")  "fni-  the  confinement  of  the  \\ih>\ 
[irisoners",  but  there  is  no  mention  of  this  in 
the  commissioners'  records.     .\  singular  fatality 

j  occurred  in  this  jail  on  .\ngnst  .'!,  lS5;i.  (ieorge 
Lingcnfelter  was  arrested  and  confined  in  the 
u])per  room  for  into.xication.  He  fell  through 
the  hatchway  to  the  lower  room,  and  as  he 
fell  caught  the  open  trap  door  with  his  hand, 
pulling  it  to  on  his  head.  Jt  wa.<  of  honvy  onk, 
cased  with  iron,  and  crushed  his  skull,  killing 
him  instantly. 

By  18.);}  this  jail  bad  liccmiie  ant  iipuitrd. 
It  was  too  small,  and  there  was  no  provision 
for  separation  of  prisoners.  It  was  decided  to 
build  an  up-to-date  jail,  and  on  February  12  of 
that  year  a  new  jail  was  ordered,  with  walls  of 
<-ut  stone,  18  inches  thick.  It  was  24  feet  high, 
including  2  feet  of  hard  limestone  underground, 
and  till'  floors  were  of  flagstones  .'!  inches  thick, 
laid  on  2  feet  (d'  concrete.  Within  were  twd 
rows  of  cut-stone  cells,  set  back  to  back,  if,  in 
all,  se])arated  by  walls  of  cast  or  hoiler  iron. 
For  the  building  of  this  jail  $10,000  of  ccnnity 


'"/.Vc.  .">,  pp.  i;  I.  111.",. 


bonds  wci-e  issued,  and  a  spi'cial  tax  of  15  cents 
on  each  $100  of  jjroperty,  and  25  cents  poll, 
was  levied  to  meet  the  bonds  and  jiay  interest. 
Jnchuled  with  the  jail  was  a  jailor's  house  of 
brick,  45x20  and  two  stories  high.  There  were 
rooms  in  this  that  were  used  by  some  jailors 
for  the  confinement  of  favori'd  prisoners,  who 
were  willing  to  pay  for  .separation  from  the 
common  run.  These  buildings  stood  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  square,  and  were  fairly 
serviceable,  though  there  were  occasional  es- 
cajH's,  one  ])ai-ty  resorting  to  the  ungentlemanly 
mode  of  pulling  up  a  flagstone  in  the  floor  and 
crawling  out  through  the  sewer.  The  citv  out- 
grew the  jail  and  the  additions  that  were  made 
to  it,  and  when  the  Hoard  of  State  Charities 
was  organized  in  1889,  the  jail  fell  under  its 
condemnation.  It  had  been  overcrowded  for 
several  years,  and  the  ventilation  and  sewerage 
were  wholly  inadecpiate.  There  was  no  suHi- 
cient  provision  for  (deanliness  of  either  the 
prisoners  or  their  clothing.  In  1891  a  new 
jail  was  decided  on,  and  $15(1,000  of  bonds 
were  issued  for  its  construction.  Over  consid- 
erable protest  it  was  located  half-a-scpiare  south 
of  the  Court  IIou,se  Square,  and,  on  its  com- 
pletion the  old  jail  was  removed  and  the  Court 
lIou.se  alone  left  on  the  s([uare. 

In  taking  leave  of  the  old  jail  it  is  worthy  of 
note  that  it  was  the  scene  of  the  only  judicial 
executions  that  ever  occurred  in  Marion  ('(uinty. 
Marion  County  had  hecm  singularly  free  from 
cold-blooded  homicide,  until,  on  Se|)tember  13, 
18()8,  the  community  was  startled  and  shocked 
by  "the  Cold  Spring  murder",  the  most  cele- 
brated in  its  annals.  The  dead  bodies  of  Jacob 
'I'oung  and  his  wife  were  found  in  a  chun])  of 
willows  on  a  gravel-bar,  now  in  Riverside  Park, 
just  above  "the  Cold  S])ring",  which  is  at  the 
west  cml  of  the  foot  bridge  over  White  I{iver 
just  at  the  north  of  Emmerich's  (irove.  The 
ease  was  puzzling  at  first,  but  investigation  soon 
wove  a  web  of  circumstantial  evidence  about 
Xancv  E.  Clem,  her  brother  Silas  W.  Hartman, 
and  \Vm.  J.  .\brams,  who  was  proved  to  have 
bought  the  gun  found  on  the  ground.  They 
were  indicted  on  October  20,  and  on  the  elec- 
tion of  the  defense  to  try  Mrs.  Clem  first  slu- 
was  brought  to  trial  on  Decend)er  21.  (ien. 
!'>'  nj.  Harrison,  W'ni.  P.  Fishhack  and  John 
T.  !  )ye  were  employetl  to  assist  in  the  prosecu- 
tion  of  the  case.  The  prosecutor,  John  S.  Dun- 
can, was  the  voungest  that  I'ver  hrld  the  office — 


CO 


ISToi;^-   OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAl'OMS. 


not  yet  22 — but  he  won  his  spurs  in  the  trial. 
The  defense  was  ecjndiicted  by  John  Hanna, 
(ien.  Fred  Knefler,  and  W.  W.  Leathers — Jon- 
atlian  W.  Gordon  was  added  at  the  second  trial. 
The  evidence  was  wholly  circumstantial.  On 
the  night  that  the  State  finished  its  case  the 
defense  held  a  consultation  and  Leathers,  who 
was  i^erhaps  the  best  criminal  lawyer  at  the 
bar,  desired  to  i;o  to  tlie  jury  on  the  State's 
case,  as  the  defense  had  nothing  to  otfer  but  a 
weak  alibi ;  but  he  was  overruled.  The  jury  dis- 
agreed, eleven  for  acquittal  and  one  for  con- 
viction, and  that  one,  Anton  Wiese,  stood  on  the 
gi'ound  that  if  Jlrs.  Clem  was  not  at  the  scene 
of  the  murder  she  could  prove  where  she  was, 
and  she  had  tried  it  and  failed. 

A  second  trial  soon  followed,  and  in  it 
the  State  had  some  additional  evidence  in  the 
statements  of  two  witnesses  who  had  seen  Mrs. 
Clem  and  Hartnum  driving  in  a  buggy  from  the 
direction  of  the  tragedy  on  the  afternoon  when 
it  occurred.  On  iMareh  2,  the  jury  returned 
a  verdict  of  murder  in  the  second  degree — prob- 
ably a  compromise  verdict.  A  few  days  later 
Hnrtman  made  a  confession,  which  nobody  be- 
lieved, intended  to  exculpate  his  sister,  but 
merely  establishing  his  own  guilt.  It  was  pub- 
lished with  critical  comment  on  March  10,  and 
that  night  Hartman  committed  suicide  by  cut- 
ting his  throat,  or,  as  some  believed,  was  killed 
by  Abrams,  who  was  his  cell-mate.  ]\Irs.  Clem's 
case  went  to  the  Supreme  Covirt  and  was  re- 
versed.^" It  then  went  to  Boone  County  on 
cliange  of  venue,  and  the  trial  resulted  in  an- 
other conviction  of  murder  in  the  second  de- 
gree; but  it  was  likewise  reversed  by  the  Su- 
preme Court.-"  Following  this  the  case  was 
dismissed  by  Prosecutor  Wall,  of  Boone  County. 
There  was  much  jiublic  dissatisfaction  at  the 
result,  and  some  urging  of  a  now  indictment, 
l)ut  some  important,  witnesses  had  left  the  state, 
and  it  was  thought  impossible  to  make  a  case. 
On  :\rarch  IS,  1874.  the  Board  of  County  Com- 
missioners recorded  a  declaration  that  they 
"would  incur  no  further  expense  in  the  prose- 
cution of  Nancy  E.  Clem".-'  IMeanwliile  Ab- 
rams was  convicted  and  sentenced  to  life  ini- 
]irisonment,  but  he  was  pardoned  by  Governor 
AVilliams,  on  .Tulv  -T.  1878.    There  was  evidence 


"33  Ind.,  418. 
="42  Ind..  420. 
-']'rrnr/l   12.   p.    ().")•"). 


adduced  in  the  cases  tending  to  show  that 
Mrs.  Clem  was  operating  a  system  of  inter- 
changeable loans,  like  the  more  recent  Cassie 
Chadwick  system,  and  at  a  certain  point  fright- 
ening her  duped  creditors  into  silence  by  threats 
of  exposure  of  participation  in  the  profits  of 
counterfeiting,  or  some  other  illegal  business. 
It  was  commonly  believed  that  the  Youngs  were 
involved  with  her  in  the  business,  and  that 
they  were  killed  to  get  possession  of  a  large 
sum  of  money  that  was  in  their  possession. 
The  theory  of  the  character  of  the  business  was 
.-trengthened  a  few  years  later  by  the  disclos- 
ures in  a  case  where  Mrs.  Clem  was  convicted 
of  perjury,  for  which  she  served  a  term  of  four 
years  in  tlie  Women's  Prison. 

The  next  shocking  crime  after  the  Cold 
Spring  murder  was  Wm.  Cluck's  murder  of  his 
wife,  on  April  2.'),  1872.  He  was  a  natural 
brute,  made  unnatural  by  liquor,  in  which  he 
indulged  freely.  He  habitually  mistreated  his 
wife,  and  one  day,  after  snapping  a  gun  at  her, 
informed  her  that  he  would  pour  coal  oil  on 
her  and  her  child  while  they  slept,  and  burn 
them  up.  The  terrified  woman  left  him  at  the 
first  opportunity  and  took  refuge  with  a  friendly 
family.  On  the  day  mentioned,  Cluck  came 
there  and  undertook  to  drag  her  to  his  house. 
She  broke  away  from  him  and  he  shot  her — 
shot  her  a  second  and  a  third  time  as  she  was 
on  her  knees  begging  for  life.  He  w-as  con- 
victed and  sentenced  to  be  hanged  on  December 
20,  1872.  His  case  was  taken  to  the  Supreme 
Court  and  aflirmed.^^  Some  well-meaning  ]ieo- 
ple  became  active  in  his  l)e]iall',  jn-obably 
influenced  most  by  tlie  idea  that  an  execu- 
tion would  be  a  disgrace  to  the  county. 
Governor  Baker  declined  to  commute  the  sen- 
tence, hut  gave  the  man  a  respite  to  January  3. 
to  make  preparation  for  death.  He  prepared 
by  issuing  a  letter  in  which  he  denounced  his 
lawyers,  the  press,  and  the  ]nibiic  in  genci-al,-''' 
and  securing  a  sufficient  amount  of  morphine 
which  he  took  on  the  night  of  December  31, 
lie  ended  his  existence. 

On  December  24,  1877,  William  Greenley,  a 
negro,  killed  Ida  Kersey,  a  married  woman  with 
whom  he  was  maintaining  illicit  relations.  He 
was  indicted  at  the  January  term,  1878,  con- 
victed and  sentenced  to  death.     The  case  was 


"40  Ind..  2r>3. 

-•'Jnunifil.  Deceinber  30.  1872. 


IIISTOKY   OF   CltEATKIJ    IXDI ANArOT.IS. 


61 


appealed  to  the  Supreme  Cuurt  and  allinuod,-' 
but  Governor  Williams  commuted  the  sen- 
tence to  imprisonment  for  life  on  May  15, 
1S78.  On  July  3,  came  the  pardon  of 
Abranis,  and  following  it  came  a  carnival 
of  blood.  On  July  16,  John  Achey,  a 
gambler,  killed  (Jeorge  Leggett,  a  supposed 
partner  whom  he  charged  with  robbing  him, 
and  who  probably  did.  On  September  16, 
Wra.  Merrick,  a  livery-stable  keeper,  killed  his 
wife  under  peculiarly  atrocious  circumstances 
— a  woman  whom  he  had  seduced,  robbed,  and 
married  to  secure  the  dismissal  of  bastardy  pro- 
ceedings ;  and  who  sued  for  divorce  before 
her  child  was  born  on  account  of  bad  treat- 
ment. On  Se])tomber  19,  Louis  Guetig  killed 
Mary  Mc(ilrw.  a  waitress  at  his  uncle's  hotel. 
who  had  declined  to  accept  his  attentions.  Achey 
might  have  escaped  the  death  penalty  but 
for  the  state  of  public  mind  caused  by  the 
combination.  He  was  convicted  on  Xovember 
7  and  sentenced  to  death.  Guetig  was  con- 
victed on  Xovember  28  and  sentenced  to  death. 
Merrick  was  convicted  on  December  13  and  sen- 
tenced to  death,  the  jury  being  out  only  eleven 
minutes.  They  were  all  sentenced  to  be  hanged 
on  January  29,  18T9,  but  Guetig's  case  was 
appealed  to  the  Supreme  Court  which  reversed 
it  on  a  small  technicality  in  an  instruction. 
Achey  and  Merrick  were  hanged  at  the  same 
time,  on  one  scaffold,  in  the  jail  yard,  on  Jan- 
uary 29.  Guetig  was  tried  again,  convicted,  and 
sentenced  to  death.  The  Supreme  Court  af- 
firmed this  decision-"'  and  he  was  hanged  on 
September  29,  18'<9,  at  the  same  place. 

After  these  executions  there  was  a  lull  in 
capital  offenses  until  1885.  On  June  24  of  that 
year  Kobert  Phillips,  a  negro,  killed  his  wife, 
in  a  fit  of  insane  jealousy,  and  cut  his  own 
throat.  Tlie  doctors  patched  him  up  sufli- 
ciently  to  allow  of  his  conviction  on  December 
14,  and  his  execution  on  April  8,  1886.  These 
four  cases  were  the  only  executions  that  ever 
occurred  within  the  county  limits,  and  as  on 
March  6,  1889,  an  act  was  passed  requiring  all 
future  executions  to  be  made  at  the  state  pris- 
ons,-" it  is  probable  that  they  will  be  the  last. 
But  the  death  penalty  has  been  pronounced  sev- 
eral times.     On  .Vugust  24,  1889,  Edward  Az- 


nian  murdered  Bertha  Eltf  and  then  cut  Iiis 
(jwn  throat.  He  was  rescued  by  the  surgeon, 
convicted,  and  sentenced  to  death;  but  the  Su- 
preme Court  reversed  the  case-^  and  on 
change  of  venue  to  Johnson  County  he  was 
allowed  to  plead  giiilty  to  murder  in  the  sec- 
ond degree  and  take  a  life  sentence.     On  April 

14,  1893,  Parker  and  McAfee,  two  young  negro 
toughs,  murdered  Chas.  Eyster,  a  druggist  on 
North  Senate  avenue.  They  were  convicted 
and  sentenced  to  death,  but  the  Supreme  Court 
reversed  the  decision-''  and  on  change  of  venue 
to  Johnson  County  they  received  life  sentences. 
On  September  9,  1902,  Orie  Coppenhaver  mur- 
dered his  wife,  and  his  sentence  to  death  was 
affirmed  bv  the  Supreme  Court-"  and  he  was 
hanged  at":Michigan  City.  On  May  12,  1903. 
Edward  Hoover  murdered  his  father-in-law. 
Frank  Sutton.  Hoover's  wife  had  left  him,  and 
he  sent  word  to  her  father  to  come  and  get  her 
things  or  he  would  sell  them;  when  he  came 
Hoover  shot  him.  The  Supreme  Court  affirnicil 
the  death  sentence^''  and  he  was  hanged  at 
:\Iichigan  City.  On  January  26,  1905. 
Bei'kely  Smith  was  convicted  and  sentenced 
to  death  for  murdering  his  wife;  and  he 
was  executed  at  ilichigan  Citv  on  June  3(1. 
On  September  30,  1906,  Patrolman  Chas.  J. 
Russell  and  I'>dward  J.  Petticord  were  killed 
by  Jesse  Coe  and  George  Williams,  two  negro 
desperadoes,  while  resisting  arrest.  Williams 
was  captured,  convicted  and  sentenced  to  death 
on  Octol)cr  12,  and  banged  at  .Michigan  City. 
Coe  escaped,  and  liafllcd  pui-suit  for  nearly  two 
years,  but  was  betrayed  by  a  cousin,  lured  into 
a  trap  and  killed  by  officers  on  August  25,  1908, 
in  Kentucky. 

The  act  of  December  31,  1821,  cstablisiiing 
the  co\inty  as  mentioned,  bad  donated  $8,000 
for  a  court  bouse,  suitalile  for  use  as  a  state 
house  until  a  state  bouse  should  be  built,  wjiich 
was  to  be  commenced  within  one  year  after  the 
taking  effect  of  the  act,  and  to.be  completed 
within  three  years  thereafter.  This  matter 
was   given   prompt   attention,    and   by   August 

15,  1822,  satisfactory  plans  luid  been  prepared 
by  Jolni  E.  Bak(>r  and  James  Paxton,  which 
were  adopted  by  tlie  commissioners,  and  on  that 


='60  Ind..  1  11. 
"'  66  Ind.,  94. 
-\icix  ISSO,  p.  192. 


"  123  Ind.,  3-11. 

"136  Ind.,  284. 

=M60  Ind.,  .540. 

■"•161  Ind.,  318. 


(;•> 


IIISTOIJV   (»!•'   (IKKATEU   IXDIAXAI'OI.IS. 


date  the  clerk  was  iiistriiuted  to  advertise  for 
bids  for  the  erection  of  the  building.  It  was 
to  be  forty-live  feet  front,  facing  Washington 
street,  by  sixty  feet  deep,  and  '•ninety-four  feet 
high",  but  of  this  last  dimension  forty-nine  feet 
six  inches  was  cupola,  dome,  belfry,  spire  and 
vane.  The  building  was  two  stories  liigh,  the 
first  story  "K;  feet  between  joists"'  and  the 
second  lo.  It  stood  on  a  foundation  3  feet 
thick  and  j  feet  high,  of  which  1.S  inches  was 
under  ground.  The  walls  were  of  brick,  "-iT 
inches  thick  in  the  lower  story,  and  'i'i  inches 
in  the  second.  The  specifications  called  for  a 
roof  of  jjoplar  shingles,  five  inches  to  the  wea- 
ther, and  "a  Doric  cornice  gutter  on  the  roof, 
and  four  tin  conductors  with  capitals".  The 
entrance  from  the  front  was  into  a  hall  13 14 
feet  wide  running  across  the  building,  east 
and  west,  except  that  a  room  I0I4  feet  square 
was  cut  oflE  the  west  end.  Back  of  these  was  the 
main  court  room,  or  house  of  representatives, 
which  was  40^/0  feet  square.  From  the  hall  a 
stairway  led  to  the  second  story,  to  a  similar 
hall  with  a  similar  room  cut  oil'  the  west  end. 
Back  of  these,  on  each  side,  was  a  room  1(> 
feet  square,  and  lietween  them  a  hall  led  to  the 
second  court  room,  or  senate  chamber,  which 
was  411/4  feet  by  'i'>.  At  a  special  meeting 
on  September  3,  the  commissioners  awarded 
the  contract  to  the  architects  John  E.  Baker  and 
James  Paxton,  for  $13,990.  This  was  a  stiff 
advance  on  the  legislative  appropriation  of 
$8,000,  but  by  act  of  January  -i.  1824,  the 
legislature  appropriated  the  additional  $.5,991). 
This  was  with  a  jiroviso  that  the  commissioners 
should  provide  a  gallery  across  the  south  end  of 
the  representative  hall,  ■"surticient  and  suitable 
for  the  accommodation  of  spectators  and  others, 
with  at  least  two  rows  of  seats  therein"' ;  and 
should  furnish  the  two  legislative  chambers  with 
"good,  suitable,  suthcient  and  complete  seats, 
with  good,  substantial,  sufficient  and  complete 
tables  in  front  of  the  same,  for  the  accom- 
modation of  one  hundred  persons:  ami  the 
said  tables  sliall  have  in  them  one  hundred 
drawers,  of  a  large  and  convenient  size,  with 
good  locks  and  keys  thereto  for  the  use  of  sena- 
tors and  representatives,  and  the  said  seats  and 
tables  shall  he  made  substantial,  firm,  sulfi- 
eient  and  suitable  and  be  finished  in  good  and 
complete,  plain,  workmanlike  manner"",  other- 
wise the  agent  of  state  >lioul(l  "pay  over  none 
of    the   a])pro|)riation."      The   conditions    were 


jironiptly  accepted;  in  fact  the  commissioners 
Went  beyond  them,  and  on  February  11,  1824, 
called  for  a  contract  to  furnish  "eighty  Windsor 
chairs  of  a  plain,  substantial  kind,  to  be  suit- 
ably painted  and  finished.""-" 

But,  to  return  to  1822,  the  commissioners 
proceeded  on  their  march  of  improvement  <<[ 
the  Court  House  Square  by  providing,  on  No- 
vember 13,  for  a  public  well,  "to  be  dug  so  deep 
that  there  will  be  at  least  three  feet  of  water 
therein"",  to  be  curbed  with  a  good,  strong  and 
sufficient  frame,  as  customary,  with  fit  boards"", 
and  also  with  "a  strong  and  suitable  sweep". 
On  February  11,  1823,  they  provided  further 
for  a  pound,  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
square,  to  be  made  50  feet  square  and  se- 
curely fenced — the  posts  to  be  made  of  walnut 
and  the  rails  of  oak — and  with  a  strong  gate, 
fastened  by  a  heavy  lock.  These  were  the 
only  additional  structures  on  the  square  for 
some  years.  The  court  house  was  completed 
and  accepted  on  January  T,  1825,  by  the  com- 
missioners, although  they  were  not  then  in 
office  for  other  purposes.  By  the  act  of  Jan- 
uary 31,  1824.  boards  of  county  commissioners 
were  discontinued  in  Indiana,  and  the  county 
business  was  transacted  by  boards  coni])osed  of 
the  justices  of  the  peace  of  the  county.  Part 
of  the  counties  were  put  hack  under  the  old 
system  by  special  acts — Clarion  County  by  act 
of  January  19,  1831 — and  the  commissioner 
system  was  restored.  By  special  act  of  Feb- 
ruary 7,  1835.  Marion  County  again  went  back 
to  the  Board  of  Justices.  This  act  was  re- 
pealed on  February  7,  1837,  and  the  Commis- 
sioners were  permanently  restored. 

The  court  house  was  tlie  only  public  building 
in  Indianapolis  for  some  years,  and  the  only 
one  suitable  for  public  meetings.  In  addi- 
tion to  its  use  as  a  state  house  and  a  court 
house  for  federal,  supreme  and  local  courts,  the 
Board  of  Justices  on  March  ',,  1825,  provided 
that  "the  Representative  Hall  shall  be  appro- 
priated for  religious  worshij)  on  particular 
occasions"",  and  put  the  buihling  in  charge  of 
the  sheriff  with  an  evident  understanding  that 
others  might  use  it.  for  they  "provided,  that 
each  society  or  other  person  using  any  of  the 
rooms  shall  leave  such  room  in  as  clean  and 
>rood    order   a>    tlir    >.-nrii'   mav   lii'    in    when    rc- 


■■'L'rronl.   p.    12!. 


HISTUIJV    OF   Clv'KATKi;    1  XDIAXAI'OLIS. 


ti;! 


ceivi'd  by  tliclii""."-  Tlu'  public,  liowcvur,  did 
not  cxiTfisr  as  jtrcat  can'  of  tbe  i)uibling  as 
Ava?  aiiticipatfd.  Toi-  on  September  4,  IS'.i'i,  as 
the  eierk  bad  ottered  to  provide  rooms  for  bis 
and  the  recorders"  oHices  "in  a  good  brick  buihl- 
ing,  in  a  ])ublic  |iart  of  Indianapolis,  at  his 
own  expense,  it  i.-  m-dci-ed  that  the  said  ((uii't 
house  be  kept  closed  bv  the  sheriff  of  the  county 
excej)!  at  courts  or  sessions  of  the  Hoard  or 
Legislature,  after  the  clerk's  otlice  is  rc- 
niove<r'.''"''  The  c(Hnmissioners  paid  $;],U()1.-II 
for  repair-  tn  the  liuilding  on  Ai)i'il  'i'i,  1S4(I, 
and  tliere  i>  no  i-ci-di-d  of  tlie  building  being 
opened  to  the  public  till  September  8.  184"^, 
when  it  was  ordered  that  it  might  be  used  by 
"any  iteligious  society,  or  any  Horticultural  or 
Agricultui-al  society,  or  the  Washington  or 
other  temj)erance  society",  the  occupants 
to  be  res])onsible  for  any  damages  and 
to  ])ay  the  sherilf  foi-  extra  work  occa- 
sioned. From  that  time  on  it  was  the 
chief  assembling  ]ilace  for  all  sorts  of  meetings 
and  entertainments  until  private  halls  wcie 
built. 

On  January  'iii.  lS-.'7,  the  legislalure  appro- 
priated !f;.")()0  to  build  an  ollice  for  tbe  (dcrk  of 
the  Supreme  Court,  on  the  Court  House  Sipuirc. 
This  wa.s  a  one-story  brick  building,  l!(ixl8,  and 
stood  next  to  Delaware  street,  opposite  Court 
street.  It  stood  until  1855,  when  it  was  tmii 
down,  and  the  otlice  moved  to  the  state  house. 
On  June  7,  1844,  the  commissioners  ordered  a 
building  for  the  county  ollicers,  which  was 
built  on  the  west  side  of  the  square,  east  of 
the  little  otlice  of  the  clerk  of  the  Supreme 
Court.  It  was  a  onc-.story  brick  (il '/-.'x;?!.  di- 
vided int«  three  offices,  each  of  which  hail  a 
fire-proof  vault.  .\  second  story  was  ;idded  to 
it   in    1805,   and    it   was    used    unlil    tlu^    prcs- 


^^Record,  p.   182. 
"■'■Rcronl.  p.  -'I!). 


cut  court  house  was  completed.  In  preparation 
for  tile  building  of  the  present  court  house. 
a  temporary  court  house  was  constructed  in 
18U8  north  of  the  county  oflices.  It  was  at 
first  intended  to  rent  quarters  for  the  courts, 
but  the  lawyers  were  of  opinion  that  the  courts 
were  legally  l)ound  to  sit  on  the  Court  House 
Sipiare,  and  so  it  was  built  there.  It  was  a 
two-story  brick,  'i'he  contract  was  let  to  ^lil- 
liT  \'  Schaaf  on  .May  .">.  for  •$()..■>■; <l,  and  it  was 
completed  and  accepted  on  Scptendn'r  ■;.  When 
the  Superior  Court  was  created  in  1871,  more 
room  was  needed,  and  an  addition  44x50  was 
built  on  the  west  side,  reaching  to  Delaware 
stre(>t.  The  contract  for  this  was  let  to  George 
I'arkci-  for  $;!,lll(l.  These  were  the  only  offi- 
cial buildings  erected  on  the  Court  Honso 
Square.  in  18G4  the  rcjiublicans  put  up  a 
rough  Iranic  structure,  HOxlO  on  the  south 
side  of  the  sijuare,  for  political  meetings.  It 
was  "dedicated"  Septendjcr  21  by  Senator 
Henry  S.  Lane,  and  the  Journal  tried  to  chris- 
ten it  "the  Union  Tabernacle",  but  everybody 
i-alled  it  "The  Wigwam".  It  stood  for  a  year' 
or  so  and  was  ust'd  for  other  meetings  after 
tbe  campaign.  In  18t)7  a  temporary  building 
was  ])ut  uj)  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
square  for  the  saengerfest.  This  closed  on 
September  (J,  and  the  Y.  M.  ('.  A.,  with  com- 
mendable enterprise  secured  the  building  for 
"big  meetings"  on  September  7  and  8 ;  after 
which  it  was  also  used  for  a  short  time  for 
other  meetings.  In  187'^  another  "Wigwam"' 
was  built  by  the  republicans  on  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  square.  It  was  here  that  Henry 
Wilson,  candidate  for  Vice  President,  spoke  on 
.Vugust  5,  but  that  is  not  so  well  remembered 
as  the  speech  by  Hen  Hntler  at  the  same  place, 
in  which,  incensed  by  some  s\iggestion  of 
"spoons"  in  tbe  Scniuii'l.  he  paid  his  respects 
to  J.  .1.  Hiiigham  ami  also  lt>  Thos.  A.  llen- 
di'icks   in   his  most   caustic  style. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


Till-;    IMJLMORDIAL  LIFE. 


On  Decembur  1,  1823,  Calvin  Fletcher  wrote: 
"Seven  Indians  in  with  venison  and  bear's 
meat.  Vouison  hams  arc  I2V2  t-ents  a  piece, 
Captain  John,  a  Wyandotte  chief,  is  among  the 
number.""  Tliis  serves  to  introihiee  tliree  not- 
able classes  of  denizens  of  this  region  when  the 
settlement  began,  the  Indians,  the  deer,  and 
the  bears.  Altliough  one  occasionally  finds  a 
statement  from  some  old  settler  that  "the 
Indians  were  very  bad""  in  the  early  times,  it 
is  unquestionable  that  they  were  not.  The  Del- 
awares,  under  their  treaty  of  1818.  were  al- 
lowed to  occupy  their  lands  for  three  years,  and 
after  their  removal  the  Indians  of  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  state  occupied  part  of  their 
villages,  and  hunted  throughout  the  region  for 
several  years.  As  a  rule  they  were  very  well 
behaved,  but  they  were  fond  of  the  white  man's 
firewater,  and  occasionally  made  some  small 
disturbance  under  its  intiueuce.  The  Wyan- 
dotte Jolin  mentioned  above  was  considered  a 
dangerous  man  because  he  had  left  his  tribe 
on  account  of  some  oJl'ense ;  but  no  charges  of 
any  kind  are  recorded  against  him,  although  he 
lived  about  the  settlement  for  some  time,  oc- 
cupying a  liollow  sycamore  log  on  the  east  bank 
of  the  river,  just  above'  Washington  street.  It 
was  quite  commonly  believed  that  George  I'ogue 
was  killed  Ijy  Indians,  but  there  were  many 
who  did  not  believe  it.  The  only  real  Indian 
tragedy  anywhere  near  Indianapolis  was  the 
brutal  murder  by  white  men  of  an  inoffensive 
party  of  Indians,  east  of  Pendleton  in  1824. 
This  caused  some  alarm  lest  the  Indians  should 
retaliate,  but  they  were  entirely  satisfied  bv  the 
prompt  execution  of  the  chief  offenders,  Hiul- 
son.  Bridges  and  Sawvi'r.' 


\Siiiit]i'K    Indiana    Trinja.    pp.    .SI-'  ;    Diuin' 
True  Indian  Stories,  p.  1!)7. 


Uut  there  were  many  people  who  were  afraid 
of  Indians,  and  sensible  people  took  some  pre- 
cautions to  prevent  pilfering  by  them.  Con- 
sequently an  occasional  Indian,  with  an  ab- 
original development  of  the  bump  of  humor, 
would  undertake  to  scare  somebody.  Xowland 
records  a  case  of  a  drianken  Delaware,  called 
Big  Bottle,  who  started  to  chop  down  John 
McCormick"s  door,  in  1821,  because  Mrs. 
ilcCormick  had  refused  to  ferry  him  over  the 
river;  but  he  promptly  tiesisted  when  her  cries 
brouglit  several  white  men  to  the  scene,  and 
explained  that  he  merely  wished  to  "scare  white 
squaw".  He  was  put  across  the  river  with  the 
admonition  that  any  further  jesting  would 
probably  result  in  his  being  shot  by  her  hus- 
band. Complaint  was  also  made  to  Chief 
Anderson  \\ho  took  measures  to  prevent  any 
similar  annoyance  thereafter.  In  1822,  a  small 
party  of  Indians  passing  Samuel  McCornuck"s 
house,  about  where  the  ^laus  brewery  st^inds, 
picked  up  Amos  ilcCormick.  aged  three  years, 
and  started  off  with  him.  His  mother's  cries 
brought  some  men  who  were  working  in  "the 
deadening",  and  the  Indians  dropped  him  wWen 
they  saw  that  the  joke  was  getting  serious.  Some 
wliite  men  were  similarly  facetious.  Nat  Cox 
iunl  an  Indian  costume,  and  it  was  a  favorite 
diversion  of  his  to  dress  in  it,  and  sit  scowling 
on  a  log,  to  see  people  shy  away  from  him. 
These  were  as  near  Indian  hostilities  as  ever 
occurred  at  tins  ]ioint.  Berry  Sulgi-ove  re- 
lates an  incident  of  his  grandfather  being 
alarmed  by  an  Indian  following  him  in  the 
woods  where  West  Indianapolis  is.  He  was  on  a 
horse,  with  a  child  before  him.  and  whipped 
up  to  avoid  his  pursuer,  but  t]u>  Indian  in- 
creased his  speed  also.  Seeing  that  ho  would 
be  overtaken,  Mr.  Sulgrove  stopped,  and  when 
the  Indian  came  up  he  held  out  a  shoe  which 


(U 


HISTORY   OF   GKEATEK  lM>iA.\  Ai'ULlS. 


05 


the  child  had  lost  aud  which  he  desired  to 
return. - 

So  far  as  the  abundance  of  game  was  con- 
cerned, this  might  be  called  a  hunter's  para- 
dise. There  were  plenty  of  bears  and  wolves, 
and  an  occasional  panther,  or  catamount  as 
they  were  commonly  called,  but  the  chief 
trouble  the  settlers  had  with  them  was  in  pro- 
tecting their  stock  from  them.  Probably  Elisha 
Reddick,  the  first  settler  in  Lawrence  Township, 
had  the  most  varied  experience  in  this  line.  He 
was  the  first  settler  there,  and  brought  in  with 
him  twenty-five  hogs  and  a  dozen  sheep.  Soon 
after  his  arrival  he  had  a  lively  fight  with  a 
predacious  panther  that  weighed  about  a  hun- 
dred pounds,  and  finally  succeeded  in  killing  it 
with  an  ax.  He  also  killed  three  bears  and 
fifty  wild  cats  before  he  got  peaceably  settled.'' 
The  venerable  Dr.  AVm.  H.  Wishard  had  an  un- 
pleasant experience  with  wolves,  in  1826,  when 
a  boy  of  twelve.  His  parents  lived  at  the  edge 
of  Morgan  County  and  ho  had  come  up  to  get 
some  meal  ground  at  the  old  bayou  mill.  It  was 
nearly  dark  when  he  got  started  home,  and  in 
the  darkness  of  night,  in  the  dense  forest,  he 
found  his  path  obstructed  by  a  pack  of  wolves 
that  had  pulled  down  a  deer  on  the  trail.  But 
he  was  "nervy"',  aud  with  considerable  effort 
he  succeeded  in  making  his  way  around  them, 
through  the  thick  underbrush,  and  got  safely 
home.  Amos  Hanway  aud  Cloudsberrj'  Jones 
(older  brother  of  Wm.  Jones,  of  Cobum  & 
Jones)  when  boys,  saw  a  black  bear  on  Gov- 
ernor's Island,  which  was  opposite  Greenlawn 
Cemetery  before  the  river  shifted  its  channel ; 
and  some  years  later  a  large  bear  was  chased 
out  of  the  corn  fields  near  Xorth  street.  Row- 
land mentions  a  bear  being  killed  near  where 
Morton  place  now  is,  about  1846.'' 

Deer  were  very  abundant,  and  not  very  shy. 
Robert  Duncan  said  he  had  killed  many  of 
them,  but  never  shot  at  one  running,  because 
powder  and  lead  were  expensive  and  he  could 
get  all  he  wanted  standing.  Owing  to  the 
dense  underbrush,  the  larger  part  of  the  deer- 
liunting  was  done  on  the  river.  Says  Mr. 
Duncan :  "As  an  evidence  of  the  great  abund- 
ance of  wild  game  in  this  section  of  the  coun- 
try at  that  early  day,  and  the  easy  manner  of 


'Hist.  Iiidianapolis.  p.  G9. 
'Sulr/rnve  Hist.,  p.  .537. 
*Rem{niscences,  p.  42. 
Vol.  1—5 


capturing  the  same,  it  is  only  necessary  for 
lue  to  state  that  Robert  Harding,  one  of  the 
very  early  settlers  named  in  my  former  sketch, 
during  the  summer  of  the  year  1820,  on  one 
occasion  pushed  his  canoe  containing  his  hunt- 
ing material  from  the  mouth  of  Fall  Creek 
(near  which  he  was  living)  up  the  river  to  a 
jioint  about  the  fourth  of  a  mile  below  where 
the  bridge  across  While  Eiver  on  the  Michigan 
road  is  situated,  being  about  five  miles  north  of 
Fall  Creek,  from  which  point  he  started  home- 
ward about  10  o'clock  p.  m.,  and  on  his  way 
home  killed  nine  deer,  all  bucks,  having  de- 
termined that  night  to  kill  nothing  but  bucks. 
On  another  occasion,  during  the  fall  of  the 
same  year,  he  and  his  brother  Eliakim,  who  had 
by  this  time  joined  him,  at  a  point  near  where 
the  pork-houses  of  Kingan  and  Ferguson  now 
stand,  killed  thirty-seven  turkeys  out  of  one 
dock,  Robert  killing  twenty-five  and  Eliakim 
twelve.  Tills  kind  of  slaughter  was  not  fre- 
quent but  the  killing  of  three  or  four  deer,  a 
half  dozen  to  a  dozen  turkeys,  and  fifteen  or 
twenty  pheasants  by  a  single  person  in  a  single 
day  or  night  hunt  (deer  being  mostly  killed  in 
the  night  time)    was  not  unfrequent."  ■' 

Rev.  J.  C.  Fletcher  bears  testimony  to  the 
abundance  of  game  at  a  later  date.  He  says 
that  one  day,  in  1834,  when  walking  with 
lus  father,  he  saw  a  flock  of  turkeys  light  in  a 
tree  in  what  is  now  Military  Park.  Soon  ;Mr. 
Pulliam,  partner  of  Samuel,  Henderson  in  the 
tavern,  and  Jacob  Cox,  the  early  artist,  who 
were  pursuing  them,  came  up,  and  Pulliam 
killed  nine  and  Cox  three  out  of  the  flock.  Mr. 
Fletclier  also  makes  the  following  statement: 
"In  the  first  week  of  January,  1831,  I  was 
with  my  uncles  James  and  John  Hill,  who 
were  on  their  way  to  the  farm  of  the  former 
(which  was  very  near  where  Brightwood  is 
now)  and  I  saw  a  large  herd  of  deer  bound 
across  the  road  into  the  woods  not  far  from 
the  present  locality  of  Fletcher  &  Thomas's 
brick  yard.  Wild  'turkeys  in  1821  were  \-2\'.> 
cents  apiece,  but  if  several  were  bought  there 
was  a  large  discount.  In  the  spring  of  1822, 
wild  pigeons  were  sold  at  25  cents  by  the 
bushel.  In  marked  contrast  to  this  were  the 
prices  of  all  manufactured  or  imported  ar- 
ticles. There  were  two  stores,  if  sucli  little  two- 
penny shops  could  be  dignified  by  that  name. 


'"hid.  Hist.  Soc.  Pubs..  Vol. 


]..  387. 


(Hi 


HISTOEY  OF  GlJEATErw  INDIANAPOLIS. 


Thesi'  wcro  kc[)t  liy  .1.  iS;  J.  (iivan  ami  by  •!.  '1". 
Of^ljonu-.  The  lattur  alturwards  weut  to  Nuw 
Orleans.  The  roads  rroui  this  place  ti)  the 
Ohio  Were  almost  impassable,  and  most  of  the 
importation  came  from  the  Whitewater  coun- 
trv.  I'oor  coffee  was  50  cents  per  pound,  tea 
$1.50  ditto,  while  coarse,  thin,  shabby  muslin 
for  shirting  was  from  43%  to  io  cents  per 
yard.  1  do  not  find  the  price  of  flour  in  my 
mother's  journal  in  18-.il,  but  1  learn  that,  in 
1822,  good  flour,  brought  from  'Goodlander's 
mill,  in  yonder  on  Whitewater"  was  from  $7 
to  $8  per  Ijarrel :  a  coarser  flour  brought  $3 
per  hundred  pounds.  Corn  meal  was  75  cents 
per  bushel  and  corn  was  50  cents  per  bushel; 
jiork  was  from  $2  to  $2.50  per  hundred,  and 
beef  \v:is  from  $2.50  to  $3  per  hundred"." 

Turkeys  often  came  into  the  town.  Xow- 
land  mentions  one  being  killed  at  the  corner 
of  Washington  and  Missouri  streets  on  Decem- 
ber 24,  1820,  that  weighed  twenty-three  pounds, 
and  was  so  fat  that  it  burst  open  when  it  fell 
from  the  tree ;  also  one  being  shot  from  the 
top  of  Hawkins"  tavern  in  1825,  during  the 
session  of  the  legislature;  and  adds  that  "it 
was  no  uncommon  thing,  about  the  years  184(i- 
T  for  turkeys  to  be  killed  on  the  northern  ])art 
of  the  Donation"".'  .\aron  D.  Olir  caught  one 
in  the  (i()\i'rnor"s  Circle  in  1841.  it  bad  been 
frightened  by  hunters  from  the  woods 
about  the  present  Blind  Asylum  and 
on  being  pursued  took  refuge  in  the  base- 
ment of  the  old  mansion  house.  Waterfowl 
of  all  kinds  were  abundant,  especially  ducks 
and  geese,  in  the  fall  and  s])ring.  Swans  were 
rare.  Amos  Ilanway  saw  Hocks  on  the  river  at 
three  times,  but  the  only  one  killed,  of  which 
there  is  any  record,  was  bagged  by  George 
Smith,  the  pioneer  ]iublisher,  in  the  spring  of 
1822.  The  smaller  fur-bearing  animals  were 
very  numerous,  especially  raccoons  and  squir- 
rels, which  occasionally  did  very  serious  dam- 
age to  the  crops.  At  the  same  time  many  a 
settler  was  enabled  to  hold  out  while  he  cloareil 
his  farm,  and  got  a  start  by  the  sale  of  'coon 
skins,  which  always  had  a  cash  value.  In  fact 
this  advantage  of  the  abundance  of  game  ranks 
next  in  importance  to  its  increase  of  the  supply 
of  food,  and  that  was  almost  vital  to  some. 
Robert    Brown    wlio    li\cd    for    eiijht    vears    cm 


^Xrirs.  :Marcli  2!i.   18:!). 
''Remniisii'iii-i's.   pp.   Ki.  42. 


the  site  of  the  Blind  Asylum,  would  kill 
enough  game  to  last  his  family  for  a  week  or 
two,  and  then  go  out  and  work  on  his  farm, 
south  of  Irvington,  until  he  got  it  cleared,  and 
a  house  built. 

The  last  Indianapolis  man  who  made  any 
business  of  hunting  was  George  W.  Pitts,  who 
said  of  his  experience:  "I  commenced  trapping 
about  this  town  with  my  father  in  1838.  as 
a  boy  only  fourteen  years  old,  and  made  a 
business  until  1849  of  hunting  and  trapping. 
1  u.sed  to  take  my  traps  and  float  down 
White  I\iver,  staying  out  until  the  stream  froze 
up.  I  knew  all  the  hollow  sycamores  along 
the  river,  and  many  a  night  have  I  slept  in 
them  with  a  big  fire  blazing  out  in  front.  I 
trapped  muskrat,  mink,  "coon,  otter  and  fox. 
"Coon  skins  paid  the  best.  I  gave  a  cow  and 
a  calf  to  old  Josh.  Hinesly  for  a  "coon  dog. 
He  was  a  good  "un.  Many  a  time  in  one  night 
I  got  enough  "coons  with  him  to  pay  for  that 
cow  and  calf.     *     *     *     j  always  went  alone 

*  *  *  and  nuide  my  living  trapping.  ^Yhen 
1  was  going  to  school  to  the  old  Clarion  County 
.seminary  I  kept  up  my  tr<ipping  on  Fall  Creek 
and  the  river  as  far  as  iIcCarty"s  farm.  I 
made  enough  money  outside  of  school  hours  to 
])ay  for  my  schooling  and  something  over.  Dur- 
ing the  winter,  while  going  to  school,  I  caught 
one  night  in  Pogue's  Run,  near  its  mouth, 
three  otters  at  one  slide,  and  one  about  wliere 
the  Belt  crosses  the  run.  Along  in  "45  I  cleared 
as  high  as  $(50  a  week,  trapping  between  this 
town  and  Waverly.  *  *  *  I  think  I  caught 
the  last  otter  ever  trapped  in  Clarion  County. 
That  was  in  184!),  upon  Fall  Creek  a  mile 
north  of  the  Fair  (irounds.  (i.  e.,  ilorton 
Place.)      I    got    twelve    dollars    for   the    skin. 

*  *  *  In  tliose  days  wild  turkeys  wero 
plenty  all  "round  town,  esjjecially  north 
of  town  in  the  Fall  Creek  bottoms.  I  have 
sliot  goliblers  weighing  twenty-two  pounds  when 
cleaned.  I  used  turkey  for  bait  for  "coon  and 
mink;  jiarsnip  is  best  for  muskrat.  In  1847 
I  killed  a  deer,  a  big  buck,  on  the  river,  twelve 
miles  below  town.  Around  Crown  Hill  used 
to  be,  along  about  '40,  a  splendid  place  foi 
turkeys  and  .squirrels ;  some  deer  there  too.  Any 
man  who  could  shoot  at  all  could  calculate  on 
getting  fifteen  oi'  twenty  squirrels  in  an  hour 
or  so  in  the  afternoon.  I  used  them  to  bait 
with.  They  were  a  great  pest  to  the  farmers, 
in  '44  or  "45  thev  came  travelling  through  here 


HlSTOliY   UV  CKKATKi;   I.\ DIAXAI'OIJS. 


from  tilt'  iiortli :  st-oivs  and  scores  of  tiiousamls 
of  tlu'iii.  1  haw  si'iMi  tht'iii  swiiniiiing  the  river 
iu  great  clrovi's,  anil  stood  on  the  bank  witli 
a  eluh  and  killed  them.  They  were  verv  lean 
and  seemed  to  have  been  starved  out.  They 
were  the  old  fashioned  gray  squirrel.  Fox 
gquirrels  were  rarely  seen  then,  but  about  'i-j 
they  began  to  appear,  and  soon  drove  the  gray 
squirrels  out.  *  *  *  There  was  no  end 
of  fish  in  the  streams  in  those  days.  I  went  up 
to  ^Ie('ormick"s  dam  (just  above  the  Country 
Club)  four  miles  above  town  on  the  river  one 
day  and  sat  down  at  a  chute  that  had  broken 
out  and  where  the  fish  were  running  through. 

*  *  *  There  were  wagon  loads  of  fish,  and 
I  threw  out  with  my  hands  eighty-seven  bass, 
ranging   in   size   from   one   pound   up   to   five. 

*  *  *  The  boys  used  to  shoot  fish  Indian 
fashion  with  bow  and  arrow,  the  arrow  being 
seeureil  with  a  string  so  that  it  would  not 
be  lost."  * 

There  was  no  dillieulty  about  catching  fish 
in  the  early  times.  Xowland  says  that  his 
father  introduced  hook  and  line  fishing  hero  in 
June.  1820,  and  that,  after  finishing  his  day's 
work,  he  would  often  "catch  enough  to  sup- 
ply our  family  for  several  days"."  But  there 
were  others,  for  on  ^lay  '2'),  ]S2(l.  Tipton  re- 
cords: "Bartholomew.  Durham  and  myself 
went    fishing — caught     plenty    of    fine,    large 

fish. Amos    Hallway's    favorite    mode    of 

lisliiiig  was  with  a  gig,  at  night,  befin'e  be  tmik 
to  seining,  but  Xowland  says:  "He  was  ei|ually 
successful  with  hook  and  line,  and  his  favorite 
bait  was  a  worm  which  he  called  helgramite, 
which  be  ])rocured  under  old  logs."  "  This 
demonstrates  that  there  was  good  founda- 
tion for  his  reputation  for  knowledge  of  lish 
and  their  ways,  hut  there  was  little  need  of 
skill  or  cunning  in  the  early  days.  The  fish 
were  numerous,  hungry,  and  not  shy.  Almost 
any  bait  was  good  for  a  bite,  and  a  bite  was 
usually  gootl  for  a  fish,  for  minnows  were  not 
usciv  and   tlierc   was  no  "letting  a   bass   run". 

Hook  and  line  was  too  slow  a  process  for  most 
pi  iipli'.  mid  the  popular  methods  were  the  spear 
nr  gig  when  the  river  was  ojien  and  clear,  and 
stumiiiig  them  by  striking  the  ire  above  them 

^■hiiiniiil.  Octiilirr  n.  issn. 
"Uriiiinisrciiccx.  pp.  40,  41. 
"7/1-/.  ^f^(|.  of  Ifisl..  Vol.   1.  p.   12 

'  '  L'l  IllillisCCIICI'S.     |1.     0"  . 


with  a  club  or  a.'i  when  it  was  frozen.  John 
.McCormick  was  verv  skilful  with  a  gig,  and 
used  not  only  to  sui)i)ly  his  tavern  table  with 
choice  lish,  but  occasionally  to  take  a  canoe- 
load  of  gars  and  other  worthless  varieties  to 
feed  his  hogs.  Perhaps  the  most  notable  of  the 
early  fishermen  was  the  Kev.  Amos  Hanway, 
before  he  became  a  fisher  of  men.  He  was  a 
son  of  Amos  Hanway,  the  cooper,  who  came 
here  in  1.S2],  and  enjoyed  the  distinction  of 
living  in  the  first  shingled  house — the  shingles 
split  out  and  shaved  by  himself.  Young  Amos 
jneferred  fishing  to  coopering,  and  probably  did 
better  at  it,  for  he  says:  "for  years  1  supplied 
the  family  with  coffee,  sugar  and  tea,  to  say 
nothing  of  many  other  things,  hy  fishing".  The 
varieties  of  fish  taken,  he  says,  were  '"bass,  sal- 
mon, red  horse,  ordinary  suckers,  quillbacks, 
or  as  they  were  sometimes  called  s})earbacks, 
perch,  pike,  catfish,  etc.  *  *  *  The  big- 
gest salmon  I  ever  caught  weighed  sixteen 
potmds.  I  once  catight  a  pike  that  measured 
four  feet  and  two  inches ;  at  another  time  a 
gar-fish  that  measured  over  three  feet,  and  a 
blue  catfish  that  weighed  sixteen  and  a  quarter 
pounds.  The  finest  rock  bass  I  ever  took  was 
one  which  weighed  eight  and  a  quarter  pounds, 
and  that  was  near  Waverly ;  while  the  liiggcsi 
river  bass  1  ever  lifted  from  the  water  weighed 
six  and  luii'-rniirtb  pounds."  '- 

By  "rock  bass"  lu'  means  the  big-moulhcil, 
black  bass:  by  "river  bass"'  the  little-mouthed, 
black  bass:  bv  "perch"  the  rock  bass  or  redeye; 
by  "salmon"  the  wall-eyed  pike  or  pike-percli. 
The  "(piilliiack"  is  the  carp-sucker.  .\s  the 
market  for  lish  develo|>eil,  young  Hanway  pro- 
cured a  good-sized  seine,  with  which  he  used 
to  take  fish  by  wholesale.  He  says  that  once 
in  Morgan  County,  above  the  Cox  dam,  when 
the  fish  were  running,  he  and  his  brother  Sam 
"at  one  haul  seined  twelve  barrels  of  fish,  and 
thei-c  were  thirty  fish  that  averaged,  undressed, 
ten  ])ounds  each.  They  were  mostly  bass  and 
salmon,  but  there  were  also  large  redhorse. 
white  i)erch,  (piillbacks  and  ordinary  suckers". 
Koberl  Duncan  tells  of  seeing  a  haul  with  a 
seine  at  "(!onner"s  Hole",  near  ('onner's  Sla- 
tinn  at  which  a  large  wagon-load  of  lish  was 
taken,  and  the  fishermen  threw  away  a  ])ile  of 
gars  as  large  as  a  haycock.' '    It  i>  a  pity  thai  tlif 


'-Xnrs.  .\ugus(   !l,   IS^!). 
'■'./(iiinnil .   Septelliber  ".'.").   1S^ 


68 


HISTORY  OP  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


HISTOEY  OF  GKEA'IEU  i.NDlAXAPOLIS. 


C9 


gars  were  not  cxtenninatod,  but  tlicre  are  still  a 
few  in  the  river.  On  a  bright  day  they  may 
often  be  seen  in  Riverside  Pari<,  liasking  at  the 
top  of  the  water  below  the  bluU'  ;it  Eniniericlrs 
grove.  Some  of  the  other  varieties  that  were 
common  in  the  river  then  are  seldom  taken  at 
Indianapolis  or  higher  up  the  river  now,  and 
have  not  been  for  thirty  years  or  more,  prob- 
ably on  aceount  of  the  pollution  of  the  river 
by  sewage  at  this  point.  One  of  these  is  the 
white  perch — commonly  known  as  the  sheeps- 
head  or  fresh-water  drum  on  the  great  lakes, 
and  as  the  croaker,  or  crocus  in  northern  In- 
diana— but  it  is  still  common  below  Waverly. 
Another  is  the  pike-perch,  or  wall-eyed  pike, 
which  is  found  in  the  river  below,  and  in  the 
Wabash  and  its  other  tributaries.  In  190-4, 
there  were  900,000  of  the  fry  of  this  fish  placed 
in  the  river  at  Riverside  Park,  in  the  hope 
that  this  would  permanently  stock  the  stream, 
at  least  from  that  point  up. 

The  expense  of  manufactured  goods  had  a 
marked  effect  on  the  clothing  of  the  early  set- 
tlers. In  summer,  home-made  tow-linen  was 
widely  worn,  and  in  winter,  home-made  linsey- 
woolsey  by  the  women  and  jeans  by  the  older 
and  more  sedentary  men.  But,  says  Mr.  Dun- 
can. "The  outer  apparel  of  the  male  population, 
particularly  the  younger  and  more  active,  soon 
became  buckskin.  This  material  was  fre- 
quently procured  already  tanned  by  purchase 
from  the  Indians,  but  more  frequently  by  tlie 
party  killing  the  deer,  dressing  and  tanning 
the  skin  himself,  and  thus  making  it  ready  for 
the  tailor.  Usually  the  only  articles  of  cloth- 
ing made  of  this  material  were  pantaloons  and 
coats,  called  in  these  times  'hunting-shirts',  be- 
ing much  in  the  shape  and  style,  barring  the 
neat  fit,  of  the  sack  coat  so  much  in  use  among 
the  gentlemen  of  the  present  time".  The  owner 
was  usually  his  own  tailor,  "the  thread  used 
in  the  manufacture  being  the  sinews  taken 
from  the  legs  -of  the  deer,  or  a  thread  called 
'wliang',  ])repared  by  cutting  a  long  strip,  as 
small  as  possible  so  as  not  to  make  it  too 
weak  for  the  purpose  intended ;  a  large  needle 
and  a  shoemaker's  awl  being  used  in  the  sew- 
ing process.  *  *  *  jj.  ^j,g  gQQjj  found  that 
tliis  l)uckskin  apparel  was  the  very  best  that 
could  have  been  devised  for  the  country  and 
times.  It  resisted  the  sting  of  the  nettles,  the 
scratch  of  the  briers,  the  bite  of  the  rattlesnake, 
and  the  pcnetratiou  of  the  cold,  lileak  winds  of 


winter,  and  at  that  time  was  cheap  and  within 
leaeh  of  all.  *  *  *  Indian-made  moc- 
casins, which  were  abundant  and  cheap,  were 
much  worn  by  both  sexes  (particularly  the 
younger  and  more  active  classes)  in  dry 
weather  both  winter  and  summer,  being  very 
comfortable  and  pleasant  to  the  feet,  and  pre- 
senting a  rather  neat  appearance.  For  wet 
weather  strong,  well  made  leather  shoes  were 
used.  Bare  feet  were  quite  as  seldom  seen 
then  as  now.  The  head  dress  for  the  male 
population  for  winter  use  consisted  mostly  of 
a  strong,  well  made  wool  hat  with  a  low,  broad 
brim  something  in  the  style  of  the  hat  in  use 
by  the  elder  of  the  Quakers  at  this  time.  A 
rather  unsightly  but  very  warm  kind  of  fur 
cap  was  used  by  some,  made  out  of  a  well- 
preserved  'coon  skin.  For  summer  wear,  a 
rather  rough  home  made  straw  hat  was  made 
out  of  the  straw  of  rye,  which  was  consider- 
ably grown  for  that  purpose — the  hat  being 
very  much  in  appearance  and  style  of  similar 
hats  now  in  use.  The  female  head-dress  con- 
sisted in  part  of  a  straw  bonnet  made  of  the 
.same  kind  of  straw,  and  in  part  of  a  sunbonnet 
generally  made  out  of  some  kind  of  fancy 
colored  calico  worked  over  a  stiff  pasteboard; 
both  straw  and  sunbonnets  being  of  a  style 
then  in  use,  and  of  such  shape  and  construc- 
tion as  to  protect  both  the  face  and  neck  from 
the  hot  rays  of  the  summer  sun  and  the  cold 
blasts  of  the  winter  winds".'* 

The  mention  by  Mr.  Duncan  of  "the  bite  of 
the  rattlesnake",  is  a  reminder  of  this  the  one 
venomous  reptile  found  in  this  region.  It  was 
not  uncommon  in  the  very  early  days,  one 
species  in  stony  places,  and  another  in  swampy 
or  prairie  lands.  The  most  notable  "den"  of 
them  was  discovered  in  the  winter  of  1835-6 
on  the  farm  of  Isaac  Hawkins,  about  half  a 
mile  east  of  Valley  Mills  Station,  and  in  the 
spring  a  number  of  the  neighbors  assembled 
and  dug  them  out.  There  were  120  snakes  of 
various  kinds,  over  100  of  them  rattlesnakes, 
that  were  coiled  u|)  togi'tlier  in  a  ball,  and  all 
were  killed.  Dcmas  McFarland  gave  a  vera- 
cious account  of  this  to  the  Gazette,  but  Mr. 
Bolton  improved  the  story  by  making  it  "150 
snakes  from  10  to  3  feet  long",  and  in  reply 
to  McFarland's  protest  blandly  desired  to  Icnow 


'*r>i,l.  Hist.  Soc.  I'lilis.,  \'(,1  •.'.  pp.  ;590-393. 


ro 


HISTORY  OF  (iUHATEU  mDIAN^APOl.IS. 


wliMt  Uii<  the  ditt'creiu-t'  in  a  snake  .-torv.'' 
TIh'  stoiy  IS  antlicntic-,  howuxur."'  ami  rat- 
tlesnakes were  at  least  eoniniun  enough  to  call 
for  the  following  advertisement  in  July  anil 
Augu>t.  lS->:  : 

•■  RATTLE  SN'AKE  OIL.'' 
"The  suhseriher  is  authorized  to  purchase  a 
quantity  of  pure  RATTLE  !5^XAKE  OIL  at 
his  store  in  Indianapolis.  The  mode  of  saving 
it  is,  after  taking  off  the  pieces  of  fat,  put  them 
into  a  ghiss,  pewter  or  tin  vessel,  and  expose 
it  to  the  heat  of  the  sun  one  day,  then  pour  it 
into  a  glass  bottle  and  cork  it  tight — if  any 
pieces  of  the  fat  are  not  melted  squeeze  them 
through  a  rag. 

JEg'^lf  the  snake  bites  itself  the  oil  must  not 
be  saved. 

John  Givan". 

But  rattlesnakes,  and  all  other  kinds  of 
sn;d\es.  disaiqieared  very  rapidly  as  hogs,  tame 
and  wild,  multiplied  in  the  woods.  They  were 
fond  of  snakes,  and  an  old-fashioned  razor- 
hack  could  and  would  kill  any  snake,  and  eat 
it.  ilany  years  have  ])assed  since  a  rattlesnake 
was  heard  of  in  Clarion  County. 

Buckskin  continued  to  be  more  or  less  worn 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  in  evidence  of  its 
recognized  cheapness  and  durability  may  be 
iu)ted  the  fact  that  on  June  8,  1843,  the  County 
Commis.sioners  allowed  Hervey  Hindman  "$'l, 
for  making  buckskin  pants  for  pau]>ers"".'' 
( )f  ciiurse  the  clothing  here  described  means  that 
of  the  masses.  There  wa,<  always  a  class  that 
used  manufactured  textile  fabrics,  as  is  evident 
from  the  advertisements  of  such  goods.  (4ivan 
and  Oshoi'iie  did  not  hold  the  monopoly  of 
"stores"  very  long.  Luke  Waljxjle  arrived  in  tlie 
summer  of  IS'i'i.  coming  uj)  the  river  in  a  keel 
boat,  in  wliich,  in  addition  to  his  family  of 
thirteen  and  a  coloreil  servant  girl,  with  their 
baggage  and  household  furniture,  he  lirought 
a  general  stock  of  goods,  a  large  part  of  which 
he  sold  at  airction  in  the  fall  of  1S23.  In 
.March,  1823,  Robert  Siddill  advertised  "a  neat 
assortment  of  dry-goods,  queensware,  hardware 
and   groceries,    consisting   of    calicoes,    ])laids, 


'"GilzHtr. 

April     1 

.    lS-.'( 

IS.-).-). 

"''Su1,l:i'ii\c 

.  ///.-•/.. 

p.  .Mi: 

^'('oiiirx.  1 

•>;:.    1.  , 

1.    132. 

Irish  linen,  steam  loom  and  power  shirtings, 
Hag  handkerchiefs,  etc.,  knives,  spoons,  Ijutts, 
hinges,  screws,  nails,  etc.,  tea,  coffee,  loaf  sugar, 
tobacco,  scgars,  pejjper,  allspice,  nutmegs,  etc.", 
at  his  store  on  Washington  street.  In  June 
John  Hawkins  advertised  "an  assortment  of 
<lry  goods,  groceries  and  medicines"";  and  on 
July  2,  Conner,  Tyner  k  Co.  announce  the 
opening  of  their  store  with  a  detailed  list  of 
dry  goods,  hardware,  ([ueensware,  groceries, 
tinware,  etc.,  too  lengthy  for  reproduction.  In- 
dianapolis had  a  hatter  from  1821.  when  John 
Shunk.  the  pioneer  in  that  line,  came  and  es- 
tablished himself  in  a  cabin  near  Kingan"s 
jiork-house,  where  he  manufactured  old-fash- 
ioned beaver,  or  "plug""  hats,  as  well  as  other 
kinds,  until  he  roasted  to  death,  in  a  drunken 
stu])or,  at  his  own  fireside.  And  he  soon  had 
rivals  and  successors.  XoY  was  the  town  with- 
out a  tailor  after  Andrew  Byrne  returned  in 
March.  11S21,  following  liis  visit  with  the  com- 
missioners in  ]82(). 

In  fact  the  arts  and  crafts  were  creditably 
represented  in  Indianapolis  at  a  very  early 
date.  On  February  25,  1822,  the  Gazette  said: 
"Tlie  improvement  of  this  town  since  the  sale 
of  lots  in  October  last,  has  surpassed  the  e.x- 
])ectations  of  those  wlio  entertained  the  great- 
est hopes  of  its  future  prosperity.  There  have 
been  erected  40  dwelling  houses  and  several 
workshops  since  that  period,  and  many  otiier 
buildings  are  now  in  contemplation.  One  grist 
and  (one)  saw  inill  are  now  in  operation  with- 
in one  mile  of  the  centre  of  the  tow'n,  and  sev- 
eral others  are  nearly  ready  to  be  put  into 
operation  equally  as  near.  Business  is  com- 
])nratively  lively  at  this  time.  We  liavc  al- 
leadv  mechanics  and  professional  men  of  the 
following  description  and  number,  to  wit.: 
thirteen  carpenters  and  joiners,  four  cabinet 
makers,  eight  blacksmiths,  four  boot  and  shoe 
nuikers,  two  tailors,  one  hatter,  two  tanners, 
one  saddler,  one  cooper,  four  bi'ickhiyers,  two 
merchants,  seven  houses  of  entertainment,  three 
groceries,  one  school  master,  four  jihysicians, 
one  ministci'  <if  the  gospel,  and  three  counsel- 
lois  at  law"'.'"'  TJiis,  it  will  be  noted,  mod- 
estly overlooks  the  press,  which  was  early  on 
hand.  Oeorge  Smith,  a  Pennsylvania  printer, 
married  the  widow  Xancy  Bolton,  who  had  one 
son,  Xatbanicl,  born  Julv  2.-).   1803.     She  was 


"Ouotcd  in    ]'iiiii'iiiii'y  Sim.  Mai'cb  '.I.   1S22. 


insTOlfV   OF  CKKATKh'    IX  Dl  AXAPOT.IS. 


1 


a  sister  of  Xathaniel  Cox,  ht'ttiT  kimwii  as 
"I'ncle  Nat.  Cox",  a  pioneer  par))entei',  iuinter, 
and  all-roiiiid  iiieelianical  sieniiis  of  liuliaii- 
apolis.  In  18"2()  tliey  were  all  seizeil  witli  the 
fever  of  emigration,  ami  floated  down  the 
Allcjilieny  and  Ohio  IJivcrs  to  Jetfersom  iile  on 
a  timl)erl)oat.  Here  they  o|)ened  a  printing 
oftice  with  a  Mr.  IJrandon,  wliile  awaiting  the 
sale  of  lots  at  Indianapolis,  to  whieh  .Mr.  Smith 
went  on  foot.  lie  lionght  two  lots,  on  one  of 
which  was  a  cabin  Iniilt  by  a  Kentucky  .squat- 
ter who  had  become  homesick  and  deserted  it. 
It  was  at  the  corner  of  Maryland  and  Missouri 
streets.  Smith  trudged  back  to  Jeifcrsonville 
and  packed  back  with  his  belongings  and  fam- 
ily, except  Bolton  wlio  remained  tem|iorarily 
for  some  state  ])rinting  work,  arriving  at  In- 
dianapolis aliout  the  middle  of  December.  The 
cal)in  Avas  (piickly  tittetl  up  for  a  joint  resi- 
dence and  ])rinting  otfiee.  Iik  le  Nat  Cox  and 
a  journeynnin  printer  wiio  had  been  hii-ed  for 
a  time,  being  lodged  in  tlu'  neighboring  cabin 
of  Dr.   Ivenneth  A.   Scudder. 

On  January  28,  the  lirst  number  of  ilie 
Gazette  apjieared.  It  was  printed  on  an  old- 
fashioned,  two-pull,  Ramage  hand  jjress.  The 
forms  were  inked  by  hand  with  buckskin  balls 
stuffed  with  wool,  which   wiic  kept  soft  when 

I     not   in   use   by    being  greased    with    "coon    oil. 

!  The  two  outside  ])ages  were  usually  printed 
early  in  the  week,  and  the  two  inside  on  Fri- 
ilay,  the  paper  being  circulated  on  Saturday. 
Mr.  Smith  became  one  of  the  associate  judges 
of  the  circuit  court  on  August  S,  18"^.").  and  re- 
tired from  active  managi'ment.  lea\ing  Xa- 
thaniel Holton  in  exclusive  charge.  Tlir  '/"- 
zelti'  was  the  only  pajx'r  until  March  ".  18-^;i, 
when  the  first  number  of  the  Wi'strni  Crnxur 
and  Einujranls'  Guide  ai)])eared.  It  was  jjub- 
lished  by  Harvey  Gregg  and  Douglass  Maguire. 
Mr.  Gregg  was  the  chief  editor  until  October 
2!l,  when  he  retired  and  was  succeeded  by  .lohn 
Douglass,  Mr.  Maguire  taking  on  the  editorial 
work.  On  January  11,  18-J."),  the  i)a])er  was 
enlarged  and  the  name  changed  to  The  Indiana 
Journal.  Later  on  the  Dcmoerat,  and  still 
later  the  Sentinel,  were  successors  to  the 
Gazelle,  'j'he  oTiginal  office  of  the  Censor  was 
on  Washington  street.  o[)|iosite  the  New  York 
store.  Both  pajiers  were  fairly  regular  in  tbeii' 
i.=sues  after  getting  well  started,  though  there 
was  an  occasional  failure  of  an  issue  on  arcmint 


of  inaliility  to  get  paper,  or  a  suspension  of  tlte 
mails. 

The  relation  of  the  neusjiapers  and  rlie  mails 
was  close  and  important.  Tlieie  had  lx;en  no 
|iost-office  at  the  place,  and  no  regidar  mail  up 
to  the  start  of  the  daielle,  but  a  news|)aper 
could  not  be  published  withinit  "disiiatches"', 
especially  at  a  time  when  local  news  was  "all 
over  town"  by  the  time  it  got  to  the  editor. 
So  Mr.  Smith  got  busy  with  an  agitation  for 
mail  I'eform.  On  January  'M)  a  citizens"  meet- 
ing was  ht'ld  at  Hawkins'  tavern  lo  make  ar- 
rangements for  a  ""private  mail'",  which  was 
not  uncommon  at  the  time,  i.  c.  to  have  all 
the  mail  for  this  point  gathered  at  one  post- 
ottice,  and  brought  here  by  a  private  carrier. 
The  meeting  selected  Aaron  Drake  as  carrier 
and  postmaster,  and  made  an  agreement  with 
him  to  bring  the  mail  from  Connersville  once 
a  month.  Drake  at  once  issued  a  circular  to 
the  postmasters,  whom  Indianapolis  mail  was 
likely  to  reach,  asking  them  to  forward  it  to 
Connersville.  Says  Brown:  "\\v  returned 
fi-om  his  first  trij)  after  nightfall,  his  horn 
sounding  far  through  the  woods,  arousing  the 
people  who  tumetl  out  in  the  bright  moonlight 
to  greet  him  and  learn  the  news"".  By  uu'ans 
of  this  enterprise,  the  message  of  President 
ilonroe,  delivered  December  3,  1821,  came  to 
hand  in  Februarv%  1822.  and  began  to  appear 
in  our  homo  paper — it  took  two  or  threi'  issues 
to  print  a  message,  though  Moni"oe"s  messages 
were  mere  epigrams  as  compared  with  those  of 
recent  years.  Meanwhile  the  congressional 
dehgation  was  laboring  in  Washington,  and  in 
l-'ebruai'y  lndiana])olis  was  made  a  postotlice, 
and  Samuel  Henderson  was  ap])ointed  post- 
master, lie  began  business  on  March  " ,  and 
showed  his  diligence  by  ])id)lishing  a  list  of 
live  letters  '"not  calle<l  for"",  on  .Vpril  .'!.  .Vt 
first  all  the  mail  canu'  from  Connersville,  but 
nn  ()ctol)er  .").  1822,  Wetum  Jonathiin  Meigs,  jr., 
I'oslmasti'r  (ieneral,  advertised  in  the  Vin- 
cennes  Sun  for  proposals  for  carrying  the  mails 
to  Indianapolis  from  two  other  points. 

"l'''rom  Washington,  by  Burlington,  Spencer 
ill  Owen  County,  and  ^lartinsville  in  M(U"gan 
1(1  I  iidiaiia])olis,  oikc  in  two  week.-,  r.'."i  miles, 
heave  Washington  I'very  other  Tuesdav  at  li 
a.  111.  iind  arrive  at  Indianapolis  on  Friday 
by  Ki  a.  m.  Ijcave  Indiaiutpolis  every  other 
I'riday  at  2  p.  m.  and  arrive  at  Washington  on 
Monday   by   (i  ]).    m."' 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATER  liVDIANAPOLIS. 


"From  Liuvreiicfburgli  by  Xapoleon  to  In- 
dianapolis, once  in  two  weeks,  89  miles.  Leave 
Lawrenceburgh  every  other  Friday  at  6  a.  m. 
and  arrive  at  Indianapolis  on  Sunday  by  10 
a.  m.  Leave  Indianapolis  on  Sunday  at  2  p. 
m.  and  arrive  at  Lawrenceburgh  on  Tuesday 
by  (j  p.  m." 

From  this  time  on  there  was  a  constant  im- 
provement in  the  mail  service,  but  the  Censor 
evidently  started  in  "agin  the  government"  for 
it  promptly  registered  a  complaint  on  June  1 1, 
1823.  It  admitted:  "We  believe  there  is  no 
town  in  the  state,  of  the  same  age  and  popula- 
tion, which  is  better  supplied  with  mails  than 
Indianapolis.  We  have  regular  weekly  mails 
from  Madison  and  Brookville,  and  semi-weekly 
(it  means  fortnightly)  mails  from  Centreville, 
Lawrenceburgh  and  Washington'".  But  the 
system  was  bad.  Most  of  the  eastern  mail  was 
sent  "by  the  Lawrenceburgh  mail,  which  ar- 
rives here  but  once  in  two  weeks",  while  it 
might  just  as  well  come  by  Brookville  or  Madi- 
son, and  thus  the  public  was  deprived  of  the 
latest  news.  The  public  was  not  apparently 
much  disturbed,  for  correspondence  at  the  time 
was  rather  expensive,  and  the  charges  were 
based  on  distance  as  well  as  matter.  A  letter 
from  New  England  cost  37i?^  cents  postage; 
one  from  Xew  York  25  cents;  and  one  from 
Ohio  12i/2  cents.  It  was  perhaps  not  wholly 
due  to  oversight  that  within  a  year  the  regular 
advertised  list  of  unclaimed  letters  at  the  In- 
dianapolis postoflice  often  numbered  one  hun- 
dred or  more.  But  even  at  the  high  rates  of 
postage  the  Indianapolis  office  was  decidedly  a 
luxury  to  the  national  government.  The  total 
postage  receipts  here  for  the  year  ending  March 
31,  1827,  were  onlv  $372.36';  for  1828,  $379.- 
23;  and  for  1830,  $.359.12.  And  yet  the  state- 
ment of  the  Postmaster  General  on  January 
14,  1825,  showed  the  character  and  cost  of  the 
service  to  this  point  as  follows: 


Route — 

Dayton,    0.,  to   Indianniwlis 

Corydon    to  Indianapoiis. . . 

Indianapolis  to    Washingrton. 

Indianapolis  to  Lawrenceburgli.   f'tnightly 

Indianapolis  to    Terre    Haute. .    f'tnightly 

Indianapolis  to     HrooUnJlc.  . 


Pieces 

Time.    Miles,  carried.  Cost. 

.   weekly       7il     13.832  $    560 

.   weekly     lOfi     11,024  1.042 

f'tnightly      103        5,356  260 

90  4,680  204 

91  4,732  500 
weekly       06       6.864  300 


One  of  the  worst  drawbacks  to  Indianapolis 
life  in  1821  was  the  lack  of  mills.  Man  may 
not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  he  seldom  enjoys 
hini-self  without  it,  no  matter  how  plentiful 
fish,  game  and  vegetables  mav  be;  and  grating 


corn  on  a  piece  of  tin  with  holes  jjunched  iu 
it  is  monotonous,  to  »ay  the  least.  But  this 
evil  was  soon  to  disappear.  In  the  summer  of 
1821  came  James  Linton,  millwright;  and  by 
November  he  had  completed  the  first  grist  mill 
for  Isaac  Wilson  on  Fall  Creek,  where  Walnut 
street  crosses  the  old  bed  of  the  stream,  and 
also  a  saw  mill  for  himself  on  Fall  Creek  just 
above  Indiana  avenue.  Tliese  are  the  mills  re- 
ferred to  by  the  Gazette  on  February  25,  1822, 
as  quoted  above.  They  were  quickly  followed 
by  the  saw  mill  of  Daniel  Yandes  and  Andrew 
Wilson  on  the  bayou  west  of  the  river,  and  in 
the  summer  by  the  saw  mills  of  William  Foster 
and  John  McCorraick  on  the  river.  Linton 
also  added  a  grist  mill  to  his  establishment  on 
Fall  Creek.  On  March  7,  1823,  its  first  issue, 
the  Censor  said:  "The  town  now  contains 
about  ninety  families,  among  which  are  me- 
chanics of  almost  every  description,  and  men  of 
all  professions.  *  *  *  There  are  at  this 
time  four  saw  mills  in  operation  in  the  county, 
three  of  which  are  within  less  than  a  mile  and 
a  half  of  the  town.  There  are  also  two  grist 
mills  wdthin  the  same  distance,  and  several 
more  grist  and  saw  mills  are  now  building, 
together  with  carding  machines,  etc."  In  fact 
the  town  was  sufficiently  advanced  in  civiliza- 
tion to  admit  of  the  formation  of  a  trades 
union,  for,  on  April  23,  the  Censor  gave  notice 
i)f  a  meeting  of  master -carpenters,  at  the  school 
house,  on  the  26th  at  2  p.  m.,  to  consider  "'the 
propriety  of  organizing  a  society  and  regulat- 
ing the  prices  of  work".  There  had  been  an 
evident  anticipation  of  much  carpenter  work, 
for  the  Yandes  &  Wilson  saw  mill  started  in 
on  a  large  scale.  On  April  13,  1822,  Mrs. 
Fletcher  records:  "The  waters  are  very  high 
at  this  time,  and  have  been  for  a  week  back. 
.Mr.  Levington  and  many  other  men  have  been 
ten  miles  up  the  river,  on  the  public  lands,  cut- 
ting saw-logs  for  several  weeks.  They  have 
made  a  contract  with  Daniel  Yandes  to  deliver 
him  2,000  logs  at  one  dollar  per  piece,  and 
since  the  rain  the  saw-logs  are  coming  down 
tbe  river"'.'" 

This  performance,  of  going  ten  miles  up  tlie 
river  to  cut  logs  on  the  public  lands,  was  de- 
lightfully American,  for  at  this  time  there 
were  hundreds  of  thousands  of  feet  of  fine  tim- 
ber on   the  town   site  that   evervbodv   wanted 


''■'Xcws.  June  2.  1879. 


HISTORY  OF  GKEATER  INDJAxVAPOLlS. 


73 


ivinovfd.  Ill  tlie  ])i-«:-c(ling  Fall  the  State 
AjU'ut  had  oflVred  tho  timber  in  ihe  streets  to 
anvone  who  would  cut  it,  aud  Lisiimiid  Basye, 
tempted  by  the  cheapness  of  it,  undertook  to 
dear  Waslunjitim  street.  After  getting  a  large 
amount  of  the  timber  cut  he  concluded  that 
there  would  be  no  profit  in  it,  either  because  the 
saw  mill  was  not  yet  in  operation  or  because  of 
the  trouble  of  getting  it  to  the  mill,  and  aban- 
doned his  nndertaking,  leaving  the  trees  where 
they  were  felled.  The  street,  which  was  the 
one  thoroughfare  of  the  place,  was  completely 
blocked  by  the  logs,  stumps  and  brush,  and  the 
whole  community  joined  in  clearing  it  by  fire.-" 
This  occurrence  was  long  a  favorite  topic  of  ■ 
the  old-timers,  and  gave  rise  to  Uncle  Jimmy 
Blake's  justly  celebrated  joke:  "The  early  set- 
tlers spent  their  evenings  one  winter  in  cutting 
and  rolling  logs  in  Wa.shington  street.  They 
employed  two  or  three  hundred  negroes  to  cut 
the  logs  in  two  and  keep  the  heaps  burning".-^ 
This  really  needs  a  diagram,  for  there 
is  no  dictionary  or  glossary,  that  I  know 
of.  that  gives  the  exact  meaning  of  the 
word  '"nigger"'  in  backwoods  parlance.  As  a 
noun  it  means  a  small  log,  rail  or  chunk  of 
wood,  that  is  set  well  ablaze  and  used  to  fire 
log  heaps,  brush  heaps,  etc.  By  laying  a  hraiid 
or  two  of  this  kind  across  a  large  log  and  re- 
]ilacing  them  if  the  fire  dies,  or  keeping  it  u|) 
with  brush,  the  log  is  burned  through:  and 
this  is  what  is  meant  by  "niggering  off"  a  log. 
One  man  can  keep  twenty  or  thirty  of  such  fires 
going  and  cut  as  many  logs  in  less  time  than  he 
could  do  it  with  an  ax.  At  the  same  time  the 
"nigger"  did  all  the  work,  and  the  employer, 
like  the  Irish  hod-carrier,  had  nothing  at  all 
to  do  but  carry  it  to  the  place.  This  was  prob- 
ably the  idea  that  gave  origin  to  the  term,  for 
"nigger"  was  the  common  expression  for  any- 
one who  had  to  do  drudgery:  hut  ])ossibly  it 
might  Jiave  come  from  tli(*  thought  that  this 
was  a  lazy  man's  way  of  working,  or  it  may 
even  have  come  from  the  old  Xorthumberland 
dialect  in  which  "nigger'  is  used  for  an  andiron 
or  fire-dog.  It  may  he  added  that  "nigger"  is 
used  in  this  backwoods  sense  in  the  expression 
"a  nigger  in  Ihe  wood  pile",  i.  e.,  something 
that  destroys  the  jmrpose  of  the  wood  pile, 
and  not  that  an  African  is  despoiling  the  wood 
pile,  as  is  verv  eommnnlv  supposiMJ,      Hut.   to 


■"  Bni«ir>  llisl..  p.  (I. 

-'J'lKI-Udl.  .luilc    111.    IS.-)'. 


get  back  to  the  subject,  these  logs  that  were 
Imrned  up,  and  thousands  of  others  not  cut  in 
other  streets,  could  have  been  used  at  the 
Vandes  &  Wilson  mill  just  as  well  as  those  ten 
miles  up  the  river.  Even  in  the  absence  of 
heavy  wagons,  they  could  easily  have  been 
sledded  to  the  river  while  the  snow  was  on  the 
ground. 

.  Notwithstanding  the  improvement  of  local 
conditions  of  living,  the  growth  of  the  town 
was  not  as  rapid  as  had  been  expected  by 
some.  There  was  no  advance  in  real  estate  as 
had  been  anticipated.  The  capital  did  not 
come  in  fact.  More  or  less  people  were  coming 
in,  but  others  were  moving  to  the  country. 
Why  invest  in  a  town  lot  when  you  could  get  a 
farm  for  the  same  money?  Others  sought 
more  rapidly  developing  localities.  On  Sep- 
tember 22,  i823,  the  Censor  declared  that  the 
])lace  contained  between  600  and  TOO  souls, 
and  the  estimate  was  probably  liberal.  A  cen- 
sus in  April,  1824,  by  the  Sunday  school  visi- 
tors showed  100  families,  with  172  voters  and 
45  unmarried  women  between  the  ages  of  fif- 
teen and  forty-five  years.  The  number  of  chil- 
dren is  not  stated  but  it  was  presumably  not 
far  from  the  number  of  voters,  for  a  census  in 
February,  1826,  showed  a  loin  I  nf  730  souls, 
209  of  whom  were  children  of  school  age. 
Aloney  was  not  very  plentiful,  but  that  did  not 
cause  much  inconvenience,  except  in  the  pay- 
ments for  lots  and  lands,  as  business  was  al- 
most universally  conducted  on  a  basis  of  barter, 
with  money  prices  as  the  measure  of  value. 
Hides  and  furs  were  always  practical  legal 
tenders.  The  newspapers  advertised  from  time 
to  time  that  they  would  accept  "country  sxigar", 
"corn",  "poultry",  "clean  linen  and  cotton 
rags",  "furs  and  tallow-",  and  other  commodi- 
ties. Tn  April,  1824,  James  Givan  advertised 
that  for  general  merchandise  he  would  accept 
"ginseng,  beeswax,  honey,  sugar,  deer  and  fur 
skins,  or  almost  anything  else  in  preference  to 
]iromises",  but  cash  only  would  be  taken  for 
"powder,  shot,  whisky  and  salt".  The  prices 
of  agricultural  iiroducts  decreased  somewhat 
as  farms  were  cleared.  On  January  12.  1824, 
Amos  Grilfith.  cabinet  maker,  advertised  that 
he  would  accept  corn  at  37i/>  cents  per  liushel, 
]iotatoes  at  the  same  price,  and  pork  at  $2. .'50 
])er  hnndicd.  On  Pecember  2(i.  1820,  the 
Jouninl  staled  lliat  one  could  purchase  here 
"corn  at  l-"i  lo  20  cents  a  bu-lu'l  and  ])ork  and 
bee!'  ill  $!..■>(•  iier  hundred". 


CHAPTER  Vlll. 


TIIK  l()MlX<i   OF  THE  CAPITAL. 


For  its  first  five  years.  Inilianapolis  was  an 
answer  to  tlie  conuutlriini,  "WlK'n  is  a  capital 
not  a  capital  ?""  The  one  essential  jnirijose  of 
its  existence  was  to  Iw  the  seat  of  state  gov- 
ernment, but  the  legislature  showed  little  dis- 
position to  make  it  that  in  fact.  By  the  con- 
stitution of  181t),  Corydon  was  made  "the  seat 
of  government  of  the  State  of  Indiana  until 
the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  twenty-live,  and 
until  removed  by  law".'  The  important  point 
was  to  secure  the  removal  as  soon  as  the  consti- 
tution permitted  it.  Of  course  it  was  useless  to 
talk  about  moving  the  state  offices  here  until 
there  were  buildings  for  the  transaction  of  state 
business,  but  there  was  no  haste  about  getting 
the  buildings.  The  people  early  realized  that 
they  must  have  representation  if  they  wanted 
their  interests  cared  for.  and  on  Septendjcr 
2t),  iJS'-^'i.  a  meeting  was  held  at  C'rumiiaugh"s 
which  petitioned  for  representation.  The  peti- 
tion was  successful  and,  by  act  of  January  T, 
1823,  .^[arion  County  was  included  in  a  reju'c!- 
sentative  district  with  Madison,  Johnson  and 
Hamilton  counties,  and  in  a  senatorial  district 
with  Decatur.  Kush,  Henry,  Shelby.  .Madison, 
Hamilton  and  Johnson  counties.  The  election 
came  on  August  4.  There  were  oidy  two  can- 
didates for  representative,  .James  Pax  ton  and 
John  W.  Ueding,  and  Paxton  carried  every 
county  in  the  district,  being  elected  l)y  :{T4 
votes  to  13().  For  the  senate  there  were  foni' 
candidates.  James  (iregory  of  Shelby  County, 
Dr.  S.  (J.  Mitchell  of  >Iarion.  John  Hryson 
of  Decatur,  and  Wni.  B.  i>aughlin  of  Hush. 
The  votes  received  bv  them  were  Uregorv.  I'^M; 
:Mitchel!,  291  ;  Bryson,  299 ;  Laughlin,  2S9. 
A  bill  was  introduced  at  the  next  session,  mak- 
ing Indianapolis  "the  ))erniancnt  seat  of  gov- 


ernment of  this  state  upon.  from,  and  after  the 
second  .Monday  in  January  (January  10)  in 
the  year  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
twenty-five",  and  recpiiring  all  state  officials 
to  be  established  there  at  that  time.  The  bill 
was  warmly  contested,  and  would  have  been 
lost  but  that  "Whitewater"  stood  loyally  by 
the  New  Purchase.  It  was  passed  by  the 
House,  but  was  amended  in  the  Senate  and 
then  ])assed  only  by  the  narrow  margin  of  9 
to  8.  H  came  back  to  the  House  and  on  Janu- 
ary 1.  Dennis  Pennington,  of  Harrison,  moved 
to  amend  by  striking  out  the  words  ""second 
Monday  in  January  in  the  year  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  twenty-five",  and  inserting 
"first  ^londay  in  Decendwr  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  twenty-five":  luit  the  jirevious 
ipicstion  was  demanded,  and  the  amended  bill 
par-scd  by  a  vote  of  2.")  to  \',.-  On 
January  23,  Pennington  introduced  a  bill  to 
suspend  the  operation  of  this  act  until  182G, 
but  it  was  laid  on  the  table  until  the  following 
Tuesday,  and  remained  there  ])ermanently.  The 
act  was  approved  on  January  20.-'  It  was  hailed 
with  joy  by  Hulianapolis,  and  on  February  2lt  a 
sn|)per  was  given  in  honor  of  Paxton  and  Greg- 
ory at  Washington  Hall,  at  which  some  thirty 
gentlemen  were  present.  After  the  edibles  were 
disposed  of  Dr.  S.  G.  ^[itchell  was  chostMi  presi- 
dent, and  Judge  Wick  vice-president,  and  "nu- 
merous toasts  and  sentiments  were  proposed 
and  dnmk",  beginning  with  one  by  the  presi- 
dent: "The  Representation  from  the  Xew  Pur- 
chase— Our  thanks  are  due  to  them  for  their 
industry  and  .zeal  in  jiromoting  our  welfare  and 
prosperity".  This  was  drunk  standing,  and 
"Colonel  Gregory  in  behalf  of  Colonel  Paxton 


An.  II.  Sei  (inn   I  1. 


-Si'll.  ■Jiiiinifll,  ]l.  188;  House  .Iniininl,  |i.   1 ".';!. 
■■Hvr.  L'liry  IS'J,.  i).  3:0. 


IIISTOKV   OF  CKKA'I'Hi:   IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


75 


and  himsolf.  n-tunicd  thanks  in  :i  very  ^lll)I•t, 
but  feeling  and  appropriate  manner".  \\'e  are 
told  that  '"Great  Iiarniony  and  good  feeling 
prevailed  during  the  festivities  of  the  evening". 

The  act  for  removal  provided:  "And  Samuel 
Merrill  esqr.  is  iu'rel)y  apixiinted  on  lielialf 
of  the  state,  to  superintend,  generally,  the  re- 
moval of  the  reeords.  dociuuenis  and  ]>uldi(: 
projjerty  of  every  description,  as  well  those 
above  referred  to  as  all  and  e\eiy  other  article 
or  species  of  ))roperty,  which  now  is  or  here- 
after may  be  ri-maining  at  ('(u-ydiin.  the  picsciit 
temporary  seat  of  government,  which  may  be- 
long to  the  state,  U)  Indiamipolis,  aforesaid. 
previous  to  tiie  said  second  ilonday  in  .lanu- 
ary,  in  the  said  year  one  thousand  eight  hun- 
dred and  t  wenty-fivi' :  and  he  is  i^ecpiired  to  keep 
a  fair  and  exact  a<-connt  of  the  expenses  neces- 
sarilv  iticurri'(l  in  the  said  transportation  and 
renu)val.  to  be  submitted  to  the  gi'iu'ral  as- 
sembly at  their  ne.xt  regular  session".  This 
was  modified  by  a  joint  resolution  of  January 
30,  which  authorized  Mr.  Merrill  "to  sell  at 
public  vendue,  to  the  highest  bidder,  all  the 
chairs,  tables  and  other  fnrnitui'e  lielonging  to 
the  state,  which,  in  his  opinion,  cannot  be  ad- 
vantageously removed  to  lndiana|)olis",  giving 
twenty  days  notice  of  the  lime  ami  place  of 
sale  in  the  Indiana  Giizrllc,  a))proi)riating  the 
proceeds  to  the  expense  of  the  removal,  and 
rendering  "a  just  account"  to  the  next  general 
assembly.* 

Samuel  Merrill  was  an  ideal  man  for  such  a 
task,  thoughtful  and  jiainstaking.  lie  made  a 
two  weeks'  trip  to  Indianajiolis  in  Septendter, 
1824,  to  arrange  for  ])laces  for  his  fandly  and 
the  state  property,''  and  in  Ndvcndier  disposed 
of  the  state's  surplus  funiilni'i'  at  auction,  and 
started  for  Indiana|iolis.  aciiiin|)<inied  by  .Inlm 
Douglass,  the  state  |)rinter,  and  Ids  fandly.  Says 
Colonel  Merrill.  "The  joui'ney  of  about  one 
hundreil  and  si.xty  miles  occu|)ied  two  weeks. 
The  best  day's  travel  was  eleven  miles.  One 
day  the  wagons  accomplished  hut  two  ndles, 
passages  through  the  woods  having  to  he  cut 
on  account  of  the  imjiassable  character  i>(  the 
TiM\i\.  Four  four-horse  wagons  and  one  or  two 
saddle  horses  fornu'd  the  means  of  conveyance 
for  the  two  families,  consisting  of  about  a 
dozen   persons,  and    for   a    printing   press   and 

'Sl,frl,ll  Arts.    IS-.M.    p.    1  i:l. 
"Jldllsr  ■hiiinidl.    IS'.'C.   p.    IS  I. 


the  state  treasury  of  silver  in  .strong  wooden 
boxes.  The  gentlemen  slept  in  the  wagons  or 
im  the  ground  to  protect  the  silver,  the  families 
found  shelter  at  night  in  log  cabins  which 
stood  along  the  road  at  rare  though  not  incon- 
venient intervals.  The  country  people  were, 
nnuiy  of  them,  as  ru<le  as  their  dwellings, 
which  usually  consisted  of  but  oiu^  room,  serv- 
ing for  all  the  pur))oses  of  domestic  life. — 
cooking,  eating,  sleejiing,  spinning  and  weav- 
ing, and  the  entertainment  of  company.  At 
one  place  a  young  man,  who  perhaps  had  come 
miles  to  visit  his  sweetheart,  sat  up  with  her 
all  night  on  the  (mly  vacant  space  in  the  room, 
the  hearth  of  the  big  fireplace.  He  kept  on 
his  cap,  which  was  of  coonskin,  the  tail  hang- 
ing down  behind,  and  gave  the  children  tlv 
im|)ression  that  he  was  a  bear''. 

It  was  the  venerable  .Mi-s.  Ketcham,  then  one 
id'  Samuel  ilerrill's  tots,  who  awoke  in  the 
night  to  see  the  coonskin  cap  in  the  flickering 
light  of  the  dying  fire,  and  dropped  asleep 
again  thinking  she  had  seen  a  bear.  The  one 
other  vivid  impression  of  the  trip  on  her  in- 
fantile mind  was  the  memory  of  how  their  "am- 
bitious teamster  would  ])ut  on  all  his  bells  in 
honor  of  the  Treasurer  of  State  and  the  State 
Printer,  so  that  every  man,  wonutn  and  cliibl 
would  run  to  the  frimt  to  see",  whenevci-  I  bey 
apjjroachcd  a  \illagc  on  the  road.  But  the 
feature  that  made  the  most  lasting  impression 
on  Samuel  Merrill  was  the  bad  roads,  and. 
twenty   years    aftcrwai-ds,    he    wrote: 

"Though  the  <li>tani-c  was  only  l"^.")  ndles, 
such  was  the  stall'  wf  the  roads  that  it  rc- 
i(\dred  about  ten  days  Id  pcrroiin  the  journey  in 
a  wagon.  Specimens  of  bad  roads  that  it  is 
thought  cannot  well  'be  beat",  nuiy  still  be  found 
ai  some  season-  of  the  year:  but  the  xctcran- 
of  those  days,  unless  their  memories  deceive 
them,  have  seen  ami  experienced  of  the  depth 
and  width  of  iniul-h(des  that  cannot  wcdl  be 
coiu-eivcd  in  this  'degenerale  age.'  "  The  writer 
of  this  article,  on  two  dccasions.  after  bmii-s 
of  weary  travel,  fiuind  bimsclf.  vcrv  unwill- 
ingly, at  his  starting  place  in  llic  moi-ning.  ami 
his  good  friends  the  jn-escnt  Postmaster  al 
Indianapolis  and  I  be  .\iiditoi-  id'  States,  after 
a  day's  travel,  as  they  thought,  towards  Cin- 
cinnati. ])aused  in  wonder  at  evening,  at  their 
own  town,  which  al  lir<l  they  su]i|)osed  was 
some  unknown  .-ctlleincnl  in  the  wilderness. 
.\  res])ectahlc  cilizen  of  Ohio  having  tra\iTsc>d 


re 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAIiAPOLlS. 


this  state  about  that  time,  was  asked,  on  his 
return  home,  about  his  travels,  and  whether 
he  had  been  pretty  much  tlirough  the  state. 
He  said  he  could  not  tell  with  certainty,  but 
lie  thought  he  had  been  pretty  nearly  through, 
in  some  places."  The  closing  jest  was  ilr. 
Merrill's  favorite  story  in  later  life.  The  get- 
ting lost  did  not  occur  on  the  journey  to  In- 
dianapolis, but  is  illustrative  of  another  fea- 
ture of  the  difficulties  of  early  travel.  The 
Indianapolis  trip  was  made  at  the  best  season, 
for  if  an  Indiana  mud  road  is  ever  dry,  it 
should  be  so  in  Xovember.  What  it  must  have 
been  in  the  spring  can  be  left  only  to  the  im- 
agination, with  no  danger  tliat  any  imagina- 
tion will  picture  the  road  worse  than  it 
actually  was. 

Of  course  this  tedious  removal  of  all  the 
state's  belongings  over  these  appalling  roads 
was  an  expensive  aifair.  Here  is  the  bill  that 
Samuel  Merrill  rendered  to  the  next  legisla- 
ture for  the  cxjiense  of  it:' 

To  Messrs.  Posey  and  Wilson  for  boxes  $     7.56 

To  Mr.  Lefler  for  one  box .50 

To  Seybert  &  Likens  for  transporta- 
tion of  3,945  lbs.  at  $1.90  per  hun- 
dred           74.95 

To  Jacob  &  Samuel  Kenoyer  for  trans- 
portation of  one  load 35.06 


Deduct   for   proceeds   of   sale   of   fur- 
niture at  Corvdon,  Xovember  23nd, 
1824     ■. ' 


$118.07 


52.53 


$65.55 

One  is  moved  to  wonder  if  there  is  not  a  typo- 
graphical error  in  the  specific  appropriation 
act  of  February  12,  1825,  which  allowed  to 
Samuel  Merrill,  "sixty  dollars  and  fiftj'-five 
cents  for  cash  advanced  by  him  for  expenses 
incurred  in  removing  the  property  of  the  state 
from  Corydon  to  Indianapolis".  There  is  surely 
a  need  for  some  explanation  of  that  cut  of  five 
dollars.  However,  the  legislature  was  generous, 
and  allowed  Mr.  Merrill  ''also  one  hundred 
dollars  for  his  personal  trouble  and  expendi- 
ture in  packing  and  moving  the  property  of  the 


"Chnmhfirlniit's  Gazetteer,  p. 
'Sen.  Jonrnal,  1825.  p.  7. 


125. 


state".  And  all  future  generations  must 
acknowledge  that  this  was  not  a  case  of  "graft", 
for  evidently  he  must  have  done  most  of  the 
work  himself  or  have  exercised  an  ability  in 
getting  it  done  that  could  hardly  be  measured 
in  mone}^  And  this  covered  also  a  two-weeks' 
trip  to  Indianapolis  to  prepare  there  for  the  re- 
moval !  Yerily,  we  shall  not  soon  see  his  like 
again. 

Arrived  at  Indianapolis,  the  clerk  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  was  installed  temporarily  in  the 
13x13  room  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the  sec- 
ond floor  of  the  court  house,  and  the  Secretary 
of  State  in  the  similar  room  immediately  below 
it.  The  Auditor  and  Treasurer  went  into  rented 
rooms  until  the  state  provided  a  building  for 
them,  and  rents  were  not  exorbitant  at  that 
time,  for  they  were  each  allowed  $20  a  year 
for  office  rent— the  Agent  of  State  had  only 
$16.  The  Governor  was  the  only  official  who 
was  allowed  house  rent,  and  the  appropriation 
for  that  purpose  was  $200  annually.  ^Ir.  Mer- 
rill's family  moved  into  James  Ijlake's  pala- 
tial tenement  with  Calvin  Fletcher,  evidently 
displacing  Mr.  Blake,  who  had  been  boarding 
there.  Mrs.  Ketcham  recalls  the  residence  thus : 
"It  was  on  Washington  street,  south  side,  half 
way  between  Tennessee  and  Illinois  streets, — 
a  small  one-story,  red  frame ;  two  rooms,  two 
doors  in  front  and  two  windows ;  occupied  by 
two  families.  Calvin  Fletcher  had  the  west 
side.  I  cannot  remember  how  thev  managed, 
except  in  each  room  was  a  big  bedstead  and  a 
trundle  one  that  wheeled  out  at  night  and  under 
in  the  daytime.  A  door  opened  into  Mrs. 
Fletcher's  apartment  from  our  room,  and  from 
hers  out  on  to  a  rough  porch  or  covered  space 
that  led  to  a  large  log  kitchen.  I  suppose  tjoth 
cooked  by  the  same  large  fireplace  and  prob- 
ably ate  on  this  porch,  and  I  remember  the 
wind  taking  our  dining-table  over  clear  to  the 
fence — a  half  square."  Even  these  restricted 
quarters  were  diminished  later,  for  the  log  kitch- 
en burned  down  during  the  joint  tenancy. 
But  people  in  those  days  had  not  acquired  the 
delusion  that  thev  needed  residences  so  large 
that  all  their  time  and  strength  would  be  ex- 
pended in  caring  for  them — a  condition  to 
which,  in  our  higher  civilization,  the  flat-dwell- 
ers are  rapidly  returning. 

Bad  roads  were  not  a  matter  of  concern  to 
Samuel  IMerrill  alone.  They  weighed  on  every- 
body.    The  necessity  of  roads  to   the   capital 


mSTORV  OF   GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


(M'.    ;/.    «.!»»    rhol'i    Compan:/.) 


"8 


iiis'|-()i;v  OK  (;i;i:.vi"i;i;  indiaxaj'oi.is. 


had  boeii  ivalizi'd  Irimi  tlif  lir>t  and  tht-  legis- 
lature of  1821  hail  ordcTt'd  t^tate  road^  to  lii- 
iliaiuipolis,  and  made  appropriations  for  thcni. 
as  follows : 

From    the    Hi-h    Bank-    of    White 

RivLT    '. $7,U2-2.UU 

From  the  Horse  Shoe  Bend,  via  Pa- 

oli,   Palestine  and  Bloomington.  .  S,4"?().00 
From  Mauk's  Ferrv,  via  Salem  and 

Brownstown    .  .  .' 8/J8S.0()' 

From  Bethlehem,  Clark  County,  via 

Xew   Washington    and    Lexington  o.O.'kxOO 
From  Madison,  via  Vernon  and  Co- 
lumbus      (i.:{.-):.(H) 

From  liawrenceburgh   (i, :!:>;). 00 

From  Ohio  line,  via  Brookville.  .  .  .  4,:i()"2.4-t 

From  Ohio   line,  via   Connersville.  .  4,-.'4!).Oi) 

From    Ohio    line,    via    Sali^l)urv. .  .  4.1S-^.00 

From  Ohio  line,   via  Winchester...  ■.',tM'2..J(l 


Total    $.5r),(;-M.!14 

It  also  ordered  a  state  road  from  Indian- 
apolis to  Terre  Haute,  hut  made  no  api>ro)iria- 
tion  for  it.  The  road  from  Indianapolis  to  Fort 
Wayne  was  ordered  by  act  of  February  10. 
1825 ;  the  road  to  Crawfordsville  by  act  of 
January  23,  1828 ;  the  ^lichigan  Road  by  act 
of  January  24,  1828;  and  the  road  to  Lafayette 
by  act  of  January  !),  1829.  For  the  improve- 
ment of  all  these  roads  additional  a])pri)pria- 
tions  were  made  from  time  to  time.  The  Mich- 
igan Road  was  a  special  undertaking,  and  was 
cut  100  feet  wide.  All  the  others  were  48  feet 
wide.  The  "cutting"'  of  a  road  meant  the  re- 
moval of  the  timber,  the  law  requiring  that 
the  smaller  trees  should  bo  cut  even  with  the 
ground,  while  "such  as  are  eighteen  inches 
and  upwards  shall  be  cut  at  the  usual  height 
of  twelve  inches,"'  Supervisors  were  appointed 
for  each  five  miles  of  state  road  to  be  cut,  in 
the  several  counties,  and  after  they  were  cut 
they  were  cared  for  as  county  roads,  with  the 
addition  of  an  occasional  state  appropriation 
for  improvement.  .\t  the  same  time  that  these 
state  roads  were  under  construction,  the  county 
authorities  were  jnisliing  the  work  on  local 
roads.  At  their  first  session,  as  mentioned,  the 
county  commissioners  ordered  roads  to  Con- 
ner's Station ;  to  the  western  county  line  on 
about  the  line  of  the  National  Road ;  to  ifc- 
Oormick's  mill,  just  above  the  Country  Club: 


an<l  soutlnvest  to  the  county  line.  At  the  Au- 
gust session  it  ordered  a  road  "commencing  at 
or  near  the  Indian  Camp,  where  the  county 
road  prayed  for  by  I'^liakim  Harding  and  others 
crosses  Eagle  Creek"",  northwest  ]«ist  Tiiomas 
^Iartin"s  farm  to  the  county  line,  i.  e.,  the  gen- 
eral line  of  the  present  Eagle  Creek  and  White 
Ijick  Road:  also  on  petition  of  Joel  Wright,  a 
continuation  of  the  road  to  ^IcCorniick"s  mill 
to  the  north :  al.~o  on  petition  of  Jeremiah  Cor- 
baley,  a  road  from  the  west  end  of  Ohio  street 
to  Isaac  Wilson "s  mill,  on  Fall  Creek,  thence 
imrth  and  "across  AVhite  River  at  the  Big  Rif- 
He"",  thence  northwest  to  the  county  line.  Ad- 
ditional roads  and  extensions  were  ordered  at 
nearly  every  future  session  for  several  years. 
The  tii'st  step  in  the  construction  of  either 
a  state  or  a  county  road  was  the  ai)]iointment 
of  "viewers"'  to  select  and  mark  tlu'  line  of 
the  i-oad,  and  on  their  reports  the  roads  were 
established,  subject  to  future  changes  if  the 
lines  selected  were  not  found  the  most  desir- 
able. In  the  imsettled  state  of  the  country 
these  reports  weie  not  always  in  terms  that 
are  readily  intelligiiile  now,  as  may  be  judged 
from  the  following  official  record  of  the  report 
of  the  viewers  of  the  road  to  Conner"s  Sta- 
tion, before  mentioned :  "John  Smock  and  Za- 
dock  Smith,  two  of  the  viewers  of  the  Fall 
Creek  Road  now  report  that  they  have  laid  out 
and  marked  by  two  eho]is  with  a  tomahawk 
on  the  trees  aiijacent  to  the  said  road,  and 
recommend  the  route  and  ground  running  thus: 
Beginning  at  the  north  end  of  Pennsylvania 
street  (i.  e..  the  corner  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Xorth  streets)  thence  to  the  half  mile  stake 
dividing  Section  3(),  Township  Ki.  Range  3  east 
(i,  e,,  up  Fort  Wayne  avenue  to  the  corner  of 
Central  avenue),  and  north  with  the  dividing 
line  until  it  intersects  with  the  road  leading 
to  Reagan's  brick  yard  (i,  e.  about  Twenty-tiftii 
street),  in  Section  2.")  in  said  Townsliip  and 
Range,  thence,  north  three  degrees  and  fifteen 
minutes  east,  with  said  road  until  it  strikes 
Fall  Creek,  thence  with  said  Creek  to  Wm. 
Rooker's,  thence  with  the  Indian  trace  crossing 
said  Creek  at  the  Rocky  Ford  in  Section  9, 
Township  Ui,  Range  4  east  (i.  e.,  Millersville). 
thence  with  said  trace  on  the  west  side  of  said 
Creek  to  MoClearin's  improvement.  Section  3, 
said  last  mentioned  Townsliip  and  Range, 
thence  leaving  the  trace  on  the  west  in  a  north- 
east  direction    until    it    strikes    Fall    Creek   at 


IllSTUKY    OF  GKKAl'Ki;   IXDlA.XAl'Ol.lS. 


79 


tliu  Indian  Camp  in  Section  2  said  Eange  and 
Township,  thonte  north  oU  degrees  east  until 
it  intersects  the  Indian  trace  at  the  hill,  tlicncu 
with  said  traic  to  the  county  line  tlividiug 
Sections  16  and  '.K  Township  K.  itauge  .5  east, 
determining  at  a  hackberry  marked  with  the 
letters  M  C  J..""  Or,  as  we  would  ])ut  it 
now,  the  general  lines  of  the  Millersville  Road 
and  the  Fall  Creek  and  .Mud  Creek  Free  Gravel 
Koad. 

Tlie  next  step  was  cutting  the  road,  and  mak- 
ing the  worst  jilaces  passable.  The  means  lor 
this  were  supplied  by  a  road  tax  payable  in 
work,  or  its  ecpiivalent  in  money  at  the  rate 
of  dO  cents  a  day.  Each  male,  between  'i\ 
and  50  years  of  age,  whether  living  in  town 
or  country,  and  owning  real  estate  or  not,  was 
required  to  do  three  days  of  road  work  an- 
nually, excepting  only  "preachers  of  the  gospel" 
and  |)ersons  excused  for  cause  by  the  county 
board.  The  owiu>r  of  from  40  to  80  acres  of 
land  was  required  to  do  one  day's  work  addi- 
tional; the  owner  of  80  to  KiO  acres  two  days' 
additional;  and  one  day  additional  for  each 
IGO  acres  above  that,  up  to  ten  days,  whieh 
was  the  maximum  tax.  Owners  of  town  lots 
were  required  to  do  one  day's  work  additional 
for  each  lot  owned,  up  to  a  maximum  of  six 
days.  The  ''owner  of  a  wagon  and  team  of  two 
or  more  horses  or  oxen  used  as  a  road  wagon" 
was  required  to  do  two  days"  work  additional. 
.\  licensed  tavern  keeper,  store  keeper  or  gro- 
cery keeper  was  reipiired  to  do  a  total  of  six 
days'  work,  if  not  an  owner  of  real  estate.  If 
the  work  and  money  thus  siijiplied  were  not 
sutlicient  to  ]uit  the  roads  in  re]iair,  it  was 
the  duty  of  the  supervisor  to  call  out  the 
hands  assigned  to  liini  and  ])ut  them  in  repair. 
In  all  this  work  the  supervisors  were  author- 
ized to  go  upon  any  adjoining  land,  cut  any 
ditches  that  might  be  necessary  to  drain  a  rojul, 
take  any  sand,  gravel  or  stone  needed,  and  eu( 
timber  adjacent  or  near  to  the  road.  In  addi- 
tion to  all  this  there  was  a  s])ecial  ])rovision  that 
road  supervisors  in  the  New  I'urchase  "shall 
ha\e  a  right  to  call  out  the  hands,  allottt'i!  to 
them  severally,  six  days  in  each  year,  in  order 
to  put  and  keep  the  roads  assigned  to  them 
respectively  in  re|)air."  .Vnv  unexpended  bal- 
ance of  the  road  tax  could  be  used  for  bridges, 
for  which  the  county  commissioners  were  also 
auliiorized  to  acce|it  donations  or  order  a  tax, 
or,  if  a  tax  were  considered  linrdensotne,  they 
might  authorize  loll  bridges. 


This  was  the  road  law  of  1824.  By  the  law 
of  1831  the  universal  tax  was  reduced  to  two 
days'  work,  the  tax  on  nonresidents  was  made 
one-half  of  the  state  tax  on  their  lauds,  and 
the  tax  on  owners  of  town  lots  was  made  one- 
half  of  the  county  tax  on  their  lots;  this  to 
he  applied  to  work  on  the  streets,  and  with  the 
privilege  of  paying  the  tax  in  work  at  50  cents 
a  day.  A  person  furnishing  a  plough  or  wagon 
with  team  and  driver,  at  the  request  of  the 
supervisor,  received  credit  for  three  days'  work 
for  each  day  of  the  team's  use.  There  was 
also  a  provision  for  "'cart  ways''  from  "a  plan- 
tation or  dwelling-house  to  a  public  highway''. 
These  were  made  on  special  petition,  and  were 
made  18  feet  wide.  If  one  that  was  ordered 
crossed  the  unimproved  land  of  anyone  who 
objected  to  it,  the  land  was  vahied  by  ap|)rais- 
ers  and  paid  for,  after  which  the  road  was  pn.i- 
ceeded  with. 

Koads  made  as  these  were  necessarily  went 
out  of  repair  cjuickly.  Every  stum[)  at  the 
surface,  and  every  root,  made  a  jolt  which 
sank  the  opposite  wheel  into  the  ground  and 
started  a  chuck-hole  which  was  helped  on  by 
standing  water,  more  jolts,  and  occasional  wal- 
lowing hogs.  The  more  the  road  was  traveled 
the  worse  it  hei-ame.  The  roads  in  the  central 
part  of  the  state  were  usually  worse,  so  far 
as  mud  was  concerned,  than  those  in  the  south 
part,  for  the  surface  soil  here  was  conuuonly 
a  .soft  loam  with  a  coating  of  mold  and  dead 
leaves.  Almost  the  only  improvement  at- 
tem[)ted  to  the  natural  surface  was  coriluroy- 
ing,  or  as  it  was  more  commonly  called  "cross- 
laying''  or  ''cross-waying"  in  s|)ecially  swampy 
places.  'I'liis  was  done  by  laying  small  logs, 
close  togethei',  ci'osswis(>  the  road,  and  cover- 
ing them  with  dirt.  II'  badly  laid,  or  out  of 
repair,  this  const  I'Uction  was  sometimes  worse 
than  nothing,  for  a  horse  was  liable  lo  break 
his  leg  in  it.  Mven  where  there  were  t'ewfr 
chuck-holes  the  roads  were  very  bail.  ('apt. 
Basil  Hall,  who  crossed  the  southern  part  of 
the  state  in  182T-8,  savs:  "The  country  is  hilly 
nearly  all  the  way,  the  roads  execrable,  and  the 
carriages  maile  as  rigid  as  if  they  had  been  cast 
in  one  piece  of  metal.  This  is  (piite  necessary, 
1  admit,  considering  the  duty  thev  have  to  go 
through.  Oni'  other  refiueniciii  in  these  ve- 
hicles 1  must  mention.  In  ex'cry  othei-  part  of 
tlie  Union  we  found  at  least  one  door,  tliougb 
there  were  I'arely  tun.  in  any  stage  coach.  But 
upon  this  occasion,  wlieie  so  large  an  o|)ening 


80 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


was  a  weakness  that  could  not  be  afforded,  the 
passengers  had  nothing  left  for  it — females  as 
well  as  males — but  literally  to  mount  the  coach- 
man's seat  by  aid  of -the  wheel,  and  then  scram- 
ble in  at  the  front  as  well  as  they  might."  * 

As  soon  as  the  capital  was  moved,  the  south- 
ern part  of  the  state  began  to  experience  the 
disadvantages  of  the  bad  roads  leading  to  it 
and  the  poor  mail  service ;  and  their  woes  found 
expression..  On  Friday,  January  14,  18'<25,  the 
Lawrenceburgh  Palladium  said:  "On  Monday 
last  the  legislature  met  at  Indianapolis,  but 
owing  to  the  present  arrangement  of  the  mail 
to  that  place,  it  will  be  impossible  to  have  any 
information  from  the  legislature  before  the 
middle  of  next  week,  nine  days  from  the  com- 
mencement of  the  session!  (We  can  have  in- 
formation from  the  City  of  Washington  in  11 
days,  which  is  more  than  five  times  the  dis- 
tance to  Indianapolis.)  But  this  isn't  all — 
it  will  be  (after  the  mail  arrives  next  Wednes- 
day) the  2nd  of  February  before  we  have  an- 
other return  of  the  mail,  nearly  the  close  of 
the  session,  should  it  not  continue  longer  than 
4  or  5  weeks,  as  is  expected.  It  is  an  old 
adage,  and  may  be  a  true  one,  that  'every  evil 
has  its  good',  but  we  can't  see  this  connexion 
here,  unless  the  legislature  was  wanting  to 
have  a  place  unconnected  with  the  stir  and 
bustle  of  the  world,  where  they  might  digest 
and  make  laws  and  regulations  for  the  'good 
of  their  constituents,  in  peace  and  quietness; 
where  they  might  vote  as  they  pleased,  and  no 
person  know  anything  about  it — just  abridge 
the  Journals  a  little.  They  have  found  just 
such  a  place  we  guess  as  Cowper  was  wishing 
for,  when  he  said — 

'Oh,  for  a  lodge  in  some  vast  wilderness ! 
Some  boundless  contiguity  of  shade.'" 

And  yet  Lawrenceburgh  was  an  early  bird 
as  compared  with  Vincennes,  for  the  account  of 
the  opening  of  the  session  did  not  get  into 
print  there  until  January  29.  But  the  condi- 
tions gradually  improved,  and  communication 
with  the  outside  world  became  comparatively 
rapid.  On  September  8,  1833,  the  Journal 
published  the  advertisements  of  four  lines  of 
stages  then  in  operation  from  the  capital:  that 
of  A.  L.  &  W.  L.  Ross  to  Brookville,  leaving 
and  returning  twice  a  week ;  Johnson's  two  lines 
of  "mail  stages"  to  Lawrenceburgh  and  Madi- 


^Travds  in  North  America,  Vol.  3,  p.  38(). 


son,  each  three  times  a  week;  and  the  line  of 
P.  Beers  to  Dayton,  also  three  times  a  week. 
In  those  days  of  rapid  transit  one  could  go 
from  the  capital  to  the  Ohio  River,  or  return, 
in  two  days,  and  there  was  little  improvement 
on  that  until  the  railroad  came.  Judge  C.  P. 
Ferguson,  as  a  small  boy,  made  the  trip  up 
from  Madison  in  1836.  His  father  had  been 
elected  to  the  legislature,  and  arranged  for  the 
boy  to  go  with  Judge  Dewey  from  Cliarles- 
town,  by  way  of  JIadison,  while  he  rode  through 
horseback.  Says  Judge  Ferguson:  "The  pro- 
gramme was  carried  out,  and  the  judge  and 
myself  took  passage  on  the  steamboat  Roches- 
ter, at  the  Charlestown  landing.  *  *  *  q^ 
the  boat  the  judge  met  several  friends,  among 
whom  was  Randall  Crawford,  a  great  lawyer 
and  father  of  the  now  distinguished  Harr}', 
who  was  also  on  his  way  to  Indianapolis.  At 
]\radison  we  three  took  lodgings  at  Pugh's 
Hotel  and  occupied  the  same  room.  Next  morn- 
ing, before  it  was  light,  the  stage  drove  up 
to  the  door  agd  we  got  in,  after  which  the 
driver  picked  up  a  few  passengers  at  private 
residences,  one  of  whom,  upon  entering  was 
addressed  as  judge,  and  I  got  to  learn  that  he 
was  Stephen  C.  Stevens,  who  had  been  a  sii- 
jireme  judge,  and,  having  resigned.  Judge 
Dewey  had  been  appointed  to  fill  his  place. 

"From  Madison  to  Columbus  made  one  day's 
journey,  and  there  we  expected  to  meet  an 
Indianapolis  stage,  that  would  take  us  on.  We 
passed  the  night  at  the  Jones  hotel,  and  the 
Indianapolis  stage  failing  to  meet  us,  a  pri- 
vate conveyance  was  provided— a  common  farm 
wagon — and  in  that  way  we  were  sent  on  to 
Franklin.  At  Franklin,  late  in  the  next  morn- 
ing, the  stage  was  on  hand  ready  to  take  us 
im.  It  was  not  a  coach,  but  a  large,  covered 
spring  wagon,  drawn  by  four  horses.  Getting 
so  late  a  start,  we  trudged  the  balance  of  the 
day  and  into  the  night  through  mud  and 
chuck-holes  and  over  corduroy  roads.  *  *  * 
A  little  after  dark  on  this  last  day's  journey, 
while  perched  upon  my  seat,  drowsy  and  worn- 
out,  Mr.  Crawford  aroused  me  and  said,  in  his 
]ieculiar  tone  of  voice,  which  those  who  knew 
liirn  will  recollect,  "Now  you  can  see  the  lights 
of  Injprtnapolis'',  and  shortly  afterward?;  we 
were  in  the  town.  What  a  contrast  with  the 
present!  There  were  no  brilliant  lights,  no 
jingling  of  bells  and  shrieking  of  whistles; 
no  yelling  of  the  names  of  different  hotels, 
but  in  darkness  and  quiet  the  stage  drew  up  in 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


81 


front  of  tlie  ilansion  lloust',  kopt  by  Bai^il 
]5ro\vn,  and  there  emerged  therefrom  and  en- 
tered the  hotel,  eohl  and  tired — a  supreme 
judge,  an  ex-supreme  judge,  a  great  lawyer, 
anil  a  little  countrv  boy.'"  " 

'J'he  coniiiifT  of  the  capital  did  not  have  any 
immediate  and  marked  effect  on  the  fortunes 
of  the  town.  There  was  no  boom  in  town  lots, 
and  no  rapid  increase  of  population,  though 
there  was  a  general  stiffening  of  prices  and  a 
feeling  of  stal)ility  that  had  formerly  been 
wanting.  The  condition  was  cjuite  similar 
to  that  of  a  college  town.  The  sessions,  which 
were  then  annual,  brought  a  nundjer  of  people 
to  town,  and  business  of  all  kinds  livened  up. 
Considerable  money  was  put  in  circulation, 
and  very  soon  the  session  marked  the  common 
fiscal  year.  People  made  bills  payable  when 
the  legislature  was  in  session,  and  there  was 
a  general  settlement  of  accounts  at  that  time. 
But  the  most  notable  effect  was  social.  There 
were  usually  a  number  of  persons  of  more  or 
less  prominence  here  besides  the  legislators, 
and  a  great  many  families  took  one  or  more 
boarders  in  their  liomes.  In  anticipation  of 
the  coming,  a  number  of  young  men  of  the 
place  met  at  the  Land  Office  one  evening  in 
the  Tall  of  1824  and  organized  the  Indianapolis 
Legislature,  with  jurisdiction  over  all  known 
subjects,  and  especially  over  such  as  came  be- 
fore the  real  legislature.  Among  the  early 
members  were  William  Quarles,  Dr.  K.  A. 
Scudder,  Austin  W.  Morris,  John  Frazee,  Is- 
rael Griffith,  Alexander  W.  Russell,  William 
Xew,  Joseph  K.  Fvooney,  Douglass  ^laguire, 
John  Cain,  Jose|)h  M.  Moore,  Thomas  H. 
Sharpe,  Thomas  A.  ^[orris,  William  1'.  Br\ant, 
Xewton  S.  Ileylin,  Andrew  W.  Ingram.  Hugh 
CXeal,  George  W.  Kindierly,  r.enjamin  S. 
Xoble,  Fahiu.s  ^1.  Finch,  Simon  ^'an(les.  and 
Xathaniel  P.  Bolton.  Benjamin  I.  Blythe,  who 
had  been  a  mend)er  of  the  legislature  from 
Dearborn  County,  was  chosen  the  first  speaker, 
and  the  organization  was  launched. 

It  was  popular  from  the  lirst.  and  soon 
many  other  young  men  joined,  and  also  a  num- 
ber of  the  older  citizens,  including  Judge  Wick, 
Tliram  Brown,  Morris  ^Forris,  Calvin  Fletcher, 
and  later  Governor  Xoble  and  General  Hanna. 
It  held  its  sessions  in  the  senate  chamber  of 
the  old  court  house,  on   Salurdav  ni"lits.  ami 


during  the  sessions  was  very  generally  attended 
l)y  the  members  of  the  state  legislature.  Much 
interest  was  taken  in  the  discussions,  and  it  is 
said  that  many  of  the  ]n-oblenis  of  the  real  leg- 
islature were  settled  by  its  debates.  The  ladies 
of  the  town  were  quite  regular  attendants, 
and  were  always  welcomed.  This  organization 
met  weekly,  winter  and  summer,  for  over  ten 
years,  and  was  a  source  of  both  amusement  and 
education  to  the  community.  It  elected  a 
governor  at  intervals,  and  his  "message"  was 
always  an  elaborate,  and  often  humorous  docu- 
ment, which  was  generally  printed  by  the  local 
jiapers. 

But  according  to  ^Ir.  Bolton  the  legislative 
inffuence  was  still  more  extensive,  for  he  says: 
"After  the  removal  of  the  seat  of  government 
to  Indianapolis,  the  social  intercourse  of  the 
))eople  seemed  to  partake  more  or  less  of  a 
legislative  character,  particularly  amongst  the 
young  of  both  sexes.  At  a  wedding  party  a 
society  was  instituted,  consisting  of  young  la- 
dies and  gentlemen,  on  the  legislative  prin- 
ciple ;  yet  not  quite  so  democratic,  in  one  of 
its  departments,  as  that  of  our  state  government. 
The  aristocratic  branch  consisted  of  four  young 
ladies,  who  constituted  a  council,  or  board  of 
directors,  having  a  strong  veto  power  on  all 
matters  brought  before  the  society.  The 
other  branch  was  purely  democratic,  and 
consisted  of  ladies  and  gentlemen.  The 
subjects  brought  before  the  society  were 
generally  such  as  tended  to  matrimony. 
There  was  a  marshal  or  sergeant-at-arms  ap- 
i)ointed,  whose  special  business  it  was  to  carry 
out  the  decrees  of  the  council  or  board  of  di- 
rectors. James  Blake,  the  Indianapidis  mar- 
shal of  thirty  years  standing,  was  first  elected. 
Moonlight  excursions  on  a  large  ferry  boat  on 
the  river  were  projected;  and  the  society,  on 
fine  evenings,  would  proceed  to  the  boat,  where, 
l)y  the  light  of  the  soft  silver  moon,  as  nur 
bark  floated  over  the  waters,  to  the  sound  nf 
sweet  music,  many  a  tale  of  love  was  told.  .V 
grave  charge  was  made  against  several  of  the 
lirst  directory  of  ladies,  who  instead  of  atteml- 
ing  to  the  interests  of  the  society  at  large,  were 
file  first  to  form  matrimonial  alliances  for 
themselves.  When  their  wedding  jiarties  cauK! 
on,  these  charges  were  a  source  nl'  much  amusc- 
nienf'.'" 


"hid.  lllsl.  Snr.   I'lihs..    \n\. 
Vol.  1—6 


1' 


"•/■«(/.  Hist.  Sor.  Pi(h.<..  Vdl.   1,  |i.  1 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Till-:  MolIAh  FOUXDATION". 


In  its  beginnings  Indianiipolis  had  most  of 
the  characteristics  of  an  American  frontier 
settlement,  varied  by  the  fact  that  it  was  not 
on  any  line  of  travel.  They  were  not  so 
marked  as  usual  in  the  matter  of  lawlessness, 
as  has  been  noted,  and  they  were  more 
marked  than  usual  in  the  physical  conditions 
and  the  social  relations  because  the  place  was 
isolated — set  down  in  the  primeval  forest,  with 
almost  no  roads,  and  very  limited  waterways. 
The  settlers  were  thrown  on  their  own  resources 
for  almost  everything,  and  there  was  a  very 
slow  advance  towards  those  social  distinctions 
that  are  found  in  older  communities.  There 
was  practically  no  help  to  hire — the  only  way 
to  get  it  was  to  get  into  troul:)le  and  trust  to 
sympathy.  People  did  their  own  work  when 
jjossible,  and  helped  each  other  when  necessary 
or  mutually  desirable.  The  following  entries 
from  the  diary  of  Mrs.  Calvin  Fletcher  in 
1821,  will  illustrate  the  condition:  "November 
5,  1821.  Mr.  Fletcher  has  been  helping  ]\Ir. 
Blake  husk  corn."  (Mr.  Blake — James — (jwned 
the  house  in  which  the  Fletchers  lived,  and 
boarded  with  them.)  '•December  T.  We  killed 
a  l)eef.  Mr.  Paxton  and  Mr.  Blake  hei])ed  to 
butcher  it."  "November  22,  1821,  1  spun 
some  candle  wicking."  "November  24,  1821, 
Mrs.  Nowland  was  making  a  bonnet.  She 
came  to  me  to  know  whether  I  could  make  it. 
I  did  not  understand  it,  but  gave  her  all  tlie 
instruction  I  possibly  could.'"  There  are  nu- 
merous references  in  this  journal  to  visits, 
small  dinner  parties,  teas,  quiltings,  etc.,  and 
evidence  that  general  fellowship  and  good  feel- 
ing pervaded  the  community.  And  the  first 
settlers  evidently  nuide  the  most  of  their  lim- 
ited opportunities  for  amusement.  On  Decem- 
ber 2?,  1821,  Mrs.  Fletcher  notes  the  return 
of   Mr.    P)lakc    fi'iim    ('(irvdoii,   and    sa\s.   "Mr. 


F.  has  gone  to  see  him,  and  when  1  write  a 
few  more  lines  I  will  go  also,  although  1  feel 
very  much  fatigued,  for  it  is  a  long  time  since 
I  have  heard  the  fiddle  played.  (Mr.  Blake 
was  a  performer.)  I  thiidv  it  will  seem  very 
melodious,  and  I  am  just  about  to  start  to  hear 
it"".  A  few  days  later  she  writes:  "I  visited 
ilrs.  Nowland,  and  Mr.  Russell  played  a  few 
tunes  on  the  fiddle,  and  we  also  danced  a  few 
reels'".  The  crowning  dissipation  of  the  sec- 
ond year  was  the  New  Years  ball  at  Wyant's 
tavern,  which  may  be  regarded  as  the  opening 
of  "society"  in  Indianapolis.  They  had  writ- 
ten invitations,  the  following  one  being  pre- 
served : 

"The  company  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fletcher  is 
requested  to  a  party  at  J.   Wyant's,   Tuesday 
the  1st  of  January,  1822,  at  3  o'clock  p.  m. 
Indianapolis,  December  28th,   1821. 
Managers, 

A.  W.  Russell, 
K.  A.  8cudder.'" 

Calvin  Fletcher  records  in  his  diarv  for  New 
Years  1822,  "About  3  of  the  clock, "Mr.  Hog- 
den  called  with  a  carriage  and  carried  Mrs.  F. 
and  myself  to  Mr.  Wyant's,  on  the  river,  where 
we  met  about  twenty  couple.  We  enjoyed  our- 
selves very  much  and  returned  about  twelve, 
and  not  fatigued"".'  ilrs.  Martin — daughter  nf 
(ieorge  Smith,  the  first  iniblisher — then  thirteen 
vears  of  age,  also  went  to  this  iiall  in  Ilogdcn's 
"carriage"",  which  she  describes  as  "a  great 
lumbering  thing"  similar  to  the  "mud  wagons"' 
that  were  used  iii  stage-coach  days  \\hen  an  or- 
dinary stage  could  not  navigate  the  flooded 
roads.  The  refreshments  were  elaborate.  Rev. 
J.   C.  Fletcher  records  Mrs.   Martin's  account 


Wars.  April   12.   is:!l. 


82 


TFISTOKY   OF  GHKATKr!   TXDTAXAPOLTS. 


83 


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84 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


of  them  tliiiii:  "Aofording  to  Mrs.  Martin 
there  was  in  the  great  open  fire  place  an  im- 
mense kettle  or  cauldron,  which  contained  no 
less  than  sixteen  gallons  of  coffee;  and  there 
were  pans,  skillets  and  other  cooking  and  bak- 
ing vessels,  in  which  were  biscuits,  sweet  bread, 
ginger  bread,  and  that  best  of  all  cakes  which 
is  a  lost  art  among  the  modems.  I  refer  to 
the  real,  old-fashioned  pound  cake,  which  has 
given  way  to  a  lot  of  insipid  and  indigestible 
sweetnesses  under  the  names  of  marble,  cocoa- 
nut,  chocolate,  mountain  and  icing  cakes,  to 
say  nothing  of  ribbon,  fig  and  I  do  not  loiow 
how  many  other  combinations  of  cakes.  That 
Xew  Year's  party  was  composed  of  every  grade 
in  society,  so  that  the  candidates  had  an  ex- 
cellent opportunity  to  see  the  people,  for  mv 
father  told  me  that  invitations  were  extended 
to  everybodv.  froni  the  Helvey  neighborhood 
on  the  school  section  down  to  the  humblest  in- 
habitant of  the  meanest  log  cabin  nn  the  dona- 
tion."" - 

There  was  dancing  as  well  as  eating.  The 
music  was  furnished  by  Col.  Alexander 
W.  Russell,  who  enjoyed  the  distinction  of 
coming  to  Indianapolis  on  the  first  keel  boat 
that  came  up  this  far,  in  May.  1821.  He  was 
also  a  brother  of  John  W.  Russell,  the  steam- 
boat ca]itain.  celebrated  in  Western  annals 
for  an  achievement  at  Xatchez.  One  of  his 
passengers  had  been  robbed  in  one  of  the  gam- 
bling dens  that  lined  the  river.  Russell  de- 
manded the  return  of  the  money:  and  when  re- 
fused had  a  gang  of  hands  fasten  a  hawser 
around  the  house,  and  started  the  boat.  The 
ganil)lers  tossed  the  poeket-book  out  of  tl^o  win- 
dow, and  cried  "enough".  Alexander  W.  was 
a  TCentuckian.  notable  later  as  county  sheriff, 
militia  officer,  merchant  and  postmaster.  He 
was  a  "fiddler""  of  note,  and  was  in  demand 
at  all  of  the  early  entertainments.  On  this  oc- 
casion, under  his  inspiring  strains  'Mattbias  R. 
Xowland  invited  ^frs.  Wyant  to  open  the  dance 
with  him.  Others  followed,  and  all  was  goins 
merry  as  a  wedding  bell  when  Mr.  Wyant  en- 
tered and  ordered  the  music  to  stop.  Accord- 
ing to  J.  H.  B.  Rowland:  "Mr.  Wyant  said 
that  'as  far  as  himself  and  his  wife  were  con- 
cerned, they  were  capable  of  and  able  to  do 
their  own  dancing,  and  that  he  thought  it 
would  look  better  for  every  man  to  dance  with 


his  own  wife;  those  that  had  no  wife  could 
dance  with  the  gals'".  This  order,  as  far  as  Mr. 
and  ilrs.  Wyant  were  concerned,  was  strictly 
adhered  to  and  faithfully  carried  out  the  bal- 
ance of  the  night. ■■  •'  Tliis  numifestation  of  re- 
ligious or  moral  scruples  on  the  ]>art  of  the  tav- 
ern keeper  was  characteristic  of  the  time.  ^Ir. 
Fletcher  records:  "On  December  ;?!,  1823,  visit- 
ed, or  rather  attended,  a  theatrical  performance 
at  Thomas  Carter"s  tavern.  The  jierformers  were 
Jfr.  and  ilrs.  Smith  purporting  to  be  directly 
from  the  Xew  York  theaters.  They  both  were 
not  less  than  50  years  of  age,  representing  the 
■Jealous  Lovers'  and  'Lord  What  a  Snow  Storm 
in  May  and  June".  Admittance  2.5  cents.  No 
music  at  first;  fiddle  strings  broke.  Russell 
and  Bolton  were  requested  by  our  host.  Thomas 
Carter,  to  play  nothing  but  'note  tunes  or 
]>salms"  as  he  called  them."  Carter,  who  was  a 
strict  Baptist,  always  insisted  on  this  form  of 
])ropriety  in  his  house,  and  Xowland  records 
a  similar  instance  in  the  winter  of  1825-(3.  in 
which  a  ilr.  Crampton  was  the  trou]je  and  Bill 
Bagwell  was  the  orchestra.* 

Just  who  "Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith"",  the  first 
players,  were,  is  not  known.  Their  entertain- 
ment was  exactly  like  those  given  by  "Old  Sol 
Smith"" — uncle  of  Sol  Smith  Russell,  and  a 
theatrical  pioneer  of  the  Ohio  valley — and  liis 
wife,  when  "touring  the  provinces",  and  they 
were  at  a  Cincinnati  theater  that  winter,  but 
they  were  much  under  fifty  years  of  age  then, 
and  Smith  makes  no  mention  of  any  visit  to 
Indianapolis  in  his  reminiscences.  Crampton 
was  a  well-known  player  in  the  west,  and 
Smith  mentions  playing  with  him  elsewhere.' 
Whoever  they  were,  they  seem  to  have  done 
well,  for  they  came  back  the  following  sum- 
mer, when  they  made  the  awful  mistake  of  ad- 
vertising in  the  Gazette,  and  not  in  the  Censor, 
and  on  June  22,  the  Censor  observed:  "Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Smith  whose  performances  were 
treated  with  so  much  contempt  and  ridicule 
last  winter,  arrived  in  town  a  few  days  ago, 
and  c(mimenced  their  performance  last  night, 
with  what  cjicouragement  we  have  not  yet  been 
informed.  We  have  not  the  same  objection 
which  exists   in    the   minds    of    many    people 


-Neirs.  A]iril  2n.  1S?0. 


^liniiiitiscenci'x.  p.    12S. 
'nrmiilisci'iicrs.  p.   Gfi. 
''7'lii'iilrirnl    'Mannfjcmnit    in 
Soiilli  fur  Thirl  1/  Yrar^.  N".  Y., 


////'    Wi'sl    iind.i 

1  SiiS.  ', 


IsroiiV  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


85 


ngaiii?t  the  ])frlormaiiLe,  by  regular  and  re- 
speetaljle  companies,  ol'  tragedies  and  eoniedies; 
but  the  eneouragenuMit  of  thin  conipanij,  whose 
exhibitions  we  understand  (for  we  have  never 
witnesseil  them )  alt'ord  neither  instruction  nor 
rational  entertainment,  would  be  a  reproach 
upon  our  understandings,  and  would  evince  a 
want  of  taste  and  discrimination  in  our  citizens, 
which  we  are  proud  to  believe  does  not  exist." 
This  seems  to  have  reached  the  public  con- 
science, for,  on  June  29,  the  Censor  said: 
'"Mr.  Smith  and  his  cotnitamj,  we  understand, 
have  absconded,  without  taking  from  us  any 
of  our  cash."  Bolton  also  attended  the  first 
Smith  entertainment,  and  says  "a  musical  so- 
ciety had  just  been  established,  of  which  I 
was  a  member,  whicli  was  invited  to  be  pres- 
ent", lie  puts  Smith's  age  at  55,  and  Mrs. 
Smith's  at  (iO,  and  states  that  the  latter,  in 
addition  to  the  plays,  sang  the  Star  Spangled 
Banner,  and  danced  "a  Imrnpipe,  Ijlindfolded, 
amongst  eggs"." 

Indianapolis  was  unquestionably  more  moral 
and  religious  than  the  average  frontier  town, 
and  presumably  so  because  it  was  out  of  the 
line  of  travel,  and  because  there  was  nothing 
here  for  some  years  to  attract  the  vicious  or 
even  the  speculative  element.  There  was  quite 
an  influx  of  si)eculators  at  the  sale  of  lots  in 
October,  1821,  but  that  was  of  short  duration, 
and  as  the  town  gave  no  evidence  of  becoming 
a  "boom  town",  and  had  nothing  to  make  it 
such,  the  speculative  element  sought  other 
fielils.  and  the  town  was  left  to  those  who  had 
come  to  make  homes.  These  were  naturally 
sober-minded,  and  mostly  religious  people:  and 
there  were  religious  meetings  held  in  the 
cabins  of  the  settlers  by  representatives  of  all 
the  leading  sects  long  before  any  of  them  could 
afford  a  meeting-house.  There  is  some  ques- 
tion as  to  who  ])reached  the  fir.«t  sermon  here, 
.some  claiming  the  record  for  Rev.  Resin  Ham- 
mond, of  Charlestown,  a  ^lethodist.  who 
preached  at  Isaac  Wilson's  cabin  in  the  spring 
of  1K21.  and  some  for  Rev.  John  ^IcClung,  a 
"New  Light"'  who  addresseil  an  open-air  mecl- 


■/»-'/.  Il'isl.  Soc.  Fub.i.,  Vol.  1.  p.  107. 

'  '•N'l'W  light"  is  a  rather  indefinite  term.  At 
ill''  time  of  the  founding  of  Indianapolis  it  was 
nifpsl  commonly  applied  in  the  West  to  the  fol- 
lowers of  Barton  W.  Stone,  of  Kentuckv.  Their 
tcMcIs  wei-e  almost  the  same  as  those  of  llu'  fol- 


ing  about  the  same  time,  with  the  probabilities 
favoring  JlcClung.  He  was  at  least  the  first 
preacher  who  settled  liere,  locating  on  Fall 
Creek,  not  far  from  the  present  State  Fair 
Grounds,  where  he  died  on  August  18, 1823.  He 
was  originally  a  Presbyterian,  but  joined  the  re- 
form movement,  and  for  seventeen  years  was  one 
of  their  most  active  preachers  in  the  Ohio  Val- 
ley. His  obituary  sketch  says:  "About  two  years 
ago  he  moved  to  this,  then  commencing  .settle- 
ment, and  continued  to  preach  to  verv  general 
acceptance  until  about  the  1st  of  April  last, 
when  he  called  together  the  church  he  had 
formed,  and  informed  them  that  having,  after 
careful  and  prayerful  examination,  become  sat- 
isfied that  the  distinguishing  doctrines  of  the 
society  were  not  scriptural,  it  became  liis  duty 
as  an  honest  man  to  withdraw  his  member- 
ship from  the  church.  *  *  *  por  his 
labors  in  our  infancy  as  a  settlement,  and  be- 
fore any  other  regular  preaching  was  estab- 
lished in  this  place,  we  are  under  much  obli- 
gation." »  Some  doubts  as  to  points  of  doctrine 
prevented  his  joining  any  other  church  until 
a  short  time  before  his  death,  when  he  returned 
to  the  Presbyterian  fold. 

Rev.  Resin  Hammond  was  only  a  visitor,  but 
in  the  summer  of  1821  the  :\Iet'hodists  formed 
a  class  which  met  at  Isaac  Wilson's,  and  which 
was  the  nucleus  of  the  first  church.  In  the  fall 
of  1821  Rev.  Wm.  (.'ravens  was  sent  here  by 
the  i\Iissouri  Conference,  in  which  Indiana  was 
then  located,  to  organize  a  circuit,  and  In- 
dianapolis was  made  a  station  in  his  circuit  for 
the  year  following.  Ci'avens  was  a  forcible 
speaker,  with  special  antiiiathy  to  slavery  and 
to  the  sale  or  use  of  intoxicating  liquors,  and 
he  preached  at  them  straiglit  and  hard."  \Wv. 
James  Scott,  a  Methodist  minister,  located  here 
on  November  28,  1822,  being  in  charge  of  a  cir- 
cuit that  included  the  northern  part  of  ^Marion, 
with  Hamilton  and  Madison  counties;  though 
he  was  in  charge  of  tlie  camp-meeting  held  here 
in    September,    1822,    and    performed    various 

lowers  of  Alexander  Campbell,  but  udl  (piite  sd 
damp — they  did  not  consider  innuersion  es.sen- 
tial.  ]\[ost  of  the  two  sects  united  in  IS.IS,  and 
"New  Light"  and  "Campbellife"  came  In  he 
nearly  synonymous. 

'Wexterii  Censor.  .Vugust  2.'),  1823. 

'•'nollidui/s  Indiana  ^fefhodlsm.  p.  58; 
Smith's  Indiana  Miscelianif.  p.  1(10. 


86 


11IST(»1;V  OF  (iHEATEE  INDIAXAPOLIS. 


iiiinistfi-ial  fuiittious;  at  a  latiT  date."'  The 
Jlctliodists  did  not  iindei'tako  to  maintain  a 
meeting-house  until  ISS."),  when  they  located 
in  a  log  building  on  the  south  side  of  ilarvland 
street,  west  of  Meridian,  which  they  occupied 
for  four  years. 

The  McCormicks,  the  first  permanent  set- 
tlers, were  Baptists,  and  others  soon  followed. 
There  were  some  religious  meetings  at  private 
houses  and  in  18"22  the  Baptists  formed  the 
first  church  organization  at  this  point.  The 
original  minutes  of  the  church,  which  are  pre- 
served, show  that  a  preliminary  meeting  was 
held  at  the  school  house,  at  the  point  between 
Kentucky  avenue  and  Illinois  street  in  August, 
and  it  was  decided  to  organize  on  September 
22.  Samuel  McC'ormick  was  directed  to  write 
to  Lick  Creek  and  Franklin  churches,  and  John 
W.  Reding  to  Little  Flat  Rock  and  Little 
Cedar  Grove  churches  for  "helj)s""  in  organiza- 
tion. On  the  appointed  day  Elder  Tyner  from 
Little  Cedar  Grove  appeared  as  a  help,  and, 
letters  having  been  presented  by  Benjamin 
Barnes,  Jeremiah  Johnson,  Thomas  Carter, 
Otis  Hobart,  John  Hobart,  Theodore  Y.  Denny, 
John  McCormick.  Samuel  McCormick,  John 
Thompson,  William  Dodd,  Jane  Johnson, 
Xancy  Carter,  Nancy  Thompson,  Elizabeth 
McCormick  and  Polly  Carter,  it  was  decided 
to  adjourn  to  October  10.  On  that  day  the 
parties  assembled,  with  John  W.  Reding  and 
Hannah  Skinner  added,  and  Benjamin  Barnes 
was  selected  to  speak  for  the  members. 
"Brother  Tyner  went  into  an  examination,  and 
finding  the  members  sound  in  the  faith,  pro- 
nounced them  a  regular  Baptist  church,  and 
directed  them  to  go  into  business"'.  In  Janu- 
ary, 1823,  arrangements  were  made  to  secure 
the  school  house  for  meetings,  and  in  June  an 
agreement  was  made  with  Benjamin  Barnes 
to  preach  once  a  month  for  the  remainder  of 
the  year.  In  the  spring  of  1825  ^lajor  Chinn 
invited  the  church  to  \ise  his  house,  on  the 
north  side  of  Maryland,  between  Meridian  and 
Illinois,  for  regular  meetings,  which  was  ac- 
cepted. In  June.  1825,  the  church  purchased 
of  William  Wilmuth  lot  2  in  square  60.  where 
the  Hebrew  Synagogue  on  East  Market  street 
now  stands,  and  meetings  were  held  in  a  log 
house  that  stood  on  it,  whicli  was  rented  for  a 


school  house  on  week  days.  In  1829  the  church 
purchased  a  lot  on  the  southwest  corner  of 
^[eridian  and  Maryland  streets,  and  erected  its 
first  regular  meeting-house  there. 

The  first  Presbyterian  who  preached  here 
was  Rev.  Ludwell  G.  Gaines,  of  Ohio,  a  mis- 
sionary of  the  General  Assembly  who  held  an 
open  air  meeting  in  August,  1821.  Rev.  David 
C.  Proctor,  under  the  direction  of  the  Connec- 
ticut Missionary  Society,  visited  Indianapolis 
for  about  a  week  in  May,  1822.  In  February, 
1822,  Dr.  Isaac  Coe  organized  a  bible  class, 
and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  arrangements  were 
made  with  ]\[r.  Proctor  to  preach  three-fourths 
of  his  time  at  Indianapolis  for  the  year  begin- 


"See  Gazette.  June  15,  1824;  Western  Cen- 
sor. March  15.  :\ray  24.  September  14.  1824. 


FIRST    PRESBYTERI.A.X     CHURCH    AND 
SCHOOL    ERECTED. 

(From   an  olc!   cut.) 


ning  October  1,  1822.  the  other  one-fourth  be- 
ing given  to  the  church  at  Bloomington.  In 
the  spring  of  182:5  a  subscription  was  made 
for  a  meeting-house,  the  first  in  Indianapolis, 
which  was  begim  in  May  and  completed  in 
Julv.  A  formal  church  ortranization  was  made 
on  July  5.  1823.  at  Caleb  Scudder"s  caiiinet 
shop.  Rev.  Isaac  Reed,  who  preached  at  Xew 
Albany,  and  made  occasional  missionary  tours 
into  the  back  settlements,  writes:  "My  first 
visit  to  Indianapolis  was  through  many  perils 
of  waters  by  the  way,  in  company  with  ilr. 
Proctor,  the  3rd  of  .July.  On  the  afternoon 
of  the  4th.  1  ]ireached  to  the  Presbyterian 
friends  at  ;i  cal)in('t  maker's  sliop :  and  at  the 


lllsroK'Y   OF  CliKATKi;,    I  M  )1.\  \  Al'Ol.lS. 


same  place,  on  iliu  morning  of  thu  .Jtli,  I 
preached  as  moderator  in  the  formation  of  the 
cliun-li  of  Indianapolis.  The  same  day  two 
other  ministers  arrived.  The  next  day  was  the 
Sabbath,  and  there  were  four  ministers  with 
this  new  formed  cluireh.  The  chureh  was  or- 
ganized with  fifteen  members.  Dr.  Isaac  Coe 
and  t'aleb  Seudder  were  elected  elders.  A 
church  edifice  had  been  begun  in  ^lay  before 
the  organization  of  the  church,  and  was  so  far 
completed  that  it  was  occupied  at  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  I.i()rd"s  Supper  on  the  Sal)bath,  the 
next  day  after  the  organization  of  the  church." 
The  early  religious  meetings,  especially 
where  there  was  preaching,  were  generally  at- 
tended, without  regard  to  denomination. 
Among  the  notes  in  Mrs.  Fletclier's  diary  for 
her  first  year  here  are  the  following:  "Sun- 
day, November  18,  1821.  1  attended  prayer 
meeting  at  Mr.  Ste])hens"."  "Sunday.  Novem- 
ber 2'},  1821,  1  attended  in'caching  at  Mr.  Haw- 
kins' when!  1  heard  a  very  good  sermon  by  a 
Newlight    minister."'     "Sunday,   December   30, 

1821,  1  heard  a  sermon  delivered  by  a  Newlight 
minister  which  I  did  not  think  commendable, 
but  w^e  must  allow  for  it  as  it  has  not  been  but 
about  three  months  since  he  began  to  speak  in 
public."  ■^'Sunday,  jWay  12,  1822,  I  attended 
jireaching  at  tiie  (Jovernor's  circle,  it  was  the 
first  sermon  ever  delivered  at  that  |dace.  Kev. 
^^r.  Proctor  took  his  text  from  the  :iOth  chap- 
ter of  Proverbs  and  17tli  verse.  *  *  *  '['],g 
preacher  is  a  Presbyterian  and  a  very  good 
orator.  He  will  speak  again  on  Tuesday  p. 
ni."  "Tuesday,  14th.  In  the  morning  it  rained, 
and  in  the  afternoon  was  clear  b\it  muddy. 
Mr.  F.  attended  preaching  at  the  school  house." 
"Sunday,  !lth  .luiie.  Mrs.  Wick  and  I  attended 
Jfethodist    preaching.'"      "Sunday,    l()th    June, 

1822.  Mr.  lUake  went  to  Sabbath  School." 
•'Sunday,  12th  duly.  This  day  attended  Bap- 
tist preaching  at  the  school  house."  In  Se\> 
lemlier,  1822,  is  the  note:  "Camp  meeting  com- 
menced the  l.'itb  of  Septendier  and  lield  four 
days." 

The  Sabbath  school  to  which  Mi-.  Pilake  went 
nn  dune  lO,  1822,  was  presumably  Dr.  Coe's 
bible  class,  for  there  is  no  record  of  any  Sab- 
bath sdiool  here  until  the  union  school  was 
organized  the  next  spring  at  Caleb  Scudder's 
cabinet  shop.  Mrs.  Fletcher  w-rites  of  it: 
"April  (i.  182.'i.  Our  school  commenced,  which 
I   hope  will   be  (d"  .i;n'Mt   benefit   to  the  children 


of  our  town."  This  school  organization  was 
named  the  Indianapolis  Sabbath  School  Union, 
and  included  all  denominations  as  well  as  non- 
church  members.  James  .\1.  Kay,  the  first  su- 
perintendent, and  James  Blake,  orre  of  the 
active  workers,  were  not  then  church  members. 
Among  the  ,teachers  were  Caleb  Seudder,  Doug- 
lass JIaguire,  Henry  Bradley,  B.  F.  Morris,  Dr. 
Dunlap,  the  Mis.«es  Coe,  Mrs.  Morris,  Miss 
.McDougall,  Mrs.  Seudder,  and  ^Irs.  Paxton. 
It  followed  the  general  plan  of  the  American 
Sabbath  School  I'nion,  and  served  a  valuable 
educational  purpose  aside  from  the  religious 
instruction.  The  school  was  divided  into  four 
"classes",  or  as  they  would  now  be  called 
"grades",  and  each  class  was  divided  into 
"sections"'  corresponding  to  modern  "classes"'. 
Those  of  the  first  class  studied  the  scriptures 
direct;  the  second  memorized  hymns,  cate- 
chisms, etc.;  the  third  included  "those  who 
spell  in  two  or  more  syllables,  and  the  fourth 
those  who  are  learning  tlie  aljihabct  anil  mono- 
syllables"'. In  August,  1826,  the  Indiana  Sab- 
bath School  Union  was  organized  at  Indian- 
apolis, and  at  its  first  annual  meeting,  August 
3-6,  1827,  elaborate  directions  for  Sabbath 
School  organization  were  issued,  based  on  the 
work  of  the  Indianapolis  school,  of  which  the 
following  extract  will  give  a  comprehensive 
idea:  "The  first  class  should  memorize  Mat- 
thew, begiiining  at  the  2d  chapter,  John,  Acts 
and  Eomans.  A  selection,  as  given  in  the  ap- 
pendix, from  Genesis,  Ivxodus  and  Deuteron- 
omy, with  such  other  parts  of  scripture  or  cate- 
chisms as  may  be  thought  advisable.  The  sec- 
ond class  should  memorize  catechisms  and 
liymns — those  published  by  the  .\merican  Sun- 
day School  Fnion  are  prepari'd  by  a  committee 
consisting  of  the  principal  religious  denomina- 
tions in  the  I'nited  States,  and  contain  no 
doctrines  in  which  all  do  not  unite.  In  the 
Indianapolis  school,  Watts'  First  Catechism, 
Milk  for  Babes,  Watts'  Divine  and  Moral 
Songs.  Doddi'idges  P(x>tical  Lessons,  and  Tav- 
lor's  Original  Hynms  are  learned  in  course, 
before  commencing  the  Testament.  The  third 
class  should  use  some  spelling  book.  And  the 
fourth  class  some  spelling  book  or  primer  con- 
taining the  alphabet  and  words  of  one  syllable; 
and  both  classes  should  memorize  their  spelling 
lessons,  'i'hc  Sunday  School  Spelling  Rook 
and  I'liion  Primer  were  designed  for  these 
classes,    but    inii,dit,    the    (■iiMiniitt<'e    believe,    be 


S8 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


still  better  titled  for  the  object  they  are  in- 
tended to  accomplish,  particularly  the  last, — 
the  vocabulary  of  monosyllables  in  Webster's 
spelling  book  appears  better  calculated,  they 
believe,  to  advance  the  young  beginner." 

The  memorizing  was  the  chief  feature  of  the 
worlc,  and  to  encourage  it  the  distribution  of 
liooks  from  the  Sunday  School  library  was 
made  dependent  on  it.  The  library  was  com- 
l)osed  chiefly  of  publications  of  the  national 
Union,  and  of  these  three  depositories  were 
established  in  the  state,  at  Madison,  New 
Albany  and  Indianapolis.  Any  school  joining 
the  Union,  and  paying  one  dollar,  could  obtain 
these  books  at  cost ;  to  others  an  advance  of 
fifteen  per  cent,  was  charged.  The  books  were 
classified  by  price,  and  the  pupil  could  "draw  a 
book  from  the  library  of  the  value  of  four 
times  as  many  cents  as  the  average  lesson  as- 
signed by  the  religious  instructor  to  the  class 
consists  of  verses,  or  their  equivalents,  which 
book  may  be  kept  one  week  and  no  longer". 
For  "every  dirt  or  grease  spot,  turned  down  or 
torn  leaf,  or  week  over-kept"  there  was  a  fine 
of  from  one  to  seven  cents,  according  to  the 
value  of  the  book,  which  was  to  be  paid  in 
money  or  memorizing.  The  class  record  was 
devoted  to  this  matter  of  memorizing,  as  ap- 
pears from  the  following  model  prepared  and 
circulated  bv  the  Union: 

"TEACHER'S   CLASS    BOOK 
Male. — Peter    Punctual,    Teacher. 

1st  Class.     1st  Section.           Ma.v  B.  13. 

C          V          M  C          V          M 

Israel    Industry    23         SO         .iO  24         41         50 

Solomon  Steady    20           1         50  21         17         40 

Simon  Sober    19           1         50  20         21          50 

Abraham    Active     10         23         40  11         21          45 

Charles    Careless    4           1         20  4         21         15 

O  stands  for  chapter.  V,  verse,  where  lesson  begins.  M 
number    of    versos    memorized." 

The  Sunday  School  was  a  success  from  the 
start,  there  being  70  in  attendance  on  the  third 
Sunday.  On  April  23,  the  Censor  said:  "It 
is  highly  flattering  to  witness  the  success  that 
has  attended  the  formation  of  the  Sunday 
School  in  this  town.  The  exertions  of  the 
Directory  and  Superintendent  have  produced 
the  most  flattering  prospects.  The  school  on 
the  two  last  Sabbaths  was  numerously  at- 
tended, and  the  order  and  harmony  that  pre- 
vailed, considering  the  inexperience  of  those 
engaged  in  teaching,  furnish  the  strongest 
proof  of  the  practicability  of  rendering  such 
establishments  emiiK'ntly  useful   in  improving 


tile  condition  of  the  rising  generation."'  The 
chief  promoter  of  the  union  Sunday  School 
was  Dr.  Isaac  Coe,  who  became  its  "clerk"; 
but  he  was  warmly  seconded  by  the  press"  and 
all  public-spirited  citizens.  The  school  was  dis- 
continued in  the  winter  months  of  1823-4,  but 
was  renewed  on  April  24,  182-1:,  and  was  con- 
tinuous thereafter,  meeting  in  the  Presbyterian 
church  when  it  was  completed.  It  was  the  only 
Sunday  School  until  the  spring  of  1828,  when 
the  ^Methodists  organized  a  separate  school,  and 
the  Baptists  did  likewise  in  1832. 

An  interesting  feature  of  the  early  Sunday 
schools  was  their  participation  in  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  Fourth  of  July,  which  began  in 
1828.  The  glorious  Fourth  had  not  been  over- 
looked before  that  time.  Even  in  1821  the 
young  people  of  the  place  had  celebrated  by 
obtaining  a  keel-boat  that  had  recently  come 
up  the  river,  aud  going  up  to  Anderson's  spring 
for  a  picnic.  Anderson's  spring  is  still  the 
finest  spring  in  this  vicinity,  though  it  is  little 
known  because  of  its  out-of-the-way  location. 
It  is  at  the  foot  of  the  bluft'  south  of  Emmer- 
icli's  grove,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  about 
half  way  between  the  Cold  Spring  and  the 
Emmerichsville  bridge.  At  present  it  is  partly 
harnessed  to  a  hydraulic  ram.  and  pumps  water 
to  a  tank  in  the  garden  farm  of  Mrs.  Denke 
just  above.  It  took  its  name  from  Thomas 
Anderson,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers,  who  lo- 
cated at  that  point.  In  1822  the  citizens  met 
at  Hawkins'  tavern  on  June  17,  and  made 
arrangements  for  a  public  celebration  on  the 
Military  Reserve,  which  then  extended  south 
to  Washington  street  as  well  as  including  the 
present  Military  Park.  The  celebration  opened 
with  a  sermon  from  Rev.  John  McClung.  from 
the  text,  '"Righteousness  exalteth  a  nation  but 
sin  is  a  reproach  to  any  people" ;  which  was 
followed  by  a  brief  speech  and  the  reading  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence  by  Judge 
Wick,  Washington's  Inaugural  Address  by 
Squire  Obed  Foote.  Washington's  Farewell  Ad- 
dress, by  John  Hawkins,  and  a  prayer  and 
benediction  by  Rev.  Robert  Brenton.  Then 
followed  a  dinner,  the  central  feature  of  which 
was  a  barbecued  buck  that  had  been  killed  the 
day  before  by  Robert  Harding,  with  patriotic 
toasts,  and  an  ample  supply  of  the  spirit  of  the 
maize.     The  toasts,  fourteen  in  number,  were 


^Censor,  ^lanh  l!l  and  26. 


HISTORY  OF  GEEATKR   IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


89 


written  by  Calvin  Fletcher,  the  last  one  being, 
"Indianapolis,  ilay  it  not  prove  itself  un- 
worthy the  honor  the  state  has  conferred  upon 
it  by  making-  it  her  .-cat  of  wovcrnnK'nf.'-'  .\t 
night  there  was  a  ball  at  C'nuiibaugbV  immtii 
and  justice  Aw\>.  at  the  corner  of  Market  and 
.Mis.-ouri  streets.''-  In  18-.?3,  tbe  Cmisur  says: 
"The  day  was  ushered  in  by  the  firing  of  mus- 
kets and  rifles.  About  ten  o'clock,  agreeably 
to  a  previous  notice,  the  citizens  of  the  town 
and  vicinity  assembled  in  a  handsome  shade 
on  the  town  plat,  where,  after  an  appropriate 
prayer  by  the  I?ev.  Mr.  Proctor,  and  the  read- 
ing of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  by  D. 
B.  Wick.  Esq.,  an  oration  was  delivered  by 
Jlorris  ilorris,  Esq.,  and  the  services  of  the 
occasion  -were  closed  by  prayer  from  the  Rev. 
Jlr.  Reid."  The  dinner  was  at  Wilkes  Rca- 
gans  with  the  customary  toasts,  and  the  festivi- 
ties closed  with  a  ball  at  the  same  place. 

These  celebrations  increased  in  splendor  as 
the  militarv  and  civic  organizations  developed. 
In  1827  the  Journal  says:     "The  day  was  an- 
nounced by  the  discharge  of  2-1  rounds  of  can- 
non, amid  tbe  cheers  of  the  citizens.     At  an 
early  hour,  the  artillery,  commanded  by  Captain 
Morris,  and  the  rifle  company,  commanded  by 
« 'aptain  Reding,  paraded  and  placed  in  front  of 
ilie  procession  formed  by  Captain  ^IcFarland, 
who  acted  as  marshal  of  the  day.     Then  fol- 
lowed  the    committee     of    arrangements,     the 
President    and    Vice-president,    Chaplain     and 
leader  of  vocal  music.  Orator  and  Reader  of  the 
Declaration     of     Independence,    Revolutionary 
-oldiers    and    citizens."      This    imposing    body 
moved  to  the  court  house  where  a  large  con- 
lourse,  with   many  ladies,   was   waiting.     The 
dinner,  at  the  tavern  of  Mr.  Hays  was  made 
memorable  by  2-i  regular  toasts  and  18  volun- 
teers.    But  in   1828   the  procession  was  more 
impressive,  for  "the  scholars  of  our  two  Sab- 
bath schools,  attended  by  their  superintendents 
and  instructors,  together  with  a  large  number 
of  ladies  from  town  and  country  took  a  con- 
spicuous part".    The  services  were  at  the  court 
hou.'^e,  and  tliere  was  "music  from  a  select  choir 
of  singers,  aecompanied  by  instrumental  music 
from   the   members  of   the  Indianapolis   Han- 
dolian  Society"''.     After  the  services    two  pro- 
cessions were  formed ;  one  of  the  niale  patriots 
to  repair  to  the  dinner  at  the  Sugar   Grove, 


'"■Ncirs,  June  7,  1879. 

'■"'See  alsi)  X(Jirlitiiirs  }?cmiiilsrniirs,  p.    131. 


cast  of  the  town,  and  the  otlier  of  the  Sabbath 
.-cnoot  scholars,  and  ladies  "to  return  to  the 
schools".  This  innovation  gave  such  general 
satisfaction  that  the  Sunday  schools  thence- 
forward became  star  attractions,  as  may  be 
seen  from  the  order  of  formation  in  1829, 
w-hich  the  Gazelle  gives  as  follows: 

1.  Artillery. 

2.  Ladies  and  I'emale  Teaciiers. 

o.     Four  Female  Teachers  and  Bannei' 
■1,     Female  scholars,  smallest  in  front 
5.     Music. 
U,     Eour  Male  Teachers  and  Banner. 

7.  Male  scholars,  smallest  in  front. 

8.  Two  Clergymen,  Reader  and  Orator, 

9.  Superintendents,  Teachers,  Etc. 

10.  Citizens,  four  abreast. 

On  this  occasion  the  adtlress  was  liy  J  udge 
James  Morrison,  who  gave  a  history  of  the 
Sabbath  school  movement.  At  that  time  he 
saitl  there  were  190  on  the  rolls  of  the  Lnion 
school,  with  an  average  attendance  of  110 
scholars  and  30  teachers;  while  the  Methodist 
sciiool  had  98  scholars  and  19  teachers.  The 
work  had  been  prosecuted  outside  of  town  till 
18  schools  had  been  formed,  and  the  attendance 
at  all  the  schools  in  the  county  was  between 
1,100  and  1,200.  As  illustrating  their  bene- 
lit  he  mentioned  one  locality  where  there  were 
only  30  children  in  the  day  schools,  but  90 
attended  the  Sunday  school. 

The  jjarticipation  of  the  Sunday  schools  in 
the  Fourth  of  July  celebrations  continued  un- 
til 1857,  and  as  they  were  shut  out  of  the 
dinners  it  became  the  custom  to  stay  the  juve- 
nile stomachs  by  a  distribution  of  rusk  and 
water,  until  home  and  something  more  sub- 
stantial could  be  reached.  And  as  tiie  various 
denominations  formed  independent  Sunday 
schools  it  became  the  custom  for  each  school 
to  join  the  procession  as  a  separate  organiza- 
tion. All  of  the  schools  joined,  with  two  ex- 
ceptions. The  Episcopalians  did  not  join  in 
this  diversion,  but  just  why  is  not  recorded. 
The  Universalists,  after  a  brief  and  unsuccess- 
ful ell'ort  at  organization  in  the  'iOs,  reorgan- 
ized in  18.53,  and  maintained  a  Sunday  school, 
but  it  always  llocked  by  itself  on  tlu'  Fourth, 
usually  holding  a  picnic  in  the  woods  north  of 
the  University,  on  College  avenue,  wliich  Ovid 
Butler  furnished  for  tlie  occasion.  The  picnic 
was  the  microbe  that  destroyed  the  old-time 
celebration.  In  early  days  the  tendency  of  the 
seeker   for   recreation    was    to   get   out   of    the 


!10 


IIISTOKV   OF   (IliKATEU   JXDIAXAPOLIS. 


woods  and  into  town,  but  as  physical  conditions 
clianged  this  tendency  was  reversed.  Occasion- 
ally even  a  Sunday  school  cut  the  parade  and 
went  to  the  woods  for  a  picnic.  And  so  it 
came  to  pass  that  the  celebration  in  1857  was 
a  fizzle.  The  National  Guards  had  gone  to 
Lexington,  Ky.,  to  the  laying  of  the  cornerstone 
of  the  Henry  Clay  monument,  and  had  taken 
the  city  band  with  them.  The  firemen  had 
gone  to  a  picnic  near  Franklin.  Several  of 
the  Sunday  schools  had  taken  to  the  woods. 
The  Journal  lugubriously  observed:  "The  Sun- 
day school  children  made  the  only  display  that 
was  made,   and  even   they  fell   short  of  their 


dropped  entirely,  and  the  timc-lionored  jiaradc, 
with  "Uncle  Jmnny"  Blakc  as  marshal,  ha.-  be- 
come only  a  fond  memory  of  the  older  citizens. 
Although  the  Sunday  school  was  organized 
in  large  part  to  supjjly  the  deficiency  of  day 
schools,  the  early  settlers  were  not  unmindful 
of  the  latter.  In  1821  they  got  together  and 
])ut  up  a  log  school  house  on  the  edge  of  a 
large  pond  that  was  located  at  the  corner  of 
Kentucky  avenue  and  Washington  street,  and 
here  Joseph  C.  Reed  was  installed  as  the  first 
riacher.'°  Its  construction  was  voluntary,  and 
the  school  was  a  "pay  school",  for  there  was  no 
otficial  school  organization  as  vet.     A  descHp- 


THB  FIRST  SCHOOL  HOUSE.  KENTUCKY  A\^.  AND  ILLINOIS  ST. 
(From   a  pencil   sketch   by  James   B.   Dunlap.) 


usual  numbers  and  spirit.  There  was  no 
music  in  the  city,  no  firemen's  parade,  no  mili- 
tary displa}",  no  movement  of  any  kind  after  an 
early  hour  in  the  morning.  The  tlnnidering  of 
the  cannon,  rapidly  fired  by  the  Artillery  boys, 
opened  the  day  well,  but  the  promise  of  a  'good 
time'  was  illy  fulfilled.  The  remark  was  uni- 
versal that  'so  dull  a  Fourth  was  never  seen'. 
At  night  tliere  was  some  compensation  for  the 
sleepiness  of  the  day  in  a  profusion  of  fire- 
works and  bonfires,  but  that  was  all."'''  In 
lS.-)8,  tlie  Fourth  came  on  Sunday,  and  |)art  of 
the  communitv  celebrated  on  Saturday.  ]iir1  on 
Mondav.      Thereafter   tlie   ancient   cnstini    was 


*-l()nni(il.  .)iil\ 


is.-,r. 


tion  of  this  school  lio\ise  is  given  in  tlie  notes 
left  by  :Mrs.  ^Martin,  who,  as  Miss  Betty  Smith, 
(hiughter  of  George  Smith,  the  pioneer  pub- 
lisher, went  to  school  there  at  the  ago  of  thir- 
teen. She  says:  "The  first  school  house  was  a 
cabin  with  rough-bewinl  floor  and  benches,  and 
a  slab  of  the  same  kind  was  fastened  to  the  wall 
to  write  on;  and  back  of  tliat  a  log  was  sawed 
out,  and  sticks  put  in  to  paste  paper  on,  and 
the  paper  was  greased  to  make  it  light,  so  we 
were  pretty  well  fi.xed.  We  nsed  to  have  sing- 
ing school  of  evenings,  and  prayer  meetings, 
and  on  Saturday  and  Sunday  the  sheep  used 
to  occupy  our  school  room  in  our  absence.  .\nd 


''Bn 


I  iiiliii 


nil  ji 


,lis. 


lllsrolJV   t>K  (illKA'lEi;    IXDI.WAI'OI.IS. 


91 


how  do  vou  su]ipos('  tlicy  got  iu?  W'ull,  Hr'V 
got  in  by  tliu  cliiniiiov.  1  ^^iippor^e  you  think 
the  fliiiniu'v  \va^  not  very  higli — it  was  about 
four  feet  high,  and  six  feet  wide,  so  you  see 
we  could  have  a  good  tire."  The  occupancy 
by  the  slieep  was  not  regular,  liowever,  for  the 
school  house  was  often  used  for  preaching  and 
otlicr  meetings.  The  state  law,  which  was  very 
rudimentary,  provided  for  putting  the  "school 
sections"  under  tlic  care  of  superintendents, 
leasing  them,  and  applying  the  returns  to  the 
use  of  schools;  but  no  appointments  could  be 
made  until  after  the  county  commissioners 
were  elected  in  the  following  spring;  and  even 
then  the  j)rofits  from  the  school  lands  were 
only  nominal  for  several  years.  Tlie  law  also 
provided  for  the  election  of  school  tiustees  l)y 
the  ))eople,  and  gave  these  trustees  power  to  do 
almost  anything  "not  inconsistent  uiih  tlic 
constitution  and  the  law""  for  the  "encourage- 
ment of  schools."'  Mr.  Keed's  service  was  evi- 
dently acceptable,  for  he  was  elected  County 
Recorder  the  next  spring,  but  that  left  the 
school  witliout  a  teacher.  A  meeting  was  hehl 
on  June  '^0,  1822,  and  trustees  were  elected, 
but  the  scliool  was  very  irreguhir,  on  account 
of  the  difliculty  of  getting  a  teacher.  Several 
are  said  to  have  been  tried  but  with  -o  little 
satisfaction  that  not  even  their  names  aiv  pre- 
served. 

But  relief  was  coming  from  another  source. 
8avs  Kev.  J.  C.  Fletcher:  ''Jt  is  a  noted  fact 
that  from  1822  to  1S3!>  the  .Methodists  had  the 
liest  preaeiiers  in  Indianapolis  and  the  Presby- 
terians the  best  schools.""'"  It  certainly  was  a 
blessing  to  the  community  that  the  first  Presby- 
terian Board  of  Trustees  included  those  two 
energetic  educational  cranks  Dr.  Isaac  Coe  as 
chairman  and  James  Blake  as  secretary.  The 
new  churcli  for  which  subscriptions  were  taken 
ill  May.  lS2.'i,  was  eom])leted  that  snniiiier,  and 
it  included  a  school  room  arranged  for  use  on 
week  days  as  well  as  Sundays.  On  March  1). 
1S24,  the  trustees  announced  that  school  woiilil 
be  opened  on  the  first  Monday  in  Ajn-il  liy  .\li-. 
and  ifrs.  Lawrence,  who  were  certified  to  be 
f[ualified  instructors  in  "Eeading,  Writing, 
.Vritlimelic.  I'jiglish  Grammar  and  Geography"', 
in  addition  to  which  Mrs.  T>awrence  taught 
nc'cdlc-work.  The  tuition  was  $2  per  quarter. 
and    realizing    that    even    this    seeming    small 


"'•Xcw.i.  .lune  2S,  IKTi). 
charge   would    be  a  burden,   the   trustees  sav 


"It  has  been  a  matter  of  serious  solicitude  with 
the  Trustees  that  the  school  should  be  of  the 
greatest  advantage  to  tin-  public;  and  believ- 
ing that  many  from  the  largeness  of  their 
families,  and  the  difficulties  attending  a  re- 
moval to  a  new  settlement,  are  but  ill  prepared 
to  pay  for  that  schooling  they  would  wish  their 
children  to  have,  and  which  it  is  of  high  im- 
portance they  should  enjoy,  the  board  have  re- 
served the  privilege  of  sending  six  children 
gratis,  and  provision  will  be  made  by  a  num- 
ber of  young  men  and  others  to  pay  for  the 
instruction  of  several  more."  They  also  pro- 
posed to  "give  one  scholar  his  tuition  for  giv- 
ing the  signal  for  school,  and  making  the  fire 
each  morning  one  hour  before  its  opening"'. 

The  Lawrences — Kiee  B.  and  Ann — were 
very  competent  teachers,  from  Xew  York  origi- 
nally, but  direct  from  Troy,  Ohio.  Mr. 
Brown  says  they  tauglit  for  a  time  in  the  log 
school  house,  but  if  so  it  was  a  short  time,  for 
they  came  here  in  the  last  of  October,  1823. 
They  were  Presbyterians,  and  active  workers 
in  the  Sunday  school  as  well  as  the  day  school. 
The  second  cpiarter  of  this  school  was  an- 
nounced to  open  on  July  2(5,  but  Mr.  Law- 
rence fell  ill,  and  died  on  July  31;  and  the 
school,  which  was  continued  by  Mrs.  Lawrence,, 
ojicned  on  August  9.  The  third  term  opened 
Xovember  15,  and  this  was  the  last  one  adver- 
tised, but  Mrs.  Lawrence  evidently  continued 
to  teach  in  182.'j,  for  a  time,  for  Mrs.  Ketcbam 
describes  her  attendance  there  in  summer,  and 
her  family  did  not  come  to  Indianapolis  until 
-Xovember,  182-1.  There  was  an  interim,  how- 
I'vcr,  between  her  school  and  that  of  Ebenc/.i'r 
Sharpe,  her  successor,  in  which  Samuel  Merrill,. 
Rev.  George  Bush,  and  Mrs.  Bush  made  rec- 
ords as  volunteer  teaehei's.  On  November  7, 
1S2G,  the  trustees  announced  that  Ebenezer 
Sharpe  had  begun  school,  or  rather  had 
"opened  the  Indianapolis  .\cademy"',  for  it  was 
low  on  a  more  pretentious  basis.  There  were 
two  assistants.  Miss  Isabella  Sharpe  and 
Thomas  H.  Sharpe,  the  latter  "then  a  blonde- 
haired  young  gentleman  of  eighteen",  and 
s(unething  of  an  athlete,  for  he  soon  established 
a  reputation  as  the  fastest  sprinter  in  this  lo- 
cality. P^benezer  Sharpe  was  a  Marylander,  of 
classical  education,  who  was  one  of  the  earlv 
professors  at  Transylvania  University,  at  Lex- 
iiij;ton,  Kentucky.  He  remained  tiiere  until 
Ih-.  Holly,  of  Boston,  was  elected  president, 
when,  on   account  of  Dr.    Hollv  being  a   I'ni- 


'.)2 


HISTORY  OF  GllEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


tarian,  several  proiessors,  including  Mr.  Sharpe, 
resigned.  iMr.  Sliarpe  then  established  an 
academy  at  Paris,  Kentucky,  from  wliich  place 
lie  came  here.  He  raised  the  standard  of  the 
school  and  giaded  the  rates — 

•"For  spelling  and  reading  per  qr.,  $i.UO. 
Writing  and  arithmetic,  $2.50. 
Geography,  English  grammar,  mathematics, 
the  languages  and  philosophy,  $3.00."'" 

This  school  gave  the  first  public  exhibition 
at  the  court  house,  on  October  6,  1827,  and  so 
successfully  that  tlie  Journal  was  moved  to  re- 
mark: "The  original  pieces  that  were  spoken 
on  the  occasion  were  of  a  charcter  well  deserv- 
ing commendation."'  And  so  were  those  not 
original,  for  tradition  records  that  T^om  Morris 
(later  General)  enacted  the  part  of  a  miser  so 
well,  in  his  recitation,  that  old  farmer  Mc- 
Dowell, who  had  the  reputation  of  being  "a 
little  near",  took  offense,  and  left  the  room 
with  audible  denunciations  of  the  whole  per- 
formance. In  fact  this  may  almost  be  called 
the  beginning  of  amateur  theatricals,  for 
Thomas  appeared  in  costume,  with  knee- 
breeches  and  a  wig  which  he  had  himself  con- 
structed from  cows  tails.  About  1830  Mr. 
.Sharpe  removed  his  school  to  a  frame  building 
at  the  corner  of  Ohio  and  Meridian  streets,  and 
continued  it  there  until  a  short  time  before 
his  death  in  1835.  The  opening  of  the  "old 
seminary""  in  1834  marked  a  new  epoch  in  In- 
dianapolis schools,  to  be  considered  later.  There 
were  several  other  private  schools  in  the  early 
period,  but  little  is  recorded  concerning  them. 
Among  the  teachers  were  Messrs.  Lambert, 
Fleming,  Bryan,  Tufts,  Austin  W.  Morris, 
Wm.  Daily  (later  president  of  the  state  uni- 
versity), MePherson  (who  was  drowned  by 
Vanblarieum),  and  •'Seotch'"'"  Mayne.  The  last- 
named  was  an  eccentric  Scotchman,  with  an  un- 
tiring devotion  to  snuff  and  the  ferule,  both  of 
which  went  chiefly  to  the  head. 

As  illustrative  of  the  homogeneous  character 
of  the  settlement  prior  to  the  actual  coming 
of  the  capital,  may  be  mentioned  one  other 
dance  that  occurred  towards  the  close  of  that 
period,  and  which  was  as  celebrated  in  tradi- 
tion as  the  opening  ball  at  Wyant's.  In  the 
summer  and  fall  of  1823  James  Blake  and 
Samuel  Henderson  erected  a  new  frame  tavern 
on  Washington  street  where  the  New  York 
store  now  stands,  and  started  out  as  tavern- 


keepers — just  imagine  "Uncle  Jimmy"  Blake 
taking  out  a  retail  liquor  license.  The  new 
house  was  christened  Washington  Hall,  and 
was  opened  with  a  ball  on  Christmas  eve,  con- 
cerning which  Calvin  Fletcher  recorded:  "De- 
cember 24.  "We  this  day  have  had  a  ball  at 
Keepers  Henderson  &  Blake's.  Mr.  Foote,  Mr. 
liaiston,  Mr.  Culbertson,  Douglass  Maguire 
and  myself  were  the  managers.  The  day  was 
clear  and  cold.  Our  fiarty  was  attended  by 
about  30  couple.  Supper  splendid — and  every- 
thing surpassingly  agreeable."  This  ball  was 
fruitful  of  reminiscences  in  the  old  settlers' 
meetings,  and  Douglass  Jilaguire  is  authority 
for  the  statement  that  "Mr.  Blake  did  some 
very  good  dancing  and  Mr.  Fletcher  was  the 
best  manager  in  a  ball  room  that  he  ever  saw.""^ 
Of  course  it  will  be  remembered  that  at  this 
time  these  gentlemen  had  not  become  church 
members,  and  it  must  not  be  understood  that 
there  was  no  objection  to  dancing  in  the  com- 
munity. The  Methodists  prohibited  it  at  that 
time,  and  so  did  some  of  the  other  sects.  On 
January  2(5,  1827,  the  Presbyterian  minutes 
say :  "It  having  been  ascertained  that  the  chil- 
dren of  one  of  the  members  of  this  church  have 
in  two  cases  recently  attended  a  dancing  party 
in  this  place,  resolved  thereupon  that  Jlr.  Bush 
lie  requested  to  visit  and  converse  with,  and  if 
necessary  admonish  that  member  in  the  name 
of  the  session  on  the  impropriety  of  her  con- 
duct." On  the  whole  Indianapolis  at  the  time 
was  quite  deserving  of  the  following  editorial 
puff  which  appeared  in  the  Weittcrn  Censor  of 
October  10,  1821:  "Our  town  is  well  supplied 
with  schools  and  they  are  beginning  to  be  estab- 
lished in  different  parts  of  the  country;  we 
have  jDreaching  in  town  every  Sabbath,  and  our 
society  is  excellent.  The  moral  and  correct  de- 
portment of  our  citizens  is  a  subject  of  remark 
to  every  observing  and  intelligent  traveler.  And 
here  we  cannot  avoid  mentioning  as  one  among 
the  most  important  of  the  moral  engines  in 
operation  for  the  restraint  of  vice  and  the  pro- 
motion of  virtue  and  religion,  and  as  being  an 
ornament  to  the  town,  the  existence  of  the  In- 
dianapolis Sabbath  School,  an  institution  in 
the  encouragement  and  support  of  which  all 
denominations  tmite,  which  is  attended  by  chil- 
dren of  both  sexes  and  all  conditions  of  life, 
and  on  the  rolls  of  which  there  are  nearly  one 
liundred  scholars." 


^'Locomotive,  June  14,  1856. 


CHAPTER  X. 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  TOWN. 


There  wns  never  any  approach  to  general  pri- 
vation and  hardship  in  Indianapolis  after  the 
iirst  two  vears,  though  there  was  some  incon- 
venience for  a  time  on  account  of  the  isolation 
of  the  jilace.  The  difficulty  and  expense  of 
transporting  goods  from  the  outside  operated 
somewliat  like  a  tariil"  tax  to  stimulate  domestic 
manufacture,  but  even  that  condition  was  im- 
proved by  the  gradual  improvement  of  wagon 
roads.  As  early  as  ]\Iay  15,  1839,  the  editor 
of  the  Democrat  (Xathaniel  Bolton)  was  in- 
dulging in  reminiscent  articles  on  "Indian- 
apolis— the  past  and  the  present" ;  and  on  that 
date  he  said :  "We  have  been  assured  by  several 
old  settlers  that  our  ]iei-sonal  friend,  the  ven- 
erable Mr.  .John  ITager.  now  clerk  of  the  court 
in  Hancock  County,  frequently  brought  the 
latest  intelligence  from  Cincinnati  by  his  ox 
cart.  Mr.  Hager  is  well  known  here  to  our 
old  citizens  as  among  the  most  enterprising, 
active  and  industrious  of  the  old  pioneers. 
When  an  immense  and  almost  trackless  forest 
stretclied  over  the  now  Ijcautiful  and  improved 
country,  Isir.  Ilager  was  busy  in  the  wilderness. 
It  is  even  now  a  joli  of  some  diffioilty  to  haul 
from  Cincinnati  with  o.xen.  even  if  the  road  is 
fine;  anyone  acquainted  with  a  western  wilder- 
ness can  form  some  faint  idea  of  the  task  of 
driving  through  a  roadless,  trackless,  unin- 
habited forest,  and  run  the  risks  necessarily 
incident  to  such  an  undertaking.  Old  Johnny 
Hager,  who  first  by  his  team  brought  the  neees- 
.sarics  of  life  to  the  first  settlers,  is  still  alive, 
and  long  may  he  live  to  see  the  improvements 
of  the  country  in  which  he  spent  the  vigor  of 
his  life.  Yes;  seventeen  years  ago,  the  inhabi- 
tants of  this  part  of  the  country  anxiously 
flocked  around  the  ox-cart  of  ;Mr.  Hager  to 
hear  the  latest  eastern  news !" 

As  has  been  mentioned,  the  speculative  class 


of  the  earliest  comers  did  not  remain  here, 
there  being  so  little  prospect  of  any  speedy  ad- 
vance in  real  estate  that  they  let  their  first 
]iayments  go.*  On  December  6,  182G,  Benjamin 
I.  Blythe,  the  State  Agent,  reported  that  under 
the  relief  act  of  January  "^(i  of  that  year,  there 
had  been  transfers  of  payments  on  25  lots, 
amounting  to  $1,857.52,  but  there  had  been 
relinquishments  of  99  lots  on  which  $2,619.00 
had  been  paid.  But  meanwhile  the  country 
was  steadily  settling  and  improving.  On  Feb- 
ruary 20,  1827,  comparing  the  situation  with 
that  at  the  sale  of  lots  in  October,  1821,  the 
Journal  said  :  "At  that  time  the  whole  popu- 
lation in  what  was  called  the  Xcw  Purchase, 
embracing  all  the  territory  williin  50  miles  of 
this  place,  was  returned  Ijy  the  Marshal  at 
about  1,300.  The  population  within  the  same 
bounds  must  now  amount  to  upwards  of  55,- 
000  and  that  of  this  town  to  abotit  1,000  souls. 
There  are  now  25  brick,  GO  frame,  and  about 
80  hewn  log  houses  and  cabins  in  town.  The 
ptiljlie  liuildings  are  a  Court  House  GO  feet 
by  45,  a  .lail,  and  Meeting  Houses,  belonging 
to  the  Presbyterian.  Baptist  and  ^lethodist  so- 
cieties. The  former  have  a  settled  preacher 
and  upwards  of  30  members  in  their  church. 
The  Baptist  church  has  3G  and  the  Methodist 
93  menii)crs.  .\  Sunday  school,  which  all  de- 
nominations join  in  supporting,  has  existed 
without  interruption  foi-  more  than  five  years. 
The  present  number  of  teachers  is  about  20 
and  the  scholars  from  HH)  to  200.  There  are 
weekly  schools  in  which  some  of  the  teachers 
would  not  disoedit  their  calling  in  any  part  of 
the  Union,  and  the  same  niav  be  said  of  some 
of  the  members  of  each  of  the  U-arned  ]irofes- 
sion?." 

These  estimates  were  conservative.     The  re- 
[xut  of  the  Sunday  School,  on  .\pril  10,  showed 


93 


D4 


IIIS'IOKV  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


4  superintendents,  8  religious  instructors,  31 
teachers  and  188  scholars  on  the  books,  with 
an  average  attendance  of  150.  The  census 
taken  by  the  Sunday  School  visitors  on  Xovem- 
ber  27  and  .28,  showed  a  total  population  of 
1,0(56,  composed  of  white  males,  529;  white 
females,  479;  colored  males,  34;  colored  fe- 
males, 24.'  The  Sunday  School  work  gave  espe- 
cial cause  for  satisfaction.  The  Indiana  Sab- 
bath School  I'nion  had  established  one  of  its  de- 
positories of  books  at  this  point,  and  the  local 
school  had  put  in  circulation  a  library  of  152 
volumes.  The  children  seem  to  have  been  quite 
as  well  behaved  as  their  elders.  One  of  the 
teachers  testified  to  the  Journal :  "I  have  had 
under  my  care  for  the  last  six  months  an  aver- 
age number  of  between  70  and  80  scholars;  in 
atl  that  time  there  has  been  but  one  complaint 
(and  that  was  in  the  case  of  a  new  comer) 
against  any  of  those  children  for  profanity  or 
([uarreling.  Not  even  a  pane  of  glass  has  been 
Ijroken  in  the  school  room,  though  frequently 
a  large  part  of  the  scholars  spend  their  inter- 
mission time  there.""-  The  women  had  organ- 
ized a  Female  Bilde  Society  on  April  18,  1825, 
and  in  its  second  year  they  distributed  gratui- 
Kmsly  50  testaments  and  7  bibles,  besides  sell- 
ing 69  testaments  and  li  bibles.  The  men  fol- 
lowed by  organizing  the  Clarion  County  Bil)ic 
Society  on  November  13,  1825.  They  did  not 
a])]iarentlv  secure  so  great  results,  but  they  were 
xcrv  strong  on  reports  and  resolutions.''  Tiie 
Imiianapolis  Tract  Society  was  also  organized 
in  the  spring  of  1825,  and  maintained  a  useful 
existence  for  many  years. 

But  while  moral  conditions  were  excellent, 
the  Journal,  which  already  leaned  to  ''the 
.Vmerican  system"  of  tariff,  lamented  the  large 
importation  of  merchandise.  On  October  2, 
1827,  it  stated  that  it  had  been  making  inves- 
tigations of  the  imports  for  consumption  for 
the  past  year,  and  that,  ''witliin  the  time  men- 
tioned, twelve  of  our  merchants  and  inn-kec])- 
ers  have  purchased  f(U'  home  consumption  from 
manufacturers  without  the  coimty,  76  kegs  of 
tobacco,  213  barrels  of  whisky.  200  barrels  of 
flour,  100  kegs  of  powder,  and  4,500  lbs.  of 
spun  cotton.  The  first  cost  of  tliese  articles 
must   somewhat   exceed   $5,000,   and    wlien    we 


^Journal.  Dccemlier  11,  1827. 

-Jotirnal.  April  10.  1827. 

■'See  Jiiiiriiiil.  Novcnilier  21.  1820. 


add  what  has  been  purchased  from  other 
sources  by  individuals  for  their  private  use, 
and  what  has  been  paid  for  cigars,  cordage, 
linseed  oil  and  hats,  it  is  believed  that  the  first 
cost  of  the  whole  will  fall  but  little  short  of 
$10,000.  Another  year  will  no  doubt  lessen 
the  importation  of  some  of  the  articles  men- 
tioned. The  wheat  crop  was  good,  and  it  is 
thought  to  be  nearly  sufficient  for  home  con- 
sumption. At  any  rate  we  have  been  supplied 
witli  flour,  with  but  slight  exception,  of  our 
own  manitfacture,  in  plenty  and  of  good  qual- 
ity since  harvest.  The  hatting  business  it  is 
expected  will  be  carried  on  in  future  as  ex- 
tensively as  our  wants  require.  In  this  article 
and  that  of  flour  there  will  be  a  saving  of  at, 
least  $3,000.  We  do  not  learn  that  the  manu- 
facture of  whisky  is  increasing.  It  does  not 
appear  that  more  than  71  barrels  of  whisky, 
distilled  in  this  county,  have  been  purchased 
by  our  merchants  within  the  year.  No  attempts 
have  yet  been  made  to  manufacture  tobacco, 
powder,  linseed  oil,  cordage  or  cotton   yarn."' 

Unquestionably  this  })ublieation  was  in  aid 
of  the  steam  mill  project,  the  stock  for  which 
was  being  sold  at  this  time,  for  on  November 
20  the  Journal  recapitulated  its  facts  and 
added:  "Some  of  the  articles  mentioned,  it  is 
believed,  will  hereafter  be  furnished  by  our 
own  workmen,  but  we  can  hardly  expect  in  the 
present  age  of  improvement  to  be  able  to  com- 
pete with  others  without  the  aid  of  steam.  If 
no  individual  has  the  capital  necessary  for  the 
purpose,  let  the  united  efforts  of  our  citizens 
provide  for  the  erection  of  machinery,  which 
would  not  only  relieve  us  from  excessive  drains 
of  money,  bvit  afford  employment  to  the  indus- 
trious of  almost  every  age  and  capacity."  As 
mentioned  elsewhere,  the  steam  mill  was  duly 
built,  and  duly  demonstrated  that  there  is  no 
advantage  in  doing  things  yourself  if  you  can 
get  someone  else  to  do  them  cheaper  for  you — 
also  that  cheapness  of  manufacture  depends 
largely  on  the  anKumt  produced  and  sold,  and 
that  involves  a  market  for  your  surplus,  which 
Indianapolis  did  not  then  have. 

In  reality  manufactures  had  been  coming 
about  as  rapidly  as  they  were  profitable.  As 
has  been  seen,  saw  and  grist  mills  were  early 
in  demand,  and  were  started  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble. Yandes  and  \\'ilkins  o]x'ned  their  tan- 
nery in  1823.  Israel  Phillins  and  Isaac  Lynch 
Were  rival  shoemakers  in  the  earlv  settlement. 


IIIS'I'OI.'Y    ol'  ClIKA'I'F.i;    IXDI.WAI'OI.IS. 


!!.") 


but  LviK-li  iiiovfd  til  ( 'rawl'onlsville  in  Aiii;u>t, 
l.s-^i,  iiiul  lul'I  the  field  to  J'liillips  for  the  tune 
being.  Aiidi-e\v  Byrne,  tlie  pioneer  tailor, 
found  a  eonipetitor  in  John  K.  Looney  in  No- 
vember, 1853.  Caleb  Scudder,  the  first  eabinet 
maker,  seems  to  liave  been  rivalled  only  by 
Fleming  T.  Ln.se  till  April,  1824,  when  Amos 
Griffith  opened  a  shop ;  and  in  June,  1824, 
Andrew  W.  Eeed  started  another  just  north  of 
Vandi's  and  W'ilkins"  tannery.  John  Sliunk 
the  first  hatter  eanie  in  1821,  and  the  ne.xt  was 
Henry  Knutt,  who  opened  a  shop  on  West 
Washington  street  in  the  summer  of  1824.  His 
coming  and  advertisement  brought  Sluink  into 
the  ](apers  with  a  statement  that  he  was  en- 
larging his  business,  and  desired  those  who  had 
owed  him  "for  1,  2  or  3  years"  to  pay  np. 
Cliarles  J.  Hand  established  his  "hat  manu- 
factory" on  .Market  street  in  Xovember,  182."). 
George  Jlyers,  potter,  came  in  1821.  and 
opened  a  pottery,  which  apparently  descended, 
for  in  1824  Abraham  Myers  advertised  that  he 
"continues  to  carry  on  the  potting  business  in 
all  its  variety  on  the  Kentucky  avenue,  corner 
of  ^[aryland  and  Tennessee  streets".  J.  K. 
Crumbaugh  also  started  a  pottery  at  the  ])oint 
between  Kentucky  avenue  and  Hlinois  -treet 
at  a  very  early  date,  but  dropped  out  of  the 
business,  perhaps  when  he  was  appointed  jus- 
tice of  the  peace.  On  June  1,  1821,  Margaret 
Gibson,  who  seems  to  have  been  the  first  bii>i- 
ness  wo7nan,  outside  of  the  hotel  antl  boarding- 
house  business,  advertised  a  new  pottery  at  the 
corner  of  Ohio  and  Tennessee  streets,  stating 
that  she  has  in  her  em|)loy  J.  R.  Crumbaugli 
"who  is  perfectly  master  of  the  business".  Mr. 
Crumbaugli  resumed  the  pottery  business  nii 
his  own  account  at  the  corner  of  Washington 
and  Kentucky  avenue,  in  .lime,  182(1.  William 
Holmes,  who  came  in  tlu'  >pring  of  1822,  is 
accounteil  the  first  tinner,  bill  on  July  20.  1821, 
"Abraham  Beasly,  Tinker",  advertised  that  be 
had  "returne(l  from  Cincinnati  with  Ihe  neces- 
sary molds  for  casting  ]iewt('r  |ilates  jind  spoons 
according  to  the  latest  fashions",  and  that  he 
Would  ••attend  trt  mending  old  vessels  in  its 
varioii-  branches"  at  hi.-  .-hop  on  Wnshingtoii 
street  ■"iicarlv  opposite  the  state  biiuse  sciiun'e". 
Gi-orge  Pogue.  the  first  blacksmith,  had 
hardly  disappeared  when  John  Vanblariciiin 
took  his  place,  and  was  the  local  ^'ulcan  for  a 
year  or  two.  when  t'apt.  Klani  S.  I'^recman 
opened  a  shop.     In  the  fall  of  1824  Tetir  Har- 


miinson  announced  that  he  woubl  serve  as 
t)lacksmitli  in  Freeman's  old  shop,  •"on  Wash- 
ington street  opposite  the  mouth  of  Kentucky 
avenue".  There  appears  to  have  been  no  per- 
manent gunsmith  here  until  Samuel  Beck  came 
in  1833.  He  was  emphatically  llie  gunsmith 
of  the  place,  for  the  next  half  century,  though 
his  brother  Christian  divided  the  business  with 
him  part  of  the  time,  and  there  were  occasional 
lesser  rivals.  On  March  22,  1825,  John  Van- 
blarieum  advertised  that  he  had  "employed  a 
first  rate  gunsmith  for  a  few  days"'  and  advised 
those  who  wanted  guns  mended  to  hasten  in. 
The  Davis  brothers  were  very  early  chair- 
makers,  and  Samuel  S.  Hooker,  the  first  house 
and  sign  jjainter  also  manufactured  "Windsor 
chairs".  On  September  27,  1825,  J.  W.  Davis 
announced  the  opening  of  his  saddle  shop ; 
and  on  the  same  date  John  Foster,  blacksmith, 
announced  that  he  would  "make  first  rate  Cas- 
teel  Axes  for  $2.50"  and  edged  tools  of  every 
description,  ploughs,  hoes,  etc.,  to  order,  at  his 
shop  on  Pennsylvania  street,  south  of  Wash- 
ington. It  is  sometimes  said  that  Humphrey 
(Jriffith  was  the  first  clockmaker,  but  his  first 
advertisement  appeared  on  January  20.  1836, 
reading,  "having  opened  a  shop  in  the  al)ove 
line  on  Washington  street,  opposite  the  Wash- 
ington Hall''.  This  was  preceded  nearly  a 
year  by  the  advertisement  of  John  Ambrozene, 
on  February  15,  1825,  announcing  his  location 
at  the  northeast  corner  of  Washington  and 
.Meridian,  in  the  business  of  watch  and  clock 
repairing.  Mr.  Brown  says  that  i[rs.  Matilda 
Sharpe,  who  came  in  October,  1827,  and  opened 
a  millinery  establishment  at  "^[r.  E.  Sharpe's, 
Meridian  street,  north  of  the  Governor's  Cir- 
rh'".  was  the  ])ioneer  in  that  line.''  but  four 
iniinlhs  earlier  Miss  Marietta  Cobb  (late  of  N'ew 
York)  milliner  and  inantiia  maker.  aniKiuiucd 
her  loiation  '•at  the  I'i'sidciu-e  of  .Samiii'l  (InhK- 
hiTi-\  (in  I'ennsyh  aiiia  street  nearly  uppn-iir 
the  Presbyterian  church",  where  she  pm- 
po.^ed  to  '•make  and  n  pair  I'onnel-  and 
Dresses",  and  attend  in  ■■mn-t  other  drsciip- 
tions  of  neeiUe  work".' 

Licpiid  inanul'actui'es  uii-c  not  overlooked. 
A  distillery  was  erected  on  tlu'  bayou  west  of 
the  river  soon  after  Yaiides  and  Wilson's  «aw 
mill,  and   it   furnisheil   the  communitv   with   a 

■•//('.v/.  (if  I iiJdnii /lulls,  p.    III. 
'■(luzcllr.  .luiir   r.i.    1S2:. 


96 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


whisky  commonly  known  as  "Bayou  Blue", 
of  whose  strength  no  complaint  is  handed  down. 
This  institution  furnished  the  "71  barrels" 
mentioned  by  the  Journal.  There  was  no 
brewery  here  until  1834,  when  John  L.  Young 
and  William  Wernwag,  contractor  for  the  Xa- 
tional  Road  Iiridge  opened  a  small  one  on 
the  south  side  of  Maryland  street  between  Mis- 
souri and  West.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  it 
was  preceded  by  the  first  soda  fountain,  which 
was  opened  on  July  2,  1831,  at  Dunlap  &  Mc- 
Dougal's  drug  store,  and  was  largely  patron- 
ized. In  fact  Indianapolis  was  getting  into 
the  dissipation  belt.  ^lacomber's  animal  show 
reached  the  place  in  July,  1830,  and  another  in 
August,  the  latter  having  a  "real  Bactrian  or 
two-humped  camel"  and  a  "rompo,  an  an- 
imal similar  to  the  hj^ena".  The  second  show 
was  a  dangerous  approach  to  a  circus,  for  it 
announced  that  "Captain  Dick  and  his  Shetland 
pony  will  perform  many  pleasing  feats 
of  horsemanship."  A  cow  and  calf  elephant 
were  with  us  at  Henderson's  tavern  on  August 
12,  1831.  But  the  genuine  circus  did  not  come 
until  August,  1833,  and  then  it  stayed  three 
days.  It  was  Brown  &  Bailey's  and  in  addi- 
tion to  the  circus  it  had  an  extensive  menagerie, 
including  the  first  kangaroo  that  ever  invaded 
the  Xew  Purchase. 

From  the  earliest  settlement  there  was  an 
effort  to  put  agriculture  not  only  on  a  paving 
basis  but  on  a  pleasing  basis,  so  far  as  prod- 
ucts were  concerned,  by  improving  qualitv  and 
seeking  variety.  Dr.  Coe  was  one  of  the  prac- 
tical leaders.  He  had  a  garden-patch  in  Fall 
Creek  bottom  near  Patterson's  mill,  and  in 
1821  he  raised  there,  on  one  acre  of  ground, 
12.")  bushels  of  sweet  potatoes.''  He  also  gave 
attention  to  the  cultivation  of  Irish  potatoes, 
and  on  ^^larch  22,  1824,  he  advertised  "several 
choice  kinds  of  Irish  potatoes  for  sale,  consist- 
ing of  Earlv  AMiites,  Large  Red,  Long  Pole 
Red,  and  the  Large  Early  Blue,  a  verv  superior 
kind.  Also  a  quantity  of  sweet  ])otatoes".  Fruit 
was  introduced  early.  On  September  22,  1823. 
it  was  announced  that  "there  are  upwards  of 
1,000  thrifty  young  apple  trees  at  the  nurserv 
on  the  donation"  which  could  be  bousrht  at  ("ii/. 
cents  each.  On  February  28,  182(5,  .\aron  All- 
dredge,  who  had  a  nursery  two  miles  southeast 
of  town,   on   thi^  Lawrenceburgh   road,   adver- 


tised "cultivated"'  apple  trees  at  10  cents ;  ■"iial- 
ural"  apple  trees  at  4  cents,  and  "cultivated" 
pears  at  121/4  cents,  together  with  quinces,  etc. 
On  February  27,  1827,  James  Givan  adver- 
tised "peach  trees  for  sale  at  three  cents,  for 
Cash,  Country  Produce,  or  Labour".  Xearlv 
everybody  had  a  garden,  and  care  was  given  to 
the  planting,  as  may  be  judged  from  Isaac  X. 
Phipps's  advertisement,  on  March  22,  1825, 
of  "garden  seed  of  various  kinds  from  the 
Shakers". 

On  September  3,  1825,  the  Marion  County 
Agricultural  Society  was  organized  for  the 
special  purpose  of  encouraging  the  cultivation 
of  tobacco.^  The  members  ))ledged  themselves 
each  to  raise  1,000  potmds  of  tobacco,  cultivate 
one  acre  of  it,  or  pay  one  dollar  to  the  society. 
The  money  paid  or  subscribed  was  to  be  divided 
in  premiums,  one-half  to  the  person  who  raised 
the  most  merchantable  tobacco,  one-fourth  to 
the  person  who  raised  the  most  on  one  acre,  and 
one-fourth  to  the  person  who  raised  the  best 
hogshead.  A  number  of  leading  citizens  took 
part  in  the  organization,  the  object  being  to 
turn  attention  to  a  crop  that  always  had  a 
money  value,  but  the  enterprise  did  not  take 
with  the  farmers,  and  practically  nothing  re- 
sulted from  it.  The  problem  of  finding  some 
product  besides  furs  to  export  was  one  that  at- 
tracted no  little  thought,  and  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting developments  of  it  was  the  trade  in 
ginseng.  In  August,  1825,  Henderson  and  Blake 
advertised  that  they  would  pav  (>  cents  a  pound 
for  all  the  fresh  ginseng  brought  to  them.  James 
Blake  was  the  inspirer  of  the  enterjiriso,  for  be 
had  come  here  with  a  suggestion  from  Philadel- 
phia friends  to  look  after  ginseng  for  the  Clii- 
nesft  trade.  It  was  very  common  in  the  woods, 
and  the  business  developed  into  one  of  consid- 
erable extent,  Xicholas  ^IcCartv  aL^o  taking  an 
interest  in  it.  They  had  a  little  estaljlishment 
for  cleaning  and  drying  the  roots  on  Delaware 
street  south  (if  Pogue's  Run.  A  little  hoe,  com- 
monly called  a  "'sang-hoe'',  was  specially  made 
for  digging  it  and  many  a  farmer's  family 
helped  out  the  familv  income  by  digging  gin- 
seng. The  product  plaved  an  important  part  in 
the  winter  of  1828-9.  ^Ir.  :McCartv  had  n  larsc 
purchase  of  goods  which  he  shipped  from  Phila- 
delphia to  Pittsburg  by  wagon,   expecting  to 


"New ft.  ^,\■Au■]\  29.  1879. 


'■■Toiirnril.   Septcriiber  fi.  1825:  Gnzette,  Sep- 
tember 13.  1825. 


HISTORY  01'  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


97 


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Vol.  1—7 


98 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATEU  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


take  tlu'iii  In-  boat  from  there  to  Jladisou. 
Arrived  at  I'ittsburg  they  found  the  Ohio  frozen 
aud  navigation  closed.  It  was  important  that 
the  goods  should  be  in  Indianapolis  promptly, 
and  Mr.  ilcCarty  took  the  alternative  of  send- 
ing sixteen  loaded  Oonestoga  wagons  through 
from  Pittsburg  to  Indianapolis,  the  first  and 
only  time  such  a  thing  was  ever  done.  The 
expense  would  have  caused  a  heavy  loss  but  for 
one  thing, — there  was  a  return  load  of  gin- 
seng for  the  wagons,  and  that  made  their  trip 
a  jirofitable  one. 

The  original  tobacco  agricultural  association 
did  not  last  long,  and  was  criticised  while  it 
did  last  for  its  restriction  to  one  kind  of  prod- 
uct. Xothing  further  was  done  until  after  the 
state  created  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture  by 
act  of  February  7,  1835.  The  first  members  of 
the  Board  were  James  Blake,  John  Owens, 
Larkin  Sims  and  Moses  M.  Henkle,  and  on 
May  22  tliey  issued  a  circular  urging  the  forma- 
tion of  county  agricultural  societies  and  the 
holding  of  county  fairs.  Under  this  law  an 
organization  was  effected  on  June  27,  with  Xa- 
than  B.  Palmer  as  president,  Seton  W.  Norris, 
vice-president,  Douglass  ilagiiire,  secretary,  and 
Calvin  Fletcher,  treasurer.  There  were  also 
two  "curators"'  appointed  for  each  townshi]). 
The  first  fair  was  held  on  October  30  and  31, 
and  curiously  enough  there  was  not  a  premium 
given  for  any  direct  agricultural  product, 
though  a  total  of  $184  in  premiums  was  paid, 
of  wliicii  ^'lO  was  contributed  by  the  county 
board.  Domestic  animals  took  $13!)  of  the 
money,  and  the  rest  went  to  the  best  pieces  of 
jeans,  domestic  fiannel.  domestic  carpeting,  and 
domestic  linen,  the  best  ]iair  of  woolen  socks, 
best  home  made  cheese,  best  10  pounds  of  but- 
ter, and  best  gallon  of  domestic  wine.  In  addi- 
tion to  money  premiums  a  volume  of  Indiana 
Aurora  was  given  for  the  best  essay  on  grasses, 
and  the  best  essay  on  the  culture  of  the  mul- 
berry and  the  production  of  silk.  In  1S3(), 
agriculture  was  given  more  recognition,  but 
on  the  basis  of  "tjie  best  five  acres"  of  corn, 
wheat,  oats  and  rye,  while  John  Johnson  car- 
ried off  prizes  for  "tlie  best  cultivated  farm"' 
and  as  victor  in  a  "i)longhing  match".  The 
judges  also  gave  prizes  from  "the  discretionary 
fund"  to  ''M.  il.  Ilcnkle,  for  beets  and  car- 
rots: A.  W.  ^^orris  for  vegetable  eggs;  Rich- 
ard Williams  for  mammoth  pumpkin,  and  Hol)- 
ert    ^ritchell    for    l)eets"".      Tlie    mulberrv    and 


silkworm  seem  to  have  made  some  progress 
for  three  ladies  were  awarded  prizes  for  "do 
mestie  sewing  silk''.  These  fairs  were  held  for 
a  number  of  years,  and  very  successfully,  but 
finally  succumbed  to  the  competition  of  the 
state  fair. 

After  the  first  few  years  the  Indianaiiolis 
people  lived  better,  so  far  as  eating  went,  than 
most  of  their  successors  now;  or  at  least  had 
the  opportunity  to,  for  choice  edibles  had  no 
foreign  market,  and  hence  were  cheap — in  fact 
were  home  products  of  most  families.  Says 
ilrs.  Ketcham :  "ililk  was  plenty :  every  lady 
had  her  own  cow  or  cows,  and  they  were  even 
milked  in  Washington  street.  Butter  G  cts. 
a  pound;  eggs  2  cts  a  dozen.  So  we  had  grid- 
dle cakes  taken  from  the  great  round  griddle 
before  the  great  fire.  There  was  no  soda ;  eggs 
made  them  light  and  the  baking  speedy.  Bis- 
cuit was  kneaded  a  great  deal  and  baked  in  a 
hot  skillet  C|uickly.  Waffles !  I  can  see  the 
long-handled  irons  thrown  into  the  blazing  fire 
and  whirled  over  so  quickly,  and  out  in  the 
same  way.  Maple  syrup  was  plenty  and  wild 
honey.  We  had  good  light  bread  made  of  hop 
yeast.  Chickens  were  almost  always  broiled. 
It  was  considered  a  great  thing  to  have  chick- 
ens and  new  potatoes  on  the  Fourth  of  July. 
Currants  and  cherries  grew  speedily  till  then. 
We  had  wild  strawberries,  raspberries  and  black- 
berries. In  the  fall  wild  grapes  for  preserves 
and  jelly,  and  also  wild  plums.  WTien  out  in 
the  woods  looking  for  these  things,  I  have  been 
led  on  by  the  fragrance  of  the  plum,  till  walk- 
ing on  the  trunk  of  a  huge  fallen  tree,  I  put 
aside  with  my  hands  the  thicket,  and  the 
ground  was  covered  with  plums  of  large  size 
and  that  peculiar  beauty  of  color  they  have. 
White  sugar  w-as  only  in  the  loaf  and  was  25 
cts.  a  pottnd,  so  our  preserving  was  done  with 
Xew  Orleans  sugar.  We  took  extra  care  and 
they  were  real  good.  ^laple  sugar  w'as  also 
plenty.  *  *  *  Wild  turkey  and  game  of 
all  kinds  abounded.  Fish  from  White  River 
and  Fall  Creek.  I  have  never  tasted  such  fried 
potatoes  as  my  mother's.  *  *  *  These  good 
housekeepers  talked  of  the  better  ways  of  do- 
ing things  and  encouraged  one  another,  and 
thus  learned  and  taught.  I  remember  how  good 
tlip  last  roasting  ear?  tasted  just  before  the 
frost,  and  as  soon  as  the  corn  was  at  all  hard 
it  was  grated  and  made  rare  mush.  The  great 
kettle  of  Ive  hominv  looked  so  good  on  the  trreat 


KISTOltY  OF  OliEATER   IXDIAXArOIJS. 


!)!> 


kitclifii  ciane  and  siiielluil  t-o  api)elizing  as  we 
caiiiL'  lioine  from  .-t-hool.  It  took  tlie  best  of 
white  Hint  corn ;  then  boiling  water  was  poured 
over  the  nicest  ashes,  and  when  this  was  set- 
tled clear,  it  was  poured  on  the  corn  and  stood 
in  the  isomer  of  the  great  fire  place  till  the 
skin  was  loosened ;  then  it  was  taken  to  the  well, 
in  a  tub.  was  washed  with  buckets  of  water  till 
it  was  white,  and  then  boiled  slowly  all  day; 
then  eaten  in  milk  or  fried,  as  one 
wished.     *     *     * 

''Our  smoke-house.  P^verybody  had  one. 
They  were  full  of  ham,  pickled  pork,  bacon, 
dried  beef,  corned  beef,  backbones,  spareribs, 
that  were  always  boiled,  unless  in  pot-pie. 
Bones,  sausage,  head-cheese.  How  handsome 
the  baked  pork  looked.  We  had  never  heard  of 
its  not  being  healthy  nor  looked  out  for  a  head- 
ache after  eating  it.  Our  cellars  were  full  of 
polatoes,  turnips,  ca))bage,  cucumber  pickles, 
and  great  jars  of  preserved  fruit.  Soon  dried 
fruit  grew  to  be  plenty.  *  *  *  Deer  were 
plenty.  Their  steaks  were  broiled  and  relieved 
of  dryness  by  Ix'ing  well  buttered.  .\lso  wild 
turkeys  were  so  aljiindant  that  William  Ander- 
son l)rought  down  tiiree  at  one  time  with  his 
shot-gun.  The  breasts  of  these  were  fried." 
Of  course  it  will  be  remembered  that  Mrs. 
Ketcham's  father,  Samuel  Merrill,  was  fairly 
well  to  do,  and.  what  is  more  important,  that 
her  mother  was  a  good  housekeeper.  She  tells 
of  <topping  oni'  night  at  the  house  of  a  farmer 
who  lioasted  that  lie  kept  three  hundred  head 
of  hogs,  and  yet  there  was  nothing  on  his  table 
but  eorn  l)read  and  ])ork.  Some  people  would 
live  poorly,  no  matter  what  the  abundance  (jf 
supplies. 

Rut  while  there  was  a  basis  for  comfort,  In- 
dianapolis could  hardly  be  considered  attractive. 
Hugh  McCulloch  made  his  first  visit  here  in 
18.'{:i,  and  he  describes  it  thus:  ".Vmple  provi- 
sion had  been  made  for  ])arks  to  enclose  the 
public  buildings,  and  the  ])lan  of  the  city 
upon  paper  was  attractive  and  artistic,  but  up- 
on ])a])er  oidy.  Little  resendibmee,  indeed,  did 
the  |ilace  itsejf  bear  to  the  plat.  The  jjarks 
in  wliich  were  the  State  House,  just  then  com- 
pleted, and  the  court-bouse,  had  been  enclosed 
witlt  jiost  and  rail  fences,  but  nothing  bad 
been  done  to  the  streets  except  to  remove  the 
stum]is  from  two  or  three  of  tho.-ie  most  used. 
.Ml  of  the  noble  old  trees — wahnits,  oaks,  po])- 
birs.  tbr  like  of  which  will  never  be  seen  again 


— had  been  cut  down,  and  around  the  parks 
young  locust  and  other  inferior  but  rapidly 
growing  trees  had  been  set  out.  There  wera 
no  sidewalks,  and  the  streets  most  in  use,  after 
every  rain,  and  for  a  good  part  of  the  yeai", 
were  knee-deep  with  mud.  As  a  director  of  the 
State  Bank,  I  was  under  the  necessity  for  many 
years  of  making  quarterly  trips  on  horseback 
from  Fort  Wayne  to  Indianapolis  through  a 
country  almost  impassable  by  carriages  of  any 
kind,  and  yet  I  never  encountered  mud  deeper 
or  more  tenacious  than  in  the  streets  of  the 
capital  of  the  state.  I  have  seen  many  of  the 
incipient  towns  of  the  West,  but  none  so  ut- 
terly forlorn  as  Indianapolis  appeared  to  me 
in  the  spring  of  1833.  It  had  no  local  ad- 
vantages e.\cej)t  the  fact  that  it  was  surrounded 
by  a  very  fertile  country  ;  nothing  to  recommend 
it  but  its  being  the  metropolis  of  the  state. 
There  were  then  only  two  bridges  in  Indiana, 
and  these  had  been  built  by  the  United  States 
in  anticipation  of  the  extension  from  Richmond 
to  Terre  Haute  of  the  Xational  road,  which 
extension  was  prevented  by  the  veto  of  I'resi- 
dent  Jackson.  *  *  *  I'pon  none  of  the 
roads  were  wagons  in  use,  even  for  carrying  the 
mails,  except  those  from  iladison  ami  Terre 
II.Mitc  to  the  capital.  l'"rom  all  other  points 
it  could  only  be  readied  by  those  who  traveled 
on  foot  or  on  horseback.  Xo  one  who  saw 
Indianapolis  when  1  saw  it  for  the  first  lime 
coidd  have  anticiiiated  its  rapid  growth  and 
present  condition.  Xo  one  could  have  dreamed 
that  in  half  a  century  this  almost  inaccessible 
village  would  become  a  great  railroad  center, 
with  large  ami  varied  manufactures,  a  popu- 
lation of  a  liundred  thousand  souls,  one  of  the 
best  built  and  most  populous  cities  in  the  Union 
not  situated  upon  navigable  waters.'"'  Mr. 
McCulloch  has  mixed  the  imi)ressions  of  lli^ 
numerous  visits  a  trifle,  but  his  general  iin- 
jiression  of  Indianapolis  ])rior  to  lS-l(t  is  no 
doubt    very  exact,  at   least   for  wet   weathei-. 

The  growth  of  the  town  up  to  1S3.5  was  very 
slow.  As  mentioned,  in  1827  the  population 
was  1,066.  In  1835  a  complete  census  was 
made  by  George  Lockerbie,  the  town  assessor, 
which  showed  a  total  population  of  l,(i83,  com- 
posed of  S.')!)  white  males,  743  white  females, 
and  SI   colored  of  lioth  sexes.     The  settlement 


".Vc;/   find   Mi'iisiirrs   nf   llulf  a    I'i'iil iinj.   pp. 


100 


HISTOEY  OF  GEEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


iu  this  period  was  chiefly  witliin  a  square  or 
two  of  Washington  street.  There  were  still 
forest  trees  standing  within  that  belt,  though 
most  of  the  timber  had  been  cut  from  the  mile 
square.  The  outlots  were  still  forest.  Says 
Brown:  "All  the  territory  south  of  Maryland 
and  east  of  Meridian  streets  was  unimproved 
except  as  farms  till  ]845,  and  most  of  it  till 
1855.  A  fine  walnut  grove  existed  in  the  first 
and  second  wards  north  of  North  street  and 
Drake's  addition  was  a  good  hunting  ground 
till  1848.  Squirrels,  rabbits,  and  turkeys  were 
killed  in  sections  now  (1868)  thickly  peopled. 
No  grading  whatever  had  been  done,  and  few 
sidewalks  existed  even  on  Washington  street. 
Ponds  along  the  bayous  afforded  skating  in 
winter,  and  in  summer  were  covered  by  green 
scum  and  tenanted  by  countless  frogs.  The 
streets  were  semi-fluid  in  thawing  weather,  but 
the  drainage  in  many  places  was  better  than 
since  the  engineers  changed  it.  The  town  was 
a  dull  country  village,  with  no  excitement  be- 
yond the  annual  sessions,  when  a  little  anima- 
tion was  given  to  society  and  to  trade.  It 
seemed  to  have  attained  its  growth.  Few  ex- 
pected a  brighter  future,  nor  was  there  any 
prospect  of  it  till  the  internal  improvement 
scheme  was  originated."'  The  change  in  the 
drainage  to  which  Jlr.  Brown  refers  was  a 
survey  and  fixing  of  grades  by  James  Woods, 
civil  engineer,  in  1841,  which  was  adopted  by 
the  council  as  permanently  fixing  the  street 
grades,  and  all  improvements  were  required  to 
conform  to  his  street  profiles."     It  was  after- 


wards found  that  he  had  uuileitaken  to  nuike 
an  uniform  drainage  from  northeast  to  south- 
west, which  had  to  be  abandoned  in  the  in- 
terest of  economy. 

For  several  years  from  183.")  prospects  seemed 
very  cheerful  for  Indianapolis.  The  work  on 
the  National  Road  and  the  canal  brought  many 
laborers  here,  and  trade  of  all  kinds  was  much 
stimulated.  Prices  of  real  estate  began  to 
jump,  especially  near  the  water-power  of  the 
canal.  Even  when  the  panic  of  1837  came  it 
did  not  have  its  full  effect  for  some  months, 
and  people  retained  something  of  their  good 
spirits.  On  May  30.  1838,  the  Democrat  said: 
"The  population  of  Indianapolis  is  now  estim- 
ated at  4,000.  In  five  years  it  will  be  8.000.'" 
But  when  the  internal  improvement  work  had 
to  be  stopped  permanently,  and  the  National 
Road  work  was  abandoned  in  1839,  the  town 
went  back  very  rapidly.  When  the  census  of 
1840  was  taken,  the  total  population  was  only 
•.'.662,  of  whom  1,329  were  white  males,  1,211 
white  females,  and  123  were  colored — evenly 
divided  between  males  and  females.  From  1840 
to  the  coming  of  the  railroad  in  1847  the 
life  of  the  town  was  quiet,  but  with  a  gradual 
growth  of  population.  There  are.no  records  of 
local  censuses  for  the  intervening  period,  but 
at  the  municipal  election  of  1839  there  were 
324  votes  cast,  and  at  that  of  1846  there  were 
520.  In  proportion  this  would  indicate  a 
population  of  about  4,000  in  1846,  but  this 
is  more  a  guess  than  an  estimate. 


^Ordinances,  1SJ,6,  p.  31. 


CHHPTER  XI. 


THE  STATE  BUILDS. 


Judge  Howe  aptly  tfrms  early  ludianapolis 
"the  capital  in  the  wilderness'",  and  it  could 
very  properly  have  held  that  title  for  a  long 
time  after  the  seat  of  government  was  trans- 
ferred to  this  point.  It  was  for  years  the 
capital,  and  nothing  more.  It  was  located,  laid 
out,  and  started  into  existence  on  that  basis 
as  completely  as  St.  Petersburg  was  by  Peter 
the  Great.  But  it  did  not  have  the  advantages 
given  to  the  Kussiaii  capital  by  the  unlimited 
power  and  large  ix'sources  of  the  czar.  It 
was  dependent  for  its  public  buildings  on  the 
sale  of  town  lots,  and  the  accumulation  of 
funds  from  this  source  was  not  rapid  enough  to 
admit  of  immediate  and  e.xtensive  building. 
Moreover  a  part  of  this  fund  was  diverted  to 
public  buildings  elsewhere,  especially  to  the 
state  prison  at  Jetfersonville.  The  state  offi- 
cials were  not  unmindful  of  the  obligation  to 
Indianapolis.  In  his  message  to  the  first  leg- 
islature at  this  place,  on  January  10,  1825, 
Governor  Hendricks  said:  "The  sales  of  public 
property  at  this  place  have  been  looked  to  for 
the  completion  of  the  public  buildings.  *  *  * 
Public  faith  stands  pledged  to  the  purchasers 
of  property  in  various  parts  of  the  town,  that 
the  ])ublic  buildings  contemplated  on  the  circle 
and  tile  state  house  square  sliould  be  comitieted 
as  soon  as  ])ra(tieable.  In  this  policy  will  be 
consulted  alike  the  interest  of  purchasers 
and  of  the  state;  for  th(,>  commencement  of 
the  jiublic  buildings  will  afford  a  very  strong 
inducement  to  the  eom|)letion  of  payments, 
the  jirevention  of  forfeitures,  ami  the  increase 
of  the  means  to  finish  the  work."  The  legis- 
latcn's,  bv  meeting  here.  ac(|uired  a  personal 
knowledge  of  the  situation  that  could  not  have 
been  gained  fniin  an\  number  of  reports,  and 
prom]itly  manifested  a  disposition  to  ])roniote 
till'  interests  of  the  i-iipital,  in  a   rational  way. 

101 


Their  first  step  was  to  increase  the  funds  l>y 
ordering  the  Agent  of  State  to  sell  all  the  re- 
served lots  on  Washington  street  between  Merid- 
ian and  New  Jersey  streets,  and  a  number 
of  others,  together  with  two  additional  tiers  of 
outlots,  one  north  and  one  south  of  the  town. 
He  was  also  instructed  to  lease  the  ferry  at 
Washington  street  for  five  years,  with  two  acres 
of  land  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  and  one 
(Ui  the  west,  the  lessee  to  be  bound  to  keep  a 
ferry  boat  sufficient  to  carry  "a  loaded  wagon 
and  four  horses",  and  also  "a  good  canoe  or 
skitf. 

By  way  of  appropriati(Mis,  the  Agent  was 
directed  "to  cause  to  bo  cleared  out  the  timber 
and  obstructions  in  Pogue's  IJun,  so  far  as  the 
same  is  included  in  the  original  plat  of  Indian- 
apolis,"' at  an  expense  of  not  over  $50.  All  of 
our  local  historians  have  made  this  an  order 
to  cut  the  timber  in  the  valley  of  the  run,  but 
it  was  very  i)lainly  only  a  ])lan  to  promote  the 
How  of  the  stream.  The  legislature  also  appro- 
priated $1,000  "to  build  on  lot  number  one  in 
square  number  sixty-eight  in  Indianapolis,  a 
substantial  brick  house  for  the  residence  of 
the  ti'easurer  of  state,  to  contain  the  offices  of  the 
treasurer  and  auditor,  and  a  (ire-proof  vault 
for  the  better  security  of  llic  funds  and  rec- 
ords of  the  state."  This  house,  the  first  state 
building  erected  in  Indianapolis,  stood  on  the 
southwest  comer  of  Washington  street  and 
(Japitol  avenue,  with  the  offices  on  the  west 
side,  and  the  residence  on  the  east  and  at  the 
rear.  ]\Irs.  Ketcham  says  of  it :  "The  house 
was  a  two-story  brick,  two  rooms  below  and 
two  al)ove,  with  the  dining  room  hack  of  the 
office,  and  kitchen  south  of  it.  The  front  was 
set  square  on  Washington  street,  as  the  houses 
were  then.  On  Tennessee  street  (Ca|iit<il  ave- 
nue)  was  a  rather  narrow  long  yard,  then  the 


10-2 


HISTORY  OP  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLLS. 


poix-h,  oil  whit^'li  opened  the  back  parlor  ilooi-, 
the  dining  room  door  and  the  kitchen.  (The 
dinincr  room  and  kitchen  were  one-storv,  and 
over  the  parlor  was  a  chamber  to  which  a  stair 
led  from  the  sitting  room.)  The  otlu'r  upstairs 
room  was  the  auditor's  office,  with  outside 
stairs  on  the  west  side.  When  this  was  removed 
it  was  cJiieHy  our  play  room.  *  *  *  '|'ho 
narlor  had  one  door  and  one  window  on  the 
street  (Washington)  and  another  on  the  porch, 
and  a  window  on  the  vard  that  in  summer  was 


covered    with    vines 


The    pleasant 


porch  was  our  time  table  when  Pa  had  his 
watch  away — we  could  tell  the  time  by  the 
shadow  reaching  the  rows  of  nails  on  the  porch. 
In  1820  Mr.  Xowland  brought  here  the  first 
watch.  The  people  all  borrowed  it  and  put 
lilaik  marks  on  their  south  doors  by  which  they 
could  guess  at  the  time.  I  think  it  must  have 
been  like  the  town  Roljert  Louis  Stevenson  tells 
of, — that  but  one  woman  in  it  had  the  time, 
and  it  was  never  right.  *  *  *  The  porch 
was  covered  with  the  loveliest  morning-glories, 
and  we  often  ate  there.  Four  o'clocks  made 
the  air  fragrant  with  their  perfume,  that  still 
lingers  with  their  beauty  and  the  variety  of 
the  balsam.  The  sitting-room,  dining-room  and 
bed-room  were  one  and  the  same.  *  *  * 
Under  my  father's  pillow  was  always  a  ]iistol. 
A  door  just  by  opened  into  the  office.  *  *  * 
The  office  was  paved  with  brick.  Full  one- 
third  of  it  was  covered  with  a  vault,  as  we 
called  it.  It  was  of  lirick.  built  u])  four 
feet,  plastered,  and  witli  an  iron  door  on 
top.  Up  and  down  through  this  double-locked 
door  went  lio.xes  and  liags  of  silver." 

The  sale  of  lots  ordered  by  the  legislature 
was  held  on  ^lay  2.  Of  the  reserved  lots 
seventeen  were  sold  for  a  total  of  $3,328,  the 
highest  price  paid  being  $3(50.  and  the  lowest 
$134.  The  twenty  additional  outlots  brought 
$l,4fir.  or  a  little  more  than  $18  an  acre. 
This  legislature  also  petitioned  Congress  for 
the  removal  of  tiie  land  office  from  Brookville 
to  lndiana)iolis,  and  for  better  postal  service 
at  this  jjoint,  both  of  which  were  granted.  The 
land  office  was  removed  to  this  point  in  Sep- 
tember, 182.T.  The  militia  authorities,  also  sent 
a  cannon  here  that  summer,  and  an  artillery 
eom]>any  was  formed,  which  shot  as  many 
arms  ami  legs  off  the  members  of  the  company 
and  innocent  tiystanders  as  any  company  in 
the  countrv.  \MK'n  the  icijislature  convened  for 


the  session  of  1820,  local  conditions  had  not 
improved  much,  and  the  purchasers  of  lots 
were  in  sore  straits.  Many  had  purchased  more 
than  they  were  able  to  pay  for,  expecting  an 
advance  in  values  that  would  make  the  profits 
on  j)art  pay  for  the  remainder.  Others  iiad 
bougiit  at  high  prices  near  the  State  House 
Square,  expecting  the  new  capitol  to  make 
their  property  advance  in  value,  and  it  had  not 
been  built,  and  was  not  in  immediate  prospect. 
At  the  time  of  the  sale  in  1821  payments  could 
be  made  in  depreciated  treasury  paper,  Ijut  now 
they  must  be  made  in  specie  or  its  equivalent. 
In  view  of  the  whole  situation  the  legislature 
adopted  the  law  for  the  relief  of  ]nircliasers 
allowing  them  to  forfeit  one  lot  and  apply  what 
had  been  paid  on  it  to  the  payment  for  an- 
other, provided  the  other  was  paid  for  in  full. 
This  proved  beneficial  both  to  purchasers  and 
to  the  state.  The  only  improvement  ordered 
by  the  legislature  of  182()  was  a  contract  for 
a  ferry-house  with  the  ferry  lessee,  Asahel 
Dunning.  It  was  to  Ite  a  brick  building.  18 
x3t),  and  two  stories  high,  the  cost  not  to  ex- 
ceed the  rents  under  the  existing  lease.  It 
was  built  that  summer,  and  though  partially 
destroyed  l)y  fire  on  November  27,  18-5.5.  was 
repaired,  and  occupied  for  some  twenty  years 
longer. 

In  182T  the  financial  conditions  were  some- 
what improved,  and  the  legislature  was  more 
liberal.  It  appropriated  $,500  for  building  an 
office  for  the  Clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court  on 
the  Court  House  Square,  which  was  duly 
erected  as  heretofore  mentioned.  It  also  ap- 
]iropriated  $4,000  for  a  mansion  for  the  gov- 
ernor, on  Governor's  ('ircle,  which  was  ordered 
to  be  enclosed  by  a  rail  fence.  The  contract 
for  this  building  was  let  on  March  IT.  to  Wm. 
Smith,  Robert  Culbertson,  Austin  Bishop  and 
Wm.  Speaks,  and  it  was  completed  at  a  cost  of 
$6, .500.  It  was  a  large,  square,  brick  building, 
about  50  feet  each  way,  with  two  full  stories, 
a  basement  and  an  attic  The  main  flixn-  was 
alxiut  six  feet  above  the  ground,  with  steps  com- 
ing up  to  a  hall  door  in  the  center  of  each  side. 
From  these  doors  two  halls,  ten  feet  wide 
crossed  the  floor  at  right  angles,  dividing  it 
into  four  large  rooms.  The  rooms  on  the  sec- 
ond floor  were  smaller.  It  had  a  pavilion, 
terrace  roof,  with  a  dormer  window  in  the 
center  of  each  side,  and  a  deck  or  look-out  al)out 
twel\c  feet  square.  >urr(iuniled  l>y  a  bahistrade. 


IIISTOIJV  OF  CKKATKIJ    IXDTAVAPOT.TS. 


1  o:? 


The  barieiucnt  iwims  lunc  a  traditional  n'|)ma- 
tion  of  bcinj;  dark  and  damp,  but  tiiat  couu's 
from  the  memory  of  boys  wlio  pliiviMl  there 
after  the  rooms  were  iui(H(U|>ied.  'i'luy  were 
apparently  eoml'ortaljle  enou^li  in  ordinary 
use.  and  were  occupied  I'or  pur]ioses  not  con- 
sonant witli  dai-i\iu's.s  and  dampness,  such  as 
the  Union  Literary  Society,  and  Miss  8ar- 
geantV  infant  scIukiI.  The  jiartitions  on  tlie 
main  fioor  were  made  with  slidin"-  panels,  so 
that  the  whole  Hoor  could  he  tiirown  into  one 
room  if  desired,  and  tiiis  was  doni'  for  l)alls 
on  a  few  occasions.  It  was  early  seen  that  the 
situation  was  too  exjiosed  for  ordinary  resi- 
dence   pur])oses.    and    the    li'.aislaturc    of    1828 


THE  GOVERNORS   .MANSION   IN   THE  CIRCLE. 
(From   an   oltl    cu\.) 

undertook  to  rectify  this  iiy  resei-\inj;'  lols  ',  and 
8  of  scpiare  4G — now  covered  hy  the  Hotid  Enjr- 
lisli — for  "a  garden  and  stable-lot  for  the  gov- 
ernor". But  none  of  the  governors  had  any 
desire  to  occupy  this  overgrown  structure,  anil 
indeed  it  was  never  finished  for  a  i-esidence. 
iait  only  for  oiricc  pur|)oses. 

.\t  the  session  of  IS'.^!)  a  |)i'o]iiisal  \\as  nuid' 
to  add  wings  to  tliis  building  and  make  it  the 
state  house,  but  this  met  no  favor.  This  pro- 
posal is  referred  to,  in  a  vision  of  the  future. 
in  the  "carrier's  address"  of  the  diizrllc  for 
•Tanuarv  1,  IS'.'i).  in  these  words: 


"Tlieii    I    turned   nie  around,   to  see   what  else 
i  could  ; 
.\t  the  Governor's  mansion  a  crowd  met   niy 
eye, 
<  )n   ihe  lop   was  ei'ected  a   .-leepli'  of   wood. 
And    two     wings     at     the    sides,     that     the 
(xov'nor  might  Hy. 

■"Hut    a    wag  at    my   side   said    Ibis    bouse    was 

design'd 

For  the  wisdom  of  state  to  asscndile  to  rule; 

That  for  flying  the  (iov'nor  was  nevci-  iiicliiie(l ; 

'Twas   the    State-House,    ami    I    but    a    pour 

silly  fool." 

The  ■■mansion"  wa>  uirne(l  o\cr  t<i  the  state 
ottict'rs,  who  occnjiied  the  main  Ibmi-  fm-  a  num- 
ber of  years.  The  slate  library  was  kept  llici^e 
until  the  state  house  was  built.  The  state  bank 
was  there  until  its  building  was  finished.  The 
state  engineers  were  (piartered  there  during  the 
internal  imi)rovenient  ])criod.  The  Clerk  of 
the  Supreme  Courl  had  his  ollii-e  Ibere  for  a 
time.  The  Supreme  .ludges  bad  cliand)ers  on 
the  \ipper  floor,  and  many  of  I  be  anecdotes 
preserved  about  Judge  Blackford  cluster  about 
liis  room  there,  where  he  lived  his  hermit  life 
and  edited  his  oelebratt'd  law  reports.  .lohn 
Strange,  the  famous  preacher  of  early  limes, 
died  in  one  of  those  up|ier  rooms.  The  build- 
ing was  singularly  open  to  the  ])ublic,  even 
when  ofticially  oci-upi<'d.  Thirty  years  ago  .Mrs. 
I'riscilla  Drake,  widow  of  Col.  James  P.  Drake, 
the  old  time  proprietor  of  the  Capitol  House, 
excited  my  wonder  hy  telling  me  how,  in  her 
time,  the  fashionable  young  folk  of  the  I  own 
used  to  play  at  battledore  and  shuttlecock  in 
the  broad  halls — which  shows  that  Indianapolis 
Icl  no  fad  escape,  even  in  those  early  ilays. 
Tile  Court  of  Common  Pleas  of  Clarion  County 
held  its  first  sessions  in  this  building.  Hut 
gi'adnally  it  fell  out  of  repair,  and  became  a 
resort  for  disreputables,  and  the  legislature  of 
18.5fi-7  ordered  it  sold.  It  was  auctioned  off 
on  .\pril  Hi,  1857,  to  David  Macv,  for  .$(;(;.5, 
and  pait  (d'  Ibe  material  was  used  m  building 
the  Macy  House,  at  the  southeast  corner  of 
Illinois  and  Market  streets,  now  in  use  as  a 
store  and  ollice  building. 

The  legislature  of  18^.^7  also  pnivided  for 
ibe  sale  of  .-jeven  acres  for  a  steam  mill — a 
pi'ivale  undertaking  that  was  (piite  as  ghastly 
a    failure    as    Ihe    Co\ I'l'noi-'s    Mansion.      The 


104 


JllsroIJY  OF  GliEATKi;   IXDIAXAPULIS. 


Steam  Mill  Compaiiv  was  chartered  by  the  leg- 
islature on  Jauuarv  28,  with  a  capital  of 
$20,000  in  $50  shares,  bnt  the  stock  went  off 
slowly,  and  the  materials  were  not  collected 
and  the  work  of  erection  begim  until  1831. 
It  was  a  tremendous  undertaking  for  the  time 
and  place.  It  stood  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river  just  above  the  National  Koad  bridge,  and 
included  a  saw  mill,  a  gi'ist  mill,  and  a  card- 
ing mill.  The  saw  mill  was  on  the  west  side, 
on  the  slope  of  the  bluff,  and  the  main  build- 
ing on  the  high  ground  liack  of  it.  It  was 
a  large  frame  building  with  three  full  stories 
and  a  high  gambrel  roof  which  provided  two 
additional  floors.  It  was  put  up  by  James 
Griswold,  a  gigantic  carpenter,  famed  for  hon- 
est work,  and  was  as  solid  as  a  rock.  It  took 
one  hundred  men  two  days  to  raise  the  frame, 
and  they  did  it  without  any  whisky,  which  was 
a  long  approach  towards  a  niiracle.  The  lioil- 
ers  and  engines,  the  first  ever  used  here,  were 
to  have  been  brought  from  Cincinnati  on  a 
steamboat,  but  the  conditions  were  unfavorable, 
and  so  they  were  brought  through  on  wagons 
at  great  expense.  In  fact  the  only  cheap 
thing  about  it  was  the  land,  which  was  sold  on 
]\Iarch  8,  1827.  to  George  Smith  and  John 
Johnson,  for  $100,  and  the  certificate  was  as- 
signed by  them  to  Nicholas  McCarty,  one  of 
the  chief  promoters.  On  account  of  the  diffi- 
culties met,  the  legislature  on  January  G,  1831, 
granted  an  extension  of  a  year  in  the  time  for 
completing  the  mill,  and  jjaying  for  the  land, 
and  the  deed  was  issued  on  JIarch  8,  1832,  to 
James  Blake  &  Co..  the  company  being  Nicho- 
las McCarty  and  James  M.  Ray.  The  saw 
mill  had  been  completed  in  the  fall  of  1830, 
and  put  in  operation.  The  main  building  was 
completed  in  December,  1831,  and  the  grist 
mill  began  operations  in  Jantuiry,  1832.  It 
first  gave  the  community  honu^-made  bolted 
flour.  Prior  to  this  time  all  the  meal  and 
flour  made  here  was  sifted ;  and  there  was  not 
much  flour  made  because  there  was  little  wheat 
raised,  the  soil  being  too  rich  for  it. 

But  the  new  institution  was  too  large  for  the 
place.  After  supplying  all  local  demands  there 
was  no  possibility  of  sliipping  its  surplus  prod- 
uct. Moreover  there  was  difficidty  in  getting 
good  wood  for  fuel  at  seventy-five  cents  a 
cord,  and  the  company  could  not  profitably 
pay  more  for  it.  Within  a  year  it  was  seeii 
that  the  enterprise  was  not  going  to  be  a  fi- 


iiaiKial  bonanza,  but  the  company  hung  on 
until  183.5,  when  the  mill  was  shut  down,  and 
the  machinery  offered  for  sale.  But  little  of 
it  was  sold,  and  the  plant  lay  idle,  the  build- 
ing becoming  a  haunt  of  the  vicious  and  de- 
praved, until  1847.  The  coming  of  the  rail- 
road improved  business  prospects,  and  the 
Geisendorffs  took  the  old  mill  and  operated  it 
as  a  woolen  mill  until  1852,  when  they  vacated 
it.  On  the  night  of  November  16,  1853,  some- 
one set  it  afire,  and  it  was  totally  destroyed, 
as  was  also  the  toll-house  on  the  National  Road 
adjoining.  The  bridge  over  White  river  wa- 
saved  by  the  greatest  exertions  of  the  fire- 
men. 

By  1830  there  were  symptoms  of  enough 
money  to  build  a  state  house,  and  a  commit- 
tee was  appointed  to  investigate.  It  reported  at 
the  next  session  that  a  satisfactory  building 
would  cost  $56,000,  and  the  sale  of  the  re- 
maining lots  in  the  donation  would  bring  the 
available  funds  to  $58,000.  It  was  therefore 
decided  to  proceed,  and  on  February  10,  1831, 
a  bill  for  that  purpose  was  passed.  It  made 
James  Blake  a  commissioner  to  collect  ma- 
terials for  the  foundation — 210  perches  of 
rough  stone  and  150  perches  of  cut  stone — 
by  the  second  Monday  in  ^lay,  1833;  and  also 
to  advertise  for  plans  for  which  he  was  to 
offer  a  premium  of  $150.  For  this  work  an 
appropriation  of  $3,000  was  made.  The  plans 
tailed  for  were  to  include  a  Representative  liall 
for  100  members,  a  Senate  chamber  for  50 
members,  quarters  for  the  Supreme  Court, 
Secretary  of  State,  Auditor  of  State,  State 
Library,  Law  Library,  six  committee  rooms  and 
six  clerks'  rooms ;  and  the  building  was  to  cost 
not  more  than  $48,000.  The  plans  were  sub- 
mitted to  the  next  legislature,  and  by  act  of 
.lanuary  26,  1832,  the  plan  submitted  by  Ithiel 
Town  and  Andrew  J.  Davis  was  adopted.  They 
were  partners,  at  New  York,  and  were  prob- 
ably the  most  notable  American  architects  of 
the  time.  They  had  designed  the  executive  and 
postoffice  buildings  at  Washington,  the  city 
liall  at  New  Haven,  the  custom  house  at  New 
York,  the  University  of  Michigan,  and  other 
]iublic  buildings.  They  completed  the  caiiitol 
at  Springfield,  111.,  the  same  year  as  ours,  and 
that  at  Columbus,  Ohio  two  years  later.  Mr. 
Town  was  known  here,  having  furnished  the 
plans  for  the  first  bridge  over  Fall  Creek  at 
the  Lafayette  Road  ctossing,  now  Indiana  ave- 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  USTDIANAPOLIS. 


105 


nui\'  By  ill!  (if  Ft'bniary  2,  1832,  CJovcriior 
Xoali  Nol)le,  -Morris  ^lorris,  and  Samuel  Mer- 
rill were  appointed  commissioners  to  superin- 
tend the  construction  of  the  building;  $18,000 
additional  was  ap[)ropriated  to  carry  on  the 
work ;  and  tlu'  lot  fund  was  pledged  for  the 
entire  cost,  which  was  limited  to  $60,000. 
Town  and  Davis,  the  architects,  got  the  con- 
tract for  the  building  and  completed  it  in 
December,  1835,  in  time  for  that  -winter's 
session  of  the  legislature. 

The  new  capitol  was  considered  a  very  fine 
building  at  the  time,  and  it  was.  It  was  about 
200  feet  long  and  100  feet  wide,  and  followed 
the  style  of  tlie  I'arthenon  in  its  e.xterior,  ex- 
cept that  a  dome  was  added.  This  always 
raised  the  wrath  of  Berry  Sulgrove  and  other 
critics,  because  it  was  a  departure  from  the 
Greek,  but  it  would  be  a  sad  fate  if  we  could 
not  improve  on  the  '"dagoes"'  of  two  thousand 
years  ago,  and  an  American  cai)itol  without  a 
dome  is  inconceivable.  In  fact  the  dome  and 
rotunda  are  tlie  most  important  jiarts  of  a 
ia]>itol.  The  others  are  all  occupied  by  the 
])ublic  servants,  and  the  rotunda  is  the  one 
place  where  the  citizen  can  feel  at  home,  and 
glory  in  the  fact  that  he  is  one  of  the  masters 
of  all  the.se  hirelings,  and  of  the  building. 
M  such  a  time  a  free-born  .\.merican  must  have 
room  to  swell,  and  a  dome  becomes  no  less  than 
a  necessity.  But  the  building  was  not  so  fine 
as  it  looked.  The  foundation  was  of  soft,  blue, 
Bhiff  limestone,  and  the  superstructure  was 
partly  of  brick  and  partly  of  lath  covered  wood- 
work, all  of  which  was  coated  with  a  bastard 
stucco  plaster,  and  neither  plaster  nor  stone 
would  stand  the  weather  in  tiiis  climate,  or  the 
friendly  hammering  of  admiring  visitors.  In 
consequence  it  did  not  age  well,  and  before 
it  was  replaced  it  acquired  the  appearance  of 
a  genuine  Grecian  ruin.  In  fact  it  was  a 
judilic  di.sgrace  for  fifteen  or  twenty  years. 
In  18GT  the  ceiling  of  the  Heprcsentative  hall 
fell  in  and  made  a  niagnilicent  wreck.  The 
writer,  as  a  juvenile  explorer,  climbed  over  the 
debris  and  rescued  the  hands  of  the  clock, 
which  bad  l)een  smashed  in  the  catastroi)he. 
They  made  ideal  arrow-heads,  in  a])[)earance, 
but  they  were  slioddy,  too,  and  bent  uji  when 
they  struck  anything  hard. 

But  with  all  its  dilapidation  there  was  a  charm 


about  the  old  state  house  that  can  never  be 
found  about  its  more  business-like  successor. 
Indeed  there  was  no  suggestion  of  business 
about  the  old  state  house  unless  the  legislature 
was  in  session  or  a  crowd  was  assembled  by 
some  other  special  event.  The  State  lloitsc 
Square  was  originally  (piite  low.  and  when  the 
building  was  erected  it  was  filled  to  the  e.xtent 
of  nine  feet,  making  the  central  part  three  or 
four  feet  above  the  street.  The  newly  graded 
grounds  were  planted  with  forest  trees  wdiieh 
in  due  time  developed  into  a  pleasant  grove, 
lialf  secluded  in  which  was  the  capitol,  quiet 
and  restful.  It  was  a  genuine  pleasure  to  stroll 
in  on  a  warm  summer  day,  up  the  woi'n  steps, 
past  the  battered  columns  of  the  porticos,  into 
the  cool,  musty  corridor,  and  then  nose  around 
in  the  State  Library  and  Museum,  which  was 
tbe  chief  attraction  of  tlie  building,  and  ri- 
valed the  asylums  as  the  chief  show  place  of  the 
city.  The  first  suggestion  of  a  state  library 
was  made  by  the  Constitutional  Convention  of 
f81().  which  recommended  the  General  .Vssem- 
bly  "to  appropriate  the  money  voluntarily  given 
by  the  citizens  of  Harrison  County  to  the  State 
to  the  jjurchase  of  books  for  a  library  for  the 
use  of  the  legislature  and  other  officers  of  the 
government".-  But  unfortunately  the  citizens  of 
Harrison  County  did  not  give  any  money.  What 
they  gave  was  a  bond  for  $1,000  to  be  paid 
to  the  stale  when  the  constitution  was  adopted 
— the  constitution  providing  that  Corydon,  the 
county  seat  of  Harrison  County,  should  be  the 
seat  of  government  until  1825,  and  until  re- 
moved by  law.  But  the  legislature  of  1817 
found  it  necessary  to  pass  a  joint  resolution 
that  whereas  this  bond  had  been  "lost  or  mis- 
laid", demand  should  be  made  on  the  makers, 
and  uidess  thev  ])aid  suit  should  be  brought.' 
The  report  of  the  Treasurer  for  1817  stated 
that  suit  had  l)een  brought  and  that  "when  the 
money  was  ])aid  it  would  be  $1,000".''  and  the 
same  in.  ISIS,"*  but  the  money  lU'ver  np]K'arcd 
in  the  state's  receipts. 

In  his  message  of  1817  Governor  Jennings 
said:  "The  commencement  of  a  state  library 
forms  a  subject  of  too  much  interest  not  to 
meet  your  attention",  and  then  h(>  dropped  the 


'Coiiiili/  ('miirs.   Uiinnl.  .lanuai'V  .">.   1S:!2. 


-Journal  ('(iiisl.  Coiir.,  p.  (>8. 
'■Ads  of  1S17,  p.  252. 
*nousr  Jnitniril.   1817.   ]).   28. 
■'Ifiinsc  ■loiiniiil .  p.  7  1. 


ll)(i 


HISTORY  OF  OI.'KA'I'KU  INDIAXAPOLIS. 


uii[)k'as:iiit  subjft-t.  'I'lif  next  iiiontioii  was  in 
the  message  of  Uoveriior  Hendric-ks,  of  Janu- 
ary 10,  1825 :  "Among  the  improvements  be- 
fore alluded  to,  there  is  none  more  deserving 
of  attention  than  a  state  library.  Many  valu- 
able books  already  belong  to  the  state,  and  if 
some  regulations  for  their  use  and  preservation 
should  be  made  with  only  a  moderate  annual 
allowance  for  their  increase,  they  would  soon 
eonstitute  a  respectable  eolleetion."  'J'lie  leg- 
islature was  of  like  mind,  and  by  aet  of  Felj- 
ruary  11,  1825,  made  the  Secretary  of  State 
the  State  Librarian  and  appropriated  $50  for 
the  purchase  of  books,  with  a  continuing  ap- 
propriation dH  $30  a  year  thereafter.  'I'he  first 
librarian's  rejiort,  made  by  Secretary  \Vm. 
\\"]ik  the  year  following,  stated  that  he  had  e.\- 
))eii(k'd  the  $50  for  Hume's  England,  witli 
Smollet's  continuation,  Johnson's  Lives  of  tin' 
rods,  and  Mavor's  Universal  Histori/.  but 
some  days  later  he  filed  a  supplemental  report 
saying  that  he  had  forgotten  to  mention  that  he 
also  purchased  The  Federalist.'^  The  Secivtary 
of  State  continued  to  be  ex-officio  Librarian 
until  1841,  the  library  being  kept  in  his  of- 
fice in  the  Governor's  Circle.  In  that  year 
Sulgrove  says:  "John  Cook,  a  bustling,  log- 
rolling, pushing  little  fellow,  recently  from 
Ohio,  got  himself  made  librarian,  and  the 
library  was  put  in  the  south  rooms,  west  side, 
of  the   State  House."' 

There  is  reason  to  suspect  that  Mr.  Sulgrove 
did  7iot  admire  Librarian  Cook.  He  alluded 
to  him  elsewhere  as  "a  recent  comer  here,  a 
little,  conceited,  mud-headed,  arrogant  English- 
man, who  made  himself  conspicuous  as  a  leader 
of  the  Whig  singing  clubs,  and  thus  commended 
himself  to  an  office  that  he  was  about  as  well 
([ualified  for  as  he  was  for  Mayor  of  the  Xew 
.lerusaleiu"."  Mr.  Cook  may  have  got  the  ap- 
pointment tlirougli  his  political  vocalization,  but 
he  was  not  responsible  for  the  library  legisla- 
tion of  1841.  The  man  that  effected  that  was 
Dr.  Philip  Mason  of  Fayette  County."  the  most 
enthusiastic  reformer  of  his  day,  and  lie  wa-  imi 
so  much  interested  in  the  library  as  he  was  in 
the  regulation  of  ]nil)lie  busiiu'ss.  At  that  time 


Tfouse  JonriKil.  Is2i;.  pj).  22,  25.'?. 
'Hist.  Indianujiolis.  p.  5!). 
"Sentinel.  January  K!.  1SS7. 
"Mason's  Anlohinfiriijihii.  y.  Uil  :  llnnsc  .lour 
val.  1840-1.  p.  2;u! 


the  Secretary  of  State  was  not  oidy  keeper  of  the 
state  library  and  the  legislative  jjapers,  l)Ut  also 
(d'  the  furniture  not  in  other  state  otlic-es,  and 
he  was  requiri'd  to  keep  "a  liranding  iron,  on 
which  shall  be  engraved  the  lioman  capital 
letters  P.  S.  I.  (meaning  the  property  of  the 
State  of  Indiana)''  and  with  it  to  lu-and  "'all 
movable  wooden  furniture".  The  >tate  house 
was  in  the  custody  of  the  Treasurer  of  State. 
Dr.  Mason's  law  provided  for  a  State  Librarian, 
elected  by  the  legislature  for  three  years,  at  a 
salary  of  $300  a  year,  who  should  be  keeper  of 
the  state  library,  the  state  house,  thf  State 
House  Square,  and  all  the  furniture  of  said 
house  which  is  not  in  the  care  or  keejiing  of 
any  of  the  public  officers  of  the  state ;  he  was 
to  keep  up  the  fence  around  the  State  Hou.se 
S(piare,  and  by  way  of  recompense  was  ■•per- 
mitted to  mow  the  grass  plat  and  apply  the 
grass  to  his  own  tise";  and  he  was  i-eipiired  to 
take  over  all  the  business  of  the  .\gent  of 
State  for  the  sale  of  lots  at  Indianapolis,  and 
attend  to  that.  In  1843  the  care  of  "the 
Governors  Circle  and  public  buildings  thereon" 
was  added  to  his  sinecure.'"  Dr.  ilason's  law 
made  one  great  advance  by  making  the  annual 
appropriation  for  books  and  l)inding  $4n(i,  but 
unfortunately  that  was  what  it  remaineil  foi- 
nearly  fifty  years.  It  also  .<ei)arated  the  liw 
library  and  provided  a  room  for  it  adjoining 
the  Supreme  Court. 

From  that  time  forward  the  office  was  ]jartly 
on  a  political  and  partly  an  t'leemosynary  basis 
for  many  years,  though  some  very  creditable 
people  held  it  at  times.  Cook  was  succeeded  by 
Samuel  P.  Daniels,  a  tailor  and  a  Democrat, 
1844-5;  John  B.  Dillon,  the  historian.  1845-51 ; 
Xathaniel  Bolton,  1851-4 ;  Gordon  Tainier, 
1854-G  ;  S.  D.  Lvons,  1856-9  :  James  E.  Bryant, 
1859-61;  Robert  D.  Brown,  1861-3;  David 
Stephenson,  1863-5:  B.  F.  Foster,  1865-0;  ^I. 
G.  McClain,  1869-71:  James  DeSarro,  1871-3; 
Sarah  A.  Oren,  18T3-5.  Librarian  Bryant  at- 
tained fame  by  "firing  the  Ephesian  dome" 
with  a  catalogue  that  attracted  the  following 
comment  in  the  Xntinn  of  February  16.  1882:" 

"To  the  Editor  of  the  Xation : 
"If  there  is  to  be  a  bibliograjihy  of  bibliog- 
raphies, vour  note  of  last  week  contributes  cer- 


"7iV'r.  Sldls.   ISJi-l.  ji.  i:4. 
"V.d.  :!4.  |).  142. 


niSTOlO'    OK   (MtKATKi;    1  XDl  AXAI'OI.IS. 


107 


]  OS 


HISTORY  OF  GREATEE  IXDIANAPOLIS. 


tainlj'  a  curious  instance  toward  the  material 
for  such  a  work.  But  1  beg  that  the  future 
compiler  of  that  work  may  not  overlook  the 
'Catalogue  of  the  Indiana  State  Library  for 
18o9',  which  has  long  been  my  wonder  and 
admiration.  So  far  is  it  from  attempting  the 
complexity  of  the  catalogue  raisonnc  that  its 
rigorous  alphabeticism  sets  down  'A  Manchester 
Strike'  between  'Agriculture'  and  'American'. 
It  invites  us  to  such  tours  de  force  as  'Auto- 
biography of  Sir  Simonds  D'Ewes  by  Halli- 
well',  and  the  "^Autobiography  of  Sir  Walter 
Scott,  by  Bart.'  'Bank's  (Ranke's)  History  of 
the  Popes'  appears  under  the  letter  B.  Strong 
in  the  historical  department,  it  offers  a  choice 
between  the  "Life  of  John  Tyler,  by  Harper 
&  Brothers',  'Memoirs  of  Moses  Henderson, 
by  the  Jewish  Philosophers',  'Memoirs  and  Cor- 
respondence of  Viscount  Castlereach,  by  the 
ilarquis  of  Londonderry',  and  'Memoirs  of 
Benvenuto,  by  Gellini'.  In  fiction  you  may 
find  'Tales  of  mv  Landlord,  bv  Cleishbotham', 
and  'The  Pilot/ by  the  Auditor  of  The  Pio- 
neers', while  if  your  passion  for  plural  author- 
ship is  otherwise  unappeasable — if  Beaumont 
and  Fletcher  or  Erckmann-Chatrian  seem  to 
you  too  feeble  a  combination  of  talents — you 
may  well  be  captivated  by  the  title  'Small 
Arms,  by  the  United   States  Army'. 

"The  State  of  Indiana  has  undoubtedly 
learned  a  good  many  things  since  1859 ;  but 
whoever  its  present  librarian  may  be,  it  is 
hardly  probable  that  his  highest  flight  in  bib- 
liography has  surpassed  the  catalogue  from 
which  I  have  quoted.  T.  B. 

"Rochester.  February  G,  1882." 

r>ut  there  were  one  or  two  even  worse  ones 
issued  in  the  succeeding  decade,  and  then  they 
stopped.  It  was  more  than  a  relief  when  Mrs. 
Oren  came  into  office;  it  w-as  a  revolution. 
She  was  probably  elected  because  she  was  a 
soldier's  widow,  but  she  had  other  qualifica- 
tions. She  had  been  a  successful  teacher  in 
the  high  school,  and  in  addition  to  educa- 
tion she  had  common  sense  and  a  good  business 
head  that  fitted  her  peculiarly  for  the  some- 
what complex  position.  There  is  no  exaggera- 
tion in  the  following  tribute  paid  to  lier  in 
the  Democratic  organ  fifteen  years  latn-: 

"There  are  many  persons  living  in  Indian- 
apolis who  remember  the  n^forins  instituted  by 
Mrs.    Oren,    the    first    woman    who    served    as 


Librarian,  not  only  in  the  library  proper  but 
in  the  entire  state  building,  of  which  the  Li- 
brarian has  been  for  many  years  the  legal  cus- 
todian. The  whole  building  was  cleaned  and 
disinfected ;  chimneys,  ventilators  and  flues 
which  had  become  stopped  up  were  opened  and 
cleaned;  the  grimy  walls  were  papered:  the 
steps  and  pavements  of  the  porches  were  re- 
paired to  an  extent  which  would  permit  one 
to  walk  over  them  without  becoming  seasick; 
the  dilapidated  soft-coal  stoves  were  replaced 
by  base-burners ;  water  pipes  were  put  in :  the 
regimental  colors  were  carefully  dusted  and 
bound  up;  the  legislative  papers  that  had  not 
yet  been  eaten  by  mice  were  taken  from  the 
musty  cupboards  and  packed  in  tin  boxes.  In 
the  library  the  books  were  examined  volume  by 
volume,  and  it  was  ascertained  that  several 
hundred  listed  in  the  catalogue  of  1872  were 
not  in  the  library.  The  old  records  were 
searched,  and  a  number  of  these  jiiissing  vol- 
umes were  recovered  from  people  who  had  bor- 
rowed them  under  the  old  law  and  never  re- 
turned them.  The  duplicates,  which  had  been 
scattered  haphazard  through  the  shelves,  were 
sorted  out  and  placed  in  a  separate  room ;  ex- 
changes were  made  wdtli  other  libraries  by 
which  the  collection  was  increased  and  many 
broken  sets  were  filled.  The  librar)-  was  re- 
arranged on  the  plan  of  the  Boston  Public 
Library,  in  departments  by  subjects,  and  al- 
phabetically by  authors'  names.  Labels  were 
pasted  on  the  books  designating  their  places  in 
the  shelves  and  ranges.  In  the  purchase  of 
books,  which  has  been  the  best  test  of  any 
Librarian's  merit,  Mrs.  Oren  displaj'ed  the 
soundest  judgment.  An  examination  of  her 
list  of  purchases  will  show  this,  and  will  show 
the  truth  of  her  statement  that  'in  the  pur- 
chase of  books  a  careful  eye  has  been  had  to 
the  needs  of  the  laboring  people,  who  cannot 
afford  to  jnirchase  costly  reference  books'. '"- 
As  before  mentioned,  the  "Governor's  Man- 
sion" was  never  occupied  as  a  residence  by  any 
Governor.  James  Brown  Ray,  who  succeeded 
when  Gov.  William  Hendricks  was  elected  to 
the  Senate  in  1825,  and  was  twice  thereafter 
elected  Governor,  serving  till  1831,  lived  in  his 
own  house.  He  was  at  first  allowed  house 
rent,  but  as  some  criticism  was  made  of  it,  the 
salary    was    increased    and    declared    to    cover 


'-SnilliirJ.  .liuiuarv  (5.  1887. 


iiis'i'dK'v  ()|-  (;i;i:.\rKi;  ixdiaxapoijs. 


10!> 


house  rt'ut.  (iovcnior  Xolilo.  wlio  served  I'roui 
1831  to  IS'M  had  a  farm  l.vi)ig  east  of  Xoble 
street  and  north  of  Market,  with  a  luie  resi- 
dence on  a  knoll  near  the  present  corner  of 
Market  and  Pine  streets,  where  he  resided. 
Followiug  him  came  Governor  Wallace,  a  non- 
resident, who  found  a  tenement  near  the  corner 
of  Washington  and  ilissouri  streets  until  the 
legislature  was  convinced  that  it  should  pro- 
vide a  gubernatorial  residence,  ami  on  Feb- 
ruary IJJ,  1839,  ordered  the  purchase  of  the 
residence  of  Dr.  John  H.  Sanders,  at  the  north- 
west corner  of  Illinois  and  Market  streets.  It 
was  then  considered  the  finest  residence  in 
the  city,  but  for  some  reason,  probaJjly  a  low 
site  made  worse  by  street  grading,  it  was  al- 
ways unhealthy.  Governor  Bigger  was  suj)- 
posed  to  have  contracted  there  the  fatal  ill- 
ness from  which  he  died  soon  after  leaving 
office.  The  young  wife  of  Governor  \Miit-i 
comb  died  there,  and  so  did  Governor  Wright's 
first  wife.  Governor  Willard's  wife  was  ill 
nearly  all  the  time  they  occupied  the  house. 
Governor  ilorton  abandoned  it  in  the  fall  of 
1863  on  account  of  the  ill  health  of  iiimsclf 
and  family,  and  after  boarding  for  a  time  pur- 
chased the  house  at  the  southeast  corner  of 
Pennsylvania  and  Jsew  York  streets,  where  he 
died  in  1877.  The  residence  of  the  governors 
for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  was  sold  in 
1865,  and  some  years  later  was  torn  down  to 
give  place  to  the  Cyclorama  Building,  which 
in  turn  was  succeeded  by  the  present  Union 
Terminal  and  Traction  Station. 

By  the  time  Indiana  had  completed  its  re((- 
uisite  governmental  buildings,  the  public  con- 
science of  the  state  was  becoming  aroused  to 
the  duty  of  care  for  the  blind,  deaf  and  dumb 
and  insane,  which. had  been  attracting  atten- 
tion in  the  older  states  in  the  past  decade. 
The  proceeds  of  the  donation  tract  had  been 
exhausted,  and  the  three  per  cent  fund  had 
been  used  up  in  internal  improvements,  but 
somebody  was  struck  by  a  happy  thought,  and 
in  January,  1839,  the  legislature  memorialized 
Congress  asking  a  further  grant  for  these  pur- 
poses. Having  thus  made  a  tentative  jirovision 
of  means,  on  February  13,  1839,  it  directed 
the  assessors  to  ascertain  and  report  tlie  num- 
ber of  deaf  mutes  in  each  county.  But  Con- 
gress had  troubles  of  its  own,  and  did  not  re- 
spond. Meanwhile  members  of  the  medical 
profession  became  interested  in  the  treatment 


of  the  insane,  which  had  the  medical  as  well 
as  the  merely  philanthropic  side,  and  a  special 
champion  of  state  action  arose  in  the  person  of 
Dr.  John  Evans  of  Fountain  County,  after- 
wards Governor  of  Colorado.  On  January  31, 
1842,  the  Governor  was  directed  to  corresjwnd 
with  the  governors  of  other  states  as  to  the 
cost,  construction  and  management  of  insane 
hospitals — or  as  they  were  then  called  ''lunatic 
asylums" — and  report  to  the  ne.xt  session.  This 
was  the  result  of  a  very  forcible  letter  from  Dr. 
Evans  and  Dr.  Isaac  Fisher  of  Fountain 
County,  pointing  out  the  evils  of  the  exist- 
ing treatment  of  the  insane  and  the  progress 
of  other  states,  on  which  a  favorable  report 
had  been  made  on  January  2().'''  On  Decem- 
ber 2.").  184'2,  Dr.  Evans  delivered  a  lecture  be- 
fore the  legislature  on  the  treatment  of  insani- 
ty, and  on  February  13,  1843,  the  Governor  was 
directed  to  correspond  with  the  superintendents 
of  hospitals  and  procure  plans,  and  submit  them 
with  his  suggestions  at  the  next  session.  On  his 
report,  the  legislature,  on  January  1.5,  1844, 
levied  a  tax  of  one  cent  on  the  hundred  dol- 
hirs  for  the  hospital  buildings  and  site.  On 
January  13,  ISl."),  Dr.  Evans,  Dr.  Livingston 
Dunlap  and  James  Blake  were  appointed  com- 
missioners to  select  a  site  of  not  over  200 
acres.  In  the  spring  they  selected  the  site 
of  the  present  Central  Hospital  for  the  In- 
sane, then  known  as  Mount  Jackson.  It  had 
beeii  the  pro])erty  of  George  Smith,  the  founder 
id'  the  Gazette,  and  had  been  named  by  him  in 
honor  of  "Old  Hickory"'.  For  some  years  it 
liail  been  occupied  by  Nathaniel  Bolton  and 
his  gifted  wife  Sarah  T.  Bolton,  who  main- 
tained a  tavern  there.  At  the  n.ext  session  they 
reported  the  site  and  a  plan  for  the  building, 
and  on  January  19,  1846,  they  were  directed  to 
|)r()ceed  with  the  building.  An  appropriation 
of  $15,000  was  made,  and  they  were  also  in- 
structed to  Sell  "the  Hospital  Square"'  (square 
.\o.  22)  and  appropriate  the  proceeds  to  the 
work.  The  main  building  was  begun  in  the 
summer  of  1846,  and  completed  the  year  fol- 
lowing at  a  cost  of  about  $75,000.  The  south 
wing  was  added  in  1853-6,  and  the  north  wing 
in  lS(i6-9.  This  completed  the  main  building, 
and  later  additions  will  be  mentioned  here- 
after. 

Before  the   hospital   for   the   insane   got    to 


''Ifiiil.ie  JiiiiriKil.  p.  591. 


110 


iiis'roi.'v  or  (;i;k.\'1'i:i,'  ixdianai'oi.is. 


the  appropriation  stagi:  the  luKiicati's  of  the 
t'diR-ation  of  the  deaf  aiul  diunh  had  secured 
the  passage  of  an  act  on  February  13,  1843, 
levying  a  tax  of  two  mill?  on  one  hundred 
dollars  for  an  asylum  for  the  deaf  and'duudi. 
In  the  spring  following  tliry  lirought  \\rvr 
William  Willard.  a  teacher  in  the  Ohu)  insti- 
tute for  the  deaf  and  dumb  and  he  opened  a 
private  school,  in  which  there  were  sixteen  pu- 
pils the  first  year.  On  January  15,  1844,  the 
legislature  established  the  institute  for  the  deaf 
and  dumb,  and  made  trustees  for  it  the  Ctov- 
ernor.  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  State,  Henr\ 


and  thirty  acres  of  land  uei'e  jiurchased.  The 
:  ame  year  the  school  was  removed  to  the  Kin- 
der block,  a  three-story  brick  building  on  the 
south  side  of  Washington  near  Delaware.  Here 
it  remained  until  the  completion  of  the  new 
state  building  in  1850,  at  a  cost  of  $30,000, 
anrt  it  is  still  being  occupied  while  a  new 
iiwtitution  is  being  constructed  north  of  the 
eity.  ^[r.  Willard  was  superintendent  until 
1S45,  when  James  S.  Brown  succeeded  him  and 
M'rved  until  1853.  Thomas  Mclntvre  was  then 
appointed  and  served  until  1879.  He  was  a 
trained  instructor,  and  made  the  value  of  the 


OLD  SUPREME  COURT  AND  STATE  OFFICES. 

(From   a  cut.) 


Ward  Beecher,  IMiiueas  D.  Gurley,  Love  11. 
Jameson,  Livingston  Dunlap,  and  James  Mor- 
rison, of  Marion  County,  and  ^[atthew  Simp- 
son of  Putnam  County.  The  trustees  prac- 
tically adopted  the  Willard  school,  under  their 
directions  to  rent  a  room  and  em])loy  teachers, 
first  locating  it  in  a  large  frame  residence  on 
the  southeast  corner  of  Mai-yland  aiul  Illinois 
streets.  The  act  pi'ovided  tliat  nothing  in  it 
should  be  "construed  to  make  any  permanent 
location  of  the  asylum  for  the  deaf  and  dumb 
at  Indianapolis",  but  in  is  HI  a  site  was  selected 
at  the  eorni"r  of  WashiiiLrtun  and   State  streets 


institution  ]ilain  to  everyone.  His  successor, 
l>r.  Wm.  Cilenn,  served  till  1885,  when  Eli  P. 
Baker  succeeded,  and  served  till  1889.  Mr. 
Richard  ().  Johnson,  the  jtresent  efficient  su- 
|ierintendent,  has  been  in  charge  siiu-c  1889. 
Extensive  additions  were  made  to  the  build- 
ings at  various  dates,  and  the  grounds  were  iu- 
creased  to  105  acres. 

Kentucky  served  as  an  example  and  a  spur 
to  Indiana  in  the  nmtter  of  benevolent  institu- 
tions. Its  deaf  and  duml)  asylum  was  adver- 
tised here,  ten  years  before  we  had  one,  as  edu- 
(atiuii-   the    indigent   deaf   and    dumb   of   Ken- 


ins'i'()i;v  OF  cuKATKi;  indi.wai'ous. 


11 1 


tuckv  free  of  charge,  and  outsiders  at  $80  per 
rear.'*    In  18-i."i,  during  the  session  of  tlie  h'gi>- 
hituie.  pupils  from  tlie  Kentuekv  Blind  Asylum 
were  hronght  here  and  gave  e.\Iiii)itions  of  tlieir 
attainnii'nts  in  the  Seeond  Presbyterian  Cluiiili. 
of  wliieh  Henry  Ward  Beeeher  was  then    pas- 
tor.     Many    legislators    attended,   and   on    one 
occasion    Senator    Dirk    Rousseau,    of    (ireene 
County,  convulsed  the  audience  by  writing  out 
a  jiroblem  and  holding  it  before  the  sightless 
pupils  while  lie  tried  to  help  them  comprehend 
bv  tracing  the  figures  with  his  fingers.     The 
legislature  wa.s  convinced  and  on  January  V-). 
184."),   levied   a   tax   of   two   mills   on   $l(Hi    to 
build  an  asylum  for  the  blind,  which  was  in- 
creased to  one  cent  on  January  27,  184T.     On 
January  19,  ]84(),  the  Secietary,  Auditor  ami 
Treasurer  of   State,  with  James  il.   Kay  and 
Dr.  George  W.  Clears,  were  made  commissioners 
to  provide  for  temporary  schooling  of  the  blind 
of  the  stale.    Win.  II.  riiurchman,  who  had  l)een 
in   charge   of   the  e.xhiliition  of  the  Kentucky 
pupils  the  year  before,  was  appointed   to  ad- 
dress the  ])eople  of  the  state  on  the  subject  of 
educating  the  blind,  and  to  ascertain  the  num- 
ber of  the  blind  in  the  state.     On  Januarv  27. 
lS4r.   Dr.   George  W.    Mears.   Calvin    Fletcher 
:ind    James   M.    Kay   were   appointed    comniis- 
-ioners  to  provide  the  buildings  for  the  school, 
and  $.'),()()(l  was  approiiriated  for  the  site.    ^[r. 
Fletcher  declined  to  serve,  and  Seton  W.  iforris 
was  api)oiiited   in  his  place.     The  present  site 
tiien    known    as    '"Pratt's    Walnut    Grove" — be- 
tween North  and  St.  Clair,  Pennsylvania  and 
Aferidian  streets — was  selected,  and  the  work- 
shop— the  three  story  brick  building  at  Walnut 
and  Pennsylvania  streets  which  was  torn  away 
in   i;iOO  to  niake   place   (in-  a   new  wing — was 
lirsl  erected,     ^reanwhile  the  school  was  opened 
in  the  liuilding  formerly  occupied  by  the  deaf 
and  dunili  at  ^faryland  and   Illinois  streets,  on 
October  1,  1847.     In  September,  1S4S,   it    was 
removed  to  the  workshop,  then  conii)leted,  and 
remained  there  till  the  main  building  was  fiu- 
islied   in    February.   1S."):i.     TIk/    buildings   and 

'*.lniiriiiil.    Si.pleinljer    1  1.    ls:i."). 


grounds  cost  $11U,UI)U,  and  the  asylum  proper 
was  the  most  imposing  state  building,  e.\cept- 
ing  possibly  the  state  house,  that  had  been 
erected  up  to  that  time.  It  still  stands,  sub- 
stantially as  built,  except  that  large  additions 
have  been  made  at  the  rear.  This  was  the  last 
of  the  state  buildings  erected  at  Indianapolis 
prior  to  the  Civil  War. 

The  old  building  for  the  State  Treasurer,  at 
the  southwest  corner  of  Capitol  avenue  and 
Washington  street,  was  abandoned  by  that  of- 
ficial in  ISoT.  and  was  rented  and  used  for 
various  pur])oses  until  ISG.j,  when  it  was  torn 
down.  By  this  time  the  capitol  was  so  dilapi- 
dated and  overcrowded  that  an  additional  build- 
ing was  needed,  and  in  IStiT  one  was  erected 
on  the  site  of  the  old  Treasurer's  house — a  two- 
story  brick  building  with  a  l)asement  reaching 
some  five  feet  above  ground — into  wdiich  the 
Supreme  Court,  with  its  library,  and  all  the 
state  officers  except  the  Governor  and  the  State 
Libi-arian  removed.  This  arrangement  con- 
tinued until  1877.  Everyiiody  realized  the  need 
of  a  new  capitol,  but  neither  party  .would  take 
the  responsibility  for  the  expense  of  erecting 
one.  In  that  year  the  control  of  the  houses 
beinw  divided,  the  act  of  ilarch  4  was  passed, 
providing  for  the  apjiointment  of  four  com- 
missioners to  build  a  capitol  costing  not  over 
$";;.0()i.),0()(i.  and  levying  a  tax  of  one  cent  on 
$100  to  meet  the  expense,  (ien.  Jolm  Love, 
(Jen.  Thos.  .\.  ^lorris.  Col.  I.  1).  G.  Xelson  anil 
John  M.  Collett  were  ap])ointed.  Collctt  re- 
signed May  3.  is;!),  when  he  was  appointed 
State  Geologist,  and  (Jeneral  Love  was  later 
succeeded  by  II.  Mursinna.  The  first  jilans 
submitted  weic  all  rejected  as  too  expensive: 
and  from  a  second  submission  of  24  plans,  one 
by  P'dwin  ^lay,  of  Indianapolis,  was  chosen. 
The  general  contract  was  taken  by  the  lirm  of 
Kanmacher  &  Denig,  and  the  building  was  com- 
pleted in  18SS  within  the  cost  limit  fixed  by 
the  law.  While  it  was  l)eing  erected,  the  Stale 
TJbrarv  was  housed  in  the  (iallu|)  Idock.  at  the 
southeast  conu'r  of  Cap'tnl  avenue  and  Market 
street. 


CHAPTER  Xll. 


THE  TOWN  GOVERNMENTS. 


Until  the  year  1832  there  was  no  municipal 
organization  at  Indianapolis,  the  only  local 
government  being  through  the  state  laws,  en- 
forced by  the  courts  and  the  county  and  town- 
ship officers.  But  town  organization  was 
wholly  dependent  on  the  will  of  the  people, 
and  in  the  fall  of  1832  a  movement  was  inau- 
gurated for  that  purpose.  An  act  had  been 
adopted  on  February  2,  1832,  which  changed  the 
system  of  town  incorporation  that  had  been  in 
vogue  since  the  admission  of  the  state.  Under 
the  new  law  it  was  necessary  for  two-thirds 
of  the  legal  voters  of  the  town  to  sign  a  peti- 
tion to  the  county  board  asking  for  incorpora- 
tion, the  signatures  being  proved  "by  the  oath 
of  any  reputable  person",  and  the  board  was 
thereupon  to  order  an  election  to  be  held  within 
one  month  from  that  time  for  the  election  of 
trustees  for  the  incorporation,  of  which  ten 
days  notice  was  to  be  given  by  written  notices 
posted  in  three  public  places.  At  the  meeting 
for  the  election,  the  voters  were  first  to  elect 
as  president  and  clerk  who  should  ''without  de- 
lay lay  off  said  incorporation  into  five  dis- 
tricts and  forthwith  present  the  same  to  said 
voters,  who  shall  proceed  to  elect  one  trustee 
for  each  district".  In  other  respects  the  old 
law  was  to  be  followed.  The  old  law  provided 
for  a  public  meeting  on  the  first  Monday  in 
March  or  September,  at  which  a  president  and 
secretary  were  to  be  chosen,  who  were  to  di- 
vide the  town  into  five  districts  and  hold  an 
election  for  trustees  on  the  following  ilonday, 
certifying  the  result  to  the  trustees  elected,  who 
filed  their  certificates  with  the  county  clerk, 
and  then  organized  by  electing  a  president. 
Under  the  old  law  the  county  board  had  noth- 
ing to  do  with  the  incorporation,  but  under  the 
new  law.  which  has  since  been  followed,  it 
became  the  authority  in  control  of  the  process. 


On  September  1,  a  call  was  published  for  a 
meeting  to  consider  incorporation,  to  be  held 
at  the  court  house  on  September  3.  This  meet- 
ing prepared  a  petition  to  the  Board  of  County 
Commissioners  for  incorporation,  which  was 
])resented  on  the  following  day,  and  this  record 
was  made :  "Glidden  True  and  others  presented 
a  petition  praying  that  the  Town  of  Indian- 
apolis be  incorporated,  and  it  appearing  to  the 
satisfaction  of  the  Board  by  said  petition  that 
two-thirds  of  the  legal  voters  of  said  town  are 
favorable  to  said  incorporation,  and  have  signed 
said  petition,  the  signatures  of  whom  are  proved 
by  the  oath  of  Glidden  True — 

"Ecsolved  that  said  town  be  and  the  same 
is  hereby  incorporated  according  to  law,  and 
further  ordered  that  an  election  be  held  at 
tlie  Court  House  in  Indianapolis  on  the  twenty- 
ninth  day  of  September,  1832,  for  the  election 
of  trustees  of  said  incorporation,  of  which  no- 
tice is  ordered  to  be  given  according  to  law." 

On  September  29,  the  voters  assembled  at 
the  court  house,  and  then  elected  Obed  Foote. 
president  and  Josiah  W.  Davis,  clerk,  who  were 
duly  sworn  in  by  Bethuel  F.  ^lorris,  the  Presi- 
dent Judge  of  the  Fifth  Circuit.  The  presi- 
dent and  clerk  forthwith  divided  the  town  into 
five  districts  as  follows:  1st,  from  the  eastern 
boundary  of  town  to  Alabama  street ;  2nd,  from 
Alabama  to  Pennsylvania ;  3rd.  from  Pennsyl- 
vania to  ileridian ;  4th,  from  ileridian  to 
Tennessee :  .5th.  from  Tennessee  to  the  western 
boundary.  The  election  was  then  held,  and 
"John  Wilkins  received  fifty-four  votes,  Henry 
P.  Coburn  fifty-five  votes,  John  G.  Brown  fifty- 
four  votes,  Samuel  Henderson  forty-one  votes, 
Samuel  Merrill  fifty-one  votes",  and  these  five 
were  elected  for  the  five  districts,  in  the  order 
named.  They  organized  by  electing  Samuel 
Henderson  president,  and  their  fir.st  work  was 


112 


iiisi()i;i    ()|-  (;i;i;.\i'KU  iNDlAXAroiJS. 


the  passii<;e  of  a  geiiL-nil  ordinance  whicli  srrvcd 
in  part  the  ])urposcs  of  a  city  eliarter.  It 
provided  for  tlio  appointment  of  a  clerk,  an 
assessor,  a  treasurer  and  a  marshal,  who  also 
served  as  tax-collector.  All  of  these  officers 
were  appointed  for  one  year  and  j;ave  bond. 
In  addition  to  |)rescribin<j:  the  duties  of  these 
officials  the  ordinance  defined  otfeuses  and  fixed 
penalties  as  follows:  firing  a  gun  or  ]iistol, 
riving  a  kite,  or  running  a  horse  within  the  town 
limits  a  fine  of  not  less  than  $1  nor  more  than 
!f .'5 ;  suffering  firewood  to  remain  on  Washing- 
ton street  more  than  twelve  hours  •%') :  failing  to 
remove  shavings  from  the  shop  w  here  made 
and  burn  them  once  in  two  (biys  $1 :  maintain- 
ing a  stove-pipe  within  two  inches  of  wood- 
work $1  ;  leaving  o])en  a  cellar  docn'  on  a 
street  in  the  night  $1;  driving  a  horse  or  ve- 
iiicle  on  a  sidewalk  $1  ;  leaving  team  unhitched 
and  without  trace  chain  unhitched  .%"i ;  giving 
show  without  license  $3 ;  exhibiting  stallion 
within  fifty  yards  of  Washington  street  or  of  a 
dwelling  house  $1;  selling  liquor,  less  than  a 
quart  without  license  $'i.  Special  taxes  and 
licenses  M-ere  fixed  as  follows;  each  male  dog, 
more  than  one  $..50 ;  each  female  dog  $.5 :  each 
hog,  over  six,  bidonging  to  one  owner  and  run- 
ning at  large  ^..^O  ;  show  or  exhibition,  twenty 
times  the  price  of  admission  for  each  day;  re- 
tail liquor  license,  same  as  county  tax  and  Sa 
cents  for  issuing  license;  a  breeding  sow,  or 
.pigs  under  six  months  old,  could  b(>  taken  up 
by  the  marshal  and  sold  to  the  highest  bidder. 
At  the  same  time  the  trustees  adopted  an 
ordinance  for  the  control  of  the  market,  pro- 
viding for  a  market  nuister  at  a  salary  of  $;iO 
a  year.  The  market  was  to  be  o]iened  on  Wed- 
nesday and  Saturdays  at  daylight,  and  anyone 
who  sold  at  or  adjacent  to  it  before  daylight  was 
subject  to  a  fine  of  $1 ;  the  market  was  to 
remain  open  two  hours  and  no  goods  brought 
to  town  for  sale  could  be  sold  elsewhere  during 
market  hours.  Fceiling  horses,  hogs  or  other 
animals  in  the  juarket-bouso  was  finable,  not 
over  $3:  hitching  an  animal  to  the  market- 
house  or  putting  a  vehicle  where  it  woidd  ob- 
struct passage  to  the  market-bouse  was  tinaiile 
$1 ;  buying  goods  in  market  for  re-sale  $.'3 ; 
huckster  occupying  ])lace  in  llu>  niarket-hou.se 
$3.  The  market  master  «as  required  to  sei/.c 
and  destroy  any  unwholesome  food  offered  for 
sale:  to  inspect  weights  and  measures:  and  to 
confiscate  any  l)uttcM'  or  other  articles  id"  b'ss 
Vol.  1—8 


weight  than  represented.  When  meal  was  sold 
by  measure,  it  was  required  to  be  ■iu'a])ed" 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  market  master,  on 
]ienalty  of  confiscation.  The  market-house  had 
been  provided  during  the  ])reccding  summer  by 
the  voluntary  action  of  the  citizens.  There 
had  Ijccn  a  general  desire  for  one  foi-  some 
time,  but  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  where 
it  should  !)('  located;  but  on  :March  38,  1832, 
a  |inblic  meeting  was  held  at  the  court  bouse, 
and  it  was  decided  to  ])ut  it  "on  tbi'  market 
scpuire,  immediately  north  of  the  court  house, 
and  })ursuant  to  the  original  design".  .\c- 
cordingly  Thmnas  AfcOuat,  Josiah  W.  Davis 
and  John  Watton,  as  commissioners  for  the 
erection  of  the  market-house,  were  directed  to 
take  sub.scriptions  and  build  it  there,  all  of 
which  was  certified  by  C.  1.  Hand,  chairman, 
and  John  Givan.  secretary  of  the  meeting.  On 
.Vugust  11.  1832.  the  Journal  announi'cd  the 
market-house  finished  and  ready  for  occupati(ui. 
.\s  an  inducement  to  sellers  it  stated  the  nding 
priees  to  be,  flour  $<;..")(»  («  $3  per  cwt. :  corn 
meal  $.75  per  busliel;  bacon  8  cents  per  lb.; 
i)utter  10  to  12  cents  per  lb. ;  beef  cattle  $2.50 
]>er  cwt.  on  the  hoof.  In  1848  the  experiment 
was  tried  of  opening  the  market  at  noon,  in- 
stead of  at  daylight,  Imt  it  was  abandoned  after 
a  iirief  trial. ^ 

It  is  very  evident  that  politics  got  into  the 
town  government  at  the  start,  for  the  Journal 
recommended  the  winning  ticket  for  trustees, 
and  also  the  division  into  districts  as  adopted, 
though  it  also  published  a  note  from  "many 
voters"'  suggesting  for  trustees  the  names  of 
William  Ilaiinaman.  .1.  L.  ^lothershead.  Jacob 
l.andis  and  William  Wernwag.  in  aildition  to 
•lobn  Wilkins  who  appears  to  have  been  on 
bofli  slates.  After  the  (U'gauization.  the  or- 
dinances adopted  were  published  in  the  Jour- 
nal, but  not  in  the  Democrat,  whereupon  the 
latter  on  November  24,  1S32,  in  large  type,  ad- 
vised "the  very  liberal,  impartial  and  honor- 
able Board  of  Trustees  of  the  ('or|ioration  of 
Indiaiia))olis"'  that  it  would  pulilisb  "all  laws, 
orders  and  ordinances  which  your  honorable 
body  may  pass  and  tliink  necessary  to  |iublish 
for  the  good  government  of  the  town,  without 
charge  and  without  pay"".  The  editor,  A.  F. 
Morrison,  added  the  ])ostscript :  "I  have  been 
requested    to    inquire   of   your    honorable   body 


'  f.ocouiolirc.   Xovcnilier    I.    IS  I.' 


114 


:iS'|-()i;V  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


whether  Jackson  muii  arc  chargeable  witli  Cor- 
])oration  taxes."  But  the  trustees  "just 
laughed""  and  went  ahead.  The  appointive  otfi- 
ces  were  not  in  great  demand.  Samuel  ilerrill 
acted  as  clerk  till  November  27,  1832,  when 
Isaac  N.  Heylin  took  charge.  He  resigned 
March  22,  1833,  and  was  followed  by  Israel 
P.  Griffith,  who  resigned  December  6,  1833. 
Then  Hugh  O'Neal  took  it  and  served  out  a 
year,  coming  back  for  two  years  more  in  1836- 
38.  John  Wilkins  served  as  Treasurer  to  No- 
vember 2T,  1832.  when  Obed  Foote  took  the 
office  till  his  death,  and  Harvey  Bates  followed 
him  from  1833  to  1835.  Josiah  W.  Davis 
served  as  Assessor  to  November  27,  and  re- 
signed. He  was  followed  by  Butler  K.  Smith 
for  one  year,  and  George  Lockerbie  for  two. . 
Glidden  True  was  marshal  and  collector  till 
Februarv  8.  1833,  when  Edward  ^IcGuire  came 
in  and  lasted  till  :May  10,  1833.  He  was  fol- 
lowed by  Samuel  Jennison,  who  resigned  in 
1834,  and  was  succeeded  by  Dennis  I.  Wliite, 
who  stuck  for  a  year.  Then  came  John  C. 
Busie,  who  resigned  October  7,  1835  i  John  A. 
Boyer,  who  resigned  December  19,  1835,  and 
Richard  D.  Mattingly  who  served  his  year. 

In  fact  the  marshal's  life  was  not  a  hapj)y 
one,  especially  in  the  later  years,  owing  to  an 
increase  of  "undesirable  citizens'".  In  the  sum- 
mer of  1827  Commissioner  Knight  passed 
through  the  state  locating  the  National  Road, 
arriving  in  Indianapolis  early  in  July,  and  re- 
turning in  September  from  the  western  end.-' 
The  next  fall  the  c-nntracts  were  let  and  work 
was  soon  begun.  The  contract  for  the 
))ridt;e  over  the  river  was  let  July  2(!.  IS.'M. 
to  AYilliam  Wernwag  and  Walter  Blake  for 
$18,000,  and  it  was  completed  in  1834.  This 
work  brought  a  large  number  of  hands  from 
the  outside,  many  of  whom  were  of  a  somewhat 
reckless  character,  and  the  canal  work,  which 
soon  followed,  brought  many  more.  Among 
these  were  many  Irish  immigrants,  among 
whom  there  soon  arose  factional  differences  that 
occasioned  resorts  to  "shillelah  law";  for  in 
addition  to  fighting  the  battles  of  the  nations, 
"Kelly  and  Burke  and  Shea"  are  wont  to  take 
up  private  cau.ses,  just  for  practice.  There 
were  other  nationalities  to  help  on,  and  the 
native  American  did  his  share  as  usual.  There 
grew   up    two   distinctively    "tough"    neighbor- 


KJounwl.  Julv  :!.  10,  Sejitenilier  -I,  1S2:. 


hoods,  one  south  of  town  near  the  river,  known 
as  "Waterloo"",  and  the  other  in  the  northwest 
part.  The  leading  spirit  in  the  latter  section 
was  David  Burkhart,  more  commonly  called 
"Old  Buckhart'".  He  came  here  about  1824, 
and  seemed  to  have  developed  in  depravity 
under  the  influence  of  whisky.  In  the  zenith 
of  his  greatness  he  kept  a  groggery  grocery  at 
the  southwest  corner  of  New  York  street  and 
Tennessee,  which  was  headquarters  for  a  col- 
lection of  rough  characters  known  as  "the 
chain  gang"".  Burkhart  was  a  square-built,  red- 
lieaded,  muscular  fellow,  who  prided  himself 
on  his  fighting  abilities,  and  when  drinking 
was  usually  hunting  trouble,  his  pet  aversions 
being  negroes  and  preachers.  This  brought 
about  his  downfall,  for  in  1836,  he  undertook 
to  disturb  a  camp-meeting  that  was  being  con- 
ducted by  Rev.  James  Havens  on  the  military 
reservation,  after  having  made  threats  to  whip 
"old  Sorrel  Top"'  as  Father  Havens  was  ir- 
reverently termed.  There  are  various  accounts 
of  this  affair,  the  most  plausible  by  Rev.  J.  C. 
Smith,  wlio  says  he  saw  it.  According  to  him 
Mr.  Havens  was  notified  of  Burkhart"s  presence 
In  a  lady  who  complained  of  his  profane  and 
obscene  talk  near  her  tent.  He  at  once  went 
to  the  place.  Smith,  George  Norwood  and  sev- 
eral others  following.  After  a  few  words  Ha- 
vens said:  "Burkhart,  I  wish  you  to  walk 
with  me  a  short  distance",  his  object  being  to 
get  him  to  a  justice's  office.  Burkhart  as- 
sented, and  Smith  says: 

"Having  proceeded  about  one  hundred  yards 
Burkhart  suddenly  halted  and  said,  with  a 
l)itter  oath,  'I  w-ill  go  no  further",  and  quickly 
gave  three  loud,  shrill  whistles,  and  cried  aloud, 
three  times,  'David  Leach  I'  the  name  of  one  of 
his  most  desperate  followers;  but  David  not 
responding.  Burkhart  said  with  another  bitter 
oath,  'The  coward  has  forsaken  me'.  He  then 
made  a  sudden  turn  on  his  captor  and  tried  to 
throw  him  on  the  ground.  In  this  he  failed. 
After  much  struggling  we  all  at  length  reached 
the  magistrate's  office,  which  was  the  objective 
point.  The  office  stood  at  the  crossing  of  Dela- 
ware street  on  Washington.  Squire  Jennison 
(not  Scudder)  soon  appeared  and  began  to  fix 
up  the  papers  for  the  trial  of  the  case.  While 
this  was  doing,  Burkhart,  witli  quick  and  nerv- 
ous steps,  continued  to  pace  round  the  room, 
and  coming  in  front  of  the  chair  in  which 
Elder   Havens   sat,   he  suddenly   stopped     and 


TTTST0T7T  OF  GRKATEK   TXDTAXAPOLIS. 


11. "> 


pulled  from  his  pockot  a  large  knife  with  a 
spring  back,  wliich,  with  a  sudden  jerk,  he 
threw  open  with  a  snap.  This  Brother  Havens 
mistook  for  a  pistol  and  in  a  moment,  with  the 
furv  of  a  chafed  lion,  he. sprang  to  his  feet,  and 
catching  the  hand  that  held  the  knife  he 
planted  a  terrible  blow  with  his  clenched  list 
on  the  proboscis  of  his  dangerous  enemy.  The 
scene  that  followed  this  beggars  description. 
They  fought  desperately  several  times  around 
the  room,  planting  terrible  blows  on  each  other, 
till  they  were  parted  by  the  assembled  crowd, 
and  order  was  restored.  The  result  was  that 
Burkhart  was  heavily  fined  for  breach  of  the 
peace  and  for  carrying  concealed  weapons,  and 
failing  to  give  bond,  he  was  committed  that 
night  to  the  county  jail.  Jiist  as  he  entered  the 
jail  door  his  courage  gave  way,  and  he  said 
with  trembling  voice,  'Has  it  come  to  this, 
that  David  Burkhart  has  been  whipped  bv  a 
^fetbodist  preacher  !"'^  A  few  days  later. 
when  doing  some  swaggering  down  town.  Burk- 
hart met  a  challenge  from  Samuel  ^Ferrill.  who 
told  him  he  believed  he  could  throw  him,  al- 
though he  was  a  smaller  man  ;  and  to  Burk- 
hart'? astonishment  and  humiliation  he  did  it. 
These  events  had  a  salutarv  efPeet,  but  there 
were  more  potent  agencies  of  reform  at  work. 
i  The  police  powers  of  the  trustees  under  the 
I  general  incor])oration  law  were  not  sunicicnt. 
and  on  February  .■"),  1830,  the  people  obtained 
a  spct-ial  charter  from  the  legislature.  The 
I  general  law  gave  authoritv  to  adopt  such  ordi- 
I  nances  "not  inconsistent  with  the  laws  and  con- 
stitution of  this  state,  as  they  shall  deem  neces- 
sary for  the  good  government  of  such  corpora- 
tion:  and  to  prevent  and  remove  nuisances,  to 
restrain  and  prohibit  gambling  or  other  dis- 
orderly conduct,  to  provide  for  licensing,  regu- 
lating or  restraining  theatrical  and  other  pub- 
lie  shows  and  amusements  within  the  corpora- 
tion, to  regulate  and  establish  markets,  to  sink 
and  keep  in  repair  public  v>-ells.  and  shall  have 
the  sole  and  exclusive  power  and  authority  to 
keep  in  repair  all  necessarv  streets,  allevs  and 
drains,  ami  to  pass  regulations  necessarv  foi-  the 
same".''  The  new  charter  empowered  the  trus- 
tees "'to  adopt  aTid  jint  in  force  such  laws,  or- 
dinances and.  regulations  as  thev  shall  deem  iirc- 
ossary   for  the   police  and  good  governnieni    nl' 

^F.nrhi  Mrllmdi^m   In   huluina .  ]\.  10. 
'/?')■.'  I.inrs,   1S:!1.   p.   .".-.'I. 


the  town",  not  inconsistent  with  the  constitu- 
tion and  laws  of  the  state,  and  such  laws  "as 
may  be  necessary  to  guard  against  damage  by 
fire:  to  organize  fire  companies  and  to  govern 
the  same;  to  regulate  the  duty  and  conduct  of 
the  citizens  of  the  town  in  relation  thereto;  to 
regulate  and  govern  the  markets;  to  prevent 
the  erection  of  public  nuisances,  and  remove 
the  same ;  to  declare  what  shall  be  a  public 
nuisance,  and  generally  to  enforce,  by  proper 
l)enalties,  the  observance  of  all  laws  and  ordi- 
nances relative  to  the  police  and  government  of 
the  said  incorporated  town"."'  The  charter  also 
gave  authority  to  make  the  retail  liquor  license 
Jii-'ifl  and  made  the  first  provision  for  street  im- 
])rovement':.  On  jietition  of  two-thirds  of  the 
owners  of  lots  on  any  street  or  section  thereof 
for  "graduating,  graveling  or  paving  said 
streets  or  sidewalks  thereof",  the  petition  speci- 
fying "the  improvement  wanted  or  contem- 
])lated  to  be  made"',  it  was  the  duty  of  the 
trustees  to  cause  it  to  be  done  as  economi- 
cally as  possible,  and  asses,*-  the  cost  ratably 
by  the  front  foot,  the  assessment  being  a  lien 
upon  the  lots. 

The  maintenance  of  order,  however,  was  the 
chief  thing  in  mind,  and  that  the  people  were 
determined  on.  Notice  was  given  of  a  meeting 
at  the  court  house  on  March  19  "for  the  pur- 
pose of  consulting  on  measures  connected  with 
the  peace  and  safety  of  the  town",  and  it  was 
well  attended.  George  Lockerbie  was  made 
chairman  and  Charles  I.  Hand  secretary.  .\ 
committee  was  appointed  to  select  ten  persons 
"whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  assist  the  civil  officers 
in  bringing  to  justice  all  offenders  against  the 
law",  and  the  ten  selected  were  Butler  Smith, 
William  Oampbell,  .\ndrew  Smith,  John  Wil- 
kins,  John  ^fcMahan.  John  Woollen,  Samuel 
^ferrill,  James  Kittleman.  AVilliam  H.  Wern- 
wag  and  Daniel  Yandcs.  Spirited  speeches 
were  made  by  Herod  Newland,  a  revolutionary 
soldier,  and  Calvin  Fletcher:  and.  on  motion 
of  John  Cain  the  following  was  adopted :  "Re- 
solved, that  this  meeting  will  use  their  ende.iv- 
ors  to  have  such  men  elected  to  the  next  board 
of  trustees  as  will  command  the  respect  and 
confidence  of  the  citizens  of  our  town,  and  who 
sb:i1l  appoint  such  town  officers  as  will  do  their 
duty  without  favor  or  afTection.  .\\\i\  this 
meeting  ])ledges  itself  td  aid  and  sii|ii)i>rt  llieiii 


'•T.nral   Liiirx.    ]i>:M'<. 


\-i. 


iii; 


HISTORY  OF  CHEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


ill  all  lawful  ciulfaxors  to  ]jrL'.~ervc  tlio  [xjat-e 
and  good  order  of  the  town,  and  the  ]jri;scrva- 
tion  of  the  persons  and  property  of  the  citizens 
thereof.'"  It  was  then  decided  to  sign  the  re^o- 
lution  as  a  jiledge,  and  1'21  men  came  for\v-u'd 
and  signed  their  names.  The  election  was  held 
on  ilonday,  April  i,  with  a  polling  place  in 
each  ward,  and  George  Loekerliie,  John  Foster, 
Samuel  Merrill,  Humphrey  Griffith  and  John 
L.  Young  were  chosen  trustees,  all  law  and  or- 
der men.  At  the  same  time  four  constahles 
were  chosen — J.  B.  Ferguson,  J.  P.  Duvall, 
Daniel  Baker,  and  K.  D.  ^lattingly — every  one 
of  whouT  was  a  signer  of  the  resolutions  above.'' 

Another  pacificatory  event  at  this  time  was 
an  opinion  rendered  by  Judge  Wick.  Among 
the  negroes  who  were  annoyed  by  "the  chain 
gang"  was  James  Overall,  a  quiet  but  resolute 
man  with  a  number  of  white  friends.  He  had 
defended  his  house  from  an  attack  by  several 
of  these  roughs  by  the  free  iise  of  a  shot-gun, 
and  on  this  account  became  involved  in  trouble 
with  David  Leach,  one  of  the  worst  of  the  gang, 
and  swore  out  a  peace  warrant.  The  Justice 
put  Leach  under  bond,  and  he  appealed  on  the 
ground  that  a  negro  was  not  a  competent  wit- 
ness. Judge  Wick,  in  a  long  and  elaborate 
opinion,  held  that  while  the  statute  prohibited 
a  negro's  being  a  witness  against  a  white  man, 
it  did  not  prevent  his  taking  legal  steps  for  his 
own  protection,  and  the  altidavit  for  the  war- 
rant was  not  evidence  heard  on  trial,  but  only 
a  step  in  bringing  on  the  trial.  He  therefore 
held  !>each,  and  both  the  negroes  and  their  tor- 
mentors were  made  to  know  that  there  was  some 
protection  for  the  negro  in   the  law.^ 

The  new  board  of  trustees  ])roceeded  in  line 
with  the  will  of  the  law  and  order  ])eo])le. 
George  Locke rljie  was  elected  president,  and 
William  Camjjbell  was  made  marshal  for  three 
successive  years.  On  June  8  the  trustees  passed 
an  ordinance  imposing  a  fine  of  $3  on  anvone 
who  "shall  be  guilty  of  any  assault,  assault  and 
battery,  aiTray,  rout,  riot,  or  unlawful  assem- 
blage within  the  town  of  Indiana])olis,  or  shall 
provoke  or  encourage  any  other  person  oi'  per- 
sons to  commit  either  of  said  otfen.'^es."  Thev 
also  provided  a  fine  of  $3  for  anyone  who  "shall 
he  guilty  of  using  publicly  any  indecent  oi- 
blas])hemous  language,  or  who  shall  appear  in 


'.lonniiil.  March  -.T,.  April  '.),  ls;!(i. 
'Joiiniiil.  Mav  7,  183(J. 


the  streets  intoxicated,  or  who  shall  sell  or  gi\e 
any  siiiritiidiis  liquors  to  any  person  intoxi- 
cated''. 'J'liey  showed  a  spirit  of  progress  that 
was  really  remarkable  for  the  time  and  the  con- 
ditions by  declaring  all'"horse  racks'"  on  Wash- 
ington street  to  be  nuisances,  and  ordering  their 
removal.''  Tlie  more  stringent  law  and  its  more 
vigorous  enforcement  lessened  the  disorders,  and 
Ijegot  favor  for  a  stronger  local  government  in 
all  respects;  and  more  power  was  needed,  e>pi- 
cially  as  to  street  improvements,  for  these  wi  ic 
almost  at  the  will  of  the  property  owner  aside 
from  regular  road  work,  and  he  got  no  credit 
on  that  for  any  special  ctfort  befori'  his  own 
premises. 

After  two  years"  experience  under  this  char- 
ter the  people  wanted  one  granting  more  power, 
and  on  February  17,  1838,  the  town  was  reiu- 
eor])orated  by  the  legislature.  Under  the  new 
charter  the  council  consisted  of  a  i^resident 
elected  by  general  vote,  and  six  trustees,  eacii 
elected  by  the  voters  of  his  ward,  all  of  whom 
were  required  to  be  freeholders  of  the  town. 
The  charter  fixed  the  wards  as  follows:  1st,  all 
east  of  Alabama  street ;  2nd,  Alabama  to  Penn- 
sylvania ;  3rd,  Pennsylvania  to  Meridian :  -ith. 
Meridian  to  Illinois;  .5th,  Illinois  to  ilissis- 
sippi ;  fith,  all  west  of  Mississippi.  The  act  is 
indefinite  in  that  it  incorporates  all  the  land 
"included  in  the  bounds  of  the  donation'",  but 
general  taxation  was  limited  to  the  mile  square, 
and  the  council  was  required  to  open  and  keep 
in  repair  "the  border  streets  of  said  town,  be- 
ing North,  South,  East,  and  West  streets",  or 
"forfeit  all  rights  and  privileges  of  Jurisdiction 
beyond  the  said  streets  which  are  conferj'ed  on 
said  counc-il  by  the  23d  section  of  this  act", 
which  powers  were  licensing  and  regulating 
"taverns,  groceries,  tippling  houses,  shows, 
theaters  and  stores,  within  the  limits  of  the 
donation".  The  council  decided  that  the  ])eoplc 
on  the  donation  outside  of  the  mile  scpiare  were 
entitled  to  vote  in  town  elections.  The  presi- 
dent of  the  council  was  given  the  powers  of  a 
Justice  of  the  peace  witliin  the  donation,  and 
the  marshal  the  ])owers  of  a  constable.  The 
council  could  appoint  a  secretary,  marshal, 
treasurer,  asses.«or,  collector,  supervisor  of  high- 
ways, clerk  of  the  market,  and  other  subordi- 
nates deemed  necessary,  and  impose  a  fine  not 
exceeding   $•")    for    refusal   to    aeeept    an    olliee. 

"Jotiniii! .  .1  une   1  1 .  1S3(). 


JllSTOilY   Ui"  (JiJEATEU  IXLHAXAi'Ul.lS. 


TliL'  tnistcvs  wiMv  allowed  $1  each  for  each 
regular  inoiithly  iiu'ctiiig,  not  exceeding  twelve. 
The  limit  ot  the  retail  liciiior  licent^e  was 
raiseil  to  $100.  The  trustees  were  empowered 
to  adopt  "siieh  laws  and  ordinances  as  to  them 
shall  seem  necessary  relative  to  the  regulations 
of  streets,  alleys,  sidewalks  and  highways;  to 
cleaning,  raising,  draining,  turnpiking.  mac- 
adamizing or  otherwise  making  and  keeping  the 
same  in  repair :  to  making,  causing,  and  re- 
quiring owners  of  in-lots  to  pave  or  gravel  tiie 
sidewalks  in   front  of  their  respective  in-lots". 

The  realty  ta.\  was  limited  to  one-half  of 
one  per  cent  of  the  valuation,  and  the  poll  tax 
to  $1.  In  addition  each  able-bodied  man  be- 
tween 21  and  50  years  of  age  was  required  to 
do  two  days'  work  on  the  streets  each  year,  or 
pay  $1  in  lieu  thereof.  The  town  was  allowed 
to  tax  dogs,  and  all  property  subject  to  county 
taxation,  and  also  to  require  licenses  of  '"shows, 
exhii)itions,  auctions,  peddlers  and  amuse- 
ments". This  charter,  with  its  anu'ndments, 
coutiinied  in  force  until  the  adoption  of  city 
government  in  18  IT.  ISy  act  of  February  1."), 
IS.'U).  the  council  was  directed  to  open  and  keep 
in  rejiair  all  streets  and  alleys  running  through 
the  donation,  and  could  tax  for  this  purpose, 
and  this  only,  outside  of  the  mile  square.  By 
act  (if  Fel)ruary  22,  1840,  the  councilmeu  or 
trustees  were  divided  into  two  classes,  those  of 
the  1st,  .'ird  and  -jth  wards,  and  those  of  the 
2nd,  4th  and  (Jth  wards,  to  be  elected  in  alter- 
nate years;  and  the  qualification  for  member- 
ship was  changed  from  freeholder  to  house- 
holder. The  law  as  to  licensing  auctioneers 
was  also  changed  hut  the  change  is  not  very 
important,  for  all  of  the  early  laws  on  that  suli- 
jecf  were  in  violation  of  the  United  States  con- 
stitution in  that  they  imposed  greater  burdens 
on  citizens  of  other  states  than  on  citizens  of  In- 
diana. Tlie  act  of  February  13.  1841,  repealed 
the  incor]ioration  law,  so  far  as  it  applied  to  the 
donation  hinds  west  of  White  River.  By  act 
of  Kebruary  1:5,  1841,  the  marshal  was  made 
elective  by  the  people;  an(l  the  same  change 
was  made  as  to  the  assessor,  collector,  street 
supervisor,  and  secretary  by  the  act  of  January 
1">,  1844,  but  this  latter  act  was  repealed  on 
January  10.  ISIO.  By  another  act  of  Januan' 
1">.  Is  11.  the  town  was  req\iired  to  keep  the 
state  ditch  ill  rc]iiiir  and  I'l'inoxc  olist  I'uctions 
from  it. 

There  was  piactically  no  effort  at  street   ini- 


])rovenu'nt  until  1S;](),  beyond  cutting  out  tim- 
ber, and  a  little  corduroying  in  very  wet  places, 
and  making  an  occasional  ditch.  In  that  year 
the  town  began  the  good  work  by  filling  a  pond 
in  Meridian  street  in  front  of  Wesley  Chapel, 
just  south  of  the  Circle.  The  council  also 
adopted  an  ordinance  for  a  "town  surveyor  and 
engineer".  His  principal  duty  was  to  estab- 
lish corners  and  boundaries,  which  he  was  re- 
quired to  do  on  re(iuest  of  a  citizen;  but  be- 
sides this  he  was  to  "take  the  proper  level  and 
grade  of  any  of  the  streets,  sidewalks,  drains 
and  alleys  of  said  town,  as  may  from  time  to 
time  be  deemed  necessary";  and  also  to  "make 
estimates  of  any  proposed  improvements  in  said 
town,  and  perform  such  other  professional 
services  as  may  be  required  by  the  comnuin 
council".  For  compensation  he  received  -$3 
a  day  for  actual  service ;  and  for  part  of  a  day 
$2  for  not  more  than  four  hours,  if  called  hy  a 
jirivate  individual,  and  $1..")0  for  not  more  than 
half  a  day  if  working  for  the  city.  To  this 
othce  was  called  William  Sullivan,  a  very  com- 
petent man.  He  was  a  ilarylander,  of  Eng- 
lish descent,  who  came  here  in  1834.  He  was 
well  educated,  and  had  taught  school  in  Ohio, 
and  at  Hanover.  At  Indianapolis  he  first 
o])ened  a  private  school,  and  later  taught  at  the 
Seminary,  of  which  he  was  principal  when  ap- 
])ointed  surveyor.  One  of  his  first  steps  was  to 
prepare  a  map  of  the  town  which  was  published 
in  October  of  that  year.  Luke  Munsell  had  also 
copyrighted  a  city  map  on  ^lay  30,  183C;  Dr. 
ilunsell  was  a  man  of  notable  attainments,  but 
ratlier  impractical,  who  came  here  from  Ken- 
tucky, where  he  had  been  State  Engineer,  and 
had  jjublished  a  map  of  Kentucky.  He  estab- 
lished one  of  the  first  Daguerrean  galleries  at 
Indianapolis.  There  seemed  no  cause  for  the 
people  not  knowing  "where  they  were  at",  but 
a  careful  resurvey  by  Mr.  Sullivan  in  1839  re- 
vealed tlio  fact  that,  in  the  survey  and  sale  of 
out-lots  in  1831,  eight  acres  had  been  laid  off 
and  sold  that  were  not  in  the  donation.  This 
was  set  out  in  a  memorial  to  Congress  by  the 
legislature  in  1840.  and  Congress  corrected  the 
error  by  donating  the  eight  acres. 

In  1837  the  macadamizing  of  Washington 
street  as  a  part  of  the  Xational  Eoad  awoke 
aspirations  for  a  higher  life,  and  there  was  a 
demand  for  sidewalks.  \n  ordinance  was 
adopted  providing  tliat  when  ])ro])erty  owners 
on   that  street,    for   no(    less   than    one   s(iuaiT. 


118 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIAXAPOLIS. 


119 


•'shall  be  desirous  of  paving  the  gutters  and 
grading  and  gravelling  tlie  street  between  the 
same  and  the  ilcAdamizing  as  made  by  the 
United  States,  and  shall  petition  for  the  same", 
it  should  be  the  duty  of  the  council  to  have 
the  work  done,  and  assess  the  cost  by  the  front 
foot.  But  for  the  amount  assessed  and  paid, 
the  lot-owner  was  to  receive  an  e(iual  amount 
of  town  scrip,  which  was  receivable  for  any 
street  improvement  tax  afterwards  levied  on 
that  lot,  so  far  as  the  owner  could  make  change 
with  it,  for  "the  collector  shall  in  no  case  be 
required  to  pay  in  money  any  overplus  wheie 
a  larger  amount  of  scrip  shall  be  offered  than 
will  meet  the  amount  of  street  tax  due". 
Originally  the  sidewalks  on  Washington  street 
jiad  been  laid  oif  fifteen  feet  wide,  and  those 
on  other  streets  ten,  but  they  were  now  made 
twenty  feet  on  Washington  and  twelve  feet  on 
other  streets.  There  was  vigorous  protest 
against  this  by  lot  owners,  but  the  trustees 
stood  firm,  and  also  prohibited  extending  cellar 
doors  more  than  five  feet  from  the  property 
line,  and  railings  more  than  four  feet.  Con- 
siderable improvement  was  done  under  this 
ordinance,  and  in  the  year  ending  .March  2T, 
1839,  the  town  itself  expended  $1-15  for  street 
improvements  and  gravel  for  crossings.  This 
was  not  a  bad  start,  especially  in  consideration 
of  the  fact  that  the  town  that  year  paid  .t^.S.^d 
I'lir  building  a  west  market  on  Ohio  street  be- 
tween Tennessee  and  Mississippi — the  present 
north  end  of  the  Capitol  ground.* — and  $143 
for  clearing  and  fencing  the  old  graveyard. 
while  the  total  receipts  were  only  $7,01'^.  In 
1840  the  town  expenditure  for  streets  and 
bridges  was  -Sl.-S.^O.  and  in  l.S4'2  the  street  im- 
provements cost  $1,138. 

Political  lines  were  nui  well  deliiieil  locally 
al  the  beginning  of  inuniei])al  government  in 
Indianapolis.  The  state  was  growing  away 
from  the  old  territorial  alignments,  and  taking 
up  luitional  divisions,  but  there  was  no  jiublie 
demonstration  of  this  until  the  Whigs  fornu-d 
a  local  organization  on  May  17,  1834.  Although 
the  Democrats  were  in  the  majority  in  the 
.-fate,  the  Whigs  were  a  little  more  numi'rous  in 
the  town,  for,  in  November,  1S32,  Center  Town- 
ship gave  .")40  votes  for  Clay  and  4(13  for  Jack- 
son, and,  as  has  been  mentioned,  the  trustees 
elected  that  year  showed  their  Whig  leaning.- 
by  giving  all  the  town  printing  to  the  Journal. 
In  1836  Center  Township  gave  the  Whig  na- 


tional ticket  a  majority  of  920  to  634,  and 
in  1840,  one  of  872  to  540.  Xevertheless  lU: 
Brown  says  that  in  1840  '"the  Whigs  carried  the 
municipal  election  for  the  first  time"',  and  he 
ought  to  have  known  for  his  father  was  one  of 
the  active  local  organizers  of  the  Whig  party. 
But  there  were  some  local  officials  who  were 
reputed  anti-Jackson  men  before  then,  and 
at  any  rate  the  Whigs  did  not  hold  on  from 
1840,  for  the  Democrats  carried  the  next  mu- 
nicipal election.  Possibly  ^Ir.  Brown  refers  to 
this  as  the  first  victory  on  a  recognized  party 
basis,  for  it  was  not  the  custom  then  to  non.ii- 
nate  municipal  tickets  by  party  convention, 
and  the  elections  had  at  least  the  appearance 
of  personal  contests. 

Tlie  presidents  of  the  Board  of  Trustees, 
while  elected  by  the  Board,  were  Samuel  Hen- 
derson, October  12,  1832,  to  September  30, 
1833;  James  Edgar,  September  30  to  DecTuber 
9,  1833;  Benjamin  1.  BIythe,  March  7,  1834, 
to  February  14,  1835 ;  Alexander  F.  Morri- 
son, February  14  to  October  2,  183.");  Nathan 
B.  Palmer,  October  2,  1835,  to  April  13.  1836; 
(Jeorge  Lockerbie,  .\pril  13,  1836,  to  April  4, 
1837 ;  Joshua  Soule  Jr.,  April  4,  1837,  to  April 
2,  1838.  In  the  period  wlien  elected  by  the 
people  they  were  James  ^lorrison,  1838-9; 
.Vathan  B.  Palmer,  1839-40;  Henry  P.  Coburn, 
1840-1;  William  Sullivan  (resigned  Xovember 
12),  1841;  David  V.  Culley,  1841-1  and  1850- 
3;  Lazarus  B.  Wilson,  1844-5;  Jose))li  A.  fiCvy, 
1845-7;  Saml.  S.  Rooker  (resigned  November 
1),  1847;  Charles  W.  Cadv,  1847-8;  George  A. 
Chapman,  1848-9;  Wm.  Kckert,  1849-50;  An- 
drew A.  Loudon,  1850.  The  office  of  president 
of  the  council  was  continued  under  the  city 
charter  of  1847,  independent  of  the  mayor,  but 
in  March,  1853,  the  council  adopted  the  gen- 
eral city  incorporation  law  in  place  of  the  char- 
ter, and  it  nuide  the  mayor  president  of  the 
council.  The  town  treasurers  were  John  Wil- 
kins  (acting)  and  Obed  Foote,  in  1832;  Har- 
vey Bates,  1833-5;  Thos.  H.  Sharjie,  1S3.-,-<): 
Chas.  B.  Davis,  1839-40  and  1841-4;  Hum- 
phrey Griffith,  1840-1;  John  L.  Welshans, 
1814-6;  George  Norwood,  184G-7.  The  town 
marshals,  following  William  Campbell,  as  be- 
fore mentioned,  were  James  Vanblaricum, 
1839-42  and  1S44-5;  Robert  C.  Allison.  1842- 
3;  Benjamin  Ream,  1843-4;  Xewton  N.  Nor- 
wood, 1845-6;  Jacob  B.  Fitler,  1846-7,  The  as- 
sessors were  Josiah  W.  Davi.s  (resigned),  1832; 


-iW 


HISTORY  OF  GHEATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


Butler  K.  Smith,  1833-4;  George  Lockerbie, 
lS3-L-():  John  Ehler,  1836-7;  Thos.  :Me()vi;it, 
1837-8;  Albert  G.  Willard,  1838-40;  Henry 
Bradley.  18-10-1;  Thos.  Donelhiii.  1841-2  and 
1843-G;  James  H.  Kennedy,  1842-3;  John 
Coen,  1846-7.  The  office  of  town  attorney  was 
not  formally  created  until  September  5,  1846, 
when  John  L.  Ketcham  was  elected  for  one 
vear;  but  James  Morrison  served  as  attorney 
for  the  town  in  1837-8;  Hngli  O'Xeal,  1838- 
40;  and  Hiram  Brown,  1840-6.  William  Sul- 
livan, town  surveyor  from  September  27,  1833, 
to  June  18,  1838,  was  succeeded  bv  Liike  Mun- 
sell,  1838-9,  183!i-41,  1843-4;  Robert  B.  Hanna 
(resigned  August  17),  1839;  and  James  Wood 
Sr.,  1841-3,  1844-7.  The  position  of  town 
supervisor  of  streets  was  held  bv  Thomas  Lup- 
tou,  1838-9;  James  Vanblari'cum.  1839-42; 
Robert  C.  Allison.  1842-3;  Thos.  M.  Weaver, 
1843-4;  William  Wilkinson,  1845-6;  Jacob  B. 
Fitler,  1846-7.  The  clerks  of  the  market  were 
Thomas  Chinn  (resigned),  November  27,  1832 
to  February  21,  1835 ;  Fleming  T.  Luse  (re- 
signed July  29),  1835;  Andrew  Smith,  1835- 
6;  Jacob  Roop  (died),  1836-7;  James  Gore 
(resiarned  Februarv  6).  1837;  Jeremiah  Wor- 
mcgan.    1837-40.   '  In    1841   'the     office     was 


cliaiigcd  to  market-mastei'  and  Wormegau  was 
continued  in  it  until  1845,  and  then  as  ni.irket- 
master  of  the  east  market  until  1846.  Jacob 
Miller  was  master  of  the  west  market  from 
1845  to  1848.  The  town  weighmasters  were 
Jacob  J.  Wiseman,  October  27  to  December 
12,  1835;  Edward  Davis,  1835-6;  John  F. 
Ramsey,  January  30  to  April  18,  1836 ;  James 
Edgar,  1836-7;  James  Gore,  January  10  to 
Februarv  6.  1837 ;  Jeremiah  Wormegan,  Feb- 
ruarv 6'to  Mav  17.  1837;  Isaac  Harris,  1837- 
8;  Adam  Haugh.  1838-9,  1840-7;  Charles  Will- 
iams, 1839-40.  Tlic  town  sextons  were  James 
Cox,  1842-3;  John  Musgrove.  1843-4  and  1845- 
7  ;  Jolm  O'Connor,  1844-5  ;  Benjamin  Lobaugh. 
1847.  The  town  also  maintained  a  messenger 
of  the  fire  department,  James  Yanblaricum. 
1840-2,  and  David  Cox.  1842-5.  In  1845 
David  Cox  was  made  messenger  for  the  Minion 
Company  only,  and  Jacob  Fitler  for  the  Good 
Intents,  and  thc-y  were  continued  in  these  po- 
sitions until  1848.  In  1847  James  H.  Ken- 
nedy was  added  as  messenger  of  the  hook  and 
ladder  company.  As  the  couneilmen  were 
elected  from  the  wards  their  service  can  be 
better  shown  by  table,  the  years  iised  indicating 
the  ones  in  which  their  terms  beerau. 


TRTSTEES  ASD  TOWN  COrXCILMEN  BY    WWRDS.    1S.';2-1S4; 


1st    Ward. 

2i 

(1    \\'ard. 

3rd    Ward. 

4th   Ward. 

5th   Ward. 

Cth 

Ward. 

1832 

John  Wilkins 

H 

P.   foburn 

John  G.   Brown 

S.   Henderson 

Saml.   Merrill 

1S3S 

Benj.    I.   Blythe 

S. 

Goldsberry 

James   Edgar 

J.   Vanblaricum 

Nath.   Cox 

1834 

Alex   Morrison 

L. 

IDunlap 

Jos.   Lefevre 

J.   Vanblaricum 

Nath.   Cox 

1835 

Jas.   M.   Smith 

Jos.   Lefevre 

Chas.   Campbell 

H.   Griffith 

N.   B.   Palmer 

1S36 

Geo.   Lockerbie 

Jc 

hii   Foster 

Saml.   Merrill 

H.   Griffith 

J.   L.   Young 

1837 

Geo.   Lockerbie 

Jc 

hn  Foster 

Geo.    W.   Stipp 

Henry  Porter 

Joshua  Soule 

New 

Charter 

1838 

Geo.   Lockerbie 

J. 

hn  Elder 

John  AV.    Foudray 

John  F.  Ramsey 

Wm.  J.   Brown 

S. 

s. 

Rooker 

1839 

Geo.   Lockerbie 

W 

m.   Sullivan 

John  E.   McCluer 

P.   W    Seibert 

Geo.   Norwood 

S. 

s. 

Rooker 

1840 

Matthew   Little 

S. 

Goldsberry 

Jacob  Cox 

P.   W.    .Seibert 

(ien.    Norwood 

A. 

.\ 

Ijouden 

1841 

Matthew  Little 

S. 

Goldsberry 

Jacob  Cox 

A.    A     Louden 

(Jul.    Norwood 

('. 

H 

Bo.atriglit 

1S42 

Joshua  Black 

s. 

Goldsberry 

Jas.    R.   Nowland 

P.   W.    Seibtrt 

T.    Rickards 

A. 

.\ 

Louden 

1843 

Joshua   Black 

s. 

Goldsberr.v 

Jas.    R.   Nowland 

A.   A.    L'tuden 

T    Rickards 

S. 

S. 

Rooker 

1844 

V\'m.    Montague 

s. 

Goldsberry 

Jas.    R.   Nowland 

A.   A.    Louden 

H.   Griffith 

S. 

s. 

Rooker 

1845 

■\Vm.    Montague 

.s. 

Goldsberry 

Jas.   R.   Nowland 

A.   .A..   Louden 

H.   Griffith 

AA 

m. 

C.   Vanblaricum 

1S46 

■V^'m.   Montague 

s. 

Goldsberr.v 

.\.  W.   Harrison 

A.   A.   Louden 

Chas.   W.  Cady 

W 

m. 

C.  Vanblaricum 

CHAPTER  Xlll. 


TiiK  i:ai;ia'  schools. 


One  wlio  rcadr^  the  t'arly  school  legislation  of 
Imliana  is  liable  to  get  an  exaggoratcd  idea  of 
the  extent  of  tlie  public  schools.  The  provision 
for  them  was  very  full,  on  paper,  but  it  did 
not  amount  to  a  great  deal  in  money.  The 
rents  of  the  scliool  lands  were  small.  The  fines 
were  neither  niunerous  nor  closely  collected. 
The  effort  for  public  schools  was  largely  cen- 
tered on  tlie  county  seminary,  to  which  was  de- 
voted, by  the  constitutiou  of  ISIG.  tlie  fines  for 
penal  ofl'enses,  and  the  money  paid  for  ex- 
emption from  militia  duty  by  jieople  con- 
scientiously opposed  to  war,  wliicli  was  ]x)pu- 
larly  known  as  "conscience  nujney".  By  the 
law  of  1824,  reenacted  in  1831,  the  seminary 
funds  were  kept  by  a  trustee  until  they 
amounted  to  $400,  and  then  the  people  were 
authorized  to  elect  a  board  of  trustees,  one 
irom  each  county  commissioner's  district,  who 
slionld  erect  a  school  building.  This  jjei-iiui  did 
not  arrive  in  Marion  County  until  IS'S'i,  and 
at  the  general  election  in  .Viigust,  of  that  year, 
Samuel  Merrill,  John  S.  Hall  and  William 
Gladden  were  elected  trustees  of  the  Marion 
County  Seminary.  On  January  8,  183."],  they 
reported  to  the  county  commissioners  that  they 
had  settled  with  Dr.  Tjivingston  Dunlap,  who 
liad  been  the  trustee  of  the  funds,  and  had  re- 
ceived from  liim  $47.5.75;  since  which  they  had 
collected  $4{i..")0  additional.  By  act  of  Janu- 
ary 26,  1832,  the  legislature  authorized  the 
agent  of  state  to  lease  to  the  trustees  of  Marion 
('"unty  Seminary  the  University  Square — No. 
2.") — for  a  period  of  thirty  years  with  iierniis- 
sion  to  erect  a  school  building  on  either  tlu,' 
southeast  or  southwest  corner.  At  the  expira- 
lion  of  the  term  the  state  could  take  the  build- 
ing at  its  ajipraised  value;  and  if  it  wished  to 
use  tlie  sfpiare  l)efore  the  cxi)iratiou  of  the  term 
it  (Miuld  either  sell  one  half  acre  to  the  countv. 


ineluiling  the  building,  or  permit  the  continued 
use  of  one  half  acre  for  the  remainder  of  the 
term.  On  Xovember  4,  1833,  the  tru.stees  re- 
ported that  they  had  leased  the  square  and 
asked  tlie  commissioners  to  approve  their  action 
which  was  done.  On  January  7,  1834,  they  re- 
ported the  total  receipts  to  date,  $1,3.53.21, 
of  which  $632  was  subscription,  and  that  from 
this  they  had  paid  $783.44  on  the  building. 
The  scliool  was  opened  on  September  1,  1834. 
It  was  obviously  fortunate  for  the  youth  of 
Indianapolis  that  there  were  other  provisions 
for  education.  Most  of  the  schools  of  the 
earlier  period  have  been  mentioned,  but  there 
were  others,  of  a  more  transient  character,  that 
gave  opportunities  for  instruction  to  adults  as 
well  as  the  young.  John  E.  Baker  o])ened  a 
school  at  his  residence  on  December  2i),  1823, 
to  teach  "architectural  draughting  and  draw- 
ing", and  Major  Sullinger  followed  close  after, 
on  January  1.3,  1,S2I,  with  a  military  school  for 
the  instruction  of  militia  officers  and  men.  On 
October  1,  1827,  J.  H.  Ilalston  ojicned  a  series 
of  lectures  on  grammar,  announcing  that,  "He 
])ledges  himself  to  enable  those  who  Ijeeonie  his 
]ui])ils  (however  in  commencing  unac(|uaintod 
with  the  science)  to  advance  so  far  in  twenty- 
four  days  four  hours  each  day  as  to  be  enabletl 
to  parse  common  language",  and  this  for  oidy 
$3.  The  first  school  distinctively  for  young 
ladies  was  the  "Indianapolis  Female  School" 
of  Mrs.  Tichenor.  o])ened  in  ^Farch,  1830,  and 
was  not  of  long  duration.  She  taught  "s])elling, 
reading,  writing,  Hiiglish  grammar,  greogra])liy 
with  the  use  of  ma|)S,  astroiuiniy  and  needle- 
work". On  the  same  day  that  the  seminary 
openecl  "Miss  Hooker's  Female  School""  also 
o])eiie(l.  It  olfered  everything  taught  liy  Mrs. 
Tithenor,  and  also  composition,  history,  nat- 
ui'al    ]ihilosoi)liy.   di'auing   and    painting.      This 


121 


1  •.'•.' 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


sfhool  was  '■limited  to  30  scholars,  and  no  in- 
cidi'utal  expenses".  At  this  time  George  H. 
Quigg  was  teaching  a  day  school  in  Indian- 
apolis and  also  opened  a  night  school  for  spe- 
cial instruction  in  "Penmanship,  the  Art  of 
Penmaking,  Arithmetic,  and  Bookkeeping,  al- 
though b)'  request  any  branch  taught  at  the 
day  school  may  be  acquired".  This  may  be  con- 
sidered the  pioneer  business  college.  Jlr.  Quigg 
was  of  a  philanthropic  turn  of  mind,  and  an- 
nounced, "Ap]M-entice  Boys  taught  at  half 
price,  and  Orphans  gratis".' 

The  Baptists  had  a  school  in  their  chiircli 
building  most  of  the  time  from  the  start.  In 
1834  they  put  up  a  little  frame  building  back 
of  the  church,  abutting  the  alley  east  of  the 
Grand  Hotel,  for  a  school  building.  At  this 
time  Miss  Clara  EUick  was  teaching  there,  and 
had  been  for  two  years.  She  continued  for  a 
j-ear  longer,  when  a  Methodist  preacher  per- 
suaded her  to  change  her  name  to  Smith,  which 
happened  to  be  his,  and  the  school  passed  into 
the  charge  of  iliss  Laura  Kise.  There  was  a 
frame  work  bell  tower  built  against  this  school 
house,  which  presented  great  attractions  to  en- 
terprising boy:i.  One  night  two  youths,  one 
said  to  be  Lew  Wallace,  fastened  a  string  to 
the  clapper  and  carried  it  across  to  a  room  in  a 
block  on  Washington  street,  from  which  they 
sounded  the  alarm,  to  the  mystification  of  the 
neighbors.  It  was  about  this  time  also  that 
Miss  Sargeant  opened  her  school  for  small 
children  in  the  basement  of  the  Governor's 
Mansion,  in  the  Circle,  which  has  a  traditional 
reputation  for  being  damp  and  disagi'eeablc 
that  is  unjust,  or  that  she  managed  to  counter- 
act. This  was  the  first  school  in  the  nature  of 
a  kindergarten,  and  the  first  in  which  object 
lessons  were  iised.  She  had  pictures  of  ani- 
mals of  various  kinds,  and  also  an  orrery  to 
illustrate  the  motions  of  the  earth  and  the 
heavenly  bodies.  She  also  used  the  "singing 
method"  of  imparting  instruction,  which  was 
popularized  here  some  ten  years  later  by  Mr. 
Tibbctts  for  teaching  geography.  They  used 
to  sing  the  capitals  of  the  states  in  the  Misses 
McFarland"s  school  as  late  as  the  sixties. 

The  Marion  County  Seminary  ojiened  under 
charge  of  Ebenezer  Dumont.  later  known  as 
Colonel  and  General   Dnmont.  of  tlic  talented 


Vevay  family.  He  remained  but  one  term,  be- 
ing succeeded  in  January,  1835,  by  W.  J. 
Hill,  who  was  in  charge  for  a  year.  In  ilay, 
1836,  Thomas  D.  Gregg  took  charge  of  the 
school.  He  had  previously  been  teaching  school 
in  a  large  frame  building  on  Washington  street, 
just  east  of  the  present  Park  Theater,  known 
as  "the  Linton  house",  and  in  which  Rev.  Geo. 
Busli  had  lived,  and  where  Mrs.  Bush  died. 
There  are  somewhat  conflicting  traditions  as 
to  Gregg,  some  holding  him  a  severe,  almost 
cruel,  man.  He  was  m  charge  of  the  semi- 
nary only  one  term,  being  succeeded  in  Decem- 
ber, 1836,  by  William  Sullivan,  the  surveyor. 
Mr.  Gregg  is  kept  in  memory  by  the  bequest 
he  left  for  the  benefit  of  teachers  in  the  public 
schools,  known  as  the  (iregg  Fund.  After  Mr. 
Sullivan,  Rev.  Wm.  A.  Holliday  took  charge  of 
the  school  in  August,  1837,  for  one  year,  and 
he  was  followed  in  October,  1838,  by  James 
Sprigg  Kemper,  who  was  principal  for  seven 
years.  In  1845.  Rev.  .1.  I'.  Satt'ord  became 
principal  for  one  year;  and  he  was  followed  by 
B.  L.  Lang,  who  was  principal  until  1852.- 
This  was  the  leading  school  in  central  Indiana 
at  the  time,  and  furnished  education  to  a  great 
many  men  who  were  later  well  known  in  In- 
dianapolis life.  The  organization  of  "Old 
Seminary  Boys"  continued  for  many  years,  and 
tliey  used  to  hold  their  anniial  meetings,  talk, 
eat,  and  play  shinny  with  vast  enthusiasm. 
In  fact  shinny  seemed  to  be  the  chief  memory, 
and  there  was  some  cause  for  it  as  may  be  seen 
fi'oni  this  reminiscence  of  Berv}'  Sulgi'(i\  i'"s : 

"Shinny  was  the  great  game,  however,  and 
it  was  no  fool  of  a  game  either.  It  was  neither 
easy  nor  harmless.  At  first  we  played  with 
wooden  balls,  and  we  might  almost  as  safely 
have  played  with  musket  balls.  Then  we  took 
India-rubber  balls.  Sometimes  we  nmde  bails, 
but  they  were  used  up  nearly  as  fast  as  glass 
balls  under  Mr.  Carvei-'s  rifle.  The  wooden 
balls,  shot  out  by  such  a  blow  as  Mr.  Kemper 
could  give,  were  bad  things  to  get  in  the  way 
of.  Marcus  C.  Smith  was  a  terrible  fellow 
with  a  club,  and  never  would  'shinny  on  his 
own  side'.  Henry  I.  Coe  was  a  dangerous 
player,  too,  for  he  was  so  short-sighted  he 
could  not  see  anybody  else's  club,  and  ran 
right  in  regardless  of  the  chances  of   <;ett.ing 


'  Journal . 
1834. 


October    26,    1833;    August    20, 


-  Journal,  Julv 
tember  21.  1852.' 


18.   18,8:  Locomotive,  Sep- 


iiis-|(m;v  of  i;i!i:atki:  iMMA.NAruiJ.s. 


}■>■■ 


his  head  broken,  and  once  he  did  get  ins  nose 
broken.  General  John  Cobiirn  onee  ran  into 
Jlr.  Kemjx-r  and  broke  the  hitter's  wateli. 
Judge  Charh';^  A.  Ray  had  liis  forehead  hiid 
open  with  a  eluli  and  Ijears  the  scar  to  this 
day.  Garriek  .MaUory,  who  never  would  use 
anything  but  a  straight  stick,  had  himself  laid 
up  for  several  days  with  a  blow  on  the  head. 
Osborn.  the  -\\w  Orleans  baby,  had  some  of 
his  teeth  smashed  in  his  mouth  by  a  IjIow  from 
Mark  Smitli  that  slipped  up  the  other's  c-lub 
and  laudetl  un])leasantly.  'Stars'  Coburn  laid 
the  speaker  low  with  a  liek  on  the  knee  that 
lamed  him  for  three  weeks.  Austin  Kallis 
was  knocked  as  flat  as  a  flounder  by  a  wooden 
ball  that  hit  him  squarely  in  the  forehead." 
And  yet  these  bald-beaded  old  sports  talked 
about  football  being  a  dangerous  game,  and  not 
altogether  without  reason. 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  seiniiuiry  was  not 
a  free  school.  The  public  furnished  the  buiUl- 
ing,  and  the  patrons  of  the  school  kept  it  up 
by  tuition,  and  in  the  earlier  days  by  con- 
tributions. By  a  special  act  of  February  T. 
IS.'JS,  the  number  of  trustees  of  this  seminary 
was  increased  to  ten,  of  whom  one-hall'  wore  to 
be  appointed  by  the  circuit  court,  and  the 
others  elected  by  donors  to  the  institution,  it 
being  provided  that  the  giver  of  $20  should 
have  one  vote;  $.'>0,  two  votes;  and  $100,  three 
votes.  Previous  donors  were  allowed  one  vote 
for  each  $40  given,  and  those  who  had  given 
less  than  $40  were  allowed  a  credit  of  one-half 
the  amount  on  the  purchase  of  a  vote.  Even 
this  ingenious  device  did  not  result  in  any  ma- 
terial endowment  of  the  institution,  and  it  was 
kept  on  a  tuition  basis  during  its  existence. 
It  is  also  to  be  observed  that  it  was  strictly  a 
boy's  school.  On  what  principle  the  girls 
should  be  shut  out  from  an  institution,  sup- 
ported even  in  part  by  public  funds,  does  not 
at  this  day  seem  clear.  But  at  that  time  co- 
education was  not  tolerated  outside  of  the  pri- 
mary schools.  .'Vnd  there  was  a  generally  prev- 
alent imjiression  that  girls  had  no  need  for 
higher  education,  which  was  miiib  better 
founded  then,  when  the  field  of  occupation 
for  women  was  so  rmich  more  restricted,  than 
it  is  at  present.  In  consequence  the  instruc- 
tion in  the  higher  schools  for  girls  was  almost 
wholly  in  the  line  of  "accomplishments'",  and 
was  the  occasion  of  more  or  less  jest  by  in- 
dividuals who  imajrined  tluit  tbev  took  a  thor- 


oughly practical  view  ol  life  and  its  reiiuire- 
mcuts. 

The  distriit  schools  were  iiitermitlenl.  and 
held  in  rented  rooms,  at  first,  for  short  sessions. 
In  1842,  Alexander  Jameson,  brother  of  Rev. 
Love  Jameson,  became  teacher  of  the  south 
district  school.  At  that  time  the  part  of  town 
south  of  Washington  street  was  one  district, 
and  the  part  north  was  divided  into  two  dis- 
tricts by  Meridian  street.  Later  the  south. 
>\de  was  also  divided  in  the  same  way.  The 
trustees  for  the  south  district  were  James  Sul- 
grove,  Nathan  B.  Palmer  and  Isaac  Roll;  and 
.(ameson  had  an  arrangement,  as  was  common, 
to  take  what  public  funds  were  available,  and 
get  the  balance  of  his  pay  from  tuition  pay- 
ments. His  school  prospered  so  well  that  he 
could  not  attend  to  all  his  pupils,  and  he  sent 
i'or  his  brother  Patrick  II.  to  come  and  help 
him.  This  assistant,  now  our  venerable  citizen 
Di-.  P.  H.  Jameson,  recalls  his  experience  thus: 
"1  was  a  boy  of  nineteen  when  1  came  to  help 
my  brother  Alexander  with  his  school.  1  was 
raised  on  a  farm  in  .Jefferson  County,  north 
of  Madison,  and  had  begun  reading  medicine 
at  the  time.  He  offered  me  $10  a  mouth  and 
my  board,  and  I  accepted.  The  district  had 
no  schoolhouse,  and  the  school  was  held  in  the 
old  Campbellite  eliurch  on  the  south  side  of 
Kentucky  avenue,  just  above  Georgia  street. 
It  was  a  one-room,  one-story  building  about  55 
feet  long  and  35  feet  wide.  There  were  no 
desks,  but  we  had  boards  fastened  temporarily 
to  the  backs  of  the  seats  to  serve  as  desks. 
I  taught  there  one  year,  and  then  decided  to 
(irganize  a  school  of  my  own  in  the  northwest 
d  strict,  which  had  none. 

"In  the  spring  of  1844  1  got  tlie  trusiees  to- 
gether and  submitted  the  matter.  They  were 
!'",zekiel  Boyd,  Carey  Boatwright  and  Benja- 
min McClure.  Boyd  was  the  only  one  that 
I  ad  any  education.  We  talked  the  matter  over 
a  id  Boatwright  proposed  that  they  build  a 
schoolhouse.  To  the  question,  'how  ? ',  he  an- 
swered 'Call  a  school  meeting,  and  levy  a  tax". 
We  looked  into  the  law  and  found  that  this 
Kiuld  be  done  by  giving  three  weeks'  notice. 
Boyd,  who  wrote  a  beautiful  hand,  made  out 
the  notices,  and  I  ]nit  them  up  in  the  most  pub- 
le  phiees.  Very  little  attention  was  paid  to 
ibeni,  and  on  the  appointed  day  only  about 
twenty  voters  appeared.  They  organized  and 
levied'  a  tax  of  $(;oo.  n(  which"  $100  was  {ov  a 


12  + 


HISTOKY  OF  GKEATER  IXDlANAroLlS. 


lot  and  $500  fur  a  lioiisu.  It  wa^  certified  to 
the  auditor  and  put  on  the  tax-duplieato.  Wlien 
tax-paying  time  came,  there  was  an  awful  row. 
A  number  of  people  refused  to  pay  and  the 
treasurer  refused  to  reeeive  any  of  their  taxes 
unless  they  paid  the  sehool  tax.  The  matter 
drifted  along  until  the  legislature  met,  and 
some  of  the  influential  people  of  the  district 
induced  it  to  adopt  a  resolution  for  another 
election.  Notice  of  this  was  given,  and  we 
had  one  of  the  warmest  elections  ever  known  in 
Indianapolis.  People  were  almost  fiuhting-mad. 
About  200  votes  were  cast,  and  the  school  tax 
won  by  just  one  vote. 

"The  schoolhouse  was  then  built,  on  the 
east  side  of  West  street,  south  of  ;^[ichigan. 
I  was  teacher,  and  as  there  was  not  money 
enough  to  furnish  desks  I  put  them  in  myself. 
There  was  about  $100  of  public  money  for 
each  district,  and  the  balance  was  made  up  by 
subscription,  for  which  I  circulated  a  paper. 
It  was  on  the  basis  of  $3  a  pupil  for  13  weeks 
of  .3  days  each.  Exact  account  of  the  attend- 
ance was  kept  on  blanks  furnished  by  the 
County  Auditor,  and  the  subscribers  were  cred- 
ited for  actual  attendance,  but  it  need  not  be 
by  the  same  pupil.  At  the  end  of  the  term  the 
accounts  were  footed  up  and  the  balances  due 
were  collected.  As  the  public  funds  were  used, 
anybody  who  desired  could  come  to  school,  no 
matter  whether  there  had  been  any  subscrip- 
tion for  them  or  not.  and  I  had  a  number  of 
pupils  that  paid  nothing.  I  furnished  the  fuel, 
cut  the  wood,  swept  the  room,  made  the  fires, 
and  ran  the  school  just  as  I  pleased. 

"I  had  scholars  all  the  way  from  a-b-cs  up 
to  nearly  as  far  as  T  could  teach,  but  my  worst 
trouble  was  with  the  a-b-cs.  1  worked  out  a 
plan  of  putting  the  letters  on  the  black  board, 
and  having  my  'abecedalians',  as  I  called  them, 
stand  in  front  of  it  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes, 
four  or  five  times  a  day,  while  I  pointed  out 
the  letters  and  they  repeated  the  names;  and 
in  that  way  made  some  progress.  For  school 
books  I  had  Webster's  Elementary  S])elling- 
l)ook,  ^[cGufl'cy's  First,  Second  and  Third  read- 
ers, Ray's  Practical  aiul  ^[ental  arithmetics, 
and  .\lonzo  C.  Smith's  Granunar  and  Geog- 
raphy. The  last  two  were  arranged  with  ques- 
tions and  answers,  wiiicli  made  must  less  work 
for  the  teacher.  Xol  all  the  pupils  had  the 
same  books,  however,  and  they  studied  and  re- 
cited from  wbatcvci-  thcv  had.     Therr  was  verv 


little  grading  or  classification,  and  each  pupil 
was  advanced  in  his  work  according  to  his 
individual  progress.  I  taught  a  few  algebra 
and  geometry,  but  there  was  very  little  call 
for  anything  above  the  common  studies.  Music 
was  taught  by  rote.  I  used  to  have  a  pretty 
fair  voice,  and  I  would  sing  a  song  and  they 
would  join  in  as  they  learned  it.  I  had  a 
book  of  songs  called  The  Odeon,  published  by 
ilason  &  Webb,  that  was  a  very  good  collec- 
tion. I  taught  them  America,  Hail  Columbia, 
Star  Spangled  Banner,  Bonnie  Doon,  Ship 
Ahoy,  The  Barcarole  and,  in  all,  probably  40 
or  50  airs.  I  gave  them  a  few  hymns,  but  there 
was  a  good  deal,  of  prejudice  about  teaching 
religion  in  the  schools,  and  I  was  pretty  care- 
ful about  that. 

'•We  put  in  the  day,  then.  I  called  school  at 
8  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  before  that  I 
came  around,  swept  out,  and  fired  up.  I  gave 
them  15  minutes  recess  at  10  o'clock  and  an 
hour  at  noon,  and  kept  them  till  sundown  in 
winter,  and  pretty  near  it  in  stimmer.  I  used 
to  send  the  younger  children  home  earlier.  The 
older  pupils  studied  United  States  history.  I 
used  Grimshaw's  history,  which  was  a  good 
text  book.  The  boys  did  not  care  much  for 
anything  but  the  battles,  and  I  had  them  write 
descriptions  of  all  the  battles  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  from  Lexington  to  Yorktown.  1 
could  not  begin  to  recall  all  who  went  to  school 
to  me,  but  among  them  were  Samuel,  James 
and  George  Douglass,  Alonzo  Atkinson — after- 
wards Captain  Atkinson,  Samuel  Xorman — 
whose  brother  was  a  newspaper  man  at  Xew 
Albany,  the  Pitts  boys,  and  the  Perhams,  who 
afterwards  went  to  Oregon.  In  addition  to 
teaching  school  I  read  medicine  at  night,  and 
on  Saturdays  was  County  Librarian.  The 
county  library  was  not  used  a  great  deal  at  that 
time. '  It  had  about  200  books.  Dick  Fletcher, 
a  nephew  of  Calvin  Fletcher,  was  the  chief 
patron.  Teachers  complain  now  that  they  do 
not  get  enough  pay  to  live  on,  but  they  get 
much  better  pay  than  I  did.  I  paid  my  board 
and  other  expenses  out  of  my  wages,  and  at 
the  end  of  four  years  of  teaching  I  had  $600 
saved  up.  It  all  depends  on  how  you  use  your 
money.  I  do  not  recall  now  who  taught  in  the 
other  schools,  excepting  Levi  Reynolds,  the 
brother  of  Governor  Whitcomb's  .\djutant  Gen- 
eral. He  came  here  and  tried  to  get  my  school, 
but    when   he   found   he   nndd    not   he  took   the 


HISTORY  OF  (JKEATEH    INDIANAPOLIS. 


12.-) 


X 

< 
z 

s 

T. 

O 

o 

z 

o 

5 


•^(; 


HISTOKV  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


school  in  the  northeast  distriet.  It  was  hehl 
in  a  rented  room,  as  they  had  no  sc-hoolhouse 
at  that  time."' 

The  seminar}-  had  rivals  from  the  start,  in 
addition  to  Ebenezer  Sharpe's  school.  On  June 
22,  1835,  Mr.  Drapier  opened  his  "Inductive 
School"  in  "the  class  room  north  of  the  ^leth- 
odist  church'"'".  This  was  undoubtedly  an  in- 
stitution of  higher  learning  for  Mr.  Drapiei' 
said :  "The  design  of  this  institution  is  to  ac- 
commodate instruction,  as  well  as  may  be,  to 
the  circumstances  in  which  the  people  of  this 
country  are  placed,  with  regard  both  to  the  ac- 
quisition and  the  application  of  knowledge. 
Arithmetic  and  algebra  will  be  taught  with 
clear  views  of  their  importance  to  the  purposes 
of  common  life,  and  the  ready  comprehension 
of  scientific  theorems  and  formulEE.  The  gen- 
eral topics  of  geometry,  trigonometry,  conic 
sections,  curves,  mensuration,  and  the  doctrines 
of  mechanics,  will  be  exhibited  in  a  brief  series, 
with  perspicuous  illustrations  of  their  ))racti- 
eal  utility"'.  On  Julv  21,  IS:!.-),  il.  B\itter- 
fiehl  announced  his  "Fundamental  School""  to 
commence  on  the  27  th  "a  few  doors  west  of 
the  seminary  where  the  subscriber  will  receive 
pupils,  and  bestow  on  them  his  undivided  at- 
tention in  imparting  to  them  a  critical  knowl- 
edge of  the  fundamental  branches  of  science". 
On  September  25,  1835,  E.  M.  Travis  an- 
nounced that  he  would  "commence  teaching  'an 
English  school,  on  reasonable  terms,  the  19th 
day  of  October  next,  in  his  new  schoolhouse  iu 
the  eastern  part  of  Indianapolis  on  Market 
street". 

One  of  the  most  celebrated  teachers  of  this 
period  was  Josephus  Cicero  Worrall,  who  be- 
gan teaching  here  in  183(5,  on  Delaware  street 
opposite  the  market  hause.  He  had  an  ingen- 
ious system  of  putting  a  boy  i?i  chancerv  bv 
laying  him  over  his  right  leg  and  hodking  his 
left  leg  over  the  otfender"s  neck,  while  be  ap- 
plied his  ferule  to  the  seat  of  educational  dis- 
cipline. The  only  recorded  escape  from  tliis 
hold  was  by  Robert  McOuat.  wbi)  fixed  hi< 
teeth  in  the  teacher's  thigli  ami  (uusi'd  an  autd- 
matic  opening  of  the  human  \  ise  and  thr  re- 
lease of  the  young  scajjcgrac  e.  But  thi'  chirr 
distinction  of  .Tiise])bus  was  in  the  higb-fiown 
circulars  with  which  he  used  to  startle  the  com- 
munity. In  one  of  these,  preserved  in  the 
Journal  of  March    11,   183;.  he  waiiis  parents 


of  the  dangers  of  incompetent  teachers  by  say- 
ing: "When  the  time  comes  that  the  infant  in- 
stitutions which  are  springing  up  in  our  state, 
as  nurseries  of  the  future  poets,  philosophers 
and  statesmen  of  Indiana,  begin  to  decline, 
their  downfall  may  probably  be  traced  to  an 
improper  selection  of  individuals  to  conduct 
their  concerns,  who  are  not  sufficiently  im- 
pressed with  the  necessity  of  accommodating 
their  usages  to  the  increasing  light  of  ages." 
At  the  same  time  he  ingeniously  appealed  to 
the  consciousness  of  the  suffering  pupils  by  the 
statement  that,  "They  are  driven  into  studies 
to  which  they  have  no  attraction,  but  regard 
them  as  objects  of  mental  agony,  instead  of  in- 
tellectual recreations :  decorated  with  the  vari- 
egated hues  of  a  glowing  genius,  sensible  of 
the  capacity  of  those  unfledged  eaglets,  that, 
though  they  may-  be  destined  to  tower  in  sub- 
lime flight,  are  now  restricted  in  taste  and 
ability,  by  dispositions  and  powers  peculiar  to 
infantile  weakness."  It  is  not  surprising  that 
Berry  Sulgrove,  who  was  one  of  his  pupils, 
and  who  had  a  tendency  to  air  his  classic  ac- 
quirements, dubbed  him  '"Polyphlos-bois"  (the 
far-resounding  sea),  with  the  approval  of  the 
generation  that  remembered  him. 

The  jesting  at  Josephus  Cicero  was  not  with- 
held till  later  days,  but  was  indulged  in  by  his 
contemporaries.  Rev.  J.  C.  Fletcher  gives  one 
of  the  circulars  of  W'orrall's  "Select  Academv" 
which  his  father  had  tiled  away  with  the  in- 
dorsement, "pragmatical  bombast"'.  The  one 
above  quoted  was  assailed  in  the  Journal  of 
March  18,  1837,  by  an  unfeeling  critic  who 
hurled  sarcasm  at  all  of  the  educator's  ideas. 
He  disapproved  the  academy  as  a  mixed  school, 
saying,  "By  what  rule  or  rules  'the  intercourse 
of  the  sexes'  in  his  Academy  is  to  produce  'a 
thoughtful  deportment"  is  a  secret  worth  know- 
ing. In  Dilworth"s  days'we  did  not  expect  the 
))roduction  of  much  thoughtfulness  by  turning 
a  Wvy  of  wild  boys  and  girls  together  in  the 
school-room,  or  on  the  common".  But  espe- 
cially severe  were  his  reflections  on  the  Academy 
oi-thography,  for  Josephus  had  gone  in  for  re- 
formed spelling,  and  according  to  this  critic, 
wrote  tongue,  tung ;  sovereign,  suvcran ;  stead, 
sted  :  porpoise.  ])orpess  ;  picturesque,  picturesk ; 
acre,  aker;  cloak,  cloke.  etc.  There  is  reason 
to  rejoice  that  this  feature  of  "the  increasing 
light  of  ages"'  was  not  adopted  by  the  coinmun- 


|s-|()i;v   OF  clJKA'I'Ki;    I  XDI.WAI'ol.IS. 


12T 


however,    that    W'oriall 
•rood   teaclier  of   inathc- 


ity.  'I'raditioii  says, 
wa*  an  exceptionally 
luatii!?. 

Worrall  hail  .suiue  pu|iils.  but  a  nuire  .sub- 
stantial rival  to  the  seminary  appeared  in  the 
"Indiana]iolis  High  School"  which  was  opened 
on  October  ■2.').  18.')7.  in  ''school  rooms  on  Wash- 
ington street  opjiosite  Browning's  TTolel"  by 
Oilman  ^larston.  This  was  a  I'eally  high  gi-ade 
school,  ilarston  had  graduated  from  Dart- 
mouth that  spring,  and  in  addition  to  all  the 
usual  English  branches  gave  "a  course  of  ex- 
perimental lectures  in  natural  philosophy  and 
chemistry",  and  taught  Latin,  Greek,  and 
French.  He  refers  in  his  advertisement  ''to 
the  Hon.  David  Wallace,  Hon.  Isaac  Black- 
ford. Dr.  L.  Dunhi]).  Eev.  J.  B.  Britton,  A.  St. 
Clair.  Esq."  This  school  was  contiiiued  after- 
ward as  the  Franklin  Institute,  and  Rev.  J.  C. 
Fletcher  says  of  it :  "About  1837  Messrs.  Sweet- 
zer  and  Quarles,  Lawyers,  Col.  A.  W.  Russell, 
Dr.  G.  W.  Stipp.  and'  some  others  felt  that  all 
the  liigher  educational  institutions  were  run  by 
the  Presbyterians,  therefore  Ihey  formed  a  new 
school  and  duljbed  it  the  'Franklin  Institute'. 
Their  first  teacher  was  a  ^Ir.  Chester,  the  sec- 
ond was  Gilman  Alarston,  a  graduate  of  Dart- 
mouth College.  In  18.38  a  frame  sehoolhouse 
was  erected  on  Circle  street,  occujiying  a  j)o- 
sition  between  ^fr.  (^uarles's  house  and  the 
porner  of  Circle  and  ^laikct  streets  (now  the 
English  Hotel).  Tiiis  building  was  removed  a 
few  years  ago  to  the  east  side  of  Pennsylvania 
street.  It  is  the  third  house  on  Pennsylvania 
street  north  of  ^Massachusetts  avenue.  Mr. 
Marston  was  from  Xew  IIa!ii|)sbire,  and  re- 
turned in  18.'?9-40  to  that  state  to  jjraetiee  law. 
He  once  told  me  at  Exeter,  New  Hamp.shire, 
that  he  had  an  educational  debt  to  pay,  and  a 
limited  time  to  pay  it  in.  therefore  he  catue 
to  Indianapolis  to  teach.  1  lielieve  that  he  had 
letters  to  Mr.  Sweetser.  lie  afterwards  be- 
eanie  eminent  as  a  lawye 
New  Hampshire,  district. 
and  Portmouth.  In  the 
He  reiiresenteil  the  southern  district  of 
Hampshire    in    Congress,   and    it    max    lie 


in  the  Rockingham, 
which  includes  Mxtcr 
war  he  lost  an  arm. 
N'ew 
-aid 


that  no  one  of  the  many 
iipolis  ha>  lieen  more  succes 
succeeded  by  ;Mr.  \\'heelfr. 
the  eldest  daughter  of  t'lc 
1    do    n'lt    recall     ubi'U    tb( 


teachers  in  Indiaii- 
jful  in  life.  He  was 
who  married  Mary, 
late  Dan'el  Vandes. 
l-'ranklin     liislil\ite 


became  extinct."'  (iilman  ^larston  went  into 
the  (^ivil  War  as  colonel  of  the  Second  Xew 
iram])shire  regiment,  and  was  made  a  Briga- 
dier (ieneral  in  J8()"2.  He  was  in  Congress  both 
before  and  after  the  wai-.  and  became  gover- 
nor of  Idaho  in  ISTO. 

Hev.  Wm.  Holliday  taught  sebnol  up  to 
18.")().  after  his  service  in  the  seminary,  first 
in  a  log  building  where  Rol)erts  Park  church 
now  stands,  then  in  the  ba.sement  of  the  Asso- 
ciate Reformed  Presbyterian  Church,  which 
stood  on  the  north  side  of  Ohio  street  midway 
between  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware,  and  then 
at  his  residence  on  North  Pennsylvania  street, 
o|)posite  tTniversity  Square.  Rev.  J.  C. 
Fletcher  says  that  prior  to  his  teaching  at  the 
seminary  he  taught  at  the  northeast  corner  of 
Pennsylvania  and  New  York.*  Air.  Holliday 
was  a  ripe  scholar  and  his  .schools  were  well 
patronized.  Mr.  Brown  states  that  Eliza  Rich- 
mond assisted  Marston  in  his  school,''  and  this 
was  no  doubt  in  the  primary  work.  She  kept 
a  school  for  many  years  afterwards  on  New- 
York  street  between  .\labama  and  New  Jer- 
sey, which  was  jiopularly  known  as  ''Sister 
Richmond's  school" — she  being  a  prominent 
"sister"  in  Roberts  Chapel,  and  her  ])atrons 
chierty  Methodists.  T'here  was  not  a  little 
sectarian  jealousy  and  rivalry  in  early  times 
that  was  notably  displayed  in  the  field  of  edu- 
cation, and  that  lived  long  in  the  memory  of 
its  chief  actors.  Rev.  F.  ('.  Hollidav,  wi-it- 
ing  in  1873,  says:  "The  state  funds  for  edu- 
cational pur])oses  in  Indiana  as  in  most  of  the 
Western  States,  were  for  nuiny  years  under  the 
almost  exclusive  control  of  Presbyterians,  who 
assumed  to  be  the  especial  guardians  and  pa- 
trons of  education.  It  is  impossible,  at  this 
ilay.  to  comprehend  the  self-complacency  with 
which  their  leading  men  in  the  West  assumed 
to  be  the  only  competent  e(lucators  of  the  |)eo- 
ple.  and  the  quiet  unscrupulousness  with  which 
they  si'ized  -upon  the  triisl-funds  of  the  states 
for  school  purposes,  and  made  those  schools  as 
strictly  denominational  as  though  the  funds 
had  been  exclusively  contribute(l  by  niend)ers 
of  their  own  conununion.  .V  young  man  wlio, 
in  either  the  Miami  I'liiversitv  at  Oxford,  Ohio, 
or    Lexington.    Kentu(k\',   oi-   Piliininini.'i"n,    In- 


•'AVm-.v.  .luly  19.   18Tfi. 
*Xi'in'.  June  '28,   18:9. 

■'Ilisl.     flKlilllllllKllls,     ]l.      10. 


128 


HISTORY  OF  (iUEATER  INDIAXAPOLIS. 


iliana.  wmikl  have  q\iestioned  the  correctness 
of  any  of  the  dogmas  of  Calvinism,  woukl  have 
been  an  object  of  unmitigated  ridicule  and 
persecution.  *  *  *  When,  in  1834  and 
1S35,  efforts  were  made  iu  Indiana  so  to  change 
the  management  of  the  State  University,  by 
amending  its  charter,  that  the  trustees  should 
be  elected  by  the  State  Legislature,  instead  of 
being  a  self-jjerpetuating  corjioration,  a  storm 
of  indignation  was  raised  among  those  who  con- 
trolled the  State  L'niversity;  and  it  was  made 
the  occasion  of  heaping  all  sorts  of  opprobrium 
on  the  Methodist  church.  The  movement  was 
said  to  be  an  effort  on  the  part  of  the  Meth- 
odists to  get  a  Methodist  professor  in  the  Uni- 
versity :  and  it  was  tauntingly  said,  in  the 
halls  of  the  legislature,  tliat  'there  was  not 
a  .Methodist  in  America  with  sufficient  learn- 
ing to  fill  a  professor's  chair,  if  it  were  ten- 
dered to  him".  Such  taunts  proved  a  whole- 
some stimulus  to  ilethodist  enterprise  and  in- 
dependent church  action  in  the  department  of 
education""." 

Of  course  this  is  the  reminiscence  of  one  who 
was  in  the  fight,  and  the  Presbyterians  might 
have  answered,  and  probably  did,  that  the 
.Methodi-:ts  needed  ''a  wholesome  stimulus'" ; 
and  also  have  pointed  to  the  fact  that  they  had 
established  their  separate  collegiate  institutions 
in  order  to  avoid  proselyting  influences  of  other 
denominations.  But  the  extract  shows  the 
feeling  from  which  arose  the  fact  that,  when 
the  constitutional  convention  of  1851  met, 
there  were  eight  independent  collegiate  insti- 
tutions in  the  state,  each  controlled  by  a  re- 
ligious sect.  It  explains  the  fact  that  the  con- 
stitution of  1851  provides  only  for  "a  general 
and  uniform  system  of  public  schools"",  and 
does  not  mention  a  university.  It  ex]ilains 
the  effort  made  in  the  convention  for  the  ex- 
press prohibition  of  support  by  the  state  of  a 
higher  institution  of  learning.'  It  explains 
also  the  school  conditions  of  Indianajwlis.  The 
several  churches  had  concentrated  their  efforts 
on  collegiate  institutions  on  a  state  basis,  the 
Presbyterians  on  Hanover  and  Wabash,  the 
Methodists  on  Asbury  (now  De  Patiw),  and 
the  Ba]jtists  on  Franklin,  none  of  them  located 


here.  It  is  probable  that  this  division  of  en- 
ergy prevented,  or  retarded,  the  building  up 
of  a  great  central  institntiou  with  the  highest 
advantages  for  education,  and  caused  numbers 
of  Indiana  boys  to  be  sent  to  the  larger  institu- 
tions of  the  east;  but  it  did  what  was  probably 
better  for  the  state  by  putting  the  opportunity 
for  really  good  education  within  reach  of  hun- 
dreds who  could  not  afford  to  go  far  from 
home.  But  none  of  these  institutions  were  co- 
educational, and  indeed  at  that  time  coeduca- 
tion inspired  almost  as  much  horror  as  woman's 
suffrage.  The  question  arose  "What  siiall  we 
do  with  our  girls  ?" 

The   Presbyterians   led   olV 
In    183(j  James   Blake,   Isaac 
Ray,    and   others    obtained    a 
Indianapolis     Female 
opened  in  June,  1837 


ill   the   solution. 

Coe,   James   M. 

charter  for  the 
Institute,  which  was 
under  the  management 


^'Inilitiiin  Mrtliodisiii.  pp.  317-8.  See  also 
Ivlson's  Enrhj  Jndmna  Prathi/tcrianisiii ,  p.  229. 

''Boone's  Histori/  of  Education  in  Indiana. 
pp.  135-6. 


of  Misses  Mary  J.  and  Harriet  Axtell,  of 
Courtlandville,  Xew  York,  who  had  been  teach- 
ers at  the  Geneva  Female  Seminary.  At  this 
school  were  taught  "tlie  mathematical  and  nat- 
ural Sciences,  with  history,  and  every  branch  of 
a  thorough  English  education,  and  also  music, 
drawing  and  the  languages  as  desired.""  It  was 
at  tirst  held  in  the  second  story  of  what  was 
known  as  the  Sanders"  building,  on  Washing- 
ton street  near  Meridian,  and  later  removed 
to  a  frame  building  adjoining  the  old  Presby- 
terian chttrch  on  Pennsylvania  street.  There 
were  arrangements  for  jirivate  boarding  in 
connection  with  the  school.  It  attained  quite 
a  high  reputation  for  excellence,  and  was  con- 
tinued until  1849,  when  the  liealth  of  the 
elder  Miss  Axtell  failed  and  the  school  was 
discontinited.  It  is  said  that  she  became  de- 
ranged on  the  subject  of  predestination,  ac- 
qtiiring  the  delusion  that  sbe  was  doomed  to 
be  lost.  She  died  a  short  time  afterwards  wliiic 
on  a  trip  to  the  West  Indies  for  her  healtli, 
Tiie  blisses  .Vxtell  were  excellent  teachers,  and 
were  held  in  high  esteem  by  their  ])upils. 

After  this  there  was  an  interval  with  no 
Presbyterian  school  for  young  ladies,  but  in 
1852,  Rev.  C.  G.  McLean  was  induced  to  come 
here  and  open  one.  He  was  well  educated  and 
talented.  He  was  prejjared  by  his  step-father, 
Rev.  James  Gray,  I).  D.,  for  many  years  |ias- 
tor  of  the  Spruce  Street  Church,  Philadelphia, 
for  admission  to  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, of  which  he  was  a  graduate.  He  pur- 
sued   his    theological    studies    under    tlie    i-elc- 


HISTOifV  OF  (IKKATKR  l.XDIAXArOIJS. 


129 


liratLil  l)r.  Johii  il.  ^lason,  and  was  for  twen- 
ty-seven years  pastor  of  the  Associate  liefDrnied 
Church  of  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  anil  eight 
years  of  the  Dutch  Eeformed  Chixreh  at  Fort 
Plain,  New  York.  He  was  a  fine  pi'eacher, 
liut  left  pastoral  work  on  account  of  his  health 
just  before  coming  here.  The  school  was  op- 
ened as  the  Indiana  Female  Seminary,  and  was 
very  successful  for  some  years,  the  first  cata- 
logue showing  151  pupils,  nearly  all  from  In- 
dianapolis. It  was  a  boarding  school  and  day 
school  occupying  a  three-story  lirick  building 
which  was  erected  for  it,  at  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  New  York  and  Meridian  streets.  The 
faculty  and  course  of  instruction  were  of  high 
grade.  Day  scholars  ])aid  from  $4  a  quarter  in 
the  preparatory  department  to  $8  as  seniors,  antl 
there  were  numerous  extras,  im-luding  vocal 
music,  instruction  on  the  piano,  guitar  and 
harp,  drawing  and  painting.  The  pupils  were 
also  assessed  $1  per  year  for  "'support  of  the 
gospel".  Dr.  McLean  continued  the  school 
till  his  death,  in  I860,  after  which  it  was  con- 
tinued 1)V  his  son-in-law,  Charles  N.  Todd  and 
Rev.  Charles  Sturdevant,  until  1865.  This 
school  was  commonly  known  as  McLean  Sem- 
inary. 

The  Episcopalians  were  second  on  the  iield. 
In  1830  Mrs.  Britton,  wife  of  the  rector  of 
Christ  Church,  opened  a  school  for  girls  on 
Pennsylvania  street  above  Michigan,  which 
was  later  removed  to  the  site  of  the  When  build- 
ing, and  in  the  fall  of  1843  to  a  frame  liuild- 
iiig  across  the  alley,  to  the  north,  from  Christ 
Church,  then  owned  by  ;\Ir.  Reck,  the  Lutheran 
pastor.  Steps  were  then  taken  for  the  erection 
of  a  building  especially  for  the  school,  back 
of  Christ  Church,  and  it  was  completed  and 
occupied  in  1845,  the  Reck  property  being  pur- 
chased and  used  as  a  boarding-house  for 
the  school.  On  January  15,  1844,  this  school 
was  chartered  by  the  legislature  as  St.  Clary's 
Seminary,  with  James  Morrison  and  George  11. 
Dunn,  wardens,  and  Geo.  W.  ilears,  Cliarles 
Co.x,  Jeremiah  Foote,  Wm.  R.  Morrison  and 
Jose])h  M.  Moore,  vestrymen  of  Christ  Church, 
a.s  directors ;  the  wardens  and  vestrymen  of  the 
church  to  be  directors  thereafter  ex  officio.  Rev. 
Samuel  Johnson,  successor  of  ^Ir.  Britton  as 
rector  of  Ciirist  (Miurch,  ami  his  wife  now  took 
charge  of  the  seiiool,  whicli  liad  a  very  success- 
ful career  for  five  years. 

-Vfter  the  discontinuance  of  the  Axtell  school, 
\'ol.  1—9 


the  Presbyterians  attempted  another,  and  a 
charter  was  obtained  .January  19,  1850,  for 
the  Indiamipolis  Collegiate  Institute,  with 
James  Blake,  James  M.  Ray,  Wm.  Sheets,  Thos. 
H.  Sharpe  and  Isaac  Coc  as  trustees,  their  suc- 
cessors to  be  elected  by  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church.  This  movement  came  to  nothing  and 
the  Methodists  decided  that  this  was  their 
time  to  get  busy.  They  accordingly  formed  a 
voluntary  association  known  as  the  Indiana- Fe- 
male College,  and  began  operations  in  the  base- 
ment, or  Sunday  School  room.s,  of  old  Wesley 
Chapel  in  1850,  with  Rev.  Thos.  H.  Lynch  as 
principal.  This  was  of  course  temporary.  The 
same  year  the  Episcopalian  property,  where  the 
Board  of  Trade  building  stands  was  purchased, 
and  an  additional  Iniilding  was  erected  next 
to  Ohio  street.  Mr.  Lynch  himself  took  an 
active  part  in  the  erection  of  this  building, 
which  was  intended  for  the  school  proper,  a 
two-story  frame  with  four  rooms  upstairs  and 
four  down.  The  south  building — the  old  Epis- 
copalian school  boarding  house — was  used  as 
a  boarding  house  for  the  school,  ami  in  the 
numbering  system  of  that  time  was  Xo.  14 
X.  Meridian,  while  the  school  was  Xo.  16.  The 
school  was  chartered  February  13,  1851,  with 
provision  that  three-fourths  of  the  directors 
should  always  be  members  of  the  Methodist 
Church.  Mr.  Lynch  conducted  the  school  till 
1854,  when  he  was  called  to  New  Albany,  where 
the  ilethodists  had  made  the  mistake  of  start- 
ing Asbury  Female  College  in  1852,  instead  of 
centering  on  one  institution.  In  1854-5  the 
school  here  was  in  charge  of  Rev.  Charles 
.\dams,  and  in  1855-(>,  of  G.  W.  Moss,  who 
was  followed  in  turn  by  Benjamin  T.  Hoyt. 
In  1859  the  school  suspended,  but  was  resumed 
in  1860  under  Rev.  Oliver  'SI.  Spencer.  By  this 
time  competition  of  the  McLean  Seminary  and 
Baptist  Seminary  were  making  the  female  col- 
lege business  somewhat  precarious,  and  in  1862, 
Rev.  Thos.  H.  Lynch  was  recalled  to  help  the  in- 
stitution out.  In  1865  the  school  was  put  in 
charge  of  W.  H.  DeMotte,  w-ho  had  been  a 
teacher  at  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum  from 
1850  to  1864,  when  he  became  for  a  year  ^lili- 
tary  and  Sanitary  Agent  of  the  Stale  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  And  now  a  change  was  made. 
The  McLean  Seminary  property  had  been  sold 
to  John  Pyle,  who  wanted  to  open  a  hotel 
there,  but  concluded  that  it  was  too  far  out, 
and  traded  it  for  the  Methodist  school  prop- 


130 


HISTOKV  OF  GItEATER  INDIAjSTAPOLIS. 


erty.  Mv  put  up  a  brick  buildiiij;'  butWL-on  the 
two  fraiue  ones,  uniting  all  in  the  Pyle  House, 
which  continued  so  long  that  everybody  got 
tired  of  it.  The  Indiana  Female  College  was 
removed  to  the  old  McLean  Seminary,  and 
Avas  continued  there  until  1868,  iu  charge  of 
Professor  DeMotte.  It  was  then  determined 
to  consolidate  it  with  Asbury,  which  till  then 
had  not  been  coeducational,  and  this  was  done. 
The  property  was  sold  to  the  Wesley  Chapel 
congregation,  which  built  there,  changing  their 
church  name  to  ileridian  Street  Church.  This 
in  turn  gave  place  to  the  Central  Telephone 
Ijuilding. 

The  Baptists  got  along  without  a  separate 
female  institute  until  18-58.  when  they  organ- 
ized a  stock  company  and  bought  the  old  resi- 
dence of  Robert  I'nderhill.  at  the  northeast 
corner  of  Michigan  and  Pennsylvania  streets. 
He  was  a  j^ioneer  in  iron  work,  and  had  his 
foundry  one  square  below,  where  the  Second 
Presbyterian  Church  now  stands.  In  1859  the 
school  was  opened  by  Rev.  Gibbon  Williams, 
who  continued  iu  charge  imtil  1863,  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  C.  W.  Hewes.  He  remained 
until  1870,  and  was  followed  liy  Rev.  T.ucian 
Hayden,  the  last  ])rincipal.  The  Indianapolis 
Female  Institute,  as  it  was  called,  closed  in 
1872,  not  being  able  to  compete  with  the  free 
schools.  The  property  was  exchanged  for 
other  real  estate,  and  passed  into  the  hands  of 
the  City  School  Board.  It  was  at  that  time 
quite  an  e.xtensive  building,  having  been  much 
enlarged  while  occuiiied  by  the  school.  This 
seminary  had  good  standing  as  an  educational 
institution.  Among  its  teachers  were  Miss  A. 
R.  Boise  (later  Mrs.  Dr.  Wood),  daughter  of 
Professor  Boise,  of  the  University  of  ^lichigan, 
and  Miss  Rebecca  J.  Thompson,  who  was  after- 
wards Professor  of  iratlicnintics  at  Franklin 
for  thirty  years. 

There  were  several  other  schools  for  young 
ladies  at  later  dates  that  have  since  gone  out 
of  existence,  in  additicm  to  the  mixed  school 
of  Mrs.  Price.  Mrs.  A.  Ashby  had  an  excel- 
lent school  at  78  East  Xorth  street  (old  num- 
ber), from  1872  to  1878.  Mrs.  E.  R.  Colwell 
taught  at  956  K,„.tii  T),,lnware  from  1876  to 
1880.  .Teiiiiie  L.  Burr  had  a  school  for  voungor 
girls  at  Broadwav  and  Cherry  from  1879  to 
1888.  .1.  H.  Kaiipcs  and  wife  conducted  their 
Young  Ladies'  Institute  from  1879  to  1883. 
Rev.  .Tames  Lvons  liad  an  Institute  for  Younsr 


Ladies  on  Xorth  Pennsylvania  street  in  18SS 
and  1889.  The  most  notable,  however,  was  the 
Girls"  Classical  School.  T.  L.  Sewall  started 
a  classical  school  for  boys,  in  1879,  at  Home 
and  College  avenues,  which  was  removed  in 
1881  to  Xorth  and  Alabama  streets,  and  con- 
tinued there  till  1887.  In  1882  Mrs.  :May 
Wright  Sewall  opened  a  classical  school  for 
girls  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Pennsylvania 
and  St.  Joseph  streets,  where  the  Eiiiscopalians 
had  been  holding  St.  Anna's  school  for  girls, 
under  charge  of  Rev.  J.  B.  Clarke.  In  1885  a 
special  building  was  erected  for  the  girls' 
school  at  821:  Xorth  Pennsylvania,  and  the 
school  was  continued  there  till  1907.  Both  the 
boys'  and  the  girls"  classical  schools  were  pri- 
marily designed  to  prepare  for  college,  and 
the  graduates  usually  took  Harvard.  Smith. 
Bryn  Mawr.  or  other  examinations,  whether 
they  went  to  these  schools  or  not,  but  the  Girls' 
Classical  covered  practically  all  the  ground  of 
the  earlier  female  colleges  and  seminaries,  and 
did  a  most  satisfactory  educational  work 
throughout  its  long  existence. 

The  Quakers  were  always  zealous  promoters 
of  education,  but  they  were  not  strong  enough 
to  do  much  in  Indianapolis  in  the  early  years. 
Early  in  the  fifties  Sarah  A.  Smith,  wifi'  of 
Hugh  Smith,  opened  a  private  school  at  the 
southeast  corner  of  Alabama  and  Market  streets, 
whicli  was  continued  for  nearly  thirty  years. 
In  1856,  her  daughter.  .Vnna  ^Fary,  then  fifteen 
years  of  age,  became  an  assistant  in  the  school, 
and  continued  till  its  close.  This  was  a  pri- 
mary, neighliorhood  school,  and  a  good  one  of 
its  class.  When  the  Friends  built  their  meet- 
ing-house at  the  southeast  corner  of  Delaware 
and  St.  Clair  streets,  in  1856.  they  made  it 
two  stories  so  that  a  scliool  might  be  held  in 
the  lower  room,  and  a  very  excellent  graded 
school  was  maintained  there  for  a  number  of 
years.  It  was  attended  both  by  Friends  chil- 
dren and  outsiders,  l)nt  they  were  all  marched 
upstairs  to  Wednesday  morninjr  meeting. 
Thouias  Charles,  assisted  liy  William  ^len- 
dcnball.  both  mendtcrs  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  opened  a  school  called  the  City  .\cad- 
emy,  in  1867,  on  Xew  York  street  opposite 
T''niversity  Square.  This  was  an  excellent 
school,  and  well  attended.  It  continued  three 
years,  after  which  ^[r.  Charles  became  joint 
editor  with  G.  W.  Hoss  of  the  Indiana  Schnnl 
Journal,  for  a  sburt   time,   and   later  removed 


HISTORY  OF  GRKATKi;    I  XDl.WAi'OlJS. 


i;ii 


to  t'liii-ajjo.  llinim  llaillcy.  aimtliLT  pi'cniiiiKMil 
FrieiiJ  educatur,  latur  ])iVf;i<lont  of  the  I'lii- 
vcT.'^itv  of  Xew  Mexico,  liiul  a  jirivate  jsfhool  on 
Illinois  street  above  Tentli.  in  1880,  and  was 
associated  in  1881-2  with  Prof.  Junius  B.  Rol)- 
erts  in  the  lladley  &  Hobcrts  -Vcaileniy.  at  the 
soutliwest  corner  of  Meridian  and  Vermont 
streets.  This  si-hool  was  continued  two  years 
longer  by  Mr.  Roberts,  at  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  Pennsylvania  and  Walnut  streets,  af- 
ter which  he  resumed  work  iu  the  High  School. 
The  Disciples,  or  "Campbellites"  were  later 
than  the  others  in  getting  their  college  started, 
but  they  located  it  at  Indianapolis.  r>utler 
University  was  originally  begun,  anil  for 
twenty  odd  years  continued,  as  Xorthwestorn 
Cliristian  University.  It  owes  its  existence 
chiefly  to  Ovid  Butler,  wlio  was  at  the  head  of 
a  committee  originally  appointed  at  the  state 
meeting  of  the  ciiurch  at  Greensburg,  in  1847. 
He  designed  and  formulated  its  plan,  drafted 
its  charter,  donated  tiie  site  and  a  large  jiart 
of  tlie  endowment,  and  gave  it  his  ijersonal  at- 
tention through  life.  The  Xorthwestern  Chris- 
tian University  was  chartered  by  act  of  Janu- 
ary lo.  1850.  The  charter  created  a  stock  com- 
panv  of  $100  shares,  the  total  not  less  than 
$T">;000  nor  more  than  $.500,000,  of  which 
one-third  might  be  used  for  site  and  l)uilding, 
but  at  least  two-thirds  must  bo  held  for  en- 
dowment. In  loaning  the  endowment  fund, 
!  the  shareholders  were  to  be  preferred  borrowers. 
When  $T.5.000  was  subscribed  the  directors  were 
to  be  elected  and  proceed  with  the  building. 
The  charter  voiced  the  features  of  ('am)ibell"s 
teaching  that  appealed  most  powerfully  to  Jlr. 
Butler,  and  the  directors  were  to  provide  for 
"an  institution  of  learning  of  the  highest  class. 
for  the  education  of  the  youth  of  all  parts  of 
the  United  States,  and  especially  of  the  states 
of  the  Northwest;  to  establish  in  said  insti- 
tution ilejiartments  or  colleges  for  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  students  in  every  branch  o!  liberal 
and  iirol'essional  education  :  to  educate  and  pre- 
l)are  suitable  teachers  for  the  common  schools 
of  the  country;  to  teach  and  ininlcate  the 
Christian  faith  and  Christian  morality  as 
taught  in  the  sacred  Scriptures,  discarding  as 
uninspired  and  without  authority  all  writings, 
fornuilas,  creeds,  and  articles  of  faith  subse- 
quent thereto;  and  for  the  formaticui  (pro- 
motion) of  the  sciences  and  arts."     The  charter 


pro\i(leil  tbnl  llic  property  should  be  exempt 
from  taxation. 

Rev.  John  O'Kanc  was  appointed  soliciting 
agent  for  the  enter])rise,  and  by  June  22,  18.52, 
the  retpiired  $75,000  was  reported  subscribed. 
On  July  14,  twenty-one  directors  were  eleeti'd, 
with  Ovid  Butler  as  president.  .Mr.  Butler 
donated  twi'iitx  acres  of  fine  woodland  for  the 
institution  (at  College  and  Home  avenues)  ; 
plans  by  Wm.  Tiiislcy,  a  Cincinnati  architect, 
wri'c  ailopted.  and  contracts  were  let  in  Jtdy, 
]8.");i,  for  the  west  wing  of  the  building,  which 
was  designed  for  addition  as  needed.  The 
building  was  erected  in  1854-5,  at  a  cost  of 
$27,000,  and  was  opened  on  Xovember  1,  1855, 
with  services  including  addresses  by  Elder 
O'Kane,  Prof.  Renton  and  Elder  IToshour  at 
the  college  ehajjel  during  the  day,  and  by 
Prof.  Young  at  Masonic  Hall  at  night.*  The 
university  opened  with  John  Young,  president 
and  professor  of  natural  sciences:  A.  K.  Ben- 
ton, ])rofessor  of  ancient  languages,  and 
James  R.  CJhalleii,  late  of  Somer.set  Pennsylva- 
nia Academy,  principal  of  the  ]ire|)aratory  de- 
partment. In  1858,  Prof.  Young  having  re- 
signed, Prof.  S.  K.  Hoshour,  a  noted  teacher  of 
eastern  Indiana,  succeeded  to  the  presidency ; 
0.  W.  IIoss  took  the  chair  of  mathetnatics ;  R. 
T.  Brown  that  of  natural  sciences,  and  Prof. 
Challen  that  of  English.  Prof.  Ho.«hour 
ta\ight  modern  languages.  The  war  caused  a 
great  falling  off  in  students,  and  called  for  a 
reduction  of  ex])enses,  so  the  faculty  was  re- 
organized ill  isi;i  uiiji  A.  It.  Benton  as  presi- 
dent, who  lii'ld  the  |)<isition  for  seven  years. 
In  1868  Otis  A.  Burgess  became  president, 
but  returned  to  the  ministry  in  1870  and  was 
succeeded  by  W.  !•'.  lilack  who  held  until  1874, 
when  Prof,  liurgess  returned.  During  his 
])residency  the  university  was  removed  to 
Trvington  in  1875,  and  on  February  22,  1877. 
its  name  was  changed  to  Butler  University. 

The  liberal  ideas  of  the  founders  of  this  in- 
stitution were  manifest  in  its  control  as  well 
as  in  its  charter.  It  was  from  the  first  a  co- 
educational institution,  giving  the  same  ad- 
vantages to  voung  W(unen  as  to  young  men: 
and  in  this  it  was  a  ])ioneer.  There  was  no 
other  educational  institution  in  the  Cniteil 
States,  at  the  time,  on  a  university  basis,  that 
admitted   women,   though   Oberlin    ])recedcd    it 


"J  nil  nidi.  Xi 


and  .'i.  18." 


132 


HlSTUUr   UF  CiliEATEK  INDIANAPOLIS. 


as  a  college.  Earlham  and  other  "Friends' 
boarding  schools"'  had  departments  for  both 
sexes,  but  they  were  esseutiallj'  distinct  in  facul- 
ties and  teaching,  and  it  was  only  about  this 
time  that  they  began  to  move  towards  co- 
education in  its  present  sense.  In  this  school 
no  distinction  was  made  as  to  sexes  in  the 
privileges  of  education.  The  school  also 
adopted  the  elective  system  of  studies,  in  which 
it  has  been  preceded  only  by  Campbell's  Col- 
lege at  Bethany,  West  Virginia,  and  Brown 
University.  It  conferred  the  degrees  of  Bache- 
lor of  Science,  Art  or  Philosophy,  according 
to  the  course  taken,  with  masters  degrees  in 
regular  course  for  post  graduate  work.  On 
March  10,  18G9,  ilr.  Butler  submitted  a  prop- 
osition to  the  Ijoard  of  directors  to  endow  a 
chair  of  English  Literature  in  the  university, 
which  was  accepted;  and  nominated  as  the 
professor  Miss  Catharine  Jilerrill,  daughter  of 
Samuel  Merrill,  one  of  the  most  accomplished 
educators  of  the  city,  who  accepted  the  posi- 
tion on  April  21.  This  gift,  amounting  to 
about  $11,000  was  on  condition  that  the  chair 
should  always  be  held  by  a  woman.  It  was 
named  the  Demia  Butler  chair,  and  was  in 
memory  of  his  daughter,  who  was  the  first 
woman  graduate  of  the  institution  in  the  classi- 
cal eotirse.  Miss  Merrill  had  first  had  a  pri- 
vate school  at  the  family  homestead  on  Mer- 
rill street,  the  site  of  the  present  Catharine 
Merrill  school;  later  in  the  basement  of  the 
Fourth  Presbyterian  Church,  at  the  southwest 
corner  of  Market  and  Delaware  streets ;  and 
later  about  where  the  Commercial  Club  build- 
ing stands.  After  the  war  broke  out  she  went 
out  as  an  army  nurse,  and  after  the  close  of 
the  w-ar  published  the  work,  "The  Soldier  of 
Indiana  in  the  War  for  the  Union".  Miss 
Merrill  remained  on  the  Butler  faculty  until 
1885,  when  she  resigned  to  take  up  private 
class  work  with  Indianapolis  women,  and  con- 
tinued this  till  her  death  in  1900. 

There  was  a  law  class  in  the  university  from 
the  first,  which  had  4  graduates  under  Presi- 
dent Young,  18  under  President  Hosbour,  and 
30  under  President  Benton.  In  18T1  a  law 
department  was  formallv  organized,  with  Byron 
K.  Elliott,  Charles  H."  Test,  and  Charles  P. 
Jacobs  occupying  the  three  chairs.  John 
Young,  Judge  David  McDonald,  Judge  Sam- 
uel E.  Perkins  and  Judge  Horatio  M.  New- 
comb   were   among  the   instructors   at  various 


periods.  The  Medical  College  of  Indiana 
formed  the  medical  department  of  the  univer- 
sity. The  preparatory  department  was  pre- 
sided over,  in  order  of  succession,  by  James  E. 
Challen,  Love  H.  Jameson.  Madison  Evans, 
Mrs.  Nancy  E.  Bums,  A.  C.  Shortridge,  W. 
W.  Dowling,  A.  Fairhurst,  and  H.  W.  Wiley, 
of  pure  food  fame.  A  teacher  in,  and  later 
at  the  head  of  the  "academic  department",  or 
the  preparatory,  from  18.5T,  was  Mrs.  E.  J. 
Price,  a  daughter  of  Professor  Hoshour.  After 
leaving  the  university  she  became  one  of  the 
best  known  private  school  teachers  in  the  city. 
Her  school  was  on  Broadway  at  the  corner  of 
Alabama  and  St.  Clair  streets,  and  later  on 
North  street,  from  18T1  to  1875,  and  on  Ill- 
inois street,  now  Nos.  803  and  805.  from  1875 
to  1890.  It  was  a  mixed  school  for  bpys  and 
girls  from  twelve  to  twenty  years  of  age,  and 
was  extensively  patronized.  There  was  an- 
other private  school  which  might  be  consid- 
ered under  Campbellite  auspices,  and  that  was 
the  primary  school  kept  by  the  Misses  Laura 
and  Charlotte  McFarland,  for  more  than 
twenty  years,  beginning  about  18G0,  on  St. 
Clair  street,  opposite  St.  Clair  park.  This 
was  a  very  popular  school  with  northsidc 
youngsters,  the  large  yard  of  the  McFarland's 
making  a  choice  playground  for  the  girls,  and 
the  "Blind  Asylum  lot''  across  the  street,  with 
a  great  hackberry  tree  half  way  between  the 
present  fountain  and  the  north  fence,  being  an 
ideal  place  for  "black-man",  which  was  the 
favorite  diversion  of  the  boys.  The  teachers 
were  daughters  of  Demas  ilcFarland,  one  of 
the  earliest  settlers,  and  their  kindly  natures 
cause  them  to  be  held  in  loving  memory  by 
their  old  pupils,  of  whom  there  are  dozens  in 
the  city. 

It  would  be  impossible  at  this  time  even  to 
ascertain  the  names  of  all  the  private  schools 
tiiere  have  been  in  Indianapolis,  most  of  them 
of  few  j-ears'  duration,  like  Miss  Ellen  Doug- 
lass' school  on  New  York  street,  west  of  the 
canal,  in  the  fifties;  Miss  Tousey's  school  on 
Ellsworth  street  in  the  sixties ;  iliss  Keating's 
on  Dougherty  .'■treet  and  Miss  Fitzhugh's  on 
St.  Joseph  street  in  the  seventies ;  Ilev.  N.  F. 
Tuck's  on  East  ilarket  street  and  Wm.  W. 
Hall's  in  North  Indianajwlis  in  the  later  sev- 
enties, the  North  Indianapolis  school  being 
continued  by  M.  L.  IJinehart  in  the  eighties. 
Jt  is  to  be  remembered  that  the  Catholics  al- 


IIISTOKY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


133 


ways  liad  their  separate  seliools,  wliich  are  men- 
tioned elsewhere,  as  also  the  l^utherans.  and 
in  fact  the  Germans,  generally,  until  (ierman 
was  made  a  study  in  the  public  schools.  And 
tliere  have  been  schools  of  all  sorts,  one  of 
the  most  notable  lines  of  activity  being  in 
business  colleges,  which  were  especially  prom- 
inent in  the  sixties  and  seventies,  with  Bryant 
&  Stratton,  Purdy  and  Southard  as  the  lead- 
ing proprietors.  In  brief,  there  have  always 
been  the  fullest  opportunities  for  education  in 
Indianapolis,  even  outside  of  the  public  schools, 
and  these  will  be  considered  elsewhere. 

Before  leaving  the  subject,  there  is  one  pri- 
vate school  legend  that  should  be  recorded. 
Along  in  the  fifties  there  was  a  Mr.  Dorsey 
who  had  a  school  on  the  south  side  of  Walnut 
street  just  west  of  New  Jersey.  Among  the 
pupils  was  George  Owings,  who  had  an  ir- 
resistible penchant  for  profanity.  Nothing 
seemed  capable  of  stopping  the  habit.     Warn- 


ings and  whippings  were  fruitless.  Finally 
Dorsey  told  him  that  the  next  time  he  was 
caught  swearing  he  would  slit  his  tongue.  The 
offense  was  soon  committed,  and  George  was 
brought  up  on  the  platform,  before  the  school, 
for  punishment.  Dorsey  made  him  kneel  down 
before  a  chair  and  put  out  his  tongue.  Then 
he  produced  a  big  jack-knife,  and  began  to 
whet  it  on  his  boot,  with  a  conversational  ac- 
companiment. "I  am  sorry  to  have  to  do  this 
George" — whet — whet — whet — "but  you  know 
what  I  told  you" — whet — whet — whet — "put 
out  your  tongue  !  " — whet — whet — whet — "it 
won't  do  to  let  you  grow  up  this  way" — whet 
— whet — whet — "it  would  be  a  disgrace" — whet 
— whet — "put  out  your  tongue  !" — "if  I  should 
try  you  once  more" — whet — whet — whet — "if 
I  should  let  you  oif  this  time" — whet — whet — 
whet — -"do  you  think  yoti  would  ever  swear 
again  ?  "  "No",  sobbed  the  terrified  culprit, 
"no!     I'll  be  d^— d  if  I  would." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


THH   :\IEXU'AX   WAR. 


Oil  May  I.).  1S4(;,  Congress  declared  that 
war  cxistwl  with  .Muxico,  and  President  Polk 
issued  his  prochunation  of  tlie  fact.  On  May 
l(i,  Seeretary  of  War  Marey  issued  his  retiui- 
sition  to  Governor  Wiiitconili  of  Indiana  f(U- 
"thrcf  regiments  of  infantry  or  ritlenien"", 
wliicli  reached  Indianapolis  on  May  il.  On 
:Mav  22,  Governor  Whiteonib  issued  his  call 
to  the  people  "to  form  themselves  into  volun- 
K'er  comiianies  with  all  despatch".  On  June 
10  the  quota  was  tilled.  On  June  11,  the  -^'cd- 
tinel  said:  "Just  as  our  paper  is  going  to 
press  the  twentietli  company  has  been  rei)orted 
to  tiie  Adjutant-tienerars  office  over  and  above 
the  complement  of  thirty  companies  called  for 
from  this  state.     Well  done,  Indiana. 

"Ohio,  with  thrice  our  population  and  four 
times  our  wealth,  was  called  on  to  furnish 
the  same  number  ot  men  and  had  two  days 
the  start  of  us.  and  yet  our  quota  was  made 
up  on  the  10th  inst.,  not  any  longer  time,  we 
believe,  than  was  rctiuired  i)y  01ii<i. 

"When  the  I'equisition  reached  here  on  tlu' 
V'lst  it  found  us  with  our  militia  system 
iiroken  and  in  ruins  after  thirty  years  of  peace. 
Xot  a  dollar  had  been  appropriated  by  the 
State  or  the  General  (Jovernment  for  such  an 
emergency,  yet  the  Governor  devised  a  system, 
niainlv  on  his  own  res])onsibility,  in  time  for 
his  proclamation  for  the  very  next  day,  and 
he  and  Adjutant-General  Reynolds  have  ever 
since  been  incessantly  occupied  looking  after 
everything  and  answering  correspondence,  with- 
out even  a  private  secretary,  which  office  was 
abolished  immediately  up(m  the  Governor  com- 
ing into  office.  The  (Jovernor  is  much  indis- 
])osed  and  fatigued  by  lal)or  night  and  day. 
yet  he  will  be  ready  to  go  with  our  troops  to 
Xew  Albany  to  aid  in  their  organizaticm  and 
to  do  everything  foi-   their  comfort   and   wel- 


fare  liefore  they  leave  the  state.     Well   done, 
Indiana". 

When  Indianajxilis  was  founded  the  militia 
svstem  was  m   full  bloom.     It  was  but  seven 
v\'ars  since  the  close  of  the  last  war,  and  there 
were   still   enough    Indians   near    at   haml    to 
cause    apprehension    of    trouble.      The    militia 
was  composed  of  all  able-bodied  men  between 
the  ages  of  18  and  4.3,  and  was  organized  in 
regiments   by   counties,   Nvhich,    in   turii,   were 
grouped   in   brigades   and   divisions.      As   soon 
as    Marion    County    was   organized   stejjs   were 
taken  for  the  organization  of  the  militia,  and 
on    September    1,    1822,   the   first   election   of 
regimental   officers   was   held.     James   Paxton 
was  chosen  colonel,  Samuel  ^lorrow,  lieutenant 
colonel,  and  Alexander  W.  Russell,  major,  and 
on  September  2(),  they  were  commissioned.   The 
detailed    organization    was    completed    in    the 
following  spring  and   on  June  3,    182:!.   ca]!- 
tain"s   commissions   were   issued   to   Denias   L. 
:\lcFarland,   Asa    C.    Ives,   John   Montgomery, 
Xoah    Flood.    Thomas    Anderson,    Andrew    W. 
Ingraham.  John  ^McFall  and  Geo.  Smith:  lieu- 
tenant's commissions  to  Eli  Sulgrove,  Andrew 
McClintock,  John  Jones,  Alexander  Ayres.  Asa 
K.    Strong,   John   Morris,   Jacob    Smock   and 
Jacob      Crone;      and      ensign's      commissions 
to    Jacob    Bieler,    James    Freel,    Hiram     Mc- 
Cartv,  James  Williams.  John  Barnhill,  Josejih 
Kirkendall,    Wm.    Kennick   and    John    Foster. 
On  July  30.  commissions  were  issued  to  Hiram 
.M.  Cuny,  captain:  John  Hay,  lieutenant,  and 
Closes  Cox,  ensign,  of  a  ninth  company.     On 
December  2,  1823,  commissions  were  issued  to 
Henry   McGuire,   captain,    Elam    S.    Freeman, 
lieutenant,  and  Xoah  Leverton,  ensign,  of  the 
tenth    company    needed    to    fill    the    regiment. 
The    reiiinient    took    number    as    the    Fortieth, 


134 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER   I  \  DI  AN  AI'ol.IS. 


135 


and  iliU'iou  (.'(uiiitv  ahvMvs  lu.'lil  that  iiumlier 
,  while  county  organization  continued. 

In  addition  to  tlic  regular  rank  and  lile 
of  the  militia  the  law  provided  for  three  spe- 
cial companies  in  each  regiment,  ritiemen,  ar- 
tillery, and  light  dragoons. .or  cavalry  as  they 
would  now  be  called.  These  were  intended  as 
more  permanent  and  better  disciplined  organi- 
zations than  the  regular  niilitia.  There  was  no 
organization  of  these  until  18xJ6,  in  the  spring 
of  which  an  artillery  company  was  formed, 
and  on  April  21,  Rethuel  F.  ilorris  was  com- 
missioned as  its  captain,  Samuel  Merrill  as 
first  lieutenant.  Douglass  ilaguire  as  second 
lieutenant,  and  .\iistin  Bishop  as  ensign.  Im- 
mediati'ly  after  a  company  of  riHcmen  was 
organized,  for  which  Robert  Wilson  was  com- 
missioned captain,  Robert  Martin,  lieutenant, 
and  Sydney  Wilson,  ensign,  on  June  14.  On 
the  same  day  Alexander  W.  Russell  svicceeded 
as  colonel  of  the  Fortieth  regiment,  and  Geo. 
L.  Kinnard  as  lieutenant  colonel.  On  July 
■"),  Isaac  Stevens  became  major,  and  Elani  S. 
Freeman  succeeded  Robei't  Wilson  as  ca])tain 
cif  the  ritiemen.  On  August  'i'.i,  Judge  Win. 
W.  Wick  was  commissioned  Brigadier  (ieneral 
of  the  Seventeenth  Brigade,  of  which  the  Forti- 
eth was  then  a  member.  James  Paxton  had 
lieen  made  Quarter  Master  General,  and  held 
that  ollice  until  his  death  in  182!).  when  lie 
was  followed  for  two  years  by  Win.  (^)uarles, 
and  he,  on  December  12,  1831,  by  Denias  L. 
MiFarland.  Benjamin  1.  Blythe  became  cap- 
tain of  tiie  artillery  com]>any  on  A|)ril  10, 
1828 ;  and  on  June  i;!.  1828  a  cavalry  com- 
])any  was  organized  with  David  Buchanan  as 
captain,  Edward  Jleizer,  first  lieutenant,  John 
.Sayior,  second  lieutenant,  and  Jacob  L.  Payne, 
cornet. 

The  special  compaiiio,  particiihirly  tlie  ar- 
till<'ry  ami  the  ritiemen,  usually  took  part  in 
the  Fourtli  of  July  parades,  and  appeared  on 
other  gala  occasions.  The  regular  militia 
did  nothing  but  af)pcar  on  muster  days  and 
]icrf(irin  legal  "•militia  duty",  or  get  fined  fen' 
neglect,  'i'iiey  were  not  uniformed,  and  were 
armed  with  anything  they  might  fancy  that 
Would  serve  the  pur])osc  of  going  through  the 
manual  of  arms.  .Muster  day  was  a  sort  of 
picnic,  characterized  by  perhaps  an  hour  of 
drilling  and  laige  quantities  of  frontier  recre- 
ation, from  eating  and  drinking  to  racing  and 
fiffhting.      They   were   very  convenvnt    for   re- 


newing iihl  actpiaiiitaucc  and  political  cam- 
paigning. 

There  was  no  appearance  of  actual  service  for 
the  militia  until  the  Black  Hawk  War,  news 
of  which  reached  here  on  June  3,  1832.  On 
tlie  ne.Nt  day  Colonel  Russell  called  for  150 
mounted  voluntec'i'S  from  the  Fortieth,  and 
an  equal  iiuinber  frour  adjoining  counties, 
which  promptly  appeared  at  the  ai)pointed  ren- 
dezvous at  Indianapolis,  armed  with  rifles, 
tomahawks,  knives,  a  pound  of  powder  each 
and  ball  in  proportion,  on  June  I).  They  were 
organized  in  three  com])anies  under  captains 
James  P.  Drake.  J.  W.  Reding,  and  Henry 
Brenton.  Captain  Drake  had  not  appeared  on 
the  militia  rolls  before  this  time.  He  came 
to  Posey  County  in  181(i,  a  youth  of  nineteen, 
and  was  soon  prominent  as  a  holder  of  both 
civil  and  military  offices,  being  chosen  first 
as  colonel  and  in  1818  as  brigadier  general. 
In  1829  President  Jackson  apjiointed  him  re- 
ceiver of  public  moneys  at  Indianapolis,  and  he 
removed  here.  His  com)iany  for  the  Black 
Hawk  War  was  organized  as  "rangers"'  and 
I  Make  received  a  captain's  commission  on  June 
s,  with  Geo.  W.  S.  White  as  first  lieutenant, 
liobert  ifcHatton  as  second  lieutenant  and 
Douglass  Maguire  as  ensign.  The  most  san- 
guinary part  of  the  campaign  was  the  rendez- 
vous, at  which,  by  a  iiremature  discharge  of 
the  cannon,  William  Warren  lost  both  his  arms, 
and  qualiticd  himself  as  the  only  pensioner 
of  the  war  at  this  jioint,  a  special  act  of  Con- 
gress for  that  purpose  being  secured  by  Geo. 
I  J.  Kinnard.  On  the  day  of  the  rendezvous, 
the  three  companies  marched  for  Chicago, 
under  command  of  Colonel  Russell,  with  Wm. 
Conner  fcu'  a  guide.  At  Chicago  they  learned 
that  the  war  was  over,  and  marching  around 
file  south  end  of  Lake  iFichigan  they  returned 
borne  by  way  of  South  Bend.  Here  they  en- 
countered the  facile  ])en  of  John  1).  Defrees, 
more  deadly  than  Indian  tomahawk,  for  he 
christened  them  "the  Bloody  Three  Hundred", 
anil  tlicy  never  heard  the  last  of  it.  Possibly 
the  fun  ])oked  at  them  fell  on  the  militia  serv- 
ice  for   it  gradually   went   almost   out   of  use. 

Put  civilized  young  men  c-annot  live  with- 
out uniforms,  and  on  February  22,  1S37.  a 
meeting  of  the  young  men  of  the  city  decided 
to  organize  a  military  company.  .\t  later  meet- 
ings constitution  and  by-laws  were  adopted, 
and    officers   elected,    and    on    March    2*    com- 


13G 


HISTOID Y   UF   GlIEATEK   IMJlAXAl'ULlS. 


mi.ssioiii<  were  issued  to  Alexander  W.  Rus- 
sell, captain;  P.  W.  Seibert,  first  lieutenant; 
Win.  Uannamau,  second  lieutenant;  Charles 
Cox,  third  lieutenant ;  and  Wm.  H.  Morrison, 
ensign.  They  had  a  showy  uniform  of  gray 
with  black  velvet  facings,  tall  bell-crowned 
leather  caps  with  brass  trimmings  and  black 
pompons,  and  were  armed  with  muskets.  Col- 
onel Eussell  did  not  have  time  enough  to  de- 
vote to  the  company  to  satisfy  the  uniform  en- 
thusiasm of  the  members,  and  in  the  following 
year  he  gave  way  to  Thomas  A.  Morris,  a 
West  Point  graduate,  who  was  commissioned 
captain  of  the  Marion  Guards  on  June  30, 
1838 — recommissioned  April  27,  1842.  On 
September  1-3,  1S38,  commissions  were  issued 
to  Philip  K.  Landis,  first  lieutenant:  John  Mc- 
Dougall,  second  lieutenant ;  Thos.  Doncllan, 
third  lieutenant,  and  Milton  Foudray,  fourth 
lieutenant.  The  company,  which  had  been 
incorporated  by  special  act  on  February  14, 
1838,  was  assigned  to  the  Fortieth  regiment. 
Captain  (later  General)  Morris  was  a  fine 
drill  master,  and  l)rought  his  company  to  a 
high  state  of  efficiency,  it  being  the  crack  com- 
pany of  the  state.  Its  imposing  appearance  on 
parade  awakened  other  military  ardor.  A 
cavalry  company  was  organized,  and  on  No- 
vember 4,  1840,  its  officers  were  commissioned, 
Samuel  Ross,  captain ;  Thos.  A.  Thomas,  first 
lieutenant;  Ephraim  Law,  second  lieutenant; 
Samuel  Vandaman,  ensign.  It  did  not  last 
long.  Horse  soldiering  involves  too  much 
trouble  for  popularity  in  times  of  peace.  In 
1842  the  Marion  Riflemen  were  organized, 
with  Thomas  MacBaker  as  captain;  George 
Robinson,  first  lieutenant,  and  Reuben  P. 
Adams,  second  lieutenant,  the  commissions  is- 
suing April  30.  This  company,  i)0])ularly 
known  as  the  "Arabs",  w-hile  the  Guards  were 
called  the  "Grays'",  or  the  "Graybacks",  was 
uniformed  in  fringed  blue  hunting  shirts,  and 
armed  with  primitive  and  awkward  breech - 
loading  rifles.  In  August,  1842,  the  indepen- 
dent companies  formed  a  battalion,  and  elected 
Harvey  Brown  lieutenant-colonel  and  George 
W.  Drum,  major.  They  had  several  parades 
and  one  or  two  encampments,  but  military  dutv 
grew  monotonous,  and  by  184.3  the  companies 
were  practically  abandoned. 

When  the  call  for  troops  for  the  Mexican 
war  came,  Lew  Wallace  was  theoretically 
studying  law  in  Indianapolis.     The  call  came 


to  him  like  a  release  to  a  prisoner.  For  years 
he  had  dreamed  of  military  glory  and  es- 
jjecially  in  connection  with  Mexico.  The 
romance  of  "The  Man  at  Arms",  unpublished 
to  which  he  had  devoted  his  juvenile  talent, 
had  been  laid  aside  under  the  charm  of  Pres- 
cott,  and  that  romantic  tale  "The  Fair  God" — 
the  most  artistic  of  all  his  stories — was  now 
well-nigh  finished.  He  had  been  a  militianuin 
a  sergeant  in  MacBaker's  Rifles,  and  he  gives 
this  account  of  the  militia  conditions  in  In- 
dianapolis: "The  differences  between  the  com- 
panies were  not  of  a  kind  to  foster  what  the 
French  call  camaraderie.  The  Greys  were  solid 
men,  verging,  many  of  them,  upon  middle  life; 
the  enlisted  of  the  Rifles  were  mostly  incap- 
able of  mustaches.  The  uniform  of  the  Greys 
was  of  rich  cloth ;  that  of  the  Rifles  consisted 
of  a  cap,  a  cotton  hunting-shirt,  blue  and 
yellow"  fringed,  and  fashioned  after  the  style 
bequeathed  to  the  American  people  by  General 
Daniel  Morgan  of  Revolutionary  renown.  The 
Greys  carried  muskets  with  bayonets;  the  Rifles, 
Hall's  patent  breech-loaders.  The  Greys  timed 
their  steps  to  the  sonorous  music  of  a  brass 
band ;  the  Rifles  were  contented  with  the  fife 
and  drum.  The  Rifles  despised  the  aristocratic 
airs  of  the  Greys ;  the  Greys  laughed  at  the 
Rifles,  and  the  good-natured  contempt  could 
have  been  endured  had  they  stopped  with  it. 
Their  last  insult  was  the  nickname  'Arabs'. 
We  waited  a  long  time  for  a  chance  to  i)unish 
the  Greys.  At  last  a  sham  battle  betwirn  the 
comj)anies  was  hippodromed  in  celebration  of 
January  8th,  with  Washington  street  for  scene 
of  action.  We  were  posted  at  the  intersection 
of  Meridian  street,  facing  eastward ;  while, 
turning  from  Delaware  up  by  the  court-house, 
the  enemy  moved  to  the  attack  in  column  of 
.sections,  their  band  plaving  vociferously.  Their 
appearance  was  beautiful :  and  it  was  then  I 
first  knew  w-hat  inspiration  there  is  in  white 
handkerchiefs  shaken  out  by  fair  hands  from 
overlooking  windows.  The  Greys  opened  with 
volleys;  we  replied,  lying  down  and  firing  at 
will.  All  went  well  until  in  the  crisis  of  the 
engagement  our  captain  forgot  to  order  the  re- 
treat provided  for  in  the  schedule  of  manoeu- 
vres. The  melee  that  ensued  was  tremendous. 
Wads  flew  like  bullets.  We  shot  one  man, 
took  several  prisoners,  and  were  left  masters 
of  the  field.  At  sight  of  the  haughty  foe  in 
flisht    I    veiled   mv    throat    into   tatters.      Tlie 


llisioin    OK  (iKEATER  INDIANArOLIS. 


1:5: 


incident  is,  of  coiirx',  trivial:  3ct  it  was  of 
eonbequciicL'  to  me.  It  ])iit  a  final  finish  upon 
the  taste  for  military  life  by  turning  it  into  u 
genuine  passion.  It  was  my  initiation  into 
the  Ancient  and  Honorable  Order  of  Sol- 
diers."' 

Wallace  longed  for  !Me.\ico,  and  war.  He 
hastened  to  the  office  of  the  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral before  the  call  was  issued,  seeking  an 
interview.  He  says:  ''David  Reynolds,  the 
incumbent,  was  a  good-looking  person,  stout, 
rubicund,  afl'able,  who  had  not  yet  appeared 
in  uniform.  He  knew  nothing  military,  and, 
to  his  credit,  he  made  no  pretension  to  such 
knowledge.  His  appreciation  of  the  title  even 
needed  cultivation.  He  was  intelligent  an<i 
willing  to  learn.  I  found  him  in  a  riustered 
state  not  unlike  that  of  a  mother  hen  unex- 
pectedly visited  by  a  marauding  hawk.  There 
were  a  hundred  things  to  do — blanks  to  be 
prepared,  books  to  be  opened — cnerything,  in- 
deed, that  ouglit  to  have  been  done  long  be- 
fore, and  that  would  liave  been  done  but  for 
the  lack  of  the  needful  appro]jriation.  A  cor- 
responding inexperience  on  the  [jart  of  the 
Governor  heightened  tiie  confusion  of  the  staff 
officers.  *  *  *  I  |,;„|  the  good  fortune  to 
know  him,  though  at  a  distance.  His  position 
was  too  e.xalted  for  familiar  acquaintance  with 
so  young  a  man.  He  was  a  lover  of  l>ooks. 
His  fine  liijrary  was  useful  as  well  as  orna- 
mental. It  was  a  certificate  that  his  re])utation 
for  learning  and  scholarly  altaiiuncnts  was  de- 
served. *  *  *  i[is  picture  in  the  state 
librar)'  is  a  better  likeness  of  the  war  governor 
than  the  statue  under  the  monument.  If  in 
speaking  of  him  one  confines  remarks  to  his 
abilities  as  a  statesman,  the  choicest  terms  of 
eulogy  may  be  used  with  pniprictv  :  but  he  was 
not  a  soldier. ""- 

.Vnd  yet  these  were  tiie  men  that  made  In- 
diana's fine  recoril  for  ])romptness  in  this  emer- 
gency, (iovernor  WJiitcoinb  did  not  wait  for 
appro))riations.  He  liorrowed  the  needed  funds 
from  the  banks  that  were  willing  to  loan  on  his 
))ersonal  and  official  7'cs]ionsibility.  One  has 
but  to  glance  over  the  coiitcni|iorary  accounts 
cojleeted  in  that  most  a<imirable  volume  of 
Col.  Oran  Perry's,  "Indiana  in  tlic  Mexican 
\\  ar",   to   sec   liow   cpiickK    ami    bow     I'lilh-    he 


mastered  the  situation.  Nor  was  Reynolds 
lacking.  Says  Perry:  "Fortunately  for  the 
reputation  of  the  state,  the  incumbent.  Gen- 
eral David  Reynolds,  was  a  man  of  superior  ex- 
ecutive ability,  dauntless  in  all  emergencies, 
a  tireless  worker,  and  blessed  with  an  abun- 
dance of  common  sense,  which  largely  offset 
his  inexperience.  His  success  in  rapidly  or- 
ganizing the  State's  quota  for  the  war  had  no 
parallel  at  that  time,  and  in  1847  a  grateful 
legislature  recognized  the  fact  by  adding  $1.50 
to  his  salary  for  that  year."''  The  addition 
looks  better  when  it  is  remembered  that  liis 
regular  salary  was  $100  a  year,  and  "find  him- 
self with  office,  stationery  and  fuel.  Inex- 
])erienced  as  he  was,  Adjutant-General  Rey- 
nolds sent  Wallace  away  with  the  information 
that  a  call  would  be  made,  and  that  anybody 
might  raise  a  company,  subject  to  acceptance 
by  the  Governor;  and  of  his  use  of  the  knowl- 
edge I  let  him  tell : 

"There  was  much  talk  in  Indianapolis  about 
volunteering.  Other  parts  of  the  state  wore 
showing  activity.  I  bustled  about,  interview- 
ing members  of  the  'Grays'  and  'Arabs'.  To 
my  argument  that  the  term  of  service  was 
short,  only  one  year,  some  of  them,  witii  an 
earnestness  implying  personal  experience,  re- 
plied that  a  year  was  ample  time  in  which 
to  die.  Fiiuilly,  in  fear  of  the  passing  of  the 
ojjportunity,  I  resolved  to  open  a  recruiting 
office  myself.  The  town  could  not  mort'  than 
laugh  at  me.  So  I  took  a  room  on  Washington 
street  and  hired  a  drummer  and  fifer.  Out  of 
the  one  front  window  of  the  building  I  pro- 
jected a  flag,  then  a  transparency  inscribed  on 
its  four  faces  'For  ^fexico.  Fall  in'.  I  at- 
tacked the  astonished  public  in  the  street. 
The  first  round  was  jirodnctive.  A  dozen  or 
more  young  men  fell  into  tlie  procession.  With- 
in three  days  the  company  was  full.  In  the 
election  of  officers,  .lames  P.  Drake  was  chosen 
ca|)tain  and  John  McDougall,  first  lieutenant. 
The  second  lieutenancy  was  given  to  me.  Upon 
acceptation  by  tiie  Governor,  we  were  ordered 
to  the  general  rendezvous  at  Xcw  .\ll)anv,  on 
the  Ohio  Hiver."' 

The  Indiaiia|)oiis  company  was  not  first.  Its 
commissions  were  issued  on  JntU'  I.  'I'hose  of 
the    Dearlwirn    \'nl  iiri1<'crs    ,iiid    MoMi'ne    (luai'ds 


'.1  iitobiuf/nijilii/. 
-.[  iitohloi/riijiln/. 


fllS-!). 


'fnilidiKi   ill   till'   Mf.niini 
*A  iili>hi<iiiriijili  I/.  |i.    f  11. 


:?. 


i:J8 


HISTOIIV  OK  (iRKATKli  IXDlAXArOLlS. 


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HISTOHV  OK  (iliKA  ri:if,   IXDIAXAI'OI.IS. 


13!) 


were  issuoil  (III  llic  1st;  the  Putnam  IJIuo  ami 
Cass  County  \'ohinteers  ou  the  '-iud ;  the  Mont- 
gomery Volunteers  and  Johnson  Guards  on  the 
3d.  The  Clarion  Volunteers  went  into  camp 
near  the  city,  and  after  two  weeks  of  drill 
they  were  started  on  the  17th  on  their  march, 
or  rather  on  their  ride,  for  enthusiastic  farm- 
ers had  volunteered  their  wagons  to  take  them 
to  Kdinhurg.  to  which  point  the  .Madison  rail- 
road was  then  opened.  They  marched  to  the 
door  of  Drake's  Hotel  (west  of  the  Lombard 
building)  and  there  were  presented  a  flag  by 
the  ladies  of  the  city.  Sarah  T.  Bolton  made 
the  presentation  address,  and  responses  were 
made  by  Cajitain  Drake  for  the  company,  John 
II.  Bradley  for  the  citizens,  and  (rovernor 
\\'hitcond)  for  the  state.  Then  they  started 
with  the  godspeeds  of  the  multitude,  for  all 
of  Marion  County  seemed  to  have  gathered  for 
the  departure.  To  Madison  by  rail,  and  New 
Albany  by  boat,  then  to  camp  for  two  weeks 
on  tlir  old  estate  of  (ieorge  Rogers  Clark, 
then  called  Camp  Whitcomb.  and  be  mustered 
in.  On  July  ,5,  the  Marion  Volunteeis,  now 
Company  II,  of  the  First  Regiment,  marched 
on  board  the  steamer  (irace  Darling,  and 
started  for  New  Orleans.  The  company  had 
reorganized  at  New  Albany.  Captain  Drake 
having  been  elected  colonel  of  the  regiment. 
John  McDougall  was  chosen  captain,  and  Noah 
Noble  Campbell,  first  lieutenant  in  ]ilacc  oC 
McDougall. 

If  ever  a  military  organization  was  I'ntitlcd 
to  ]iromulgate  a  hard-luck  story  it  was  the 
Marion  volunteers — or  rather  the  whole  First 
Indiana  regiment.  They  got  their  first  taste 
of  real  soldiering  at  New  Orleans  in  their  camp 
on  (ienci-al  Jackson's  battlefield,  wbirli  was 
romantic  but  very  damp.  The  regiment  crossed 
the  Oulf  in  two  ships,  the  Flavio,  of  fi-10  tons, 
taking  five  comiianies,  and  the  Sophia  Walker, 
of  ;i.")0  tons,  taking  thive,  including  the  In- 
diana)Kilis  company.  Two  comjianies  were  left 
behind  temporarily.  The  voyage  was  fairly 
pleasant  for  those  who  were  not  seasick,  and 
could  keep  out  of  range  of  those  who  were.'' 
Arrived  at  Point  Isabel,  the  regiment 
was  marched  ten  miles  u|)  llie  R'io 
Grande  and  eani]ieil  in  a  mcscpiili'  chap- 
arral, about  a  mile  fi-oin  I  be  rivci-. 
separated     by    a    low.     wet     bottom,     through 


which  all  the  water  for  the  camp  had  to  be 
carried.  Here  they  began  to  experience  the 
ills  common  to  all  soldiers  who  do  not  know 
how  to  take  care  of  themselves,  and  whose 
officers  do  not  know  how  to  care  for  them. 
Measles  and  diarrluea  broke  out  in  the  camp. 
.Many  died  and  most  of  those  who  did  not 
were  greatly  enfeelded.  They  were  learning 
the  lesson  that  with  unsanitary  living,  disease 
always  causes  more  deaths  than  the  arms  of 
the  enemy.  In  the  Civil  War  the  deaths  from 
disease  were  249,23.5,  while  only  110,070  were 
killed  in  battle."  In  the  Spanish  War  the  pro- 
|)ortion  was  far  greater,  4,015  by  disease  to  208 
killed  in  battle,  because  there  was  so  little 
fighting."  The  great  stress  of  militia  train- 
ing now  is  on  the  preservation  of  health,  and 
every  commissioned  ofiicer  has  to  pass  an  ex- 
amination in  sanitation.  It  is  as  important, 
if  not  more  so,  to  know  where  to  place  a  camp 
as  to  know  where  to  place  a  battery. 

Fortunately  the  supply  of  medicine,  wlii^-h 
consisted  in  those  days  of  opium  pills  and 
calomel,  gave  out  about  the  time  the  sickly 
season  ended  in  the  fall,  and  the  health  of 
the  troops  began  to  improve.  But  there  were 
no  indications  of  an  order  to  move  towards 
the  front.  It  became  evident  that  the  First 
Indiana  was  to  be  left  in  tliat  wretched  hole 
to  guard  communications.  I{e(|uests  to  move 
had  no  effect.  But  finally,  after  weary  weeks 
of  waiting  Gen.  Robert  Patterson  came  along 
and  ordereil  an  advance  to  Walnut  Springs. 
Then  there  was  joy.  The  regiment  was  to 
get  some  share  of  the  glory  others  were  ac- 
quiring. It  marched  with  alacrity.  On  De- 
cember 24,  it  had  reached  Corristos,  only  six 
miles  from  Walnut  Springs,  when  it  received 
orders  fnmi  (Jen.  Taylor  to  march  back. 
There  had  been  a  mistake.  The  communica- 
tions must  be  guarded.  Back  they  must  go 
into  the  pacific  and  jirosaic  nnid-hole.  .\nd 
that  was  iioi  all.  .Along  the  line  of  mai-ch 
they  had  been  passing  <ilber  troops  that  had 
been  left  behind,  and  which  had  cursed  lustily 
because  this  regiment  was  brought  up  from  be- 
hind them.  Now  the  First  had  to  march  back 
past  these  envious  creatures,  and  they  were 
idiotic  enough   to  think    it   was    funny.     Gen. 


^Indiana  in  the  Me.riniii  ]\'(ii:  p.  S3. 


'' F d.r' s    li'fi/iiiiciiliil    l.dssi's,    p.     111. 
'•lie purl    of    A'/j'l     drill..    Vol.     1,    Pr. 
1(111. 


IRI 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATEK  INDIANAPOLIS. 


George  F.  lIcGiuniss  was  a  lieutenant  in  the 
Second  Ohio,  stationed  at  the  time  at  Punta 
Aguida,  and  he  recalls  with  undisguised  glee 
how  they  chaffed  the  First  Indiana  as  it 
marched  back  again.  And  it  stayed  back  till 
the  j'ear  of  enlistment  had  expired,  and  it 
was  sent  home.  It  was  a  horrible  blow  to  all  of 
them,  but  worst  of  all  to  Lew  Wallace.  Think 
of  a  man  who  had  been  dreaming  of  '"the 
lialls  of  the  Monteznmas"'"  for  years,  who 
knew  the  City  of  Mexico  by  heart  without 
having  seen  it,  brought  this  near  and  then 
stopped  absolutely  and  hopelessly.  Think 
of  a  young  fellow  full  of  military  ardor,  a 
dreamer  by  nature,  forced  to  hear  the  stories  of 
the  glorious  acliievements  of  the  others,  so  near 
at  hand,  while  his  regiment  did  practically 
nothing  but  take  medicine  and  bury  the  dead. 
No  wonder  he  hated  Taylor.  Xo  wonder  he 
tried  to  prevent  his  nomination  for  the  pres- 
idency. No  wonder  he,  a  Whig  born  and  bred, 
edited  a  campaign  paper  against  the  oppressor, 
and,  when  he  was  elected,  went  over  bag  and 
baggage  to  the  Democrats. 

And  so  the  ilarion  Volunteers  came  home 
with  hardly  a  smell  of  powder  and  large  quan- 
tities of  experience,  but  it  was  all  the  same 
here.  They  were  all  veterans.  The  first  Regi- 
ment shared  in  the  glories  of  the  Third  and 
the  martyrdom  of  the  Second  under  imjust 
criticism.  Extensive  preparation  was  made  at 
Indianapolis  for  the  public  reception  of  the 
volunteers,  but  instead  of  coming  in  a  body 
they  came  in  squads,  and  spoiled  the  pro- 
gramme. And  there  was  another  event  to  turn 
attention  from  any  celebration.  There  had 
been  several  Indianapolis  people  in  other  or- 
ganizations than  the  company  raised  here,  and 
among  them  none  better  known  or  more  popu- 
lar than  Trustin  B.  Kinder.  He  had  gone  down 
to  Orange  Couuty  to  practice  law,  and  when 
the  war  came  on  he  volunteered  there,  and  his 
company,  of  which  he  was  captain  went  into 
the  Second  Regiment.  He  fell  at  Buena  A'ista, 
and  his  body  was  brought  home  for  burial, 
and  it  was  the  only  one  of  the  Indianapolis 
dead  that  was  l)rouglit  back.  Luther  Reck, 
son  of  the  first  Lutheran  clergyman  here,  had 
been  drowned  in  the  Rio  Grande  on  August 
18,  ia4fi,''  and  Harry  Cartwright.  John  John- 
son, Jerome  Lutz,  Wm.  Green,  Edward  ;N[alone 


"Indiana  in  the  Mrslran  ^Vlll•.  p.  04. 


and  John  Peyton  had  succumbed  to  disease, 
but  their  bodies  had  been  left  on  Mexican  soil. 
Captain  Kinder's  funeral  was  on  July  12, 
1847.  His  company  had  come  from  Paoli  to 
attend  the  service,  and  acted  as  escort  while  a 
great  concourse  joined  in  the  procession.  It 
was  by  far  the  largest  funeral  ever  seen  in 
Indianapolis  up  to  that  time  and  for  years 
afterwards.  The  remains  were  escorted  from 
his  father's  house  to  the  State  House  Square 
where  the  services  were  held.  A  prayer  was 
offered  by  the  Rev.  Kavanaugh,  a  sermon  de- 
livered by  the  Rev.  Gillette,  and  an  eulogv'  by 
the  Rev.  Ames;  after  which  the  funeral  train 
moved  down  to  the  old  graveyard.  Here  an 
oration  was  pronounced  by  John  T.  Morrison, 
and  the  soldier  was  consigned  to  his  grave  with 
military  honors.  To  the  wreaths  upon  his 
grave,  Sarah  T.  Bolton  added  her  immortelle 
of  song — - 

"Gallant  soldier,  farewell ; 

True,  thy  country  has  jjroved  thee, 
And  thy  memory  will  dwell 

In    the    warm    hearts    that    love    thee." 

On  April  34,  1847,  Governor  'Wliitcomb  is- 
sued a  call  for  another  regiment  for  the  Mex- 
ican War,  and  a  company  was  organized  here 
with  Edward  Lander  as  captain ;  Abraham  B. 
B.  Lewis,  first  lieutenant ;  Benjamin  Pill- 
bean,  second  lieutenant,  and  Joseph  Combs, 
third  lieutenant,  by  ilay  'i'i.  It  left  on  the 
2fith  for  the  rendezvous.  The  ladies  of  the 
city  made  them  a  banner,  but  as  it  was  not 
ready  when  they  left  the  presentation  was 
made  on  their  behalf  by  Adjutant-General  Rey- 
nolds, at  Jeffersonville,  on  July  T.  The  Fourth 
regiment,  in  which  they  were  t'onipany  D,  or- 
ganized on  June  1(5.  electing  Willis  A.  Gor- 
man of  Monroe  County,  colonel;  Ebenezer  Du- 
mont  of  Dearborn — fonner  principal  of  the 
Marion  County  seminary — lieutenant-colonel, 
and  William  ilcCoy,  of  Laporte  Couuty,  major. 
On  the  24th  they  left  New  Orleans  for  Mex- 
ico on  the  "Sophia  Walker,"  the  same  boat  that 
took  the  former  Indianapolis  company,  but 
they  had  better  luck  than  their  predecessors. 
They  were  assigned  to  Joe  Lane's  brigade  and 
went  almost  direct  to  Vera  Cruz,  from  which 
they  marched  on  September  18  for  the  City 
of  Mexico.  They  got  into  some  of  the  pret- 
tiest fighting  of  the  war,  at  Iluamantla,  Puebla, 
Tlascala  and  Atlixco. 


IllSKiKV   (»!•■  GHEATEK   1  N JUAXAPOLIS. 


141 


As  llitTr  were  ?i'\X'r;il  organized  coiiipaniL'S 
in  tiie  state  desirous  of  going  to  tlie  front, 
Adjutant-General  Eeyuolds  notified  the  Secre- 
tary of  Wav  of  the  fact,  and  James  J  I.  Lane 
was  authorized  to  raise  another  Indiana  regi- 
ment. The  call  was  issued  by  Governor  Wliit- 
eomb  on  August  31.  A  company  was  raised  at 
Jiulianapolis  witii  Jolui  McDougall,  wlio  iiad 
served  in  the  First  regiment,  as  captain; 
Thomas  iIaeBal<er,  of  the  Kifles,  as  lirst  lieu- 
tenant; Wm.  C.  KJse,  second  lieutenant,  and 
Thomas  0'"N"eal,  third  lieutenant.  This  be- 
came Company  F,  of  the  Fifth  Indiana.  The 
rotriment  was  full  on  September  •^;i.  and  on 
the  "JTth,  the  Indianapolis  company,  then  called 
the  Center  (iuards,  left  for  Madison.  The 
regiment  organized  on  October  'i'i.  with  James 
Jl.  Lane,  colonel:  Alli-ii  May.  ol'  .Montgomery 
County,  lieutenant-colonel,  and  JoJin  ilyers, 
major.  Dr.  James  S.  Athou  was  surgeon  of 
this  regiment,  and  John  M.  Lord,  adjutant. 
The  regiment  was  hurried  to  tiie  front,  arriv- 
ing at  Vera  Cruz  on  }\ovember  'H.  They  were 
in  time  to  "in  at  the  death",  and  had  the 
satisfaction  of  camping  with  the  Fourth  In- 
diana and  others  at  En  Cerro,  the  estate  of 
Santa  Anna,  preparatory  to  their  return  home. 

A  consideration  of  the  troops  furnished  by 
JLarion  County  for  llie  ^lexiean  War-  would 
indicate  that  there  was  no  intense  interest  in 
tiiat  contlict  at  this  ])oint,  and  there  was  not. 
This  was  a  Whig  stronghold  and  as  a  jiarty 
they  were  opposed  to  the  war.  though,  at  the 
same  time,  as  citizens  they  felt  under  the 
necessity  of  supporting  it  after  the  country 
had  got  into  it.  Clayton  and  Corwin  put  this 
inconsistency  at  their  fellow  Whigs  in  Con- 
gress in  a  very  pointed  way.  And  liicir  bigic 
was  unanswerable.      II'  it   were  "a   war  of   in- 


vasion " ;  if  it  were  an  unconstitutional  act  for 
the  President  to  declare  that  war  "existed"', 
and  to  order  the  troops  forward  without  any 
declaration  of  war  by  Congress;  if  it  were  "an 
unholy  war"  and  "waged  in  the  interest  of 
slaveholders  for  the  acquisition  of  slave  ter- 
ritory", why  should  a  conscientious  Wliig  sup- 
port it?  But  the  people  \wr{i  evidently  for 
war,  as  Americans  usually  are,  and  it  would 
be  suicidal  politics  to  oppose  "my  country, 
right  or  wrong".  And  so  the  average  Whig 
drifted  along  with  the  current  waiting  for 
the  chance  to  say,  "I  told  you  so"',  that  never 
came.  The  feeling  is  cautiously  expressed 
in  the  Journal's  observation  when  the  call  for 
the  Fifth  regiment  came:  "We  understand  that 
Governor  \Vhitcomb  received  by  yesterday's 
mail  a  requisition  for  another  regiment  of  vol- 
unteers from  this  state.  It  would  appear  that 
the  President  has  not  nuuli  liopes  of  either 
purchasing  or  conquering  a  peace  very  soon. 
The  end  is  not  yet."  '■'  But  the  brilliant  suc- 
cess of  the  war  disposed  of  that  horn  of  the 
dilenuna,  and  the  Whigs  certainly  made  the 
best  of  the  situation  when  they  nominated 
Taylor  for  president,  though  they  said  in  their 
platform  that  he  had  gone  into  the  war  with 
reluctance.  This  political  feeling  probably 
furnishes  the  real  explanation  of  why  the  mil- 
itia companies  here  did  not  volunteer  as  or- 
ganizations: and  the  expressions  of  fear  of 
death  by  their  members,  of  whicli  Lew  Wallace 
speaks  above,  shouKl  be  taken  as  evasions  rather 
than  sincere  statements  of  sentiment.  They 
were,  no  doubt,  based  on  the  theory  of  the 
legal  aphorism  that,  "A  bad  answer  is  good 
enough  answer  to  a  bad  complaint"'. 


'■'Jnurnal,  September  7,  181^ 


CHAPTER  XV. 


ADVENT  OF  THE  EAILROADS. 


If  ever  the  adjective  '"pathetic'"  can  be 
properly  applied  to  a  public  failure,  it  may 
rightfully  be  used  for  the  breakdowu  of  In- 
diana's internal  improvement  system.  It  was 
of  such  vast  consequence  and  so  near  success. 
Xever  did  a  people  undertake  a  great  enter- 
prise on  more  apparently  rational  grounds. 
And  they  came  so  near  to  accomplishing  sorae- 
tliing  really  great.  Just  a  little  dift'ei;ence  of 
jiolicy  here  and  there  would  have  carried  them 
tiirough.  If  they  had  put  their  money  into 
railroads  instead  of  high-line  canals;  if  they 
had  put  the  southern  terminus  of  the  one  rail- 
road they  did  undertake  at  Jeffersonville  in- 
stead of  Madison :  if  __they  had  started  on  the 
high  level  at  Madison,  and  put  off  till  later  the 
work  on  the  "Deep  Diggings"  to  the  lowei- 
ground,  in  which  so  much  money  was  sunk; 
if  thev  had  taken  up  one  tiling  at  a  time, 
finished  it  and  put  it  on  a  paying  basis  before 
beginning  another ;  on  any  of  these  lines  they 
might  have  succeeded.  But  they  did  not,  and 
on  the  face  of  the  situation  they  were  Justified 
in  expecting  to  get  through  on  the  basis  on 
which  they  started.  Possildy,  if  the  panic  of 
1837  had  not  occurred  they  would  have  suc- 
ceeded. As  it  was,  the  report  of  the  State 
Auditor  for  1840  shows  that  up  to  that  time 
the  State  had  expended  for  turnpike  roads 
$412,32G.-2o:  for  the  Indianapolis  and  :\[adi- 
son  Railroad,  $l,fi24,(i03.0r),  and  for  canals. 
$8.108,543,— a  total  of  $10,204,273,34.  And 
for  all  this  it  had  ])ractically  not  one  cent's 
worth  of  property  to  show.  If  it  had  suc- 
ceeded it  would  have  had  valuable  properties 
that  would  have  been  sources  of  revenue,  in- 
creasing in  value  daily ;  instead  of  having  as 
now  practically  all  of  the  state's  transporta- 
tion lines  owned  outside  the  state. 

There  were  persons  who  advised  mure  wisely 


at  the  time.  On  Xoveniber  27,  1835,  the  Jour- 
nal jiublished  a  long  and  strong  letter  from 
S.  Whitnuin,  of  Xew  Alliany,  advocating  rail- 
roads in  ])reference  to  canals  on  the  substan- 
tial grounds  that  they  were  cheaper  to  con- 
struct ;  gave  more  rapid  transit ;  could  be 
used  all  the  year  round  while  canals  froze  up 
in  winter;  and  were  less  liable  to  get  out  of  re- 
pair so  as  to  interfere  with  traffic.  The  cost 
of  a  railroad  of  course  depends  largely  on 
the  kind  of  country  it  runs  through,  and  heavy 
cutting  and  lilling  cost  more  then  than  now. 
The  state  began  the  road  from  iladison  to 
Indianapolis  in  1838,  and  in  1842  had  com- 
pleted 28  miles  from  the  start,  as  well  as  hav- 
ing done  about  half  the  grading  and  bridging 
for-tlie  next  28  miles.  It  then  surrendered 
the  work  to  a  company,  being  tinaiu-ially  un- 
able to  go  on  itself,  which  took  jiossession  in 
February,  1843.  The  inclined  plane  at  ^ladi- 
son,  and  the  heavy  cuts  and  tills  south  of  Ver- 
non, made  an  average  cost  for  this  part  of  the 
road,  built  by  the  state,  of  $40,000  a  mile. 
The  balance  of  the  road  from  Six  Mile  Creek 
to  Indiana]iolis,  furnished  by  the  company, 
and  laid  with  iwir  rail,  cost  less  than  $8,000 
a  mile.  The  branch  from  Edinburgh  to  Shel- 
byville,  sixteen  miles,  cost  only  $800  a  mile 
for  grading  and  bridging.  Tlu^  road  could 
have  been  built  from  Jeft'ersonville  over  much 
more  favorable  ground ;  in  fact,  the  Jeiferson- 
ville  road  when  built  to  Edinburgh,  had  cost 
for  the  78  miles,  only  $1,185,000,  or  about 
two-thirds  of  what  the  state  paitl  for  the  28 
miles  from  ^ladison.  And,  moreover,  it  would, 
if  built  to  Jetfersonville.  have  been  completed 
much  sooner,  and  would  liave  had  a  vastly 
more  important  terminus. 

There  had  been  some  effort  at  railroads  by 
private  ecun|)anies  before  the  state  adopted  its 


142 


niSTOl.'V   OF  (lltKATF.i;    1  X  I  H  A  N  A  IM  »1.1S. 


143 


internal  iiii]tn)\cmL'nl  sehciuL'.  Inileod  In- 
diana caught  the  railroad  fever  very  early  for 
it  began  chartering  railroads  in  183"^,  and  the 
first  one  in  the  countrv — a  horse-tram,  3  miles 
long  from  the  granitt'  quarries  at  Quiuey, 
Massai-luisetts,  had  been  iniilt  in  18"2(i-T,, 
and  the  first  steam  locomotive  built 
in  the  Tnited  States  was  completed  in 
1830.  The  succe>s  of  sh(n't  lines,  chiefly 
in  coiniection  with  mines,  created  an 
enthusiasm  for  railroads  throughout  the  coun- 
try, and  on  Fi'liruary  2  and  3,  1832,  the  legis- 
lature of  Indiana  chartered  eight  companies. 
five  of  which  were  to  connect  Indianapolis  with 
the  Ohio  l{iver.  They  were  the  T.iawrenceburg 
and  Indianajjolis.  \ia  .\a|>oleon  and  Greens- 
burg:  the  Harrison  and  Indianapolis,  from 
Harrison,  Dearborn  County,  via  Brookville 
and  Hushville:  the  ^ladison  and  La- 
fayette, via  Indianapolis;  the  Xew  Al- 
bany, Salem  and  indianajiolis,  via  Co- 
lumbus; and  the  Ohio  and  Indianapolis,  from 
Jeffersonville  via  Columbus.  The  other  three 
were  the  Ohio  and  Lafayette,  from  the  Falls 
to  Lafayette;  the  Wabash  and  ]\Iichigan,  fi-om 
Lafayette  to  "the  mouth  of  Dishman,'  or  Trail 
Creek,  ill  Laporte  County'";  and  the  Richmond, 
Eaton  and  Jlianii,  from  Richmond  to  Hamil- 
ton, Ohio.  The  ln(liana])olis  people  inter- 
ested in  these  ventures  at  the  start  were,  in 
the  Lawrenceburg  and  Indianapolis,  Nicholas 
McCarty.  Heiijaniin  1.  I'.lvthi'  and  James 
niake;  in  the  Harrison  and  Indianapolis,  Isaac 
X.  Phipi)s.  llervey  Bates  and  Alfred  Harrison; 
in  the  Xew  .\lbany,  Salem  and  Indianapolis, 
A.  C.  Reid ;  in  the  Ohio  and  Indianapolis, 
James  >rorrison  and  James  Blake. 

None  of  these  roads  were  Imilt  under 
their  original  charters,  tliongh  roads  were  later 
eonstnietecl  on  nearly  all  the  lines  selected. 
Surveys  were  made  on  several,  but  tlie  only 
constriietion  by  any  was  a  mile  and  a  c|uarter 
of  road  at  Shelbyvillc,  made  by  the  Lawrence- 
burg and  liidianajiolis  Company,  which,  as 
tile  first  in  Indiana,  is  of  ])assing  interest. 
James  Hlake,  as  president,  i)ro  tem,  of  the 
coniiiany,  made  a  report  on  December  5,  1834, 
of  the  work  aeconiplisbed  and  of  the  lio|ies 
based  on  it.  M  that  time  railroad-building 
was  so  much  in  its  infanev  that  most  of  the 
work    was    ex])erimental.      The    most    common 


Du    Clicniin — site   (d'    ^MieliiLi'an    Citv. 


mode  of  conslniction  was  lu  lay  cross-ties  on 
stone  at  either  end,  and  on  these  place  heavy 
wooden  rails,  which  were  capped  with  bar- 
iron.  This  mode  was  not  altogether  satisfac- 
tory, as  there  was  no  stone  along  part  of  the 
line.  The  following  extracts  from  Mr.  Blake"s 
rej)ort  will  give  an  idea  of  the  work: 

"With  a  view  to  ascertain  whether  long 
pieces  of  timber  laid  lengthwise  the  road,  one 
on  each  side  for  the  cro-ss  ties  to  rest  upon, 
might  not  answer  in  the  place  of  broken  stone 
foundation,  the  one  mile  and  a  (piarter  of  the 
road  at  Shelbyvillc  was  laid  in  that  manner. 
Tindier  of  various  kinds,  si.x  liy  eight  inches, 
and  twenty  feet  long,  and  completely  covered 
with  earth,  have  been  used  for  this  purpose. 
*  *  *  After  the  road  is  laid,  the  stone  for 
the  horse  path  (should  one  be  thought  neces- 
sary) can  be  readily  brought  upon  the  road 
from  the  extensive  (piarries  on  Flat  Rock,  at 
a  very  litile  expense.  *  *  *  There  are, 
however,  tuo  alterations  in  the  |)lan  of  con- 
struction which  the  Board  is  desirous  of  mak- 
ing. The  road  in  every  respect  is  calculated 
for  the  use  of  locomotive  power — and  the  speed 
and  cheapness  of  that  power  over  every  other, 
will  no  doubt  occasion  it  to  be  adopted  on 
this  road  as  it  has  been  on  almost  every  other 
of  any  extent  in  the  L'nited  States  and  in 
Kuro])c.  It  would,  therefore,  be  pro]ier  at 
once  to  save  the  ex])ense  of  a  horse  path.  This 
is  estimated  to  cost  three  hundred  dollars  per 
mile,  and  supposing  the  road  to  be  ninety  miles 
long,  twenty-seven  thousand  dollars  may  be 
saved.  A  sum  sufficient  to  procure  all  the 
locomotive  power  necessary  for  a  long  time. 
And  it  will  likewise  su))ercede  the  outlay  of 
capital  that  would  otherwise  be  necessarily  in- 
vested in  horses.  In  additiim  to  these  advan- 
tages, if  steam  alone  should  be  used,  the  in- 
termediate space  between  the  rails  need  not  be 
so  entirely  filled  with  earth  as  is  required  by 
the  horse  path,  and  thus  the  rails,  at  least, 
mav  he  tnade  to  last  many  years  longer  than 
lbc\-  would  do  were  they  brought  into  immedi- 
ate contact    with   the  earth.     *     *     * 

"Having  foi'med  and  ex])ressed  the  intention 
of  completing  this  ])iece  of  road  by  the  4th 
of  .Inly  last,  umh'r  the  expectation  of  having 
Mr.  Van  De  GralT  to  sui)erintend  it,  the  Board 
found  it  necessary  to  comply  with  the  expecta- 
tions of  the  pidilic  on  the  subject,  notwith- 
standing  Ibev   were   d isa ppoii\ted    in    procuring 


14  + 


HISTORY  OF  OKPLVTER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


an  engineer  as  early  as  was  expected.  This 
piece  of  road  was  accordingly  let  out  in  quarter- 
mile  sections,  and  completed  in  about  two 
months  by  its  enterprising  contractors.  And 
when  it  is  considered  that  it  was  built  with- 
out tlie  aid  of  competent  engineers, — by  men 
without  experience  in  such  works,  and  with 
the  ordinary  labour  of  the  country,  it  is  not 
only  highly  creditable  to  those  concerned,  but 
is  also  calculated  to  give  great  confidence  in 
the  ability  of  the  country  to  construct  the 
work  throughout  the  whole  route,  and  at  a 
cost  far  below  the  engineer's  estimate.  In 
the  course  of  the  day  (July  -1)  between  six 
and  eight  hundred  persons  were  passed 
upon  tlie  road  by  one  car,  a  distance  out  and 
in  of  two  and  a  half  miles.  One  horse  was 
found  able  to  draw  from  forty  to  fifty  per- 
sons at  the  rate  of  nineteen  miles  per  hour, 
and  this  when  all  the  work,  both  of  car  and 
road,  was  new  and  rough.  Owing  to  the  dif- 
ficulty of  procuring  an  engineer,  the  directors 
superintending  the  work  did  not  deem  it  proper 
to  carry  it  into  Shelbyvillc,  as  they  could  not 
tell  where  the  engineer  might  choose  to  cross 
the  river.  The  work  was,  therefore,  stopped 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  town.  Yet  it 
is  believed  that  it  affords  a  fair  specimen  of 
the  cost  of  construction  through  the  line  of 
level  country  already  spoken  of.  Upon  it  there 
is  one  cut  of  five  feet ;  one  embankment  of 
five  feet,  and  one  of  ten — two  curves  and  two 
bridges,  already  mentioned,— all  in  the  dis- 
tance of  one  and  a  quarter  miles,  and  the  whole 
cost  was  one  thousand  five  hundred  dollars 
per  mile.''  Mr.  Blake  states  that  all  expenses 
to  date,  including  surveys,  have  been  $3,524.- 
471/^,  and  the  only  receipts  have  been  from 
passengers  at  Shelbyville,  from  which  "there 
has  been  received  eighty-three  dollars,  of  which 
sixtv  dollars  was  taken  on  the  4th  of  Julv 
last!" 

Under  the  agreement  with  the  company 
which  undertook  to  complete  the  iladison  rail- 
road, in  accordance  with  the  act  for  the  sur- 
render of  any  of  the  internal  improvement 
projects,'-  the  company  was  to  pay  the  state  a 
rental  of  $1,152  per  year  for  three  years.  This 
was  later  extended  to  ten  years  on  condition 
that  the  road  be  completed  to  Edinburgh  be- 
fore July,    1846,   and   to   Indianapolis   within 


-General  Laws  ISJiJ,  p.  3. 


two  years  afterward.  After  the  ten  years  the 
profits  of  the  road  were  to  be  divided  between 
the  state  and  the  company  in  proportion  to 
the  amount  constructed  by  each,  giving  the 
state  about  one-third.  The  company  com- 
[ilied  with  the  construction  requirements  by 
October  1,  184'i',  and  entered  on  a  career  of 
apparent  prosperity.  It  had  a  monopoly  of 
transportation  between  the  river  and  the  cen- 
tral part  of  the  state.  Population  and  busi- 
ness were  steadily  increasing  and  the  receipts 
of  the  road  grew  accordingly.  The  receipts 
from  transportation,  which  had  been  $22,110 
in  1843,  with  33  miles  of  track,  and  $60,053 
in  1845,  with  50  miles  of  track,  rose  in  1848 
(11  months,  owing  to  a  change  in  the  fiscal 
year)  to  $212,090;  in  1850  to  $272,308:  in 
1853  to  $516,414.  The  financial  success  of 
the  road  seemed  assured  from  this  point  of 
\'iew,  and  yet  in  1852  it  was  practically  bank- 
rupt. 

The  road  had  scarcely  begun  operation  be- 
fore the  defects  of  inexperience  began  to  ap- 
peal'. The  portion  constructed  by  the  state 
had  been  laid  with  light  T  rail,  and  the  rest 
with  bar  plate  on  wooden  rails.  Bj'  1848, 
]n-actically  all  of  this  had  to  be  replaced.  The 
ditching,  and  indeed  almost  every  feature  of 
tlie  original  work  had  been  inadequate,  and 
liad  to  be  done  over.  In  Februar_y,  1846,  Pres- 
ident Samuel  Merrill  said:  ''']\Iore  water  sta- 
tions must  be  made,  and  they  must  be  better 
adapted  to  the  business  of  the  road.  The 
turn-outs  at  Dupont's,  Butlers,  Yernon.  and 
Scipio  must  be  extended,  so. that  long  trains 
can  pass,  and  new  ones  must  be  made  at  Mid- 
dle Fork  and  Tannehill's  Depot.  More  tracks 
are  required  at  the  Hill  Depot,  and  more  room 
for  the  deposit  of  freight.  The  depot  in 
Madison  must  also  be  enlarged  to  double  its 
present  size.  A  new  locomotive  will  be  re- 
quired in  the  fall,  and  the  mmiber  of  cars 
must  be  considerably  increased."  There  were 
all  sorts  of  trouble,  some  of  which  seem  hardly 
sufficient  now  to  seriously  affect  the  business 
of  a  railroad,  but  they  did  then.  In  the  fall 
of  1855  there  was  a  prolonged  drought,  fol- 
lowed by  extreme  cold  and  much  snow  in  De- 
cember, and  President  Merrill  thus  depicts 
the  effects:  "When  frequently  not  less  than 
200  barrels  of  water  a  day  were  to  be  dipped  in 
buckets,  or  hauled  in  wagons :  when,  until  ap- 
paratus could  be  made  for  throwing  steam  into 


( 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


14') 


the  tank,  one  of  the  liose  was  usually  beforu 
the  furnace  to  melt  the  ice  in  it,  while  the  other 
was  in  use;  when  more  car  wheels  hroke  in  a 
month  than  had  previously  in  two  years:  wluii 
the  trips  rcquiretl  from  IS  to  20  hours  instead 
of  10,  the  usual  time,  it  is  a  matter  of  sur- 
prise that  so  much  was  done.  Wells  could  not 
be  dug  in  the  region  south  of  Rock  Creek, 
nor  suitable  hands  found  to  attend  the  pumps 
north,  and  it  was  only  by  great  exertions  of 
all  who  were  cm|>loyed  that  no  trips  were  lost. 
When  one  set  of  hands  was  worn  down  with 
fatigue,  another  took  their  places,  and  all  thai 
could  be  dnnc  under  the  circumstances  was 
effected." 

The  inclined  plane  at  ifadison  was  a  source 
of  heavy  expense  from  the  start.  On  ilarch 
28,  1844,  when  the  track  was  wet  and  slippery. 
a  loaded  freight  car  escaped  control  and  sped 
down  the  plane  colliding  with  a  ])assenger  train, 
and  killing  live  ])ersons  and  maiming  as  many 
more.  The  company  undertook  to  escape  the 
ditliculties  and  dangers  of  the  plane  hv  a  cog 
track,  known  as  the  Cathcart  patent,  for  which 
it  paid  Cathcart  $0,000.  About  $2,000  more 
was  spent  in  defending  the  patent  and  $T."),000 
for  installing  it.  But  this  did  not  secure  either 
safety  or  convenience,  and  when  the  state  sold 
its  interest  to  the  road  in  18.")2.  it  stipulated 
for  a  new  terminus.  On  A|)ril  10,  IM.").").  I'res- 
ident  Ellis  said:  "That  work  was  immediately 
connncnced.  over  three  hundred  thousand 
dollars  expended  thereon,  and  was  fin- 
\  ally  abandoned"'.  But  all  these  things  were 
'  of  minor  importance  as  compared  with  an- 
other element  of  disaster.  Tlie  company  ap- 
plied to  the  legislature  of  18.31-2  for  the  pur- 
chase of  the  state's  interest  in  the  road,  and 
by  the  act  of  ^February  28,  18.")2,  the  state 
sold,  agreeing  to  take  $600,000  in  state  stock. 
or  $.300,000  in  money,  payable  in  four  an- 
nual installments,  beginning  in  18.")l.  Ip  lo 
this  time  the  state  had  avoided  giving  any 
opening  to  competing  lines,  but  by  the  gen- 
eral law  of  May  11,  18.J2,  it  threw  the  door 
wide  open  to  construction  of  railroads  anv- 
where,  by  anybody.  The  results  most  barnirul 
to  the  Madison  road  were  the  construction  of 
the  JelTersonvillc  road,  giving  direct  competi- 
tion to  Indianapolis,  and  a  change  in  the  line 
of  the  Eawrenceburgh  and  l'))])er  ^Iississip])i 
road,  giving  more  direct  comniunicalion  with 
Cincinnati.  Says  President  Fllis:  "The  Imsiness 
Vol.  I— 10 


of  the  Madison  road  began  at  once  to  decline, 
at  the  most  rapid  rate,  and  the  line,  instead  of 
being  the  great  thoroughfare  for  trade  and 
travel,  became  a  local  road,  shorn  of  its  busi- 
ness and  profits".  It  made  an  effort  to  re- 
cover by  investing  half  a  million  dollars  in 
the  Columbus  and  Shelby  road,  and  buying 
the  controlling  interest  in  a  line  of  steamers, 
but  in  vain.     It  was  doomed. 

The  gross  earnings  of  the  Madison  road, 
which  had  reached  $47(5,892  in  1852,  dropped 
to  $2T.5,55T  in  18.54.  Its  stock,  which  sold  for 
$l.(iO  in  18o2  had  dro])ped  to  $(l.02ii;  in  Jau- 
uar}-,  18.56.  On  ifarcli  1,  18.5.5,  a  law  was 
passed  appointing  Governor  Wright,  Judge 
Thos.  S.  Stanfield  and  Elijah  Newlaud  com- 
missioners to  investigate  the  affairs  of  the 
Madison  road  and  comj)romise  to  the  best  ad- 
vantage the  debt  to  the  state.  The  commis- 
sioners reported  at  the  next  session  of  the  legis- 
lature, and  on  its  report  the  i-oad  was  a  hope- 
less wreck.  On  May  1,  18G1,  to  raise  the 
money  needed  for  its  terminal  and  other  work, 
the  company  had  placed  a  mortgage  of  $600,- 
000  on  the  entire  property,  due  in  10  years, 
and  on  this  there  was  $46,310  of  interest  in 
arrears.  The  state  had  taken  a  second  mort- 
gage for  its  $300,000  on  August  12,  18.53.  On 
October  1,  18.53,  a  third  mortgage  had  l)een 
executed  to  secure  $(iO().000  of  additional 
bonds,  and  of  these  $261,000  had  been  dis- 
posed of.  There  was  a  domestic  debt,  unse- 
cured, of  $287,286  for  repair  work,  material, 
damages,  etc.,  and  in  addition  to  this  $1,647,- 
SOO  of  outstanding  stock,  making  total  liabili- 
ties of  $3,132,396.  The  commissioners  said: 
"The  pecuniary  condition  of  this  company  is 
a  hopeless  insolvency,  and  to  some  extent  has 
been  rendered  so  by  the  legislative  policy  of 
the  state,  in  granting  (-barters  to  other  rail- 
road companies,  who  have  made  more  fortu- 
nate locations  in  securing  the  trade  and  travel 
of  the  country.  To  maintain  a  successful  com- 
jjctition  with  these  rival  roads,  the  company 
has  ex])ended  large  amounts  of  money — more 
than  the  entire  road  is  now  worth,  which  ex- 
|iendilure  has  become  almost  an  entire  loss. 
Most  of  this  money  has  been  lost  in  an  unsuc- 
cessful effort  to  avoid  the  inclined  plane  at 
^[adison,  and  the  building  of  branch  roads. 
-And  after  all  these  prodigal  ex]icnditurcs  W(>re 
made,  and  business  connections  formed  with 
other  companies,   it   was  still    dnonied    to    fall 


14G 


IIISTOKV   OF  (iUKATEi;   IXDIAXAPOLTS. 


fnun  its  position  of  a  trreat  leading  thorough- 
fare to  a  mere  local  road.  The  ex])ense  and 
hazard  in  transporting  over  the  inclined  plane 
at  Madison,  and  the  increased  distance  by  this 
route  over  others  to  the  principal  cities  on 
the  river,  will  forever  prevent  it  from  doing 
any  considerable  business,  other  than  that  in 
its   own    neig'hljorhood. 

"The  present  prospects  of  this  road  indicate 
the  entire  loss  of  its  capital  stock,  one  mil- 
lion six  hundred  and  fortv-seven  thousand  and 
eight  hundred  dollars,  and  also  the  $■.'(;!. 000 
of  Ijonds  issued  under  the  third  mortgage. 
and,  indeed,  it  seems  quite  evident  from  what 
has  already  been  shown,  that  when  the  first 
mortgage  bonds  become  due,  viz.:  May  1,  ISlJl, 
the  road  must  from  necessity  fall  into  the  hands 
of  tlie  bondliolders  under  that  mortgage.  That 
there  is  not  money  enough  in  it  to  justify  the 
state  or  anyone  else  to  take  the  road  by  pay- 
ing that  debt  and  the  other  necessary  o\itUtys 
that  will  be  added  to  it  by  the  time  the  bonds 
become  due."  On  this  situation  the  commis- 
sioners agreed  to  accept  $75,000  in  5  per  cent 
state  bonds  in  full  of  the  claim,  which  was 
dulv  paid,  and  the  mortgage  released.  The 
state  also  liad  $31,450  of"  stock  of  the  road, 
which  had  been  issued  as  earnings  dividends. 
when  the  road  was  sold  in  1852,  and  this  was 
then  exchanged  to  Winslow,  Lanier  &  Co.  for 
$59,300  of  state  Si/o  per  cent  stock.  These 
represent  the  state's  returns  from  the  ven- 
ture; and  the  settlement  was  a  good  one.  In 
January,  1854,  the  road  was  consolidated  with 
and  operated  with  the  Peru  for  a  few  moiitiis. 
and  then  this  relation  was  dissolved.  On 
J[arch  27,  18G2,  the  iladison  road  was  sold  on 
foreclosure  by  the  Ignited  States  Marshal,  for 
$325,000.  A  new  company  was  organized  and 
operated  the  road  for  a  year  of  two  wlien  it 
was  bought  by  and  consolidated  with  the  Jef- 
fersonville  road,  which  later  passed  into  tlu' 
Pennsylvania  Pailroad  system. 

In  reality  the  loss  to  the  state  was  not  so 
serious  as  the  lo.'is  to  the  stockholders  and 
bondholders.  The  state  got  all  the  advantage, 
of  opening  up  the  part  of  the  country  at  its 
center,  in  the  beginning;  and  by  its  course  in 
1852.  although  it  destroved  its  ])rospects  of 
getting  its  $300,000  from  the  Madison  road. 
it  produced  a  development  that  was  of  much 
greater  value  in  income  from  taxation.  No 
doubt   it  niiiiht   iiave   worked  out  a    svstem   of 


state-owned  railroads  by  different  management 
from  the  start ;  but  it  is  not  given  to  mankind 
to  use  the  knowledge  gained  by  exi^erience  and 
retrospection  in  the  exercise  of  foresight  as  to 
the  same  affairs.  The  great  point  at  the  time 
was  to  get  the  road  built  at  all,  and  the  bene- 
fit of  that  was  felt  imnu'diately,  es[iecially  at 
Indianapolis.  The  jieriod  of  isolation  of  the 
capital  was  ended.  A  new  era  was  opened. 
For  the  first  time  manufacture  for  other  than 
domestic  consumption  became  a  possii)ility,  and 
the  agricultural  products  of  the  region  be- 
came sensitive  to  the  movement  of  outside 
markets.  In  a  few  wc^ks  wheat  advanced  fi-om 
4(1  cents  a  bushel  to  90  cents.  Tudoulitedly 
the  railroad  investment  was  more  than  re- 
turned to  the  state;  and  undoubtedly  Indian- 
apolis and  Marion  County  had  value  received 
for  all  they  paid ;  and  they  paid  a  goodly 
share  in  the  subsequent  extinction  of  the  state 
debt  by  taxation. 

There  was  naturally  a  brisk  competition  for 
the  location  of  the  new  Madison  depot  at 
Indianapolis,  various  parties  offering  liberal 
donations,  but  it  was  finally  located  on  South 
street  between  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware, 
which  was  then  a  quarter  of  a  mile  outside  of 
the  Settled  district,  there  having  been  no  ex- 
tension of  the  town  south  of  Pogue"s  Kun. 
The  depot,  or  "depot  house"  as  it  was  tlun 
called,  was  built  in  1846-T,  and  though  the 
location  caused  a  great  deal  of  criticism  on 
account  of  its  "distance  from  business",  Mo- 
hanimeil  concluded  to  go  to  the  mountain,  and 
soon  an  embryo  town  sprang  u])  about  the 
depot.  On  September  9,  1848,  the  Loruniofii:e 
gave  the  following  description  of  the  progress 
in  that  vicinity :  ""Tlie  Depot  house  is  brick, 
substantially  built ;  the  first  building  is  50 
feet  square  and  two  stories  high.  This  is  oc- 
cupied as  offices,  rooms  for  clerks,  board  of 
directors,  ladies  sitting  room,  &c.  It  is  finely 
linishcd  and  is  a  handsome  looking  house.  The 
ware-house  extends  350  feet  from  the  front 
l)uilding,  and  is  50  feet  wide;  this  building 
is  l)riek,  with  a  covered  roof — the  eaves  ex- 
tending about  ten  feet  beyond  the  walls  on 
each  side,  affording  protection  from  the  sun 
and  rain.  The  cars  run  through  the  centre 
of  the  entire  building,  and  in  the  ware-house, 
on  either  side  of  the  cars,  is  amide  room  for 
storage. 

"On  the  east  of  the  railroad,  and  within  two 


•:*j 


HISTORY  OF  (MtKATER   I  N'I>IAXAPOLTS. 


147 


148 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


squares  of  it,  there  has  been,  and  is  now  be- 
ing built,  19  liouscs  this  spring  and  summer, 
among  which  are  two  brick  M-are-hou?e^,  both 
two  stories  high,  and  one  of  which  is  13(1  by 
25  feet,  and  a  large  Hotel.  To  show  the  dis- 
patch with  which  business  is  done  here,  we  will 
state  that  the  design  of  the  latter  excellent  and 
valuable  improvement  was  drawn  in  February ; 
on  the  15th  of  August  the  house  was  finished, 
furnished  and  occupied;  even  to  the  sign,  on 
which  is  displaved  in  large  gilt  letters,  'THE 
DEPOT  HOUSE  By  Banner  LAWHE.vn.' 
— The  hotel  is  of  brick,  3  stories  high,  the 
front  fiOxSO  feet,  with  a  wing  160  by  "20 
feet. — The  balance  of  the  houses  erected  east 
of  the  Depot  are  mostly  one  story  frame 
dwellings.  West  of  the  Depot,  and  immedi- 
ately adjoining  the  railroad  track,  there  was 
built  this  summer  13  houses,  including  5  two- 
storv  ware-houses,  two  brick,  one  of  which  is 
25   by    136    feet."' 

Of  course  the  railroad  increased  in  useful- 
ness to  the  town  as  it  approached,  but  this 
only  whetted  the  public  desire  to  have  it  com- 
pleted, ^lien  it  was  assured  that  it  would 
be  opened  on  October  1,  1847.  a  citizens"  meet- 
ing— ajiparently  predigested  by  the  officials  of 
the  road — was  held  on  September  3.") ;  and 
resolutions  were  adopted  for  a  celebration, 
with  a  committee  of  seven  to  prepare  for  it. 
and  also  "that  the  Railroad  Company  ought 
to  permit  passengers,  for  a  week  at  least,  to 
travel  on  the  road  at  reduced  prices"'.  In  re- 
sponse to  this  last.  Samuel  ^[errill,  as  Presi- 
dent and  Superintendent  of  the  road,  gra- 
ciously announced  that,  "The  M.  &  I.  R.  R. 
Co.  will  on  the  clay  the  Road  is  completed  take 
passengers  along  tlie  whole  or  any  part  of  the 
route  for  one-third  +he  usual  rates,  and  they 
will  continue  to  take  families,  or  parts  of 
families  at  the  same  rates  for  the  ensuing 
week,  with  the  understanding  that  ladies 
alone,  if  their  number  be  sufficient  for  the 
purpose,  shall  occupy  the  covei'ed  cars.  If 
any  person  shall  wish  to  take  a  ride  on  the 
afternoon  of  the  day  of  the  celebration,  they 
may  ride  to  Franklin  and  back  at  25  cts. 
each".  The  regular  rate  to  Franklin  was  75 
cents  Diie  wav.  This  was  eminently  satisfac- 
tory. The  celebration  was  helped  out  bv  the 
.nrrival  of  S|)alding's  Xortli  .Vmerican  Circus, 
declared  to  embrace  200  people,  including  "35 
widelv  celebrated  ladv  and  gentlemen  artistes. 


at  the  acme  of  their  profession",  and  Xed 
Kendall's  brass  band  of  "15  picked  musicians 
in  lustrious  uniforms".  The  importance  of 
the  latter  may  be  judged  from  this  statement 
of  the  circus  advertisement:  "Led  bv  the  ni- 
^lORTAL  EDWARD  KENDALL  whose  fame 
as  the  MAGIC  BUGLER  has  penetrated  ever> 
circle  to  which  music  has  access,  (it)  at  once 
gives  tone  to  the  pure  and  admirable  amuse 
ments  of  the  ilonster  Circus,  whether  in  lead 
ing  the  immensely  extended  procession  in  the 
Gorgeous  Colossal  Music  Car  or  awakening  the 
echoes  of  the  streets  while  ^iounted  on  16 
UTCTriiY  ro:\rrARisoNED  steeds,  or  metamortilio^; 
ing  the  performance  into  a  Soiree  }[w^iralr! 
not  the  least  attractive  feature  of  which  will  bt 
the  never  to  be  forgotten  Solo  upon  his  ^Tagic 
Silver   Biigle." 

-Mtogether  it  was  a  red  letter  day.  The 
town  was  thronged  with  people  from  the  vi- 
cinity. The  last  rail  was  laid  at  0  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  At  10  the  circus  entered  the 
town  from  the  ea«t  and  Captain  Evans'  com- 
]iany  of  mounted  volunteers  from  the  west 
Citptain  Chapman"s  artillery  company  was  al 
ready  on  hand.  At  1  all  moved  out  to  the 
d(')iot.  The  Jniinifil  developed  so  much  local 
enter)irise  on  the  occasion  that  its  account  is 
worthy  of  preservation.  It  said:  "Friday, 
sure  enough  was  all  that  was  anticipated  and 
more  too.  Spalding's  North  .\merican  Circus 
came  rolling  along  about  10  o'clock  A.  ^f..  at 
tended  by  an  old-fashioned  North  American 
crowd  that  would  have  done  honor  to  any 
jniblic  occasion.  .Vt  about  3  o'clock  in  tht 
afternoon,  the  liclching  forth  of  the  loud- 
mouthed cannon  announced  the  time  for  the 
a]iproach  of  the  cars  from  Madison.  Such  ? 
collection  of  people  as  thronged  the  grounds 
adjacent  to  the  depot  has  not  been  witnessed 
in  these  parts  since  Tippecanoe  times.  They 
were  there  by  acres,  stretching  far  out  along 
the  railroad,  some  upon  trees,  stumps,  fences 
moiinds.  and  everything  which  tended  to  raise 
one  sqxiad  above  another.  Soon  a  dark  spot 
in  the  distance  was  descried  by  those  picketed 
upon  the  furtherest  outposts;  then  was  heard 
the  shrill  whistle  of  the  locomotive,  echoing 
thriuiii'h  boai'v  forests  aiul  o"er  verdant  fields 
and  shout  answering  to  shout  as  the  two  iron 
steeds  puffing  and  snorting  majestically  turned 
the  curve  in  the  road  a  short  distance  from 
town,  followed   by  two  long  trains  of  passen- 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


U!) 


gov  and  freifrht  cars,  completely  lillcil  witli 
human  beings,  tlio  ladies  wavinf;  their  white 
Iiandkerchiefs  anti  tlie  men  and  hoys  using 
their  lungs  in  answering  baek  the  long,  loud 
huzzas  from  the  people  awaiting  their  ap- 
proach. 

"Well,  they  came  to  a  halt,  as  all  things  in 
this  world  must,  sooner  or  later.  Then  there 
was  such  a  getting  out.  and  such  a  tumbling 
in,  and  such  a  calling  for  a  speecJi  fn)m  the 
Governor,  such  a  squeaking  from  a  short 
sprinkling  of  young  'uns,  then  a  sjirinkling  of 
rain,  which  caused  such  another  running  to 
and  fro  as  we  never  saw  before.  Then  the 
Governor  mounted  the  top  of  one  of  the  cars, 
as  did  the  men.  women  and  children  the  long 
platform  which  flanks  either  side,  outside  and 
in,  of  the  depot,  for  the  purpose  of  nuiking  a 
spi'cch  to  them.  But  the  Governor  couldn't 
govern  there.  Confusion  was  rendered  worse 
confounded  by  a  snort  from  a  locomotive,  and 
the  chime  of  its  bell,  which  signified  a  pleas- 
ure ride  to  Greenwood  and  back  for  ^r,  cents 
a  head.  La  me  I  what  a  scampering  among  the 
novices  of  railroad  riding.  It  couldn't  have 
,  been  worse  if  the  ride  was  to  have  lieen  per- 
j  formed  by  steam,  with  the  'road'  part  left  out, 
only  as  in  that  case  instead  of  scampering 
\  away,  they  scampered  right  up  to  the  convey- 
ance, jiell  mell.  as  if  tlio\v  wasn't  afraid  (if  the 
/•((i7  cars,  'bull-gine'  and  all.  But  hark  I  A 
tap  of  the  bell — are  you  ready?  A  loud  un- 
earthly if  not  unsteamly  whistle — clear  the 
track — and  away  went  about  five  hundred  as 
happy,  uproarous  fellows  as  was  ever  'mixed 
up' — yelling  like  so  many  Indians  at  every 
thing  they  saw  from  the  scampering  of  a  pig 
to  the  wonder-struck  gaze  of  the  young 
hoosiers  as  they  peered  out  from  behind  some 
huge  forest  tree  or  some  humble  cabin  by  the 
wayside.  That  much  we  will  say  about  the 
ride.  But  we  won't  say  anything  about  a  sup- 
posed crack  in  one  of  the  a.xletrees — how  the 
train  was  stoppe<l — what  an.xiety  was  all  of  a 
sudden  depicted  upon  those  hitherto  happy 
faces — how  they  were  eased  of  their  ^'t  cents 
in  the  interval — how  they  were  relieved  of  all 
fear  when  the  cars  moved  forward  again,  and 
how  they  laughed  to  think  the  cracked  axle- 
tree  was  easily  ])roduced  sound!  It  was  thought 
a  Santa  Anna  mnneuvre  to  gain  time  to  'pass' 
round  the  hat,  and   lau<died   over  aeeordingiv. 


i>ut  ill  tiiai  'pass'  as  the  conclusion  of  the 
whole  rail  road  scene. 

"Friday  was  ended — and  a  "good  Friday'  it 
was  witliout  any  accident  to  nuir  the  pleasure 
of  the  people — by  an  exhibition  of  fire-works 
after  dark,  the  illumination  of  many  buildings, 
and  the  performance  of  Spalding's  equestrian 
troop — the  latter  of  which,  though  exaggerated 
as  all  such  exhibitions  are  upon  paper,  was  a 
little  superior  to  anything  we  have  ever  seen 
in  these  parts.  And  thus  the  day  ended,  at  10 
o'clock  P.  j\I.,  with  the  public  appetite  for 
amusement   and   excitement   satiated." 

Amid  the  enthusiasm  of  the  day  Henry 
Ward  Beecher  left  Indianapolis  in  response 
to  his  call  from  Plymouth  Church.  Thirty 
years  later  he  wrote:  "I  left  Indianapolis  for 
Brooklyn  on  the  very  day  upon  which  the  cars 
on  the  Madison  Railroad  for  the  first  time 
entered  the  town ;  and  I  departed  on  the  first 
train  that  ever  left  the  place.  On  a  wood- 
car,  rigged  up  with  boards  across  from  side  to 
side,  went  I  forth.     *     *     *     rpjjg  ^gj.  ^^^g  j^^ 

car  at  all.  a  mere  extempore  wood-box,  used 
sometimes  without  seats  for  hogs,  but  with 
seats  for  men,  of  wdiich  class  I  (ah  me  miser- 
able!) happened  to  be  one.  And  so  at  eleven 
at  night  I  arrived  in  iladison,  uot  overproud 
in  the  glory  of  riding  on  the  first  train  that 
ever  went  from  Indianapolis  to  Madison."'' 
And  yet  Jlr.  Beecher  overlooked  the  fact  tliat 
he  was  escaping  all  the  dangers  of  the  "locked - 
in"  system  of  the  English  railroads,  of  which 
Rev.  Sydney  Smith's  ])en  ])ictures  of  the  more 
or  less  certain  horrors  had  caused  the  hair  of 
the  English  public  to  stand  on  end  in  1S1-.'.* 
And  this  illustrates  the  fact  that  a  really 
great  clergyman  can  find  something  to  com- 
plain of  in  almost  any  condition. 

The  completion  of  the  JIadisoii  road  made 
possible  the  building  of  roads  from  Indian- 
apolis, and  numerous  plans  for  this  were 
projected,  though  they  were  rather  slow  of 
execution.  The  first  company  to  accomplish 
anything  material  was  the  Bellefontaine,  whose 
])resident,  Oliver  II.  Smith,  set  a  livelier  pace 
for  older  companies.  The  company  was  char- 
tered in  1848,  secured  stock  subscriptions  and 
right  of  way  in  the  year  following,   let  con- 


^Beecher    and    Scouille's    Bior/.    of    II.   TV. 
Beecher,  pp.   207.  2ir>. 

*Wit  and  Wiadoni  of  Syiliiey  Smith,  p.  ;!44. 


150 


HISTOKY  OF  GKEATEK  INDIANAPOLIS. 


tracts  for  grailiiig  in  tlir  fall  ol'  KS4!>,  vnm- 
inencL'd  track-laying  in  April,  1850,  and  on 
December  19  of  that  year  announced  daily 
trains  to  Pendleton  (28  miles)  from  which 
stage  lines  furnished  connection  with  the  iip- 
])er  White  Eiver  valley  and  the  Wabash.  In 
December,  1852,  it  was  completed  to  [Tnion 
City,  at  the  state  line,  84  miles,  where  it  con- 
nected with  an  Ohio  road  to  Bellefontaine.  The 
two  were  consolidated  in  1855,  under  the  name 
of  Indianapolis,  Pittsburg  &  Cleveland  Hail- 
road  ;  and  in  18{j8  this  became  part  of  the 
Cleveland,  Columbus,  Cincinnati  &  Indian- 
apolis. Originally  this  road  was  known  as  the 
"Bee  Line",  later  as  the  Cleveland  Division  of 
the  "Big  Four",  and  now  as  the  Cleveland 
Division  of  the  New  York  Central  Lines.  The 
Bellefontaine  Company  built  a  brick  depot  and 
shops  in  1851,  at  irassachusetts  avenue,  then  in 
the  extreme  northeastern  jiart  of  the  city, 
which  were  used  till  the  T'nion  Depot  and 
tracks  M-ere  finished,  in  Xovendier,  1853,  a 
frame  de))ot,  and  l)rick  engine  house  and  shops 
were  l)uilt  at  the  \'irginia  avenue  crossing  of 
Pogue's  Run;  these  were  abandoned  in  1864, 
and  new  ones  constructed  near  the  east  ilichi- 
gan  street  crossing.  The  first  depot  and 
shops,  with  1,100  feet  of  tracks  and  five  aci'es 
of  ground  were  sold  for  $17,500  in  July,  1853, 
and  were  converted  into  the  Indianapolis  Car 
Shops,  which  were  ojierated  l)y  Farnsworth  & 
Barnard  from  1853  to  1859.  They  were  then 
vacant  for  three  years  till  1862,  when  the 
Government  took  the  buildings  for  a  stable  and 
used  them  till  they  burned  down  in  1865. 

The  Peru  &  Indianapolis  Railroad  was  char- 
tered January  19,  1846.  Tlie  company  was 
organized  in  July,  1S4T,  the  road  surveyed  and 
located  in  1847-8,  and  work  begun  in  1849. 
On  March  11,  1851,  its  completion  to  Xobles- 
ville  was  celebrated  by  an  excursion  to  that 
j)oint,  where  there  were  speeches  by  ex-Gover- 
nor Wallace  and  others,  and  music  by  the 
Noblesville  Brass  Band.  The  announcement 
states  that,  "The  cars  will  leave  Indianapolis 
at  8  o'clock  in  the  morning,  stopping  in  their 
passage  at  James'  contemplated  warehouse. 
Wilson's  :Mill,  Castleton,  Holl  &  Teal's  ^Mill, 
and  Big  Branch.  Will  leave  Noblesville  re- 
turning, at  half  past  10,  stopping  only  at  the 
water  station  east  of  Allisonville.  The  trains, 
with  the  passenger  cars,  from  Madison  and 
I'rndlrtoii      will     leave      1  ndinii:i|i()l  is      at      two 


o'clock  precisely,  stopping  only  at  the  water 
station.  Returning,  will  leave  Noblesville  at 
4  o'clock,  the  two  forward  trains  stopping  only 
at  the  water  station,  the  others  stopping  at  the 
intermediate  stations."  Round  trip  50  cents. 
The  Peru  seemed  destined  to  hard  luck.  It 
was  compl(>ted  to  Peru,  73  miles,  on  A]>ril  3, 
1854,  at  a  total  cost  of  $760,000.  It  operated 
at  first  without  a  regular  depot  at  this  ])oint 
but  in  August,  1856,  began  a  frame  depot  at 
New  Jersey  street  and  Rogue's  Run.  After  the 
frame  work  was  up,  the  whole  structure  blow 
down  on  September  18,  fatally  injuring  ^Ir. 
Hill,  one  of  the  contractors,  and  wounding  Sev- 
eral others.  It  was  originally  laid  with  fiat 
bar.  but  T  rail  was  substituted  in  1855-(i.  The 
country  through  which  the  road  ran  was  new, 
and  its  business  small  until  connections  were 
made  to  the  north.  It  went  into  the  hands 
of  a  receiver  in  1857  and  was  operated  for  the 
benefit  of  the  bondholders  for  a  numl>er  of 
years.  It  passed  into  the  control  of  the  Lake 
Erie  &  Western  in  1887,  whose  lines  are  now 
operated  in  the  name  of  that  company,  thougli 
jiractically  owned  by  the  New  York  Central. 

For  several  years  the  Madison  dejiot  was 
"the  depot", — unrivalled.  It  stood  on  the 
south  side  of  South  street,  between  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Delaware,  on  ground  now  occupied 
by  open  tracks.  The  office  building,  fronting 
north  on  South  street,  was  about  50  feet  s(|uare. 
two  stories  high,  with  a  single  trackway 
through  the  center.  On  either  side  were  of- 
fices, waiting  room,  etc.  Back  of  this  was  the 
long  freight  depot,  of  brick,  with  a  projecting 
roof  that  reached  over  the  outside  ]ilatfonns. 
The  freight  depot  was  about  thirty  feet  wide, 
with  a  track  through  the  center  and  raised 
nhitforms  on  both  sides.  The  east  line  of  the 
front  building,  and  the  east  platform  of  the 
freight  building,  were  the  same  as  the  east 
line  of  the  present  little  frame  office  of  the 
South  street  yards.  The  passenger  trains  did 
not  run  into  the  depot,  but  came  u]i  on  the 
west  side.  Here  they  were  met  by  the  run- 
ners for  the  three  u)itown  hotels,  prominent 
among  whom  were  Taylor  Elliott  (late  I're-i- 
dent  of  the  Board  of  Public  Works)  for  the 
Wright  House,  and  Wash  Little  for  Little's 
Hotel,  discoursing  v(dulily  on  the  merits  of 
t'u'ir  various  busses,  'i'ben  came  the  drive 
through  the  Pogtu>'s  Run  bottom,  where  in  wet 
weather   a    wauon    with    ni<ire   than    two   tnudcs 


HISTORY  OF  (;HP:ATER  INDIAXAPOLIS. 


lol 


ma  "wa^TH 


H 
O 


o 
a. 
< 
z 

a 


15-i 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIAXAPOOS. 


was  apt  to  uiire  dowu.  Those  who  did  not 
wish  to  go  up  towu  could  stop  at  the  Depot 
House — name  soon  changed  to  Ray  House — 
which  stood  where  St.  Vincent's  Hospital  now 
is.  A  little  later  Jacob  Gruenert  built  the 
Jefferson  Hotel  west  of  the  depot,  and  when  it 
was  torn  down  to  make  way  for  the  Stand- 
ard Paper  Co.'s  building  the  name  was  carried 
on  to  the  hotel  at  the  corner  of  Pennsylvania. 
At  the  northwest  corner  of  South  and  Dela- 
ware in  the  building  still  standing,  was  a  sort 
of  restaurant  saloon,  where  the  waiters  for 
trains  used  to  lunch  on  gingerbread  and 
"krank  beer,"'  if  they  had  the  money;  if  not 
they  would  hie  down  the  tracks  one  block  to 
Fletcher's  pork-house,  and  fill  up  on  "crack- 
lings"'. 

The  other  lines  added  to  the  importance  of 
this  depot  for  a  time  by  running  to  it.  In 
June,  1849,  the  directors  of  the  Peru  road 
asked  permission  "to  straighten  the  Pogue's 
Run  from  ISToble's  pasture  north  of  the  Na- 
tional Road,  to  the  southeast  diagonal".^ 
This  was  granted,  and  on  August  18,  1819,  the 
Locomotive  noticed  the  progress  of  the  rail- 
road work  thus:  "The  lines  of  the  Bellefon- 
taine  and  Peru  railroads  intersect  exactly  on 
the  northeast  corner  of  the  donation,  the  Belle- 
fontaine  coming  from  the  northeast  and  the 
Peru  from  the  north.  From  this  point  the 
Peru  runs  south  along  the  donation  line,  one 
square  east  of  Xoble  street,  until  it  strikes 
Pogue's  Run — the  gi-ading  in  the  donation  is 
partly  finished,  and  hands  are  now  at  work  on 
it;  this  will  be  a  common  track  for  the  Peru 
and  Bellefontaine  to  connect  with  the  Madison 
and  Richmond  Depots.  From  the  corner  stone, 
tlie  Bellefontaine  comes  down  the  northeast 
diagonal"  until  opposite  the  block  on  which  the 
depot  is  located,  where  it  makes  a  curve  to  the 
depot  house,  which  will  stand  east  and  west." 
By  means  of  this  track  laid  by  the  Peru  and 
Bellefontaine  the  existing  roads  were  united 
before  the  Union  was  constructed.  With  the 
work  that  was  going  on  at  the  time,  not  to  men- 
tion what  was  being  talked  of,  the  Locomotive 
does  not  seem  excessively  enthusiastic  when  it 
proposed  on  September  22,  1849,  that  Indian- 
apolis should  be  known  as  "The  City  of  Rail- 
roads".    It  was  in  fact  a  leading  citv  in  that 


''i.  e.  Virginia  avenue. 

°i.  e.  Massachusetts  avenue. 


regard,  and  would  soon  have  added  several 
more  to  its  list  of  railroads  but  for  the  hard 
times  following  1853,  which  caused  further 
development  in  that  line  to  be  deferred  for  a 
dozen  years  or  more. 

Meanwhile  the  Terre  Haute  &  Richmond 
road  was  making  progress.  It  was  chartered 
in  1846,  but  the  construction  did  not  commence 
until  1850,  and  it  was  finished  to  Terre  Haute 
in  May,  1852,  the  reported  cost  of  the  73  miles 
being  $1,415,000.  It  put  up  a  brick  freight 
depot  at  Louisiana  and  Tennessee  streets  in 
1850-1,  and  a  wooden  bridge  across  White 
River  in  1851-2,  whidi  was  replaced  by  an  iron 
bridge  in  1866.  The  depot  was  remodeled  in 
1857,  and  was  badly  damaged  in  1865  by  the 
explosion  of  a  locomotive  within  the  building. 
This  was  the  first  road  that  put  Indianapolis 
in  touch  with  the  coal  fields.  The  eastern  sec- 
tion of  this  road,  to  Richmond,  was  abandoned 
by  this  company  in  1851,  and  taken  up  by  the 
Indiana  Central  Railway  Company,  which 
completed  the  line  to  Richmond,  and  on  to  the 
state  line,  on  December  8,  1853,  at  a  reported 
cost  of  $1,223,000  for  the  72  miles.  At  that 
point  it  connected  with  an  Ohio  line  to  Colum- 
bus, with  which  it  was  consolidated  in  1863, 
under  the  name  of  the  Indianapolis  &  Colum- 
bus road ;  and  this  in  turn  was  consolidated  in 
1867  with  the  Chicago  and  Great  Eastern.  It 
now  forms  the  Indianapolis  division  of  the 
"Pan  Handle"",  owned  by  the  Pennsylvania. 
The  Terre  Flaute  road  was  extended  on  through 
Illinois  to  St.  Louis,  and  has  long  been  known 
as  the  Vandalia. 

The  Indianapolis  and  Cincinnati  Railroad 
was  the  name  adopted  in  December,  1853,  by 
the  old  Lawreneeburgh  and  Upper  Mississippi 
road,  which  was  originally  begun  in  sections 
in  1850.  It  finally  succeeded  in  getting  a 
through  line  charter  in  1851,'  notwithstanding 
the  opposition  of  the  Madison  road,  and  was 
completed  to  Lawreneeburgh,  90  miles,  in  Oc- 
tober, 1853.  It  originally  ran  into  Cincinnati 
over  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  road,  on  which 
a  tliird  rail  had  been  laid,  but  in  1854-5  it 
bought  the  old  Whitewater  Canal,  and  laid  its 
track  into  Cincinnati  in  its  bed.  This  company 
built  shops  at  Indianapolis  in  1853,  southeast  of 
the  city.  They  were  burned  in  1855,  but  soon  re- 
built,   and    continued    here   lantil    1865,   when 


'o.  g.  See  Locomotive,  January  26,  1850. 


HISTORY  OF  GREATEK'    1  M  HAXAroFJS. 


lo:; 


they  wore  removed  to  Ciuciimati.  It  erected 
the  brick  freight  depot  at  Louisiana  and  Dela- 
ware streets  in  ISoo.  Geo.  II.  Dunn,  Thos.  A. 
Morris  and  Henry  C.  Lord  were  the  early 
presidents  of  this  company. 

The  Indianapolis  and  Lafayette  road  was  be- 
gun in  1849,  and  completed  between  these  two 
points  in  December,  1853.  It  was  well  man- 
aged by  its  iirst  president,  Albert  S.  White, 
and,  as  the  stock  subscriptions  were  small,  was 
constructed  almost  wholly  by  loans.  The  65 
miles  cost  $1,000,000  in  round  numbers.  The 
road  was  profitable  from  the  start,  being  the 
chief  outlet  to  the  northwest,  and  its  construc- 
tion debt  was  paid  from  its  earnings.  In  1S6G 
President  H.  C.  Lord,  of  the  Cincinnati  road, 
in  order  to  force  a  sale  of  the  Lafayette  line, 
began  the  construction  of  a  rival  road  to  the 
northwest  by  way  of  Crawfordsville,  which  ac- 
conii)lisiioil  the  purpose  and  a  perpetual  lease 
of  tile  Lafayette  line  was  obtained.  TJie  two 
roads  were  then  combined  as  the  Indianapolis, 
Cincinnati  &  Lafayette,  and  the  Crawfords- 
ville line  was  abandoned.  The  consolidation, 
however,  was  too  ambitious  in  its  efforts  to 
spread  out :  became  financially  ('ud)arrassed, 
and  jiassed  into  the  i!i<>'  Four  system;  which  in 
turn  has  been  absorbed  bv  the  Xew  York  ('en- 
tral.  In  1852-3  the  Lafayette  road  built  a 
frame  freight  depot  at  Xorth  street  and  the 
■  niiai.  which  buriu'd  down  in  1864,  and  was 
rebuilt  of  brick  in  1S6().  As  the  city  devel- 
oped the  line  of  this  road  through  it  became  a 
source  of  much  danger  to  life  and  limb,  as 
well  as  loss  of  time  to  the  road  in  what  re- 
duction of  speed  was  made.  In  100.'?-4  it 
shortened  its  liiu\  and  secured  greater  speed 
possibilities,  by  throwing  its  line  to  the  west 
of  the  city,  and  coining  in  over  the  Belt  to  the 
line  of  Louisiana  street.  It  did  not  get  the 
change  made  quite  soon  enough,  however,  to 
escape  the  horribk'  Purdue  wreck  of  October 
31,  1!)03,  in  which  16  lives  were  lost,  and  some 
forty  of  the  young  ))eople  from  Ijafayette  who 
were  cfimiTig  here  for  a  footliall  game  were 
maimed  and  injured. 

The  Jefferson vi lie  mad  was  cumpictiMl  to 
Ivliiibunrli  in  lS."i'.'  and  stoppeil  tluM-c.  leasing 


the  Madison  line  for  Indianapolis  connection 
in  August,  1853,  and  purchasing  it  in  1863. 
They  were  consolidated  as  the  J.  M.  &  I.  but 
the  road  was  popularly  known  as  "The  Jeff."' 
This  completes  the  list  of  roads  that  were  con- 
structed prior  to  the  Civil  War.  Several  others 
were  projected  but  these  seven  lines — eight, 
counting  the  Jellersonville  and  JIadison  sepa- 
rate, all  finished  by  1853,  were  the  only  ones 
then  built.  And  in  addition  to  them  was  The 
Union  connecting  them.  The  desirability  of 
this  was  realized  before  there  was  very  much 
connecting  to  be  done,  for  the  company  was 
organized  in  August,  1849,  or  at  least  a'^  joint 
meeting  of  committees  from  the  Madison,  Terre 
Haute,  Peru  and  Bellefontaine  roads  met  on 
August  15,  and  recommended  the  action  to 
their  companies.*  The  plan  was  indorsed,  and 
on  December  29,  the  Locomotive  announced 
that  the  joint  committee  had  purchased  the 
north  half  of  Block  96  from  James  Blake,  for 
$7,000,  and  would  erect  a  depot  there.  The 
tracks  were  laid  in  1850,  and  the  depot  erected 
in  1852-3,  being  opened  for  use  on  Septem- 
ber 28,  1853.  The  depot  was  planned  bv  Gen. 
(then  Capt.)  Thos.  A.  Morris  and  was  120 
.\420  feet,  with  live  tracks,  assigned  respec- 
tively to  the  Madison,  Terre  Haute,  Lawrence- 
burgh,  Central  and  Bellefontaine  and  Peru 
roads,  the  last  two  using  a  joint  line  from  Mas- 
sachusetts avenue  in.  William  N.  Jackson,  fa- 
miliarly known  to  two  or  three  generations  as 
'■Ilncle  Billy"',  was  made  general  ticket  agent, 
and  held  the  position  for  3-ears.  In  1866  the 
building  was  widened  to  200  feet,  the  offices 
removed  to  the  south  side,  and  an  eating-house 
added.  The  latter  was  first  known  as  the  Union 
Depot  Dining  Hall,  with  John  W.  Ilenrie  as 
superintendent.  Later  it  came  in  charge  of 
the  Ohmers,  who  brought  Thos.  Taggart  here, 
and  gave  him  the  chance  to  feed  his  way  to 
the  hearts  of  the  traveling  epicures  of  South 
jMcridian  street,  and  elsewhere.  The  old  Union 
Depot  was  used  till  ISST,  when  it  was  torn 
down  to  make  way  fur  the  ])r('si'nt  Union  Pas- 
senger Station. 


^Locotnotivc.  .\ugusf  25,  IS  19. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


BECOinXG  A  CITY. 


Jnst  why  Indianapolis  passed  from  town 
to  city  iioveriiiiieut  in  1847  is  stxiiethin^-  that 
will  have  to  be  jjuessed  at  from  the  surroiind- 
insjs.  The  legislative  journals  show  that  petv- 
tions  for  and  asrainst  the  change  were  pre- 
sented to  the  legislature,  but  the  newspapers 
at  the  time  presented  no  argument  on  either 
side,  either  editorially  or  as  communications, 
and  did  not  even  mention  that  any  such 
change  was  contemplated.  The  petitions  are 
not  preserved.  On  February  VA.  1847.  the 
Sentinel  printed  the  charter  law  and  noted 
that  the  people  would  have  to  decide  on  its 
acceptance  or  rejection,  adding:  "But  how 
can  they  decide  a.s  to  the  comparative  merits 
of  the  two  ?  Who  knows  anything  about  the 
provisions  of  the  old  charter.'"  Apparently 
somebody  made  some  explanations  to  the  ed- 
itor, for  on  ;\Iarch  13,  publishing  the  call  for 
the  election  on  the  27th  to  decide  between 
the  old  and  the  new  charter,  he  said:  "Both 
are  bad  enough  no  doubt,  and  provide  for  a 
great  deal  too  much  qovernment.  But  there 
is  this  merit  in  the  new  charter:  It  propo.ses 
to  tax  all  property  holders  upon  the  basis  of 
eiiuaUti)  according  to  their  wealth.  The  old 
charter  is  a  perfect  th urine)  concern  in  this 
respect  and  allows  some  of  the  richest  men 
in  the  comnmnity  to  escape  from  all  taxa- 
tion whatever  to  support  the  corporation  au- 
thorities, and  at  the  same  time  to  a  consid- 
erable t'xtent  to  avoid  county  taxation.  This 
old  ordei-  (if  things  has  existed  long  enough, 
and  a  little  too  long,  and  if  it  were  (mly  to 
aid  in  breaking  it  U|>.  every  honest  man 
should  vote  against  the  old  charter,  and  in 
favor  of  the  new  one.  It  is  Hobson's  choice, 
to  be  sure,  in  some  respects,  but  it  is  better 
than  no  choice  at  all:  and  we  nuiy  be  thank- 
ful for  it,  mean  as  it  is." 


The  apparent  source  of  enlightenment  is  a 
comnuniicated  article  in  the  Journal  of 
March  1,  setting  forth  the  advantages  of  the 
new  charter,  under  four  heads.  The  tirst 
is  the  division  of  power  by  having  a  mayor 
to  perform  executive  functions  and  have  a 
restraining  veto  power  on  ha.sty  legislation. 
The  second  was  the  limitation  of  taxes  to  15 
cents  on  -1=100,  while  the  old  charter  limit 
wa.s  50  cents.  The  third  was  a  nu)re  suitable 
arrangement  of  wards  than  the  former  shoe- 
string type  running  across  the  city  from 
north  to  south.  The  new  charter  divided  the 
city  by  Washington  street,  and  made  four 
wards  north  of  it  divided  north  and  south 
by  Alabama  street.  ^Meridian  street  and  Mis- 
sissippi sti-eet,  while  there  wei-e  three  wards 
south,  divided  by  Illinois  street  and  Dela- 
ware street.  It  wa.s  urged  that  this  could 
give  no  advantage  to  the  north  side,  as  there 
were  annual  elections  in  Avhich  any  atiuses 
could  be  corrected  by  the  people.  The  fourth 
argument— the  one  that  called  for  capital 
letters  and  more  space  than  all  the  rest  com- 
bined was  JrsT  .\ND  EyrAi,  t.vx.vtion  !  which 
was  to  l)e  attained  because  the  new  charter 
took  in  all  of  the  donation  east  of  the  river, 
with  equal  taxation  on  all  i)arts  of  it.  It 
will  be  remembered  that  the  charters  of  1836 
and  1838  limited  taxation  for  town  purjiosi^ 
to  the  mile  square,  although  the  incorpora- 
tion included  the  donation.  The  opjiesitiou 
to  the  new  charter  was  declared  to  come  from 
certain  rich  citizens  "who  own  large  tracts 
of  land  situated  out  of  the  central  part  of 
the  town,  but  near  enough  to  be  aft'ected  in 
value  by  its  proximity  and  fitness  for  resi- 
dence". The  exemption  from  taxation  in 
the  old  charter  was  by  virtue  of  section  23, 
and  the  eonuMuniciition  savs:     "It   wmild  be 


].)4 


HISTORY  oi''  (;i?E.\  ri;i;  indi.wai'oi.is. 


155 


an  iiiterestinti;  ([uestion— if  time  admitted  — 
to  in<iuiiv  how  the  peculiar  iirovisioiis  of  the 
tin  iitij-Hiinl  section  of  tlie  old  charter  came 
to  be  enacted.  WIid  di'cw  up  that  act,  and 
especially  that  pai-t  of  it'.'"' 

These  wei-e  cotrent  ariiuiiients  f(ir  addjit- 
in?  the  charter  oflVi-ed.  but  all  of  them  ex- 
cept the  first  coukl  have  been  attainetl  just 
as  easily  by  amendins:  the  old  charter.  They 
involved  no  necessity  for  advance  to  city 
form  of  srovernment.  It  is  very  evident  that 
the  cliaiiire  of  taxation  from  the  jjrovisions 
of  "Section  "I'.i"  was  what  carried  tlie  new- 
charter  in  the  election.  That  section  read: 
"That  the  powers  of  the  eori>oration  for  thr 
puqiose  of  raisinjr  a  revenue  shall  extend 
from  North  to  South  streets,  and  from  East 
to  West  .streets,  and  embracin<!:  those  streets. 
which  are  the  present  bounds  of  said  town 
as  appeal's  from  the  town  jtlat  filed  in  the 
recorder's  office  in  Marion  County:  I'nn'idcd 
lidin  v(  r.  That  nil  blocks.  |)arts  of  blocks, 
within  the  donation  that  are  now  or  may 
hereafter  be  laid  out  in  lots  of  a  less  size 
than  one-half  acre,  a  plat  thereof  beiiii;-  filed 
in  the  recorder's  office  of  .Marion  Coiuity, 
and  all  tavei'iis.  ^'roceries.  ti])lini;'  houses. 
shows,  theaties.  and  stores  within  the  limits 
of  the  tlonation  shall  be  sub.ject  to  the  siime 
laws  and  ordinances  as  if  the  .s;unc  were 
within  the  bounds  of  the  corporation,  desij;- 
iiated  for  the  purpose  of  raisins  a  reveinie." 
The  evident  pnr|)ose  was  to  exempt  luipiatted 
lands  within  the  city  limit.s  from  taxation. 
thoufih  economists  jrenerally  asrce  that  these 
arc  what  should  be  specially  taxed,  in  oi'der 
to  promote  municipal  <;i-o\vtli.  It  is  a  notable 
fact  that  exactly  the  same  scheme  was  ef- 
fected over  thii-ty  yeai-s  later,  by  a  law  ex- 
eniptinjr  from  city  tiixation  all  nn|)latti'd 
lands,  over  five  acres  in  extent,  and  'used 
for  ajrricnltui-al  purposes,  or  wholly  unim- 
proved", that  were  included  witliin  city 
boundaries.  This  i-emained  a  law  for  ten 
yeara  before  the  jreneral  public  became  suffi- 
ciently enlightened  to  cause  its  repe;d.' 

Dr.  Thos.  Klliott  i-ecords  that  the  law  was 
drawn  by  Senator  Oliver  11.  Smith,  excejit 
the  scIkmiI  tax  section,  which  was  addi'd  by 
S.  V.   H.   Noel.  tlK'ii   editor  and   proprietor  of 


the  Joiinidl.-  This,  with  the  evident  iprno- 
rance  of  the  S(  nlind  coiu-erninji:  the  matter 
while  in  jn-oirress,  shows  that  it  was  a  Whiii' 
movement,  but  there  is  no  especial  political 
advantaee  in  it  beyond  the  appointment  of  a 
few  otlicers.  salaries  of  $24  to  the  coum-il- 
nien.  and  justice  fees  to  the  mayor.  The 
Wliitis  no  doubt  expected  to  hold  the  city 
offices.  But  political  schemintr  of  that  kind, 
wliere  the  parties  concerned  were  tax  payei-s. 
was  not  vei-y  probable  at  that  date;  aiul.  from 
the  character  of  the  men  connected  with  the 
movement,  the  chances  are  that  it  was  a 
i-eally  intelli<rent  movement  for  better  anil 
more  adeipuite  iiovei'iunent.  And  there  was 
need  foi'  tliis.  The  iladison  railroad  was  com- 
l)leted  to  p]dinburtr.  and  was  expected  to 
i-each  Indianapolis  by  sununer.  which  was 
prevented  only  by  the  heavy  floods.-'  Already 
it  was  oiviny  Indianaiiolis  .some  of  the  fea- 
tures of  a  tei-minal  town,  by  an  infliix  of 
vicious  characters  that  had  nmsed  the  indiir- 
iiation    and   alarm   of   the   moi-al    citizens. 

As  a  result  of  this  a  ])ublic  meetiufr  was 
held  at  the  court  house  on  .Mimday  evening:, 
.Voveniber  30,  to  adopt  measures  for  the  sup- 
pression of  <raniblin<r.  It  adopted  resolutions 
eondemnintr  g-amblint;-  and  denuuidint;-  en- 
forcement of  tlie  laws  that  were  otfered  by 
Calvin  Fletcher.  Henry  Ward  Beecher  and 
Win.  Sheets;  and  also  one  offered  by  Rev. 
Love  H.  Jameson  calling;  for  a  citizens'  coiii- 
mittee  of  thirteen  members  to  take  the  in;it- 
ter  in  hand,  such  action  beinfr  necessary  "in 
consequence  of  the  prevalence  of  gambling:  in 
our  town,  especially  in  the  winter  season. 
I  wing-  to  the  confluence  of  strangers  at  this 
point  durintr  the  sessions  of  the  legislature". 
The  committee  appointed  was  comiiosed  of 
■  lames  Blake.  Calvin  Fletcher.  Wm.  S.  llub- 
".  M-d.  Thomas  Record.  W.  W.  Wright.  A.  W. 
M.  rris.  K.  J.  Peck.  D.  :\Iaguire.  Wm.  Haiina- 
nian.  -las.  Sulurove.  L.  ^I.  Vance.  O.  Butler 
;  nd  Andrew  Smith.  The  Journal  in  its  re- 
port <if  the  meeting,  says:  "In  the  defer- 
iMiiation  evinced  by  this  meeting  to  carry 
o-:t  the  resolutions  ado|)te(l.  blacklegs  may  see 
\v-''at  they  may  expect  should  they  visit  us 
tl  is  winter.  It  will  have  the  effect,  too. 
of  inducing:  resident  blacklegs  to  change  their 


'Acts  1881.   1).   (i!)8:   Acts  18!)1, 


I'- 


:{!t8. 


-City  School  Report,  18(iH. 
"Jourual,  April  (i,  1847. 


!.-)(; 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


location.  'I'lic  .si)cech  of  ]Mi'.  Fletcher  was 
listened  to  with  iinieh  interest.  The  facts 
ofiven  by  him  as  to  the  extent  to  which  g:am- 
bling  has  been  carried  on  in  this  city,  within 
the  past  few  years,  were  new  to  a  great  nia- 
.jority  of  the  audience.  :\Ir.  Fletcher  derived 
his  information  from  an  undoubted  source— 
the  records  of  our  courts!  The  list  of  indict- 
ments and  convictions  presented  by  those 
records  show  a  beautiful  picture.  Along- 
side of  the  name  of  an  U.  S.  Senator  stands 
that  of  a  (jcntleman  of  color,  each  of  whom 
were  found  guiltv  of  the  same  offense,  gam- 
bling'"* 

The  committee  of  thirteen,  called  "the 
vigilance  connnittee"  by  its  critics,  reported 
on  the  28th  that  they  had  instituted  proceed- 
ings against  two  professional  gamblers,  but 
that  they  had  fled  from  the  town  before 
sers'ice  could  be  had ;  the  committee  was  mak- 
ing i)rogress  in  other  cases.  It  had  retained 
Hiram  Brown  to  look  after  prosecutions. 
^Meanwhile  some  complications  had  arisen. 
The  council,  aninuited  by  the  general  spirit 
of  renovation,  v.n  December  12,  had  adopted 
an  ordinance  specially  punishing  visitors  to 
houses  of  ill  fame :  and  a  member  of  the  legis- 
lature had  "fired  the  Ephesian  dome"  by 
offering  a  resolution  that  this  was  "a  reflec- 
tion and  an  msult  to  the  visitors  of  this 
eity".^  And  in  addition  certain  citizens  had 
I)etitioned  for  the  repeal  of  the  town  charter 
altogether,  on  the  ground  of  excessive  and 
discriminating  taxation  and  other  burdens. 
The  meeting  of  the  28th  explained  that  no  re- 
flection was  intended  on  the  legislature,  and 
Councilman  Louden  carded  tlie  Sentinel  of 
December  24  to  the  effect  that  the  action  was 
demanded  by  moral  considerations,  and  was 
not  meant  as  an  imputation  on  legislators. 
The  meeting  of  the  28th  also  appointed  a 
coiiuuittee  of  five,  consisting  of  J.  L.  Ket- 
eham,  Hiram  Brown,  Oliver  H.  Smith,  David 
V.  Cidley  and  Alidrew  Bronse  to  wait  on 
the  legislative  committee  having  the  petition 
in  charge,  and  "give  all  necessary  informa- 
tion on  the  subject  of  the  charter".''  There 
is   little   room    foi'   doubt   that    the    new   citv 


^Journal.  December  8,  184(5. 
^House  Journal.   December  18,  1846;  Sen- 
tinel. December  22.  lS4(j. 

''■Senfind.  Dcccmlirr  24.  184(1. 


cluuter  urew  out  of  the  work  of  this  com- 
mittee, for  it  corrected  the  tax-evil  of  which 
the  petitioners  complained,  and  also  strength- 
ened the  municipal  government  in  the  lines 
of  the  sentiment  i-epresented  by  the  commit- 
tee. 

The  new  charter  ga^■e  the  mayor  the  pow- 
ers of  a  justice  of  the  peace,  with  authority 
to  require  his  processes  to  be  sei'ved  by  the 
sheriff'  or  by  the  town  marshal,  who  wag 
given  the  powers  of  a  constable.  The  limit 
of  tlie  retail  liquor  license  was  made  $100. 
The  mayor  was  elected  for  two  yeara  and 
the  councilmen  for  one.  The  council  was 
authorized  to  pass  "ordinances,  as  to  them 
shall  seem  necessary,  relative  to  the  regula- 
tion and  improvement  of  streets,  alleys,  side- 
walks, roads  and  highways,  to  clearing,  rais- 
ing, draining,  turnpiking,  macadamizing,  or 
otherwise  making  and  keeping  the  same  in 
repair;  to  making,  causing  and  requiring  the 
owner  or  owners  of  in-lots  to  pave  or  othei'- 
wise  improve  the  sidewalks  in  front  of  his 
or  their  respective  in-lots ;  to  establish  and 
regulate  markets:  to  regulate  the  inspection 
of  flour,  beef  and  pork;  the  sale  of  hay  and 
wood  in  the  city;  the  cabs,  hacks,  omnibuses 
and  other  carriages  carrying  passengers,  and 
rimning  in  the  city  for  gain;  the  assize  of 
bread  from  time  to  time;  to  restrain  or  regu- 
late swine  running  at  large  within  the  city. 
*  *  *  To  regulate  buildings,  public  and 
private,  planting  trees  for  ornament  or  use, 
public  or  private;  to  cleaning  of  chimneys; 
to  dogs  running  at  large  or  being  kept  in 
the  city;  to  preventing  and  extinguishing 
fires  in  the  city;  to  regulate  the  height  and 
extent  of  fences  before  door-yards ;  and  to 
provide  by  ordinances  for  imposing  reason- 
able fines  and  penalties  upon  all  persons  vio- 
lating the  laws  and  ordinances  as  the  said 
city  council  shall  deem  necessary  and  proper 
for  the  health,  safety,  cleanlines.s,  convenience 
and  good  government  of  the  city". 

The  council  was  also  empowered  to  exact 
a  licen.se  from  all  shows  and  amusements;  to 
make  requirements  for  guarding  against  fire: 
to  organize  and  govern  fire  companies:  to 
establish  and  nuuntain  .schools;  to  imjiose 
a  poll  tax  of  not  over  $1 ;  and  to  levy  general 
taxes  not  exceeding  15  cents  on  $100,  but 
this  might  be  inerea.sed  by  special  vote  of 
the   peojde.      It    was  given    "exclusive   juris- 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


157 


diction  over  all  streets,  roads  and  alleys,  and 
water  courees  within  the  city  for  the  pur- 
pose of  opening  and  keepinfr  the  same  in 
repair".  It  was  r<'f|uired  to  appoint  one  or 
two  .street  commissioners  whose  duty  it  was 
"to  keep  the  sti-cets,  roads  and  alleys  in  the 
city  in  repair'".  To  aecomplish  this  "earh 
ablc-txHlied  white  man.  between  21  and  50 
years  of  ajre"  was  reciuired  to  pay  $1  tax  or 
do  two  days'  work.  Each  eouneilman  wa^ 
to  receive  $24  per  year;  "and  he  shall  not 
be  eligible  to  hohl  any  other  office  under  this 
act  in  the  city  while  he  continues  to  be  such 
member:  nor  shall  he  hold  or  make  any  con- 
tract with  the  city  council,  or  become  inter- 
ested in  any  job  by  which  he  shall  in  any 
way  directly  or  indirectly  receive  any  pay 
or  compensation  whatever,  except  when  he 
shall  be  the  lowest  bidder  at  a  public  or  com- 
petition bid;  and  all  contracts  in  violation 
of  this  section  shall  lie  void". 

As  the  new  chai'tei-  law  was  conditioned 
on  its  aeeptance  by  the  people.  .Josei)h  A. 
Levy,  iircsidcnt  of  the  town  council,  issued 
a  proclamation  calling:  a  charter  election  on 
March  27.  As  before  mentioned,  all  the 
newspapers  favored  acceptance,  and  the  vote 
for  it  wa.s  44!)  to  19.  The  result  was  certified 
to  (iovcrnor  Whitcoiid).  as  I'cquii'cd  by  law. 
on  the  29th.  and  on  tiic  :{()th  he  pi-oclaimed 
the  charter  a  law;  and  Iii(iianai)olis  was  a 
city.  President  Levy  then  dii'ccted  an  elec- 
tion on  April  24  for  mayor  and  councilmen 
from  the  several  wards.  The  charter  pro- 
vided that  the  councilmen  from  the  fifth 
(Charles  \V.  Cady),  third  (Abram  W.  TTarri- 
son)  and  fii-st  (  Win.  ^Moiitauue)  wards  should 
hold  over  foi-  one  year  as  councilmen  of  th<' 
fifth,  sixth  and  seventh  wards.  No  elections 
for  councilmen  were  held  in  the  fifth  and 
sixth.  W'm.  .Montagrue  evidently  droi)ped  out. 
for  an  election  was  held  in  the  seventh,  and 
W'm.  L.  Winjiate  was  returned.  The  other 
councilmen  elected  were  Uriah  Gates  from 
the  first,  Heni'y  Tutewiler  fi-om  the  second, 
Cornelius  Kinir  from  the  third,  and  S.  S. 
Rooker  from  th(>  fourth.  Samuel  Henderson 
Wius  elected  nuiyor,  i'eceivin<,'  241)  of  the  .50(1 
votes  cast:  afrainst  195  for  David  V.  Cullev. 
54  for  Nathan  B.  T'almer,  and  2  blank.  The 
school  tax  vote  was  406  for  and  28  against. 

The  council  organized  on  ^May  1,  electing 
Samuel    S.    Rooker    president.      Mi:    Roolui- 


i-esigned  on  November  1.  1847,  and  Charles 
W.  Cady  was  elected  in  his  jilace.  The  coun- 
cil opened  its  legislative  career  liy  a  salai\ 
ordinance  on  May  6,  fixing  annual  compensa- 
tions as  follows:  Seci'etai'y,  !i!l75:  nun'sliai. 
.'t;280  and  fees;  trea.surer,  5  per  cent  on  col- 
lections; ass(«iSor,  $125;  street  comnnssionei'. 
$200;  clerk  East  :\Iarket  and  West  Market, 
each  $50;  messengers  of  Marion  and  (iood 
Intent  engine  companies,  $20  each ;  messen- 
ger hook  and  ladder  com])any.  $10.  On  .June 
7,  Councilman  Harrison  resigned,  alleging 
that  "an  alliance  of  a  most  luijust  and  unholy 
character  has  been  entered  into  between  four 
of  the  newly-elected  members  rd'  the  council 
for  the  pui'pose  of  thwarting  and  defeating 
every  mea.sure  of  imi)ortance  or  not,  which 
may  be  introduced  for  the  benefit  of  the  ward 
I  have  had  the  honor  to  represent".  The 
resignation  was  accepted,  and  ordered  pub- 
lished, and  on  motion  of  Mr.  Tutewiler,  a 
committee  of  three  was  a])pointed  to  i>ro- 
cure  from  Mi-.  Harrison  "a  report  of  the 
road  moneys  received  and  expended  by  him 
during  the  past  year,  and  al.so  to  i-eceive 
from  him  such  sum  or  sums  of  road  money 
as  is  in  his  hands  unexpended".  On  this 
.same  June  7,  1847,  the  council  adopted  the 
city  seal,  which  is  still  in  use — "An  eagle 
I)erched  upon  the  globe,  witii  a  pair  of  scales 
suspende(l  from  his  beak,  and  surrounded 
by  the  words,  'Seal  of  the  City  of  Indianap- 
olis' ".  It  was  readopted  under  the  new 
charter  May  4,  1891,  by  council  resolution; 
but  this  fact  was  lo,st  sight  of,  and  it  was 
again  adopted  on  November  20,  189.'5. 

There  was  little  money  in  the  treasury,  but 
the  council  entered  (|uite  actively  on  the  work 
of  street  improvement  with  what  means  it 
had.  On  June  21  an  oi'dinance  for  street 
improvement,  on  petition  of  a  majority  of 
adjoining  property  owners,  was  adopted; 
and,  at  the  same  meeting,  signs  and  sheds 
erected  across  sidewalks,  or  streets,  were  de- 
clared nuisances,  and  oi'dei-ed  removed  with- 
in three  days.  Improvcni(>nts  were  jiushcd 
from  the  central  pai-t  of  the  town  outwai-d. 
and  they  went  so  fast  that  they  outstripped 
the  revenues,  and  by  1849  a  debt  o\'  about 
$6,000  had  been  created.  A  special  election 
Wii-s  held  on  June  9,  1849,  to  vote  a  tax  of 
10  cents  on  $100  to  pay  it.  Thei'e  were  only 
258   votes   cast    at    the   election    and   the    tax 


158 


HISTOKY  OF  GEEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


iiis'i'oi.'V  OF  (iUKATKi;  ixnrANAroLis. 


l.-)9 


carrii'il  by  11  iiuijurity.  'I'liis  hnuitrht  the 
citA-  tax.  incliidiiiii'  si-hooi  tax.  uj)  to  -43  cents, 
and  there  wa.s  no  little  o-runihlinii':  but  the 
march  of  iiiipi'ovciiieiit  was  on  and  tlierc  was 
no  stoppinu:  it.  The  coinin).r  "t  the  railroads 
put  a  new  iiii|)i'tus  in  the  place,  and  with 
the  i;TO\\th  of  busines.s  there  came  a  deiuaiid 
for  public  improvements  and  moi-e  revenues. 
And  yet  the  improvement  was  only  compara- 
tive. The  only  street  improvement  was  g:rad- 
injr  and  gravelinu;.  and  that  was  not  very 
well  done  aud  was  jxiorly  kept  up.  There 
was  not  even  any  bowlderin<!'  of  streets  until 
IS.iil.  The  jrutters  were  simply  shallow 
ditches  at  the  sides  of  the  streets,  crossed 
by  wooden  feot-bridKcs  at  the  street  cross- 
inirs.  In  dry  weather  the  streets  were  solid 
but  dusty.  In  wet  weather  the  dust  evil  was 
removed,  liul   tin'  mud  was  appalliui;. 

The  city  was  conducted  under  tiic  chai'tei- 
of  1847  until  18;'):?.  In  18o2  the  Icszislaturc 
adopted  a  frenci-al  law  for  the  incorpoi'ation 
of  cities,  which  was  inor(>  lilici-al  Ihan  the 
charter,  pai-ticularly  in  the  nuittei-  of  taxa- 
tion, as  it  iiuide  the  iiuixinuuii  limit  75  cents 
on  ifilflO  in  place  of  the  15  cents  pi-cscribed  by 
tile  charter.'  T'ndei-  this  law.  any  existing 
city  miirht  adopt  it  as  a  cliai'tcr.  by  vote  of 
the  council,  and  this  action  was  taken  on 
March  7,  18.5:1.  councilmen  Oreer,  Buchanan, 
Fitter  and  Culley  voting-  for  it,  and  council- 
nicii  Pitts,  i.oudcn  and  Dcl/.cll  against.  This 
law  made  elections  annua!,  fixing  thciri  in 
May,  and  the  term  of  office  was  made  our 
year.  This  year  was  the  first  in  which  nom- 
inations by  convention  foi'  city  offices  oc- 
curred, and  that  only  1),\-  tin-  Dei I'ats.     On 

April  2:5  a  citizens'  nK'etin<;-  was  held  for  the 
purpose  of  nominatiuu'  "candidates  frii-ndly 
to  temivcrance  and  jrood  order",  but  owinti' 
to  the  sh(u-t  time  to  the  election  it  was  de- 
cided not  to  name  a  ticket.  Nevertheless  the 
election  did  not  <j.;>  by  default,  and  on  April 
29  the  .JiiiiriKil  announced  tiuit  "candidates 
are  becominii'  i)lerity  as  blackl)ei-r-ies":  ami 
added:  "The  Democrats  have  seen  proper 
\f>  nonn'nate  a  party  ticljet.  but.  for  tlie  life 
of  us.  v.e  can't  inuiirine  what  national  ipies- 
tions  of  policy  have  to  do  with  the  jroveru- 
iiient  of  a  city."  The  eleetion  occurred  on 
Jfay  :?.  thei-e  bi'ini:  l.<i5()  votes  cast,  and  inde- 


■Rev.  Stats.  1S52.  \'ol.   1,  p 


.'(i:! 


pendent  candidates  were  elected  to  all  the 
offices  but  mai-shal.  Caleb  Seudder,  the  in- 
dependent candidate  for  mayor,  hiul  4:51  nui- 
.joritv  over  his  Democratic  competitcu'.  (ieorge 
I'.   Huell. 

By  the  act  of  ^[arch  i).  1857,  the  lei,'islature 
i-evised  the  law  for  the  incorporation  of  cities, 
enlars^infr  powei-s,  and  I'aisinw  the  tax  limit 
to  $1.  Section  79  of  this  law  provided  that 
a  eit.v  might  adopt  it  as  its  fundamental  law 
by  resolution  of  the  eonnnon  council.  It  made 
the  official  tenns  of  the  mayoi'  and  city  .iudjre 
two  years.  The  new  law  was  adoi)1cd  as  a 
ehai-tei-  by  the  council  on  .March  K!.  The 
eleetion  on  ]\ray  5  was  preceded  by  a  square 
party  tight  between  the  Republican  aud  Dem- 
ocratic parties,  and  resulted  in  the  election 
of  a  pretty  evenly  split  ticket,  the  Repub- 
licans getting  the  council,  and  electing  Wm. 
John  Wallace  mayor  by  150  majority.  By 
act  of  i\Iarch  1,  1859,  the  chai-ter  was  amend- 
ed, chiefly  as  to  its  luovisions  for  taxation, 
ami  making  all  city  offices  two  yeai-s.  The 
law  then  continued  with  slight  amendment 
till  18(37,  when  a  general  revision  was  nmde, 
and  two  years  later  the  city  got  out  a  more 
I>retentious  voluiiu>  of  "Charter  and  Ordi- 
nances" than  anything  previously  attempted 
After  1867  the  general  incorporation  law. 
wiiich  served  as  a  charter,  was  amended  at 
evei-y  session  of  the  legislatui'e  until  1891. 
without  any  general  I'evision.  Most  of  these 
amenduH'nfs  were  comparatively  unimport- 
ant, regulating  the  moiles  of  doing  business, 
ami  extending  powers  in  some  cases.  In  1877 
the  legislature  adopted  a  law  providing  for 
a  boai'd  of  aldei'men,  or  upper  house,  in  the 
eit.v  council.  This  wa.s  considerwl  an  ad- 
vaiu'c  in  city  goverinuent,  but  it  was  fouml 
more  cumbersome  than  useful,  and  in  1891 
the  provision  was  droi)]ied. 

In  1881  occurred  by  far  the  most  import- 
ant legislation  foi*  years,  afi'ecting  the  city 
government:  not  as  an  amendment  to  the 
city  law.  but  as  an  amendment  to  the  state 
constitution.  Old  Article  1:?  of  the  consti- 
tution was  pi'actically  ignori'd  and  of  no  i-f- 
fect— it  was  an  article  pi'ohibiting  the  inuiii- 
gi'ation  of  negroes  to  the  state,  and  making 
contracts  with  them  void.  Hon.  W.  II.  Eng- 
lish desired  an  anu'iulment  to  the  constitu- 
tion restricting  mutiicipal  debt,  and  adopted 
the    ingenious    mode    of    substituting    it    for 


160 


HISTOKY  OF  (IHKATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


this  provision,  wliifli  was  iiuiversally  re- 
garded as  needing  removal.  He  and  the 
othere  he  enlisted  in  the  cause  succeeded  in 
their  eflt'ort,  and  on  March  14.  1881.  the  fol- 
lowinfj-  became  Article  13  of  the  constitu- 
tion: "No  political  or  municipal  corpora- 
tion in  this  state  shall  ever  become  indebted, 
in  any  manner  or  for  any  puq^ose.  to  an 
ajnount  in  the  a^irreiiate  exceeding;'  two  per 
centum  of  the  value  of  the  taxable  property 
within  such  corporation,  to  be  ascertained 
by  the  last  assessment  for  state  and  county 
taxes  previous  to  the  incurring-  of  such  in- 
debtedness; and  all  bonds  or  obligations  in 
excess  of  such  amoinit,  given  by  such  cor- 
poration, shall  be  void :  Provided,  that  in 
time  of  war,  foreign  invasion,  or  other  great 
public  calamity,  on  petition  of  a  majority 
of  the  property  owners  in  number  and  value, 
within  the  limits  of  such  coiporation,  the 
public  authorities,  in  their  discretion,  may 
incur  obligations  riecessaiy  for  the  public 
protection  and  defense  to  such  an  amount  as 
may  be  requested  in  such  petition." 

This  provision  has  been  of  inestimable 
value  to  Indiana  cities  and  towns,  and  there 
was  need  for  it  at  the  time  it  was  adopted. 
In  1873  the  legislature  had  given  cities  power 
to  borrow  to  the  extent  of  not  over  2  per 
cent.,  but  there  was  soon  a  desire  to  exceed 
this  amount,  and  the  act  of  Februaiy  13, 
1877,  authorized  exceeding  it  by  temporary 
loans.  It  is  well  that  the  debt  movement  was 
cheeked  when  it  was.  for  nothing  is  more 
demoralizing  than  piling  up  a  heavy  city 
debt,  the  interest  on  which  absorbs  a  large 
part  of  the  current  city  revenues.  If  a  loan 
is  desired  for  docks,  water-works,  or  some- 
thing that  produces  a  revenue  that  will  cover 
the  interest  on  the  debt  created,  there  is  some 
excuse  for  it.  Hut  for  streets,  parks,  and 
other  investments  that  are  not  only  non- 
productive, but  soui-ces  of  additional  expense, 
there  is  no  .iu.stification  for  piling  debt  on 
future  generations.  It  is  much  safer  and 
wiser  to  pay  as  you  go.  It  is  to  this  pro- 
vision that  Indiana  cities  and  towns  owe  their 
excellent  financial  condition  and  their  splen- 
did credit. 

In  1885  the  offices  of  cit\-  treasni-ei-  and 
city  assessor  were  abolished,  and  the  county 
treasurer  and  assessor  were  required  to  per- 
form the  duties  of  those  offices.     On  ]\farch  8, 


1889,  was  adopted  the  Bari-ett  Improvement 
law,  which  has  been  of  greater  value  in  pro- 
moting public  improvements  in  Indiana  cities 
than  any  other  one  agency.  It  is  simply  a 
provision  under  which  a  city  pays  for  street 
and  sewer  improvements  by  issuing  Iwnds 
that  are  liens  on  the  adjoining  property. 
These  are  met  bj'  payments  by  the  property 
owners  in  ten  equal  installments  with  (i  per 
cent,  interest.  By  means  of  this,  thousands 
of  property  owners  have  been  enabled  to  pay 
for  improvements,  who  could  not  have  Iwrne 
the  expense  if  it  had  come  in  one  demand. 
In  Indianapolis,  under  this  law,  there  had 
been,  up  to  January  1.  1909.  $5,546,061.89 
of  these  bonds  issued  and  .$3,696,916.86  re- 
deemed, leaving  an  outstanding  balance  of 
$1,849,145.03.  This  does  not  represent  the 
total  of  public  iuiprovenients  in  the  20  yeare, 
for  anyone  is  privileged  to  pay  his  a&sess- 
ment  in  cash,  and  many  property  owners 
prefer  this  course. 

It  will  be  of  interest  to  notice  here  the 
mayors  who  presided  over  the  alfairs  of  In- 
dianapolis during  this  period  of  city  develop- 
ment. Samuel  Henderson,  the  first  mayor, 
was  a  local  Wa.shington  in  his  quality  of 
being  fii-st,  for  he  was  also  the  first  post- 
master and  the  firet  president  of  the  firet 
board  of  town  trustees.  He  was  an  old-time 
tavern-keeper,  having  joined  with  James 
Blake  in  building  the  original  Washington 
Hall  (site  of  the  New  York  .store)  in  1S24, 
and  conducted  the  tavern  after  Blake  dropi>o(l 
out.  He  also  had  an  extensive  farm  uorfli 
of  the  town,  and  south  of  Fall  Creek.  When 
the  California  gold  excitement  came  on,  he 
sold  out  here  and  moved  to  California,  where 
he  died  in  1883.  He  was  a  Kentuckian  by 
birth,  and  an  ardent  Whig  in  polities.  He 
was  popular,  and  universally  respected.  His 
successor,  Horatio  C.  Newcomb,  was  also  a 
Whig,  a  Pennsylvanian  by  birth,  who  located 
in  Jennings  County,  Indiana,  in  1836,  and 
learned  the  saddler's  trade  there.  Ill  health 
caused  him  to  leave  this,  and  he  studied  law. 
In  1846  he  came  to  Indianapolis  and  formed 
a  partnership  with  Ovid  Butler.  On  April 
28,  1849,  when  only  28  yeaj-s  old.  he  was 
elected  mayor  of  Indianapolis,  receiving  612 
out  of  the  775  votes  cast.  On  April  26,  1851. 
he  was  re-elected,  defeating  John  T.  Jlorri- 
son  by  502  to  441.     The  Sniliiid.  in  coinpli- 


HISTORY  OF  CUJEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


161 


mentin<r  ^lori-ison  on  his  race,  said:  "It  is 
probable  that  no  other  man  in  the  city  could 
have  seciued  as  many  votes  in  opposition  to 
the  present  incumbent."  Judge  Newcomb 
was  always  po|iular,  and  deservedly  so.  lie 
was  afterwards  elected  to  the  legislature  sev- 
eral times,  and  when  the  Superior  Court  was 
organized  he  was  one  of  the  first  .judges,  and 
in  1874  was  re-elected  to  this  position,  his 
name  being  placed  on  both  tickets.  He  also 
served  as  Sinking  Fund  commissioner  and 
Supreme  Court  conuiiissioner :  edited  the 
Journal  from  18(i4  to  1868;  and  declined  an 
appointment  as  Assistant  Secretary  of  the 
Interior  from  President  Grant.  He  died  at 
Indianapolis  IMay  2.3,  1882. 

After  serving  six  months  of  his  second 
ti'rm.  Mayor  Newcomb  resigned  and  Calel) 
Scudder  was  chosen  by  the  city  council  to 
lill  his  place.  He  is  always  remembered  a.s 
the  cabinet  maker  who  achieved  fame  by  giv- 
ing his  shop  for  the  use  of  the  first  Sunday 
School.  On  May  3,  1853,  Mr.  Scudder  was 
re-elected,  defeating  (ieorge  P.  Buell  by  a 
vote  of  992  to  559.  In  1854  the  Democrats 
hail  their  first  inning  with  James  McCready. 
who  defeated  Caleb  Scudder  1,313  to  tiod. 
McCready  wa.s  bom  in  New  York  City  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1816.  He  was  a  tailor  by  trade, 
and  came  here  in  the  fall  of  1836  as  a  cutter 
for  Samuel  Turner,  v.itli  whom  he  had  been 
a.ssociated  in  the  same  fire  comi^any  in  New- 
York.  Turner  broke  up,  and  ifcCready 
started  a  shop  of  his  own  next  to  ]\rrs.  Now- 
land's  boarding-house— about  9  East  AVash- 
ingtou  street.  Later  he  moved  across  tin' 
street,  just  west  of  the  Capitol  house,  ami 
■>till  later  to  the  next  block  west,  wliere  Was- 
son"s  store  is  7iow  located.  In  1S52  he  was 
I'lected  justice  of  the  peace,  and  was  called 
from  this  to  the  office  of  mayor.  He  was 
the  popular  taihu-  of  the  day,  and  was  notable 
as  the  player  of  the  bass  tr<)nd)one  in  the 
first  Indianapolis  baiul,  as  well  as  one  of 
the  star  performei-s  of  the  Indianapolis  Thes- 
pian Corps.  In  1855  he  was  I'e-eleeted,  de- 
feating Lawrence  'SI.  Vance,  the  Knownoth- 
ing  candidate,  1,469  to  1,221.  :Mr.  .McCready 
removed,  in  1903,  to  ('alifornia  and  remainetl 
there  for  six  years.  He  then  returned  to  In- 
dianapolis, and  made  his  home  with  his  son 
Frank  (Beiijaiiiin  Franklini.  where  he  died 
Vol.  I— 11 


on  October  9,  1909,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
93  years. 

The  Democrats  won  again  at  the  election 
on  ^[ay  6,  1856,  their  candidate,  Heiu-y  F. 
West,  defeating  Sims  A.  Colley,  Republican, 
1,515  to  1,183,  which  was  practically  the  vote 
all  down  the  ticket.  Mr.  ^Vest  was  a  very 
interesting  character,  ami  it  is  astonishing 
how  little  has  been  preserved  concerning  him 


llliMlY    K.    WEST. 
(Fifth   Mayor  of   Indianapolis.) 

in  local  histories,  lie  was  liorn  at  I'iltslield. 
.Massachusetts,  ;\Iarch  14,  179t).  On  January 
6,  1820,  he  married  Betsey  ^litchell,  of  South- 
berry.  Connecticut,  and  .soon  after  removed 
to  Maneliester.  Clinton  County,  New  York. 
A  few-  years  later  he  went  to  Pulatki.  Oneida 
County,  New  York,  then  to  Kochester,  New 
York,  then  to  Circleville,  Ohio,  and  then  to 
Dayton,  where  the  first  Mi-s.  West  died  in 
1842.  He  came  to  Indianapolis  about  1845. 
He  engaged  in  vai'ious  lines  of  business.     He 


ic-,' 


HISTORY   OF  GI!KATER   IXDIANAPOLIS. 


had  conducted  a  newspaper  for  a  time  in 
Ohio,  and  here  lie  started  an  edneational, 
semi-monthly,  paper  called  the  Conuiioii 
School  Advocate,  the  first  of  the  kind  in 
Indiana,  preceding;  the  Indiana  School  Jour- 
nal by  a  decade.  It  was  devoted  to  the  advo- 
cacy of  free  schools,  and  furnished  the  sub- 
stantial aruinnents  that  made  the  Indianapo- 
lis school  tax  election  of  1847  almost  unani- 
mous for  free  schools.''  It  must  also  have  had 
great  weight  in  the  campaign  for  free  schools, 
which  culminated  in  the  constitutional  pro- 
visions of  1851,  and  the  school  law  of  1852; 
and  in  pa.ssing  it  may  be  added  that  more 
exclusive  credit  is  conunonly  given  to  Caleb 
]Mills  for  that  result  than  is  .just ;  he  did  a 
great  work,  but  there  were  others.  What  is 
preserved  of  ;\tr.  West's  writing  shows  him 
to  have  mastered  the  sub.jeet  of  free  schools. 
and  his  heart  was  in. the  work."  He- later  ren- 
dered great  service  as  a  member  of  the  local 
school  board.  Mr.  West  also  wrote  for  news- 
papers and  magazines  over  the  name 
"Viator'".  In  company  with  his  brother, 
George  B.  West,  he  started  the  book-selling 
firm  of  Henry  F.  AVest  &  Co.,  at  what  whs 
then  18  W.  Washington  .street.  Wm.  Stew- 
art .joined  the  firm,  which  was  then  known  as 
West  &  Stewart.  In  1854  the  firm  dissolved, 
and  Stewart  succeeded  to  the  business,  form- 
ing the  partnership  of  Stewart  &  Bowen. 
After  various  changes,  this  firm  consolidated 
in  1S85  with  the  older  but  smaller  house  of 
Jlerrill  &  .Meigs,  as  the  Bowen-AIerrill  Co. 
]\rr.  West  died  in  office,  November  8,  1856, 
and  was  buried  by  the  ^Masons,  of  whom  he 
was  a  member  of  high  standing;  with  a  full 
turn-out  of  the  firemen,  militia,  and  civic 
organizations;  lamented  on  every  hand  as  a 
good  man. 

Following  the  death  of  Alayin-  West  there 
was  an  interim  until  the  special  election  of 
his  successor,  when  the  city  council  unani- 
mou.sly  selected  Charles  Coulon  as  mayor. 
He  was  at   the  tiiiio  a   justice  of  the  peace. 


''Soitind,  January   12,   1847. 

"  The  only  copy  of  the  Common  School  Ad- 
vocate I  have  foiuid  is  No.  2.  of  Vol.  1. 
which  is  bound  in  the  i)ack  of  a  volume  of 
Beecher's  Westirn  Farmer  and  Gardener. 
originally  belongiuii  to  Judge  H.  P.  Biddle. 
and  now  in  the  Indianajxtlis  Public  Lil)i-ary. 


and  an  excellent  one.  He  came  of  an  old 
Huguenot  family,  his  father  being  an  army 
officer,  and  later  a  lawer  at  (ioettingen.  Left 
an  orphan  at  14.  he  first  ac(|uired  a  liberal 
education  and  then  learned  the  trade  of  mak- 
ing mathematical  instruments.  In  1847  he 
emigrated  to  America,  and  in  1852  settled 
at  Indianapolis.  Here  his  health  became  im- 
paired, ami  he  read  law  with  Robert  L.  Wal- 
pole,  and  opened  a  real  estate  and  law  otfice. 
In  1856  he  was  elected  a  justice  of  the  peace 
for  a  term  of  four  years.  In  a  political  way 
his  election  as  mayor  was  a  break  of  Demo- 
cratic rule.  He  was  oi-iginally  a  Democrat, 
and  having  the  usual  liberal  views  of  foreign- 
ers, he  and  Adolpli  Seidensticker  were  in- 
dulging in  a  game  of  billiards  one  Sunday 
when  the  minions  of  the  law  swooped  down 
upon  them,  and  haled  them  before  Alayor 
McCready.  It  was  a  plain  ease,  and  the 
mayor  imposed  the  statutory  fine.  Coulon 
was  so  angered  over  the  aft'air  that  he  swore 
he  would  never  vote  the  Democratic  ticket 
again,  and  he  kept  his  vow.  After  his  two 
weeks  as  nuiyor  he  resumed  his  service  as 
.justice  of  the  peace,  and  then  resumed  the 
law.  In  1863-4  he  was  .school  couuuissiouer 
from  the  Seventh  ward;  and  from  1864  to 
1868  he  ser\ed  another  term  as  justice  of  the 
peace. 

The  city  clerk.  Alfred  Stephens,  had  died 
on  October  14.  and  on  November  22  a  special 
election  was  held  to  fill  the  two  vacancies. 
The  Democi-ats  nominated  Nathaniel  West  for 
mayor,  and  Captain  AI.  North  for  clerk.  The 
Republicans  nominated  Frederick  Stein  for 
clerk  and  William  John  Wallace  for  mayor. 
The  campaign  was  warmer  than  anything 
preceding,  and  became  quite  personal.  Wal- 
lace was  denounced  as  too  ignorant  for  the 
office,  and  West  as  a  member  of  the  "Codfish 
aristocrac.v"',  who  jierformeil  no  labor  but 
hunting  and  fishing,  and  who  had  taken  the 
l>enefit  of  the  banki-upfey  law.  In  reality 
both  were  verv  excellent  men.  Wallace  was 
the  older  brother  of  Andi-ew  Wallace,  and 
while  not  highly  educated,  was  an  intelligent 
and  capable  man.  of  many  admirable  qual- 
ities. The  Wi  sts  were  aristocratic  — of  one  of 
the  best  families  of  New  England,  whose  an- 
cestors came  over  in  the  Mayflower.  The 
head  of  the  family  established  the  old  cotton 
mill  whei'c  Sixteenth  street  crosses  the  canal 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


163 


—  better  known  to  later  generations  as  the 
coffin  factory  — and  owned  a  faiMii  runnin<r 
down  to  Tentli  stri'i-t.  The  factory  g-ave  tlie 
name  of  "Cottontown""  to  tlie  neiirlihorhootl. 
Nathiinii'l  West  was  a  sportsman,  and  lie  had 
been  hanki'upt.  Init  it  was  for  the  debts  of 
others,  and  he  iiad  iriven  up  all  he  had  in 
settlement.  He  was  not  of  the  same  family 
as  the  deceased  mayor.  But  the  campaign 
coini)liments  were  warm  enough  to  have 
served  fifty  years  later.'" 

The  personal  issues  apparently  cut  little 
fi^ire  either  way.  It  was  a  party  tight,  ami 
the  yoinig  Kepnhlican  |)arty  won  its  fii-st  vic- 
tory in  Indianapolis  in  that  special  election. 
Wallace  was  made  mayor  by  a  vote  of  l.-ioO 
to  1,332,  and  Stein's  majority  was  150.  Will- 
iam John  Wallace  was  born  in  County  Done- 
gal, Ireland,  .March  16,  1814.  He  came  to 
this  country  as  a  child  with  his  parents,  and 
they  located  at  Madison,  where  he  learned 
paper  making  with  John  Shi'ets,  bi-othcr  of 
William  Sheets,  of  lndianai)olis.  Wallace 
I  came  to  Indianai)olis  in  the  forties,  and  was 
engaged  in  conducting  a  grocery  when 
elected.  His  service  as  mayor  was  terminated 
by  his  nomination  and  election  as  county 
sheritf.  He  had  been  re-elected  mayor  in 
th-.'  spring  of  18.")7.  defeating  X.  H.  Taylor 
by  a  vote  of  \.7'M>  to  l..")8.5.  In  .Xovembc-r 
he  tendered  his  resignation  to  the  council. 
but  was  pei-suaded  to  defer  its  taking  effect 
to  the  next  city  election.  May  3.  18o8."  He 
served  as  sheriff  to  June  27.  lSrt9.  and  was 
appointed  to  the  ollice  again  on  June  H, 
1860,  in  place  of  John  F.  riuliclc.  I'csigned. 
He  remained  in  the  otTice  till  l)eccmi)ei-  il. 
1862.  when  he  resigned,  and  resinned  the 
grocery  business  on  Washington  street,  west 
of  Noble.  He  also  engaged  in  bi-ick-making. 
and  managed  his  farm.  He  died  on  Janu- 
ary 9.  1894.  Mr.  Wallace  was  a  very  active 
Union  man,  and  served  on  several  missions 
to  soldiers  in  the  field  for  (iovernor  iIort(ui. 
He     also    .served     as     draft     commissioner. '-' 

The  election  of  18.)8  was  warmly  contested. 
both  parties  niakini;-  s|)ecial  etl'oi-ts  to  secure 


'"Silitiiifl.  NoveiMber  17;  Jnii null .  Xovem- 
ber  10.  22,  18afi. 

"Journal,  May  3.  1808. 

'-See  ohituai'v  notici's  and  .hninud.  ^Fav 
3.   IS.-.S. 


the  German  vote.  The  Republicans  nom- 
inated Samuel  D.  Ma.\well,  and  the  Demo- 
crats N.  B.  Palmer,  both  old  citizens  and 
highly  respecte<l.  The  result  was  practically 
on  party  lines  thi-oughout,  .Ma.xwell  wiiniing 
by  a  vdte  of  1.984  to  1,696.  Samuel  Dunn 
Maxwell  was  one  of  the  first  settlers,  coming 
here  with  his  father  in  .March,  1820.  He  was 
b(n-n  in  Garrard  County,  Kentucky.  Febru- 
ary 19,  1803.  In  1809  liis  father.  John  .Max- 
well, removed  to  Hanover.  Indiana;  and  in 
1813-14  served  as  a  "ranger""  in  the  militia 
organization.  On  one  expedition  his  com- 
mand [lenetrated  to  the  Delaware  towns  on 
White  River,  and  on  the  knowledge  of  the 
country  he  then  obtained  he  determincil  to 
settle  in  it  as  soon  as  it  was  opened.  The 
inniiigrating  party  consisted  of  John  Maxwell 
and  his  two  sons,  Samuel  D.  and  Irwin  B.; 
John  Cowan  and  his  two  sons;  and  two  negro 
men.  Aaron  Wallace  and  Richard  ]\Iorland. 
They  k)cated  on  Fall  Crei'k  near  the  present 
City  Hospital,  id  the  head  of  the  bayou  which 
was  later  made  into  a  mill  race;  and  each 
family  cleared  about  seven  acres  of  land  and 
put  it  in  corn.  All  then  returned  to  Han- 
over except  Sanniel  I),  and  one  of  the  Cowan 
boys,  who  remained  to  attend  to  the  croji. 
When  the  croj)  was  "laid  by"'  they  also  re- 
turned to  Hanover,  and  in  Angiist  came  back 
with  a  wagonload  of  gootls,  the  family  fol- 
lowing in  -Xovember.  Their  residence  was  a 
cabin  on  Fall  Creek  near  Indian.i  avenue  and 
Maxwell  street,  in  that  vicinity,  is  named 
for  Samuel  D.  He  is  also  remembered  as  the 
leadei-  of  the  .singing  at  the  first  Pi'csbytei-ian 
pi-eaching  ever  held  in  Iiuliana|)olis.  In  1822 
he  moved  to  Montgomery  Comity,  of  which 
he  was  appointeil  sheriff'  by  (iovernor  Hen- 
dricks in  April.  1823.  On  December  1.'),  1822, 
he  married  Sarah  Cowan,  of  Crawfordsville. 
Later  he  removed  to  Clinton  (^ounty,  where 
he  was  the  first  clerk,  in  1830.  In"  1855  he 
i-eturned  to  Indianapolis,  where  he  practiced 
law.  He  also  had  some  ice-houses  on  the 
(Miial  above  Sixteenth  street. 

.Mr.  .Maxwell  was  re-elected,  after  another 
warm  cam])aign.  on  May  3.  1859.  defejitiiig 
James  .McCready.  1.895  to  1.4(i2.  The  Demo- 
ci'ats  saved  only  two  men  on  their  ticket.  Jef- 
ferson Springsteen  for  marshal,  and  Byron 
K.  Elliott  for  city  attorney.  Mr.  Maxwell 
was  renominated  in  18(11.  his  opponent  being 


164 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


James  M.  Bracken.  The  election  on  ]\Iay  7 
of  that,  year  was  the  quietest  that  liad  been 
seen  in  Indianapolis  for  years.  The  shadow 
of  Fort  Sumter  was  over  the  city,  and  men 
spoke  with  bated  breath.  The  newspapers 
scarcely  mentioned  that  an  election  was  in 
prospect.  On  ]\Iay  6,  the  JoHnmJ  said :  "In 
calling  the  attention  of  our  readei-s  to  the 
fact  that  our  municipal  election  is  so  close 
at  hand,  we  do  not  intend  to  speak  of  the 
matter  in  a  partizan  manner.  Since  the  at- 
tack on  Fort  Sumter  political  discussions  in 
the  city  papers  relative  to  city  affairs  have 
dropped,  and  the  election  will  turn,  in  good 
part,  on  the  position  of  the  candidates  rela- 
tive to  sustaining-  the  general  government  in 
its  elforts  to  put  down  rebellion  and  crush 
out  treason.  Those  known  to  be  firm  Union 
men,  who  have  no  association  with  secession 
sympathizers,  and  are  thereby  not  contam- 
inated in  the  least,  are  entitled  to  the  full 
confidence  of  the  public  and  should  receive 
the  hearty  and  earnest  support  of  all 
pati'iots. ' ' 

To  this  ingenious  non-partisan  plea,  the 
Sentinel,  which  was  vigorously  demanding 
the  prompt  .suppression  of  the  rebellion,  in- 
dignantly answered  that  the  Democratic  ticket 
was  composed  of  honest  and  capable  men, 
pledged  to  city  reform,  and  that  "every  man 
upon  the  ticket  is  not  only  loyal  to  the  con- 
stitution, but  is  willing  to  respond  to  every 
call  made  by  the  Government,  either  National 
or  State,  to  defend  its  honor  and  maintain 
its  integi'ity,  whether  by  personal  sei-vices  or 
material  aid  and  comfort,  as  may  be  required 
of  them.  It  is  not  the  men  who  are  the  loud- 
est in  professions  of  patriotism  that  do  the 
fighting  when  the  hour  of  trial  arrives,  and 
when  the  country  needs  their  services". 
These  two  articles  were  practically  the  wliolc 
discussion  of  the  campaign.  The  Reiniblican 
ticket  was  elected  throughout,  ]\Iaxwell  re- 
ceiving 2,078  votes  to  Bracken's  1,390.  ]\Ir. 
Maxwell  was  desired  to  be  a  candidate  again 
in  1863,  but  his  health  had  failed  and  his 
doctor  told  him  he  must  give  up  public  life. 
He  went  South  and  settled  at  (irand  Gulf. 
Mississippi,  from  where  he  was  brought  home 
to  Indianapolis  fatally  ill  in  1873.  He  died 
on  July  3,  1873,  at  the  home  of  his  son-in- 
law,  Lewis  Jordan. ^^ 

"News,  July  5,  1873. 


In  1863  both  parties  nominated  tickets, 
the  Republican  candidate  for  nuiyor  being 
John  Caven,  a.nd  the  Democratic  candidate 
G.  AV.  Pitts.  On  May  2  the  entire  Demo- 
cratic ticket  withdrew  from  the  contest,  giv- 
ing as  reasons  the  refusal  of  the  Republican 
authorities  to  allow  them  any  representation 
on  the  electicm  boards,  and  the  mob  violence 
at  the  polls  at  the  township  elections  in 
April.  The  Journal  denounced  the  charges 
as  false,  and  "the  withdrawal  of  the  copper- 
head city  ticket"  a  sham.  It  said  the  Demo- 
crats were  then  colonizing  voters,  and  that 
if  the  "Union  men"  slacked  their  efforts 
they  would  be  trapped.  It  averred  that  "at 
the  present  election  they  were  tendered  a 
fair  representation  of  Union  Democrats, 
though  not  of  K.  G.  C.'s,"  and  the  distinc- 
tion was  right."  In  other  words,  they  were 
offered  former  Democrats  who  had  left  the 
part}',  and  were  refused  representation  by 
men  acting  with  the  party.  At  the  election 
2,889  votes  were  east  for  Caven,  and  8  against, 
the  latter  classed  as  "Butternut  votes"  by 
the  Journal.  In  1865  the  Democrats  put 
no  ticket  in  the  field,  and  Mr.  Caven  was 
again  elected,  receiving  all  of  the  2,241  votes 
cast,  as  reported. 

It  was  fortunate  for  all  concerned  that 
the  city  fell  under  control  of  so  excellent  a 
man  as  John  Caven  during  this  period  for 
{)artisan  feeling  wa.s  running  high  and  the 
large  number  of  soldiers  located  here  from 
time  to  time  caused  an  influx  of  the  cla.sses 
that  prey  on  such  gatherings  of  men.  He 
was  born  in  Alleghany  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania, April  12,  182-1,  of  Scotch-Irish  and 
Scotch-English  parentage,  and  came  to  In- 
dianapolis in  1845.  In  his  youth  he  became 
familiar  with  labor,  in  the  coal  mine,  the 
salt-works,  the  flatboat.  His  school  priv- 
ileges were  limited,  but  he  had  a  desire  for 
knowledge  and  a  taste  for  reading  that  made 
him  a  self-educated  man  of  much  more  than 
ordinary  attairunent.  In  1847  he  began  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Oliver  H.  Smith 
and  Simon  Yandes.  He  was  duly  admitted 
to  the  bar  and  practised  thereafter  except 

'*  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle— all  Dem- 
ocrats acting  with  their  party  were  uni- 
formly called  "copperheads."  "butternuts," 
"Southern  sympathizers,"  etc.,  bj'  the  Jour- 
nal, especially  before  elections. 


ttts;tot;y  of  (itjeatf.r  txdiaxaitjlts. 


165 


one  year— 1851-2— employed  in  cual  iiiiiiini;'. 
His  administration  was  admirable,  and  made 
him  many  friends,  who  were  of  value  to 
him  in  his  later  contests  witli  the  popular 
Major  Jlitehell.  ^Ir.  Caven  was  eleeted  to 
the  state  senate  in  18G8  for  a  tci'ni  of  four 
years:  and  in  1875  he  was  bi-ou<;lit  out  fru- 
mayor  ajzainst  Mitchell,  who  had  a.stounded 
the  Kepublieans  by  settinu;  eleeted  in  1873. 
Caven  won  by  only  8,805  to  8,320,  while  the 
Republican  candidates  for  treasurer,  clerk 
and  a.ssessor  had  ina.ioi'ities  of  over  1,000.  In 
1877  he  defeated  Mitchell  airain,  after  a  very 
warm  fisiht.  in  which  the  nci^-ro  vote  loomed 
lar-e.  by  a  vote  of  7.324  to  6,194.  In  1879 
he  defeated  Edward  C.  Busldrk.  7,985  to 
fi,001.  These  last  three  times  covered  the 
disturbed  period  of  financial  depression, 
1875-80,  including  the  so-called  "bread- 
riots",  and  the  iireat  I'ailroad  strike  of  1877. 
which  will  be  considered  in  connection  with 
the  railroad  development. 

Caven 's  successor  in  1867  was  (iJen.  Dan 
^lacauley,  a  man  of  yreat  ])ersonal  jiopu- 
larity.  Handsome,  dashini;,  leady,  Indian- 
apolis never  had  a  man  who  ai)peared  to  bet- 
ter advantage  in  a  parade  or  a  public  func- 
tion of  any  kind :  and  even  his  political  ene- 
mies conceded  that  a.s  a  "general  utility 
man"'  he  was  unsurpaR.sed.  lie  defeated  Col. 
B.  C.  Shaw,  in  1867,  bv  3,317  to  2.318;  John 
Fishl)ack  in  1869  by  2,843  to  2,797:  and 
Fislil)aek  again  in  1S71  by  4.535  to  3.675, — 
and  these  wei'c  formidable  opponents.  Daniel 
Maeaulev  wa.s  of  Irish  parentage,  born  in 
New  York  City  Septend)er  8,  1839.  Left  an 
orphan  at  ten.  he  learned  the  book-binding 
business  and  worked  at  the  trade  in  Buffalo 
till  1860.  wlii'u  he  came  to  this  city  and 
worked  for  Bingham  &  Doughty.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  wtir  he  enlisted  as  a  private 
in  the  "Indianapolis  Zouaves"  which  forni(»d 
a  company  of  Lew  Wallace's  11th  Indiana. 
He  was  elected  first  lieutenant  of  his  com- 
pany, and  ajipointcd  ad.iutant  by  Wallace 
befor(>  the  I'cgimrnt  left  For  the  field.  With- 
in a  year  he  was  a  ma.ior:  in  Scpti'mbi'i'. 
18()2.  lieutenant-colonel;  in  .March.  1863. 
eolonil.  He  was  twice  t)ri'vcftcd  biigadiiT 
general  for  sei-vice  in  battle,  and  comnKUuled 
a  brigade  for  a  yeai-.  For  five  years  he 
inis,sed  only  30  days  of  service,  and  in 
them  lie  saw   nuu'li   li.nd   lighting.     A   bullet 


went  through  his  leg  at  Viclcsburg,  and  an- 
other lodged  in  his  hip  at  Cedar  Creek,  Vir- 
ginia, on  the  day  of  "Sheridan's  Ride". 
After  the  war  he  engaged  in  the  book-bind- 
ing business  in  Indianapolis  until  elected 
mayor.  After  liis  service  as  mayor  he  was 
for  a  time  superintendent  of  the  city  water 
company,  and  foi'  several  years  manager  of 
the  Academy  of  Music.  He  left  Indianapolis 
in  1880.  He  held  a  position  in  the  treasury 
depai'tment  under  President  Harrison,  and 
later  became  connected  with  the  Maritime 
Canal  Company,  operating  in  Nicaragiui.  He 
died  in  Nicaragua  in  April.  1894:  and  his 
I'emains  were  brought  to  Washington  and 
buried  at  Arlington  on  June  22.  1899.  near 
the  graves  of  two  otliei'  Indiana  soJdiei-s, 
Walter  Q.  Gresham  and  lleiu-y  W.  Lawton. 
(In  ]May  30  his  old  comrades  dedicated  a 
modest  monument,  at  that  place,  to  liis 
memory. 

The  spring  of  1873  saw  the  tii-st  Democrat 
for  a  generation  in  the  mayor's  otifice,  in  tiie 
pei-son  of  ^la.i.  James  L.  Mitchell.  The 
campaign  and  election  were  very  quiet. 
There  was  a  great  deal  of  dissatisfaction 
among  Republicans,  and  he  made  his  cam- 
l)aign  on  a  nonpartisan  basis.  He  had  been 
nominated  by  the  Democrats  when  he  was 
absent  from  the  city,  but  consented  to  ae- 
ee])t  and  nuike  the  race,  'i'he  Kepublieans 
nominated  Capt.  William  D.  Wiles,  and 
:\Iitchell  defeateil  him  5.878  to  5,100.  The 
rest  of  the  Republican  ticket  were  elected. 
The  Sentinel  said  of  the  result:  "In  the 
selection  of  Ma.ior  IMitchell  there  is  nothing 
savoring  of  a  partisan  triumph.  It  is  not, 
beyond  all  else,  a  Democratic  triumph. 
Liberalized  Rej)ublicans  made  his  calling  cer- 
tain and  his  election  sure."  Major  Mifclicll 
was  born  in  Shelby  Counts-.  Kentucky.  Sep- 
tember 29,  1834.  His  i)arents  moved  to 
.Monroe  County,  Indiana,  when  he  was  eight 
years  old.  He  woi-ked  on  the  farm,  and  at 
nineteen  entered  the  State  Fnivei-sity.  grad- 
uating in  1858.  He  tlien  read  law  witli  his 
uricie,  John  L.  Ketchaiii.  with  whom  be  later 
formed  a  pai'tnership.  lie  entered  the  army 
July  16,  18()2.  iieing  conuuissioned  adjutant 
in  the  Seventieth  Indiana,  Cen.  Henjamin 
Harrison's  regiment:  and  served  through  the 
war.  From  November,  1W()4.  lie  was  on  the 
stall'  of   (ieii.    Lovell    lb    liiiusseau.       He   re- 


Kifi 


HlSTOin'   OF   nHKATEll   IXDIAXAl'OLIS. 


sullied  the  practice  of  tlie  law  after  the  war, 
and  in  18S6  was  nominated  by  the  Democrats 
for  proseeutiny;  attorney  of  Marion  and 
Hendricks  Counties.  He  was  elected,  and 
re-elected  in  18SS.  After  ciunpletiiis-  his 
term  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law.  which 
he  continued  till  his  death  on  February  21, 
1894. 

At  the  close  of  .Mayor  Caven's  loui;-  jieriod 
of  service  in  1881  the  Republicans  nomi- 
nated Daniel  W.  Grubbs  for  mayor,  ilr. 
Grubbs  was  a  native  of  Henry  County,  In- 
diana, and  in  his  youth  served  an  apprentice- 
ship in  the  office  of  the  Xeircastle  Courier. 
He  came  to  Indianapolis  in  1807,  and  took 
up  the  study  of  law  in  the  ofiHce  of  William 
Henderson.  After  admission  to  the  bar  he 
was  associated  for  a  time  in  practice  with 
E.  B.  Martindale.  He  went  out  as  a  private 
in  Co.  B,  132d  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry, 
in  the  one  hundred  day  service.  He  did  not 
appear  in  i)olitics  until  1877  when  he  was 
elected  to  the  I^oard  of  Aldenueii,  and  there 
served  as  president  of  the  Police  Board  until 
1880.  The  Democrats  nominated  Prof. 
J.  H.  Smart,  who  had  .just  finished  his  term 
as  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction. 
This  clever  political  move  was  probably  in- 
spired by  (iovernor  Hendricks,  who  presided 
at  the  Democratic  city  convention.  Profes- 
sor Smart  was  a  man  of  hijjh  character  and 
attainments  and  was  in  jreneral  esteem. 
However,  Mr.  Grubbs  won  out  by  a  vote  of 
7,182  to  6,6ti5.  After  the  close  of  his  term, 
in  188-1,  ]\Ir.  Grubbs  went  to  Parral,  ilexico, 
where  he  en<rafi:ed  in  the  baiikiu'r  busines.s 
until  190:?,  and  then  retired  from  active  busi- 
nes".  For  several  years  |)a.st  he  has  resided 
at   Harrodshur^.   Kentucky. 

In  1883  the  contest  for  the  mayoralty  was 
between  John  \j.  McMaster.  Republican,  and 
(iabriel  Sehmuck,  Democrat.  McMa.ster  was 
not  seeking:  the  nomination,  Imt  was  requested 
to  allow  his  name  to  be  used  two  or  three 
days  before  the  convention.  He  was  nomi- 
nated without  any  canvass  by  luHi.  and  was 
elected  by  a  vote  of  8.().")7  to  8.387.  John 
Lennox  McMaster  was  born  at  Rutland, 
^leisr'i  County,  Ohio,    February  9.   1S43.      He 


enlisted  in  the  Second  West  Virginia  Cav- 
alry, and  served  until  November,  1864.  After 
the  war  he  entered  Ohio  University,  at 
Athens.  Ohio,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
18()9.  He  then  entered  Cincinnati  law  school, 
and  graduated  in  1870.  He  came  here  in 
October,  1870,  with  Angustin  Boice.  and 
formed  the  law  firm  of  Mcilaster  &  Hoice, 
which  continued  until  his  election  to  the 
bench.      He    became    mayor   on   January    1, 

1884,  the  law  of  succession  having  been 
changed  during  the  term  of  his  predecessor. 
Before  becoming  mayor  he  had  been  a  can- 
didate for  judge  of  the  Superior  Court  in 
18S2.  anil  had  been  defeated  by  Napoleon  B. 
Taylor,  in  the  sweep  of  a  general  Democratic 
victoiy.  In  1894  he  was  again  nominated 
for  .judge  of  the  Superior  Court  and  was 
elected.  He  was  re-elected  in  1898.  1902  and 
1906.  and  still  holds  this  office. 

There  were  two  othei-  mayors  pri(M'  to  the 
adoption  of  the  present  city  charter,  Caleb 
S.  Denny.  Republican,  and  Thomas  L.  Sul- 
livan. Democrat.     Mr.  Denny,  on  October  13, 

1885.  defeated  Thomas  G.  Cottrell  by  the 
narrow  margin  of  9.098  against  9.038.  He 
was  re-elected  October  11.  1887.  over  Dr. 
(Jeoi-ge  F.  Edenharter.  by  a  vote  of  9.9t)(l  to 
9.186.  (In  October  8.  1889.  Judge  Thomas 
L.  Sullivan  was  elected  over  Gen.  John  Co- 
burn  bv  a  vote  of  11.363  to  9.570.  On  Oc- 
tober 13.  1891.  he  defeated  William  W. 
Herod.  14.320  to  11.598.  As  both  of  these 
mayors  served  under  the  new  charter,  fur- 
ther mention  of  them  will  be  made  hereafter. 
It  may  be  mentioned  that  city  elections  were 
held  in  April  until  the  adoption  of  the  gen- 
eral city  law  of  1852.  and  thereafter  on  the 
first  Tuesday  in  :\Iay.  until  1883,  when  be- 
gan elections  on  the  second  Tuesday  in  Oc- 
tober. Also,  that  during  the  early  city 
period,  from  1847  to  1891.  the  mayor  was  a 
.judicial  officer,  serving  as  police  .judge,  or 
its  e(|uivalent.  As  the  city  grew,  this  came 
to  be  the  most  onerous  part  of  the  mayor's 
duties,  for  he  heard  iiractically  all  of  the 
cases  of  arrests  liy  llie  city  police,  for  minor 
offenses. 


CHAPTER   XVII 


THE  VOI.CXTKKR  FIRE  COMPANIES. 


The  first  fire  in  Fmlinnaiiolis  of  whieh  tliere 
is  any  reedrd  was  tiic  liiirnini;'  of  Thomas 
Carter's  new  frame  tavern,  on  WashiiiL'ton 
street  ()]i])osite  the  eoui't  house,  on  January 
17.  182.").  Tliere  was  no  fire  oi-^'anization  at 
the  time,  but  the  eiti/.ens  turned  out  en  ma.sse 
and  .saved  .most  of  the  furniture  e.xeejit  some 
beds,  and  a  quantity  of  flour,  wliieh  were 
stored  in  the  rear  of  thr  liuildini;  where  the 
fire  oriL'inatcd.  Smnr  of  tile  volunteers  were 
so  enthusiastic  in  the  rescue  that  the.v 
cho|iped  down  the  |)ost  in  fi-ont  of  the  tavern 
to  save  the  new  siirn  it  carried,  and  were 
much  abashed  to  see  it  break  to  splinters 
when  it  fell.  .\otwithstaiidin<;-  this  wai-uin^' 
a  year  more  passed  without  a  fire  company, 
but  on  June  20,  lS2f),  the  Indianapolis  Fire 
I'ompany  was  or^'anizt^d  under  the  state  law 
of  1S"31,  which  jiermitted  forty  or  more  citi- 
zens of  a  to\\n  to  form  a  company,  and  make 
rules  and  reyulafions  foi-  themselves,  for  in- 
fractions of  which  they  could  imj)ose  fines, 
collectable  before  a  justice  of  llie  peace. 
This  company  had  no  apparatus  but  leather 
buckets  and  ladders,  and  alai'iris  were  jiiven 
by  rinj;injr  the  church  bell.  Its  president 
was  John  Hawkins,  and  the  seci'ctar.v  Jjniics 
II.  Hay.  Fortunately  it  was  not  much  called 
on  f(U"  service,  and  its  |)rotection  was  consid- 
ered satisfactory  until  the  buildinji'  of  the 
new  state  hou.se  introduced  the  new  factor 
of  a  buildinf.'  too  hi^rh  for  any  of  tlie  latlders 
in  use,  and  too  valuable  to  be  left  with  no 
protect  i(in. 

'I'he  lejiislature  cousideretl  the  matter  and 
on  February  7,  18:!."),  (lassed  ati  act  condi- 
tioned (in  the  jicople  of  1  ndiana|)olis  sub- 
scribing "one-half  the  amount  re(|uircil  to 
purchase  a  fii'st-i'ate  fir-c  cuLrine  and  a  suit- 
able quantity  of  hose  for  the  same":  if  this 


were  done,  the  act  directed  the  treasurer  of 
state  to  purcha.se  2.5  fire  buckets  and  four 
ladders  lonif  enouj;h  to  reach  to  the  top  of 
the  state  house,  to  pay  half  the  cost  of  the 
(Miixine  and  ho.se,  and  to  erect  a  building:  for 
the  eneine.  The  people  at  ouce  beg:an  a 
movement  for  the  acceptance  of  this  offer  by 
a  public  ineetinsr  at  the  Methodist  church  on 
Februaiy  12,  at  which  (iovernor  Ray  presided 
and  A.  W.  ]\Iorris  acted  as  secretary.  It  was 
decided  to  aret  a  list  of  signatures  of  those  who 
were  willintr  to  .join  a  company,  and  to  ask 
the  trustees  to  levy  a  special  tax,  or  other- 
wise co-operate  with  the  state  in  the  |)ni'- 
clia.se.  The  matter  was  pushed  diiriim  the 
summer,  the  county  board  eontributinir  .+100, 
and  in  August  Treasurer  Palmer  advertiseil 
I'oi-  bids  for  the  engine  house.  It  wa.s  a  one- 
story  frame  building.  14x20,  on  a  brick  foun- 
dation, with  a  double  door  at  the  front,  and 
stood  on  the  nor-th  side  of  the  Circle  .just  west 
of  .Meridian  street.  In  18:^7  the  city  added 
a  second  stoi'v  to  it  which  was  used  for  a. 
council  chamber  and  city  otfices.  The  en- 
gine, named  the  ]\Iarion,  a  second-hand  end- 
brake  hand  engine,  was  bought  of  .Merrick 
i!v;  Co.  iif  Phila(lel|)lMa  for  .^sLSOO,  and  arrived 
hei'e  in  Septendier,  18.S.").  During  that  and 
the  following  year  live  (lublic  wells  were 
dug  for  fire  protection.  The  old  bueki't  com- 
pan.v  was  merged  in  the  new  organization, 
which  re.joiceil  in  the  name  of  the  Mai-ion 
Fifi'.  lliise  and  I'l'oteetiou  Company. 

t  >ii  .January  20,  18.'^8.  this  company'  was 
incorporated  undei'  the  name  of  the  Marion 
l-'ire  Engine  CoMii)any  by  "Caleb  Scuddci-, 
Xiehola.s  .McCai-ty.  Hen.).  I.  BIythe,  Cal- 
\in  l-'letchei'.  and  not  more  than  :iOO  others." 
Hy  the  incorporation  act.  the  membei's  wi're 
"exemjit   from   militia   duties  except    in   case 


\(;i 


168 


IIISTOKY  OF  GlIEATER  IXDIAXArOLlS. 


( ir.    //.    Bdss    I'hoto    Company.) 


OUTLINE    MAP,    1857. 
(Showing   populated    districts    at   various    periods.) 


lU.SToliY    OF   (iUKATER  IxXDJAXAPULLS. 


169 


III'  iiisiii-i'ec'tion  or  invasion,  and  from  service 
on  juries  in  .instiees  courts,  and  from  the 
payment  of  poll  tax  for  county  purposes, 
and  road  tax  for  jx'i'sonal  j)rivile<;e,  and  they 
shall,  after  ten  years'  service  in  said  com- 
pany, be  forever  thereafter  exempt  from  the 
[lerforuiance  of  militia  duties  except  in  case 
of  insurrection  or  invasion".  For  five  years 
this  company  and  its  ensrine  constituted  the 
fire  department.  Caleb  Sciidder  was  the  first 
cai)tain.  and  he  was  followed  by  James 
Hlake,  Dr.  John  L.  Mothersheacl  and  others. 
The  company  occupied  the  hou.se  on  the 
Circle  until  it  was  burned  down  in  18.51, 
some  people  believiriE:  it  was  fired  by  some 
incndjer  of  the  company,  which  was  demand- 
ing better  (juarters.  ^lost  of  the  early  town 
records  were  lost  in  the  fire.  A  new  and 
sub.stantial  brick  house  was  then  built  for 
the  comiyany  at  the  corner  of  Massachusetts 
avenue  anil  New  York  street,  where  the  fire 
headquarters  is  now  located,  and  the  com- 
pany occupied  this  till  it  disbanded  in  1859. 
It  used  the  old  ]\Iarion  luitil  1858.  when  a 
fine  side-brake  euuine  was  purchased  for  it 
by  the  city:  which,  having:  been  little  u-sed. 
was  sold  in  1800  to  the  town  of  Peru  for 
$2.1.30. 

In  1840  a  second  engine  was  added  to  the 
Mai-ions'  equipment.  It  was  also  a  second- 
hand end-brake  engine,  but  in  good  condi- 
tion, called  the  Good  Intent.  It  run  with 
the  JIarion  until  arrangements  could  be  made 
for  a  division  of  the  company.  An  act  was 
jia.ssed  by  the  legislatui-e  on  Febi-uary  4, 
1S41,  extending  all  the  i-iglits  and  privileges 
of  the  I\Iarion  company  to  ''forty  or  more 
of  the  citizens  of  Indianapolis"  who  should 
fonn  an  additional  fire  company,  selecting 
sucii  name  as  they  might  desire.  Under  this 
act  a  part  of  the  .Marions,  under  the  lead  of 
John  II.  "\Vi-ight.  one  of  the  leading  iner- 
eluuits  and  ]iioneer  pork-packers  of  the  city, 
organized  the  Independent  Relief  Company, 
and  went  into  business  with  tiie  (iood  In- 
tent. Dui'ing  most  of  its  existence  this  com- 
I)any  was  housed  in  a  two-story  building 
south  of  Wa.shington  on  Meridian  street,  now 
covered  l)y  the  establishment  of  L.  S.  Ayres 
&  Co.  It.  used  the  (UhuI  Intent  until  1849. 
when  it  was  fui-nislunl  witli  a  "i-ow-boat" 
engine,  on  wliieh  the  men  wei'c  seated,  aiul 
worki'd    the    lirakes    iKH'izonlallv.       'I'liis    was 


used  until  1S5S,  when  by  tlie  aid  of  the  coun- 
cil and  subscriptions  of  citizens  a  powerful 
end-brake  engine  was  purchased  and  ])ut  iu 
use.  The  company  was  chartered  by  special 
act  of  January  21,  1850.  which  gave  addi- 
tional powers  for  holding  property.  When 
the  company  disbanded  in  1859,  there  was 
difficulty  with  the  city  authorities  over  the 
ownership  of  the  engines,  but  in  February, 
1860,  the  company  compromised  by  sur- 
rendering everything  to  the  city  but  the  old 
"I'ow-boat",  which  was  broken  up  and  sold 
a  few  weeks  later. 

There  were  no  separate  hose  companies  in 
the  days  of  the  volunteers,  though  there  were 
hose  reels  for  the  several  companies,  but  the 
companies  divided  themselves  into  hose  men 
and  engine  men.  In  1843  a  hook  and  ladder 
company  was  organized  and  the  neccssaiy 
hooks,  ladders,  axes,  buckets  and  wagon 
were  procured  for  it.  It  disbanded  with  the 
rest  of  the  volunteer  department  in  1859,  but 
was  reorganized  in  1860,  and  located  in  the 
house  formerly  occupied  by  the  Invincibles 
on  North  New  Jersey  street.  In  1849  the 
Western  Liberties  Company  was  organized 
iu  the  wcstei'n  part  of  the  city,  taking  the 
(iood  Intent  when  the  Keliefs  got  their  '"row- 
boat."  They  occupied  a  house  in  the  i)oint 
between  Washington  street  and  the  National 
Road  until  1857,  when  a  brick  house  was 
built  for  them  on  the  south  side  of  Wash- 
ington, east  of  California  street,  now  occu- 
]>ied  by  engine  No.  G.  At  their  fii-st  loca- 
tion, the  Westerns,  as  they  were  commonly 
called,  were  the  only  company  that  did  not 
have  a  bell,  but  used  for  alarm  purpo.ses  a 
large  triangle  which  was  (piite  as  alarming. 
In  April,  1857,  a  new  hand-brake  engine 
called  the  Indiana  was  bought  for  them,  and 
used  until  they  disbanded.  In  ]\Iay,  1852, 
the  Invincible  Company  was  organized,  chief- 
ly by  (iernuins.  and  a  rather  snudl  hiuid- 
brake  engine  called  the  Victory  was  bought 
for  them.  They  had  a  brick  house  on  the 
east  side  of  New  Jersey  street,  half  a  s(|uare 
north  of  Washington,  on  the  site  made  no- 
torious later  by  the  establishment  of  "Queen 
Mabb".  The  Victory  was  a  light  and  service- 
able engine,  and  was  used  until  1857,  when 
the  Con(|ui  roi',  a  fin(>  hand-bi"ake  engine,  was 
pui'chased  for  tli(>  company  and  us(>d  \uitil 
.Vugust,  1859.     The  i'iiiiii)Mn\'  then  disbanded. 


170 


HISTOKY.  OF  (iliKATKR  IXDIANAPOLIS. 


but  ivor^'iinizod  sis  yiavt  of  the  paid  de|)<irt- 
iiieiit.  and  served  until  the  summer  of  18(i(), 
when  it  disbanded  permanently  and  the  ("on- 
((ueror  was  soon  after  sohl  to   Ft.   Wayne. 

In  185.")  the  I'nion  eompany  was  oi'^^anized 
on  the  south  side,  and  a  two-story  brick  house 
was  built  for  it  on  South  .street,  just  east  of 
the  present  St.  Vincent's  Hospital.  A  larue 
Jeffer.s  hand-brake  etiiiine  was  purchased  foi- 
them,  and  was  named  "Spirit  of  7  and  (i" 
because  the  eompany  represented  those  twn 
wards,  but  it  was  more  conunonly  known  as 
"the  Spirit  of  Seventy-six".  The  eom]iany 
was  disbanded  in  November,  \Sr>9.  and  after 
some  unsuccessful  elfort  to  reoriranize  it  un- 
der the  paid  department,  the  eu^trine  was 
given  in  part  pay,  at  -$600,  to  the  Seneca 
Falls  Company  for  steam  engine  No.  3,  which 
was  afterwards  located  at  the  I'nion 's  house. 
The  last  volunteer  comi)any  organized  was 
the  Northwestern  Fire  Company,  commonly 
known  a.s  The  Rovers,  It  had  a  house  on 
Indiana  avenue,  and  was  usins-  (  ne  of  the 
old  enorines,  after  its  oro-anization  in  Mai-ch, 
1858,  until  a  new  one  could  be  purchased, 
when  the  evidences  of  pending-  rui)tiiie  l)e- 
eame  so  stronir  that  the  pnrcha.se  pi-ocretl- 
inss  were  stopped,  and  the  conii)auy  dis- 
banded with  the  otliers  in  1859.  There  ^hiuld 
be  mentioned,  however,  two  additional  or- 
•ranizations  which  do  not  seem  to  have  luid 
etpial  official  standino-.  In  December,  lS41t, 
a  number  of  boys,  who  could  not  uet  into  tiic 
regular  companies  on  account  of  youth,  oi-- 
•ranized  tlie  "(),  K.  Bucket  Comi)any",  and 
uot  ])osse.ssion  of  the  old  buckets,  ladders  and 
wat;-on  of  the  o!-i^inal  Indianapolis  P'ire  Coni- 
I)any.  What  they  lacked  in  etpiipnu'nt  thi'y 
made  up  in  enthusiasm,  and  were  successful 
in  reaching  so  many  tires  first,  and  puttinu 
out  so  many  "inci])ient  conflagrations"  tliat 
the  council  bnuyht  them  a  new  wairon  aiul 
Imcket.s  ami  fiu-nished  them  a  house,  which 
was  located  on  .Mei-idian  street  above  .Mary- 
lanil.  about  where  Kip's  notion  store  now  is. 
They  disbanded  in  1854.  reor£;anized  in  1855. 
disbanded  ajrain  in  1851)  to  reoriranize  as  an 
eri«;ine  company,  takinsr  the  old  Victory 
when  the  Invincibles  jiot  the  Coiu|uei-or.  In 
Jlay,  1858,  the  Youu<i-  America  Hook  and 
Ladder  CoiTii>aiiy  was  fonned,  and  was  su])- 
plied  with  ajipai'atus  in  .Jinie,  which  it  used 
until   it  disbanded   in   Xnvember,  1859, 


The  tire  companies  were  triven  powers 
connnensnrate  with  tiie  duties  they  were  ex- 
pected to  perform.  I'y  the  elaborate  fire 
ordinance  of  April  24,  184(1,  the  coiUK-il  was 
to  apjioint  annually  a  "chief  fireward",  and 
each  ortranized  eomjiany  an  "assistant  fire- 
ward",  who  were  recpiired  to  appear  prompt- 
ly at  any  fire,  when  alarm  had  been  oiven, 
with  their  "badire  of  office,  which  shall  be 
a  pole  five  feet  in  len«rth,  painted  red."  The 
tii-ewards  and  officeis  of  the  eiiirine  and  hose 
companies  were  sriven  authority  to  "com- 
mand all  resident  citizens  to  form  into  line 
for  the  purpose  of  con\eyin<;'  water  to  the 
enirines,  or  to  render  any  aid  that  may  be 
deemed  necessary",  A  citizen  who  refused 
was  subject  to  fine  of  $1  to  $20.  They  also 
had  power  to  order  a  building  pulled  down, 
blown  up,  or  otherwise  I'emoved  dui'inir  the 
profjress  of  a  fire  if  deemed  necessai-y.  The 
owners  of  buJldins'S  haviiii;-  fireplaces  or 
stoves  were  reipiired  to  have  laitdcM's  reaeh- 
im;'  to  the  ridse,  and  ti)'<'  buck(4s.  one  to 
every  three  fireplaces  or  stoves.  The 
Hrewar'ls  could  also  reiiuire  buildinijs  to  be 
re]iaired  if  dauoerous,  seize  sjunjiow  'cr  if 
Icept  in  (luantities  ovei'  25  pounds,  and  cause 
fires  made  in  sti'i^ets  oi-  alleys  to  be-  extin- 
iruished,   if  considered   dangerous. 

In  the  early  times  membersbin  in  n  tire 
company  was  almost  a  bad>je  of  tiood  citizen- 
ship for  the  able-bodied.  Fvei-ybody  wanted 
to  help.  Ministers  were  i'xemi>t  from  duty 
iin  call,  but  they  oft(>n  waived  their  priv- 
ilege. Henry  Wai-d  Beeeher  was  noted  for 
fiffbtinjr  tenu^oral  fii'cs  with  as  much  viiror 
as  he  did  the  eternal  kind.  Theie  was  a 
spirit  of  fellowship  in  the  companies  that 
made  them  vers-  potent  political  and  social 
influences:  in  fact  they  became  ultimately, 
as  in  nuiny  other  cities,  almost  dictatiu'ial  in 
their  political  power.  Anion<_'  the  members 
of  the  companies  whose  names  are  bi'st  re- 
membered were  John  Coliurn.  Joseph  K. 
English.  Berry  Sulyreve  and  Thomas  Bu- 
chanan, who  Avere  all  captains  of  the  Clarions; 
Col.  N.  R.  Ruckle,  the  last  ruiuiintr  officer, 
and  (ieu.  Fred  TCneflei-,  the  pipemau  of  the 
Marions,  with  Henry  Coburu,  John  1>.  ^lor- 
ri*;.  Hiram  Seibert.  James  Feriruson.  Samuel 
Wallace,  ,\ar'-n  Clem.  Milton  Sulgn  ve  and 
(ieorue  H.  West,  of  the  same  comnany: 
B\'roii    K.    Elliott.    (Icoi-ge    W.    Sloan.   James 


HISTORY  OF  (;i;i;.\- 


XDIAXATOLIS. 


in 


McCread.T.  William  Mansur,  Alex  (iraydon, 
E.  S.  Tyler.  Paul  Sherman.  Taylor  Elliott 
and  Johu  C.  New  of  the  Iiidepeiideiit  Ke- 
liefs;  Charles  Richmaiin.  Eniaimei  Ilauirh 
and  .Joseph  \V.  Davis  of  the  Iiiviiieihles ; 
John  Mai-see.  Tlumias  (!.  Cottreli,  Fi-aiik  and 
Dan  Glazier  of  tlie  Unions;  W.  ().  ("Deek"') 
Sherwood.  Michael  (i.  Fitehey  and  Isaac 
Thalnian  of  the   Westerns. 

The  couiieil  elected  Thomas  .M.  Smith 
"chief  fire  warden"  on  S('i)tember  a,  184t). 
and.  for  some  unknown  ivason.  there  was  no 
subsequent  annual  election  of  a  "chief  fire- 
ward"  as  i>i'oviiled  l)y  tlie  ordinance.  On 
March  7.  1853.  the  council  ahandoncd  the 
special  city  chartei',  anil  adopted  the  j;en- 
eral  city  ineorporatic  ii  act  of  June  18.  ISii'I. 
as  the  city  charter.  This  provided  for  a 
chief  fire  enji:ineer  and  two  assistants,  and 
Joseph  Ijittle  was  elected  chief,  with  Beri'v 
Sulgrove  and  William  Kintr  as  assistants. 
By  this  time  the  companies  were  l)ecomin<r 
somewhat  unndy.  .Many  of  the  orijiiiuil 
menibei's.  who  represented  the  consen'ative 
sentiment  of  the  community  had  dropped 
out  tiiidcr  the  ■"ten  years  service"  provision, 
and  the  ranks  were  tilled  with  younji'cr  men. 
The  council  sought  to  curb  tlie  power  of  the 
compaiiies  by  makin<r  them  undci'stand  that 
obedience  to  city  authority  would  be  the  pi-ice 
of  city  aid.  The  eomjianies  met  the  intima- 
tion by  oriranizini;  the  Kire  Association, 
which  was  comixised  of  delejrates  from  each 
company,  and  held  montldy  meetini;>;  in  the 
tipper  room  of  the  Relief  eomi)any  on 
Meridian  sti-eet.  Rcri\v  R.  Sulgrove  was  the 
first  i)rtsident  of  this,  and  it  was  at  onei! 
rwoijnized  as  the  representative  of  the  whole 
bod,v  of  firemen.  From  the  first  each  com- 
pan.v  had  elected  its  own  officers — a  captain 
(also  (ircsidcnt),  seeretar.v,  treasurer,  enjiine 
directors  ami  hose  dii-ectoi-s.  the  "messen- 
ger" beinfi  fonnali.x'  i-husen  by  the  council, 
and  paid  $.")(>  a  year  for  keei)in^  the  api)a- 
ratns  in  m-der.  iiut  icall.v  beins'  named  by 
the  companies.  The  Fire  Association  also 
came  to  a  tacit  powei-  to  name  the  elei'k  of 
the  council,  and  |)r;ictically  to  dictate  the 
fire  appropriations,  and  the  erowth  of  their 
demands  ma,v  be  .iud<red  from  the  extensive 
pureha.se  of  new  apparatus  in  1857  and  1858. 
The  people  ob.jected   to  the  expense,   and   so 


did  the  council,  for  it  madi'  a  dcai'th  of  funds 
for  other  ptirpo.ses. 

There  was  another  feature  that  caused  a 
sentiment  as;ainst  the  companies.  Many  of 
the  members  wei-e  in  the  oreanization  ""fur 
the  fun  of  the  thintr, "  and  they  un(|ues- 
tionably  •rot  a  great  deal  of  fun  out  of  it. 
Jlueh  of  this  was  ([uite  harmless,  and  grew 
out  of  the  commendable  rivali-y  of  the  com- 
paJiies  in  getting  the  first  watei'  on  lii-es. 
This  naturall.v  developed  contests  in  badinage 
and  occasional  free  fights,  but  no  lasting 
bitternes,s.  Indeed  there  was  rem.irkable 
gtod  natui-e  in  all  their  horse-play.  The  In- 
vinciblcs.  being  lai'gely  (lennans,  were 
dubbed  "the  AVooden  Shoes"  b.v  the  other 
companies,  while  the  Reliefs— or  Good  In- 
tents—  were  sninetinu^s  called  "Swallow 
Tails"  and  sometimes  "Silk  Stockings,"  but 
by  the  Invineibles.  who  i-egarded  the  Reliefs 
as  s|)eeial  rivals,  they  were  called  the 
"Shangliais".  The  (Jei-mans  of  the  Invin- 
eibles being  addicted  to  music  had  a  sort 
of  battle-h.vnni,  which  originated  when 
Emanuel  Ilaugh  was  their  captain,  a  frag- 
mctit  of  which.  <is  their  rivals  claimed  they 
sane-  it.   ran  : 

'■]\Ian   Ilaugh  is  our  capt;iin. 
Vere  lie  leads  ve  go; 
I  run  mit  de  Wooden  Shoes, 
Trow.  Wictorv.  trow." 

Thi'i'e  was  a  elim  iis  i-unning : 

"Trow,  Wictor,v.  ti-ow. 
Trow,  Wictorv.  trow, 
De  Shauirhais  has  no  wasser. 
Trow.  Wictorv.  trow." 

And  aiiotln'r  I'cfi'ain  tliat  is  handetl  down, 
is: 

"Trow,    Wictory.    trow, 
]\Ian    llaueb    is   our    president; 
lie  makes  us  wax   de  (hxxI    Intent: 
Trow,   Wictorv.  trow." 

With  all  their  rivalry  tlii'  companies  had 
little  trouble  about  iK-ttini;-  tog(>thcr  when 
the,v  scenteil  common  pre,v.  and  one  of  their 
diversion.s  was  "washing  out"  houses  of  ill 
fame.  This  was  lu^t  altogether  pure  deviltry-, 
for.    after    the    railroads    were    opened,    the 


172 


mSTOHV  OF  GItEATElf  IXDIANArOLIS. 


river  towns,  ospofially  Cineiiinati.  used  to 
furnish  us  with  some  very  imdesirable  citi- 
zens; and,  sometimes  on  coniphiints  of  neigh- 
bors, and  sometimes  on  a  tip  from  the  police 
tliat  a  resort  was  becomiuEr  obnoxious,  the 
department  would  so  through  it.  It  is  won- 
derful that  no  serious  affrays  resulted  from 
these  affairs,  but  none  did.  A  male  attache 
of  one  place  on  Washington  street  once  un- 
dertook to  use  a  shot-gun,  but  he  was 
promptly  hustled  out  of  the  way  before  do- 
ing any  damage.  The  nearest  serious  results 
\\as  at  a  place  on  North  New  Jersey  street 
where  a  Cincinnati  outfit  had  located,  much 
to  the  disgust  of  the  neighbors.  The  com- 
l>anies  decided  +0  act.  and  had  their  hose 
laid,  when  the  proprietress  appeared  at  the 
door  with  a  big  six-barreled  pepper-box  and 
opened  fire.  All  of  the  pipemen  vamoosed 
Imt  one  plucky  fellow  who  danced  around  to 
dodge  bullets  and  yelled  lustil.v  for  "watei'". 
Finall.v  the  water  came,  and  when  a  solid 
stream  struck  the  defender  in  the  pit  of  the 
stomach  she  keeled  over  and  went  into  the 
wash.  They  say  the  like  of  that  wetting  was 
never  seen.  They  washed  out  closets,  bureau 
drawers,  everything:  and  when  they  got 
through  there  was  not  a  dry  hook  and  eye 
in  the  house.  In  Jidy,  1857.  there  was  some 
resistance  to  visitations  to  a  couple  of  places 
in  the  western  part  of  the  city  which  led  to 
the  arrest  and  fining  of  several  firemen  for 
riot,  but  this  had  no  notable  restraining  ef- 
fect. On  the  contrary  the  Locomotive,  which 
was  the  conscience-keeper  of  the  community 
at  the  time,  .iustified  the  oiTense,  and  it  was 
followed  within  a  month  by  several  other  af- 
fairs of  the  same  kind. 

Rut  all  of  this  sort  of  reform  work  begot 
a  disregard  of  property  rights,  and  when,  one 
year,  some  injudicious  insurance  men  offererl 
two  prizes,  a  silver  trumpet  and  a  silver 
pitcher,  to  the  companies  making  the  be.st  rec- 
ords for  getting  first  and  second  water  on 
fires  during  the  year,  it  was  not  surprising 
that  there  were  numei-ous  cli.-irges  of  incen- 
diarism. There  were  astduiidingly  numei-ous 
alarms  from  fins  in  old  and  isolated  build- 
iugs,  to  which  some 'company  responded  with 
strange  rapidit>'.  One  old  timer  says  that 
whenever  he  saw  a  fii-e  ca])tain  step  out  of 
the  house  with  his  trumi)et  he  knew  thei'C 
would    be    an    alarm    \ei-y    <|uicl<ly.      M    this 


time,  in  preparation  for  the  building  of  the 
Yolin  Block,  at  the  northeast  corner  of 
Washington  and  ^Meridian  streets,  the  old 
frame  building  that  stood  there  had  been 
raised  on  pi-ops  preparatory  to  removal,  hav- 
ing been  purchased  by  a  colored  citizen. 
This  la.st  feature  was  in  the  nature  of  a  pub- 
lie  affront,  for  no  "airs"  were  tolerated  from 
the  colored  population  in  those  days,  even  in 
Indianapolis.  Passing  on  the  opposite  side, 
after  supper,  a  member  of  the  Reliefs  heard 
a  crv  of  fire,  and  saw  that  one  was  starting 
in  this  building.  He  sped  away  to  the  en- 
gine-house half-a-block  below,  yelling  "fire!'' 
and  grabbed  the  tongue  for  the  run.  In  a 
trice  he  was  tripped  up,  and  as  he  rose  from 
the  tloor  a  husky  voice  admonished  him, 
"Keep  still,  yon  d— d  fool."  He  explained 
that  he  meant  no  offense,  and  after  a  brief 
wait  a  watehnuui  called.  "Here  come  the 
AVooden  Shoes  I"  Then  the  ropes  were 
manned  in  a  .iiff'y.  and  the  Good  Intent  got 
fii-st  water — but  it  did  not  put  out  the  fire. 
Nor  did  any  other  company.  If  it  looked 
like  it  might  become  dangerous  to  ad.joining 
property  they  would  smother  it  down ;  and 
then  they  would  turn  the  hose  on  each  other 
and  on  the  crowd,  until  'they  had  fooled 
away  most  of  the  night,  and  there  was  not 
enough  left  of  the  burning  building  to  be 
worth  moving.  Of  course  evei-ything  was 
denied  publiel.v,  but  there  were  numerous 
curious  events,  and  not  a  little  of  slanderous 
gossip. 

The  companies  might  have  outlived  all  this 
if  they  had  not  fallen  out  among  themselves. 
Joseph  Little  had  lieen  followed  as  chief  en- 
gineer by  Jacob  Fitler  in  1854.  Charles  W. 
Purcell  in  1855.  Sauniel  Keeley  in  1856.  An- 
drew "Wallace  in  1857,  and  Joseph  W.  Davis 
in  1858.  Davis  had  been  captain  of  the  In- 
vincibles,  and  was  one  of  these  positive  char- 
acters who  make  strong  friends  and  equally 
strong  enemies.  Charges  wei'e  made  against 
the  fairness  of  his  election  and  also  of  his 
management,  and  i\w  dissensions  in  the  de- 
partment became  acrimonious.  In  1859  an 
effort  was  made  to  restore  harmony  by  elect- 
ing John  E.  Foudra.v  chief  engineer.  He 
had  not  been  a  member  of  any  company,  but 
there  was  somi  as  much  ob.iection  made  to 
him  as  to  Davis.  On  August  13.  1859.  the 
council   added   the   last   straw  bv   instructing 


HISTOIJV  OK  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


Illi) 


North    Side.    Illinois    to    Meridian. 


^liiimiiip^si 


Xmili    Si. I.      M.ridian   to   Pennsylvania. 


Soiitii    Side.    Pennsylvania    to   Meridian. 


f\y.    II.    Hiixa    Phnlo    Compamj.) 

Little's   Hotel.  State   Bank 


Court   House. 
WASHINGTON   STREKT   VIEWS   IN    1854. 


174 


HISTORY  OF  GKEATER  IXDlAXArOLIS. 


thr  coiiiiiiitti'c  on  tirt-  (lepartnH'iit  ti)  ascer- 
tain on  what  tci'nis  a  steam  fire  eni;ine  conld 
be  profured.  The  first  steam  fire  enj>ine 
had  been  built  in  the  United  States  in  1853, 
but  they  were  rapidly  gaining  favor  not  only 
on  account  of  efficiency  bi;t  also  because,  as 
]\riles  Greenwood  said,  they  "neither  draiilc 
whisky  nor  threw  brickbats"".  The  com- 
panies were  alarmed,  and  with  cause.  At 
that  tinu^  Joseph  K.  English,  of  the  ^larion.s, 
was  president  of  tbe  Fire  As.sociation  and 
also  councilman  from  the  first  ward.  On 
August  27  he  introduced  a  resolution  that 
"in  the  opinion  of  this  council  it  is  inex- 
pedient at  this  time  to  attempt  any  I'eoiiiani- 
zation  of  the  Fire  Department  of  this  city"", 
which  wa,s  laid  on  the  table.  On  August  30 
it  was  taken  up.  discussed,  and  lost,  the  vote 
standinir.  Ayes:  English,  Ilaughey,  Kidilman, 
McXabb,  Pratt  and  Wallace;  Noes:  Cottrell, 
GeiseiuloriT,  Locke,  Metzger,  Richmann,  Sei- 
bert,  Tilley  and  Vandegrift.  A  resolution 
that  it  was  expedient  to  reorganize  the  fire 
department,  and  that  a  connnittee  of  five 
be  appointed  to  prepare  a  plan,  was  then 
inti'oduced  and  passed  by  a  vote  of  10  to  4, 
Ilaughey  and  Wallace  joining  the  reorgan- 
izers.  For  this  connnittee  Mayor  ^laxwell 
named  Richnuinn,  Geisendorff,  ]\IeNabb,  Van- 
degrift and  Wallace.  On  motion  Locke  and 
English  were  added. 

On  Septembei-  4  the  ma.jority  of  the  com- 
mittee repoitetl  a  plan  to  continue  the  pres- 
ent companies  in  active  service,  to  purcha.se 
at  once  a  third-class  steam  engine  with  hose 
reel  and  e(|nipment,  and  to  issue  bonds  in 
payment.  The  minority,  English  and 
Mc.Vabb,  recoMunended  indefinite  pestpone- 
nu^nt :  they  urged  that  "whilst  we  admit  the 
superiority  of  a  paid  fire  department  in  some 
respects,  over  the  present  volunteer  system, 
and  while  we  ai-e  willing  to  admit  that  the 
present  dei)artment  is  not  a.s  active  in  some 
of  it.s  branches  as  it  might  he",  the  expense 
was  too  gi'cat  1o  lie  luidertaken.  and  "wc 
also  believe  that  the  pi-esenf  depai'tment  can 
be  made  efficient  and  even  respectable  if  the 
propel'  course  be  taken  by  the  citv  council"". 
They  also  ofVe)-e<l  a  resolution  "that  foi-  the 
encouragement  of  the  ])resent  volunteer  de- 
partint>nt  all  trood  citizen.s  be  requested  to 
rebuke  persons  who  have  either  wilfidly  or 
iunorantiv  abused  and  slandenvl  the  members 


of  the  fire  department,  by  joining  some  of 
the  fire  companies  now  existing'".  The  nu- 
nority  report  was  quickly  i)ut  to  rest,  and 
the  majority  report,  after  being  amended  to 
provide  for  a  connnittee  to  inquire  at  what 
price  an  engine  could  be  bought,  and  whether 
it  could  be  paid  for  in  bonds,  wa.s  adopted. 
The  connnittee  appointed  was  composed  of 
Locke,  Cottrell  and  Richmann.  At  the  same 
meeting  a  connnittee  composed  of  Vande- 
grift, Richnuiini  and  Metzger,  which  had  been 
appointed  to  investigate  the  demands  of  the 
companies  for  new  hose,  reported  that  there 
was  plenty  of  hose  which  needed  only  to  be 
oiled  and  put  in  repair,  and  that  they  had 
taken  the  liberty  of  Ordering  this  to  be  done. 
(The  couneilmen  were  fire  wardens  under  the 
charter  law.)  This  report  was  accepted,  and 
the  committee  was  directed  to  see  that  its 
orders  were  carried  into  efi'ect. 

The  committee  of  inquiry  proceeded  to 
busines.s  by  solicitinu'  both  bids  aiul  exhibi- 
tions from  the  engine  manufactui'ei-s.  which 
met  favorable  responses.  On  September  23 
and  24  a  Latta  engine  was  exhibited  here  at 
the  county  fair,  and  tried  before  the  com- 
mittee at  the  Palmer  House  cistern — corner 
of  Illinois  and  Washington  streets.  On  Oc- 
tober 15,  and  again  on  the  22d,  a  Lee  &  Lar- 
ned  ensrine  was  tried  at  the  canal.  On  Oc- 
tober 22  the  connnittee  reported  that  city 
bonds  could  be  sobl  at  93  cent.s  or  could  be 
u.sed  at  that  fiirure  in  the  purchase  of  an 
engine ;  that  the  Latta  and  Lee  &  Earned 
conipanie.s  had  both  made  offers  which  were 
submitted;  and  recommended  that  a  commit- 
tee of  three  be  appointed  with  discretionaiy 
power  to  purchase  an  engine  as  socm  as  pos- 
sible. The  Latta  company  offered  to  furnish 
an  engine  for  .$5,500  in  bonds,  and  the  Lee 
&  Lamed  company  made  an  oft'er  for  •$4.()00. 
On  October  29  the  Lee  &  Lai'ned  offei-  was 
accepted,  and  al.so  a  motion,  offered  by  Coun- 
cilman Wallace,  was  adopted  that  the  insur- 
ance company  givins"  the  lamest  amount, 
.$500  or  upwards,  and  paying  for  the  letter- 
ing on  the  engine,  miiiht  name  it.  It  is  not 
reeoided  that  this  chance  for  advertisement 
was  utilized. 

Tlu>  relations  of  the  companies  and  the 
council  now  became  tense.  On  November  12 
a  resolution  was  ottered  in  council  that 
"wh(>i'(>as    it    is    repoj-fed    that    the   volunteer 


TTTSToijY  OF  (;i!i:.\'ri;i;  ixdi.wai-oi.is. 


175 


fire  cdiiipMuii'S  ai'P  in  a  state  of  rebellion  and 
refuse  to  render  strviee  at  tires,'"  tlie  eoiuicil 
buy  two  engines  and  hose  wagons,  buy  four 
horses,  hire  six  men  to  take  eharge  of  tlie 
equipment,  and  employ  40  men  to  \v<irk  thr 
engines.  Xo  action  was  taken  then,  but  it 
was  eviilent  that  there  would  be.  and  on  that 
day  Councilman  Kiiirlish  resigned.  On  No- 
vendici-  14.  tlie  council,  by  an  unanimous  vote, 
suspended  the  rules  and  pa.ssed  an  ordinance 
di.sbandiug  the  volunteer  companies.  It  then 
pa.s.sed  another  organizing  a  paid  department 
with  Joseph  W.  Davis  as  chief  engineer.  Then 
followed  a  resolution  for  two  engine  com- 
panies and  a  liook  and  ladder  company,  the 
first  engine  company,  under  Capt.  Charles 
Richiiiann  to  take  tlie  Conqueroi-  engine  and 
the  Invincible's  house;  the  second,  under 
Capt.  W.  0.  Sherwood,  to  take  the  Indiana, 
No.  4,  engine  and  the  Western's  house:  and 
the  hook  and  ladder  company,  under  Capt. 
W,  \V.  Darnall,  to  take  the  apparatus  and 
house  of  the  old  company  on  the  west  end 
of  the  .Market  S(|uare.  Conncilmen  Wallace. 
VandcL'rift  and  (ieisendortf  were  appointed 
a  eonuiiittce  to  carry  the  resolution  into  ef- 
fect and  make  such  contracts  as  might  be 
needed. 

On  -Xovember  19,  Hichmann  reported  that 
his  eompany  wa.s  organized  and  25  men  em- 
ployed. Daniall  i-eported  that  he  could  not 
organize  the  hook  anil  ladder  company  unless 
a  iiorse  wei-e  fui-iiished  to  haul  the  ti'uck. 
which  was  (piite  heavy.  Sherwood  reported 
that  he  was  unable  to  organize  a  eompany. 
and  that  the  cause  of  the  failure  was  ob.jec- 
tion  to  Chief  Engineer  Davis.  ]Mr.  Cotti-ell 
at  nncp  offered  a  motion  that,  inasmuch  as 
the  wester'ii  part  of  the  city  had  failed  to  oi'- 
ganize.  the  engine  be  located  at  the  Xo.  o 
hon.se,  ]irovided  a  eompany  organized  there. 
This  was  lost,  and  the  mihler  course  was 
taken  of  directing  the  chief  engineer  to  fur- 
ni.sh  a  list  of  names  to  Captain  Sherwood. 
and  that  he  accept  them  "if  sober  and  com- 
petent men".  At  the  same  meeting  the  com- 
mittee which  had  been  appointed  to  buy 
horses  reported  the  i)urchase  of  foui-.  and 
recommended  the  |)nr('hase  of  two  more,  one 
of  which  should  be  f(u-  the  hook  and  ladder 
company;  which  recommendation  was  adopt- 
ed. On  Xovember  '26,  Sherwood  and  Darnall 
'■eportcd  their  companies  organized  and  ready 


i'or  .service.  At  this  meetintr  the  council  took 
uj)  the  resignation  rf  Mr.  Knglish.  .•nd 
adopted  luianiinously  a  resolution  i-ecitiug 
that  lie  had  resinned  "for  the  rea.soa  that 
he  was  an  untiring  and  uncompromising 
friend  of  the  ^'olunteel•  Fire  Department,  anil 
preferred  to  i-etire  rather  than  to  a.ssist  in 
instituting  a  paid  fire  (le]iai'tiiieiit " :  that  "we 
ap])reciate  his  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  Volun- 
teer Fire  Department,  and  rcLrret  that  we 
were  deprived  of  his  services  in  instituting 
the  new  department":  and  that  the  council 
"bear  testimony  that  he  was  faithful  and 
honest  in  all  his  otificial  acts  while  letrislatiiur 
for  the  city,  and  we  feel  his  loss  from  our 
couiu'il  chamber".  This  oil  foi-  the  troubled 
waters  was  introduced  by  Councilman  Andy 
Wallace,  who  was  a  wise  nuin  in  his  genera- 
tion, even  if  he  did  later  write  a  letter  to 
one  of  the  city  papei's  criticising  the  City 
Library  because  it  contained  "the  pernicious 
works  of  Bocos", 

Thi'  atmosphere  now  beuan  to  clear.  On 
Di'ceiiiber  3  the  Reliefs  submitted  a  compro- 
mise proposition  offering  to  surrender  their 
new  engine  aiul  all  apparatus  except  the  old 
rowboat  engine  if  the  city  would  pay  the 
sum  of  !)>742.1o,  which  was  still  due  on  the 
engine.  This  was  at  once  accepted.  On  Jan- 
uary 14,  1860,  the  ^Marions  submitted  a  prop- 
osition to  sui'i'cnder  all  of  their  property  if 
the  city  would  pay  the  amounts  still  iliie  on 
the  same.  This  was  referred  to  a  committee, 
which  found  the  amount  due  to  be  $9(1. :?n, 
and  the  otfei-  was  accepted.  With  these  trans- 
a<'tions  the  relations  of  the  city  and  the  vol- 
unteer companies  closed,  and  an  cixieh  in 
the  city's  history  ended.  It  is  gratifying 
that  the  ending  was  sueli  as  to  leave  no  bit- 
terness. There  has  always  lieen  a  warm  feel- 
inc  for  the  men  who  fei-  miu'c  than  a  (luarter 
of  a  century  foiiuht  the  city's  battles  against 
fii'c.  and  there  have  been  no  bettei-  friends 
of  the  i)aid  depai'tment  than  the  old-time  tire 
laddies  who  had  learned  from  ex])erieiu>e  what 
fire  service  meant. 

During  the  time  of  the  volunteer  depart- 
ment, fires  were  neithei-  numerous  nm-  exten- 
sive as  mea'jured  bv  the  standards  of  today. 
Coal  oil  and  gas(  line  were  not  in  use,  and 
Hues  wei-(>  not  of  intrieate  construction.  The 
framework  of  buildiii'.'s  was  heavier,  and  iiine 
was  not    in    use.  so   that    smne  of  the    features 


nc. 


HISTOEY  OF  GIJEATER  IXDIANAPOLIS. 


of  modem  "slow-burning-  eonstnietion"  were 
iu  ueneral  use.  And  people  were  more  care- 
ful, p(ssibly  because  more  of  them  in  pro- 
portion occupied  their  own  homes  and  did 
not  feel  the  tenant's  lack  of  responsibility. 
The  first  recorded  fire  was  Carter's  tavern 
in  1825,  as  noted,  and  the  second  is  said  to 
have  been  the  residence  of  Nicholas  MeCarty 
about  1827.  Henry  Brady's  residence  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  July  15,  1832.  The  next  of  im- 
portance recorded  was  Scudder  &  Ilannaman's 
tobacco  factory  on  Kentucky  avenue  in  1838, 
which  is  said  to  have  caused  a  loss  of  $10,000, 
uninsured.  On  February  4,  1843,  Wa-shing- 
ton  Hall  was  damaged  to  the  extent  of  $3,000, 
and  only  saved  from  destruction  by  hard 
work  of  the  eni^ine  companies  and  hundreds 
of  citizens  who  formed  bucket  lines.  The 
weather  was  very  cold,  the  water  freezing 
whenever  it  fell  away  from  the  fire.  This 
was  the  great  Whig  hotel,  and  possibly  for 
that  reason  efforts  were  made  to  burn  it  in 
May,  1848.'  A  fire  on  Washington  street 
on  May  14,  1848,  burned  out  two  or  three 
stores,  and  threatened  others,  but  was  finally 
extineuished  by  the  combined  eft'orts  of  the 
engines  and  tlic  citizens,  women  aiding  in 
the  bucket  lines.-  Another  on  December  27, 


^Locomotive,  May  27,  June  3,  1848, 
-Locomotive,  May   20,   1848. 


1848,  burned  Stretcher's  furniture  store, 
Cox's  warehouse  and  Xoel  «&  Co.  's  warehouse.' 
The  old  Hannaman  mill  burned  in  January, 
1851,  while  occupied  by  ]Merritt  &  Coughlen. 
in  1853  there  were  some  trying  fires.  The 
first  was  the  large  stables  back  of  the  Wright 
House,  on  August  10.  Sevei'al  other  build- 
ings took  fire  from  this,  but  by  great  elforts 
of  citizens  and  firemen  the  destruction  was 
confined  to  the  stables.  On  November  16, 
1853,  the  old  Steam  iMill  burned,  and  gave 
most  of  the  community  an  exhausting  task. 
The  bad  year  closed  with  the  burning  of  Kel- 
shaw  &  Sinker's  foundry  in  December.  The 
old  ferry-house  was  damaged  by  fire  on  No- 
vember 27,  1855,  and  Carlisle's  mill  was 
l)urned  on  January  18,  1856.  In  1857  the 
foundry  of  Ira  Davis  &  Co.  at  Delaware  and 
Pogne's  Run  was  destroyed  by  fire.  The  year 
1858  was  another  bad  one.  witnessing  the 
burning  of  Ferguson's  pork  house,  Allen 
May's  pork  house,  and  the  old  city  foundry, 
which  was  then  occupied  by  E.  C.  Atkins 
with  an  inc'pient  saw  works.  Atkins  then 
built  and  occupied  a  small  shop  near  the  same 
place,  which  burned  in  June,  1859.  The 
burning  of  Hill's  saw  mill  on  East  street,  in 
October,  1859,  closed  the  era  of  the  volun- 
teer companies. 


''Locomoiivc.  December  30,  1848, 


CHAPTER  XVII 


SOMK    ti|,|)/n.MH    KELIGION. 
(By  Mks.  Anx.v  C.  Baggs.)' 


I  cannot  fcnu'inin'i-  wlun  I  was  not  re- 
ligiously inilini'd.  The  bible  I  have  read 
and  stiulieil  from  childhood.  I  enjoyed  the 
iarg:e  family  bible  that  lay  on  the  stand  in 
my  mother's  n  oin  when  I  was  not  tall  enoiig:h 
to  read  it  with  ease.  It  was  what  we  called 
a  candle-stanil.  There  was  always  a  white 
cover,  with  netted  frinjie  around  it,  on  that 
stand,  and  on  top  the  bible.  I  had  a  little 
green  wooden  stool  upon  which  1  stood  to 
make  me  hi^h  enouuh  to  look  at  the  pictures. 
and  read  in  the  ^food  book.  '!"he  schools  were 
very  diti'ei-ent  then  and  now.  What  dititicnlt 
text  books  we  had  I  No  simplified  work  for 
us !  At  eight  years  of  age  I  was  in  the  large- 
dictionary  spelling  class,  where  we  were  com- 
pelled to  conunit  a  cohuiui  of  words  with 
their  definitions  daily.  .Joscpbus  Cicero 
Worrall  was  our  teacher;  woe  be  unto  us  if 
we  did  not  have  our  lessons.  In  this  same 
school  were  the  Wallace,  Cobni'u  and  Dunlaji 
boys.  I  next  attended  a  ^fethodist  school 
for  two  years,  taught  by  a  ^fiss  Leseur.  She 
was  not  nnieh  of  a  teacher— at  least  she  did 
not  a|)peal  to  me.  She  was  a  cranky  maiden 
lady.      When    I    was    eleven    years    old.    my 


'  Mi's.  Anna  ('.  Haggs,  who  has  kindly 
furnished  this  chapter,  is  a  daughter 
of  Obed  Foote,  mentioned  elsewliere  as  one 
of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Indianapolis,  and 
the  most  prominent  of  its  early  .justices  of 
the  peace.  As  a  luitive,  and  life-long  resi- 
dent of  Indianaiiolis.  educated  at  St.  .Mary's 
Seminary,  and  always  in  close  touch  with 
the  religious  lif(>  of  the  place,  her  conti-ibu- 

tion  has  an  cs| ial  value  as  histoiy  at  first 

hand. 

Vol.  1—12  1 


bi'other  arrived  at  tin-  age  of  twenty-one, 
and  I  chose  him  for  my  personal  guai-dian, 
and  Mr.  Sanuicl  Heck  (an  old  friend  of  the 
familj^j  for  my  property  guai'dian.  .My 
brother  sent  nic  to  St.  Clary's  Seminary,  an 
Kpiseopalian  school.  Dr.  Samuel  Johason 
was  rector  of  the  church  and  also  principal 
of  the  school.  His  wife,  Julia  (aftei'wards 
.Mrs.  Stoughton  A.  Fletchei-i,  was  his  a.ssist- 
ant.  Dr.  Johnson,  both  as  rector  and  as 
teacher,  was  true  to  his  pujjils.  He  helped 
us  both  intellectually  and  spiritually.  I 
think  he  was  disappointed  that  I  did  not 
choose  the  Episcopalian  church,  but  I  told 
him  I  could  not  be  a  true  church  woman,  be- 
cau.se  I  believed  in  other  denominations,  and 
that  there  were  other  churches  as  good  as 
the   Kpiscopalian. 

In  the  fall  of  LS4«  l)i-.  (lillette  was  sent 
to  Roberts  Chapel.  He  was  one  of  nature's 
noblemen,  a  thoroughly  consecrated  Christian 
uiinister,  so  graceful  and  courteous  in  man- 
ner. Having  been  educated  in  the  navy,  he 
renuiiued  in  the  navy  for  two  or  thi-ee  years 
after  his  conversion:  then  he  felt  the  call 
to  i)reach,  and  entered  the  ^lethodist  itiner- 
acy. His  sermons  abounded  in  nautical  ex|)re.s- 
sions.  He  seemed  to  know  the  bible  fi'om  the 
first  verse  of  Genesis  to  the  la.st  verse  of 
Revelation.  His  charming  mannei's  first  at- 
tracted me;  he  was  so  gentle  in  his  bearing 
to  everyone.  I  was  the  first  yoiuig  person  he 
spoke  to  on  the  sub.iect  of  religion,  in  Iinlian- 
apolis.  He  was  especially  interested  in  me 
liecause  I  was  an  oi'|ilian.  He  began  pro- 
tracted meetings  about  the  firsf  of  Jaiuiary, 
1S47.  It  was  my  last  year  at  school.  I  could 
not  attend  the  meetings  regularly.  Init  on  the 


178 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


28th  (if  •Tiiiiuai-\-.  iii>'  t'onrtrentli  liirllidjiy,  I 
went  to  the  Thursday  night  nieetinu.  I  went 
to  the  allar,  cave  myself  to  tlie  Loid;  eom- 
mitted  my  way  unto  Him. 

I  think  it  was  really  the  beaiitifiil  man- 
ners of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Gillette  that  just  at 
that  time  won  me  to  IMethodism,  for  I  am  the 
only  member  on  either  my  mother's  or  my 
father's  side  that  is  a  ^Methodist.  ^Fy  mother 
had  been  a  charter  member  of  Roberts  Chapel, 
but  she  died  the  ijth  of  January.  184:1  I 
attended  the  Rolieits  Chajiel  Sunday-sehool 
in  the  afternoon,  but  the  Episeoi)alian  Sun- 
day-sehool in  the  mornins,  often  staying  to 
church  with  my  sister,  who  was  a  couununi- 
cant  of  Christ  Church.  For  two  years  be- 
fore I  joined  the  church  I  was  a  member  of 
Brothel-  Tutewiler's  class,  and  a  rejrular  at- 
tendant. I  did  not  speak,  but  I  attended. 
And  whil(>  I  was  not  an  acknowleds'ed  mem- 
ber of  the  church  until  I  was  fourteen  years 
old,  I  always  received  a  little  pink  ticket  for 
the  quarterly  love  feast,  for  in  those  days  you 
could  not  enter  the  love  feast  meetinjr  with- 
out a  ticket— otherwise  the  members  would 
have  been  crowded  out,  so  general  was  the 
desire  to  hear  the  experiences  of  these 
Christians. 

Seventy  yeai's  aso  the  (|uarterly  meeting 
was  an  important  event  to  the  little  connnun- 
ity  that  worshipped  in  the  ^Methodist  chni-eh 
at  the  southwest  corner  of  ^leridian  and 
Circle  streets  (now  ^rouument  Place).  For 
weeks  the  "apiiroaching  quarterly  meeting'' 
had  been  a  subject  of  prayer,  not  only  in 
the  congregation  on  Sabbath,  but  at  the 
weekly  prayer  meeting,  the  family  altar,  and 
at  secret  prayer;  "that  there  might  be  a 
refreshinu-  from  the  pi'esence  of  the  Lord, 
sinners  convicted  and  converted,  backslidei's 
reclaimed,  and  believers  built  up  in  theii' 
most  holy  faith".  In  the  homes  they  were 
bu.sy  making  |)repai-ations  to  entertain  the 
presiding  elder,  the  district  stewards,  ami  all 
visiting  brethi-en.  The  members  of  the  church 
po.ssessed  the  old-fa.shioned  idea  of  hospitality 
and  the.v  deemed  it  a  pleasure  to  entertain 
not  only  the  elder  and  stewards,  but  other 
friends  that  came  in  from  the  surrounding' 
country  to  enjoy  the  ])rivileges  of  the  meet- 
ings. The  simple  muslin  curtains  were  freshly 
laundered  and  rehung,  the  andinms  given  an 
extra   polish,  the  brick  heai-tbs  a   fi-esh   co<ir 


of  red  ])aint,  and  the  jiantry  rejjlenished  with 
the  good  things  so  necessary  to  the  happiness 
of  the  hostess  or  enteitainer. 

The  elder  generally  arrived  in  the  village 
Thursday  m  time  for  supper  and  the  prayer 
meeting.  Friday  before  the  quarterly  meet- 
ing was  always  observed  as  a  day  of  fasting 
and  prayer.  A.lso  on  this  day  the  elder,  with 
"the  preacher  in  charge",  visited  the  homes 
of  the  aged  and  the  sick  members,  in 
fact  all  the  shut-ins,  holding  with  each  a  sea- 
son of  song  and  prayer.  Friday  evening 
there  was  a  short  service  in  the  church.  Sat- 
urday morning  at  10  o'clock  there  was  a 
preaching  service.  The  men  of  the  church 
attended,  as  well  as  the  women.  I  have  often 
heard  the  old  folks  sav,  "what  a  blessed  meet- 


ORIGINAL  WESLEY   CHAPEL   BUILT   IN   1S29. 
(From    an   old    cut.) 

iug  we  had  this  morning :  I  really  believe  our 
Saturdaj'  morning  services  are  the  very  best 
of  the  season"'.  It  was  no  small  sacrifice 
for  some  that  were  pi'esent  to  lay  aside  their 
business  in  the  middle  of  the  day  and  spend 
an  hour  or  longer  in  worship.  Satui'day 
evening  was  given  over  to  the  preparation 
for  the  Sabbath.  The  good  housewife  had 
everything  arranged  that  as  little  cooking  as 
possible  should  be  done  on  the  Sabbath  day. 
On  quarterly  uu='eting  occasions,  knowing  a 
crowd  would  be  present  Sabbath  morning, 
we  were  all  ready  and  stai-ted  in  good  time 
to  obtain  comfoi-table  seats.  I  rather  liked 
the  eai-ly  ai-riva!  at  the  church,  for  I  could 
watch  the  people  as  they  entered.  Fathers 
and  nuithers,  brothens  and  sisters  could  walk 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER.  INDIANAPOLIS. 


179 


to  the  church  tog-ether,  but  at  the  door  they 
must  be  separated,  the  boy.s  goino:  with  the 
fattier  on  one  side  of  the  aisle,  and  the  girls 
witli  th''  mother  on  the  other  side. 

.\iiii  ng  the  first  to  (>ntei-.  in  a  very  stately, 
dignified  uiaiuu'r.  were  Morris  Morris,  wit'e. 
boys  an<l  girls.  The  fathi'i-.  a  tall,  angular 
man.  aeeoniiianied  iiy  the  sons,  Austin, 
Thomas  and  John :  the  mother,  a  stout  lady, 
always  dresseil  in  soft  gray  dresses,  wool  in 
winter  aiul  silk  in  sununer,  her  daughters, 
Aiiumda.  Julia  and  the  little  girl,  Bettie. 
Mrs.  Morris  oci-upied  a  ehair  in  the  "aineii 
corner",  and  the  girls  sat  near  her.  .Mrs. 
JLorris  earrit'd  a  large  white  feather'  fan, 
which  was  the  admii'Htiou  of  njy  young  life. 
I  resolved  that  when  I  grew  to  be  a  big  lady 
I  would  have  a  fan  like  hers.  But  here  comes 
Alfred  flaiM-ison  and  his  sweet-faced  wife,  his 
dauirhter  Mary,  a  tall.  (|ueenly  girl,  and  the 
little  iiirl.  Des.sda.  Down  the  opposite  aisle 
w:iiki-d  Mrs.  Kinder  with  her  four  dauvjhters. 
tlie  famous  twins  among  them.  Then  came 
Mrs.  Henry  I'orter  and  Miss  Pamelia  nan- 
son;  and  here  is  brother  Isaac  Phipps  with. 
his  merry  black-eyed  wife  and  three  mischiev- 
ous daiis^hters:  tlien  Tncle  George  Norwood, 
his  daughters  ^laria  and  Louisa  following; 
then  .Mi-s.  Pa.xton  and  Miss  Susan  Luce,  so 
dennire  and  saintl.v-lookinu'. 

Then  come  Henrv  TIannaman  and  his  young 
wife;  Mrs.  (iiven  and  her  thi'ee  handsome 
dauL'hters;  Aaron  Johnson  and  his  unique- 
looking  wife.  James  Drum,  immaculately 
clad.  ap]iears.  James  was  the  leader  of  the 
siniring.  and  occupied  the  very  front  seat. 
Then  there  weiv  amonir  the  younirer  inembeis 
Samuel  Beck.  Henr.v  Tutcwiler  and  Jesse 
Jones;  but  now  the  ciuircli  is  filling  i'ai)idl.v. 
I  am  crowded  into  such  a  snudl  sjiace  in  the 
corner  my  view  is  limited,  hut  there  come 
the  elder  and  the  preacher.  They  lay  their 
bats  on  the  table,  go  up  the  steps  of  the  pul- 
pit, and  kneel  a  few  miinites  in  silent  i)i-ayci'. 
Then  the  elder  annoliiiei's  the  hymn.  I'ejiils  it 
thi-oiiL'li : 

"Befcre  .leJKivali '--  awful  tlii'one 
Ve  luitions  bow  in  sacred  .io.v. 

Kiiiiw  that  the  Lord  is  God  alone; 
lie  e:iii  eiivile  Mild  lie  destroy.'" 

Tlieii   iirL'iiii;'  1li<-  eoiiL;reL.';itioM  to  sing  with 


the  spirit  and  the  understiiiiding.  he  lines 
the  hymn,  two  lines  at  a  time.  Brother  Drum 
starts  the  tune.  The  whole  congregation  .ioiii 
in  singing.  There  are  few  hymn-books  in 
the  audience,  so  the  minister  alwa.vs  lines  the 
hymns  that  are  given  out  fi-om  the  pulpit. 
After  singing  the  hynui,  the  entire  congrega- 
tion is  requested  to  kneel  in  prayer.  All, 
turning,  kneel  with  faces  to  the  backs  of  their 
l)ews.  It  seem.s  to  me  now,  through  these  sev- 
enty  years,  I  can  hear  the  dee|)  tones  of  the 
elder  as  he  revei'enflv  pra.ved ;  "Oh.  Thou 
who  inhnbitest  eteriiit.v.  Thon  Ci'cator  and 
ju'eserver  of  mankind.  Thou  who  ditlst  send 
Thine  oidy  begotten  Son  into  the  world,  that 
will  soever  believeth  on  Ilim  should  not  per- 
ish, but  shoidd  have  eternal  life:  to  Thee  we 
come  this  morninu,  knowing  we  are  unworthy, 
but  we  come  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  our  Medi- 
ator and  Redeemer." 

The  pra.yer  of  adoration,  of  confession,  of 
supplication,  of  thanksgivitiir,  was  accompan- 
ied by  the  heart.v  ''aniens",  "hallelu.iahs". 
"praises  to  the  Lord",  of  the  earnest  mem- 
bers of  the  church.  At  the  conclusion  of  the 
prayer  the  congregation,  being  seated,  led  by 
Brother  Dr>un,  the.v  heartil.v  .joined  in  sing- 
ing some  familiar  hymn:  "Come,  Thou 
Fount  of  Every  Blessing",  "Jesiis  "Sly  All  to 
Heaven  has  (ione",  or  "Oh,  Hapi\v  Day  that 
Fixed  My  Choice".  The  morning  lessons 
woidd  be  read,  one  fi-om  the  Old,  the  other 
from  the  New  Te.stament.  The  inevitable  col- 
lection would  be  taken,  with  an  exhortation 
to  give  liberally  to  the  support  of  the  chiu'ch. 
.Another  h.ymn  lined  and  sunu'.  and  then  would 
conu'  the  sei-mon.  In  those  da.vs  the  jiresidimj: 
elders  were  the  strong  men  of  the  confei'cnce 
and  invai'iabl.v  go'd  sermonizers.  The  ])cople 
were  willing  to  listen  to  a  sermon  an  hour 
and  fifteen  or  an  hour  aud  twenty  minutes 
long.  I  believe,  a.s  a  rule,  their  senuons  were 
on  God's  plan  of  saving  the  woi-ld.  the  iilau 
of  salvation  from  the  .\i-iiiiiiiMii  pnint  of 
view.  The  text  would  be  from  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, some  lu'oplieey  nf  the  coming  of  the 
.Messiah,  the  eflect  of  His  coming  and  the 
results.  The  fii-st  of  th(>  sermon  was  argu- 
mentative, the  secoiul  fulfilled  pi'0])liec.v,  and 
lastl.v  the  efl'ect  on  the  wiu-ld  of  the  coming 
of  Christ,  the  api)lication  to  dui'  own  souls — 
the  consciousness  of  ;i  personal  Savi(U'.  T 
(d'fen  wondered   wli\'  the   Hist  of  the  sermon 


180 


HISTORY  OF  GEEATEK  INDIANAPOLIS. 


was  not  as  enthusiastically  delivered  as  the 
suniniint;-  up  at  the  close. 

^\fter  the  sermon  "the  doors  of  the  church 
were  opened",  an  invitation  given  to  join 
the  church,  either  on  probation  or  by  letter, 
the  long  meter  doxology  was  sung,  the  con- 
gregation was  dismissed  with  the  apostolic 
benediction.  They  slowly  and  reverently  filed 
out  of  the  church,  but  when  out  on  the  lawn 
began  the  buzz  of  the  greetings  of  the  breth- 
ren and  sisters  of  the  chiu'ch.  The  out-of- 
town  visitoi-s  were  invited  to  the  homes  of  the 
members.  The  sernum  and  church  affaire 
were  the  topics  of  conversation ;  all  worldli- 
ness  was  avoided.  Arriving  at  the  homes, 
the  dinner  was  soon  in  readiness.  No  expanse 
of  fine  table  linen  was  visible,  for  every  avail- 
able inch  was  covered.  Either  turkey  or 
chiclicn  (according  to  the  season),  vegetables, 
jellies,  pickles,  preserves,  bread,  butter,  pie 
and  cake.  The  viands  were  all  placed  before 
you.  You  could  make  your  choice  of  the 
various  eatables.  How  heartily  they  did  eat! 
After  dinner  there  was  a  little  rest  for  the 
older  people.  The  children  went  to  the  Sab- 
bath school.  At  3  o'clock  the  members  gath- 
ered at  the  cliurch  to  celebrate  the  holy  com- 
munion. After  entering  the  house  of  God 
there  was  no  recognition  of  friends,  no  bow- 
ing and  smiling,  but  everyone  seemed  engaged 
in  silent  prayer.  The  services  were  intro- 
duced by  singing  that  grand  old  hymn: 

' '  When  I  survey  the  wondrous  cross 
On  which  the  Prince  of  Glory  died, 

]My  richest  gain  I  count  but  loss. 
And  ]>our  contempt  on  all  my  pride." 

The  ordained  ministers  and  local  preachci-s 
were  invited  to  come  to  the  altar  and  join  in 
the  consecration  of  the  bread  and  wine.  After 
the  simy)]e  ritual  of  the  church  was  concluded, 
and  the  ministers  had  partaken  of  the  holy 
emblems,  all  the  members  of  the  IMethodist 
church,  and  the  members  of  any  sister  church 
that  might  be  present,  were  invited  to  come 
to  the  table  of  the  Lord.  Brother  Drum  was 
requested  to  lead  in  singing  a  vei-se,  while 
conniiunicants  were  coming  and  going,  but 
not  during  the  administering  of  the  sacra- 
ment.    He  began  \\  itli : 

■'lb'  dies,  the  friend  of  sinners  dies. 
Lci,  Sjili'in's  daughters  weep  around; 


A  sudden  darkness  veils  the  skies, 
A  sudden  trembling  shakes  the  ground. 

Come  saints  and  drop  a  tear  or  two 
For  him  who  groaned  beneath  your  load ; 

He  shed  a  thousand  drops  for  you— 
A  thousand  drops  of  riclier  blood." 

Or- 

"Alas,   and  did  my  Saviour  bleed? 

And  did  my  Sovereign  die? 
Would  he  devote  that  sacred  head 

For  such  a  worm  as  I?" 

The  beginnings  of  the  hymns  were  sad,  but 
they  ended  with  the  triumph  of  the  risen 
Christ.  As  the  meeting  progressed  the  hymns 
became  more  joyous.  After  all  the  white 
folks  had  communed,  the  ci)lored  friends  from 
the  gallery  were  invited  to  come  and  i)artake 
of  the  holy  conmuinion.  With  suppressed 
emotion  they  came  down  the  gallery  steps  and 
down  the  aisle  to  the  table,  i'rostrating  theiii- 
selves,  with  most  reverent  humility,  they  re- 
ceived the  emblems  of  Christ's  broken  body 
and  shed  blood.  Their  joy  was  too  great  to 
be  further  restrained ;  they  went  back  to  theii- 
seats  shouting  hallelujahs  to  God. 

IMonday  night  the  love  feast  was  held.  As 
mentioned,  no  one  could  be  admitted  witiioiit 
a  ticket.  The  members  received  their  tickets 
when  they  paid  their  quai-terage.  Outsiders 
could  procure  tickets  from  the  pastor  or  some 
one  of  the  class  leaders,  but  they  nuist  prom- 
ise to  conduct  themselves  propei-ly  while  pres- 
ent. On  a  table  in  front  of  the  pulpit  were 
four  plates  of  very  small  squares  of  lijzlit- 
bread,  and  as  many  pitchers  of  water  with 
glasses.  After  the  singing  of  a  hynni  and 
prayer  came  the  peculiar  ceremony  of  pa.ssing 
this  bread  and  water,  each  pei*son  taking  a 
liiece  of  bread  and  a  sip  of  water  in  token  of 
the  love  and  fellowship  existing  among  the 
members.  Then  the  ((uarterly  report  was  pre- 
sented by  the  pastor,  telling  of  the  niuiiber 
who  had  died,  who  had  removed,  the  nuinher 
of  probationers,  the  number  of  convei-sioiis, 
the  present  number  of  members  in  full  stand- 
ing, and  the  moneys  received  and  disbursed. 

The  pastor  would  give  his  persoiud  experi- 
ence, then  turn  the  meeting  over  to  the  mem- 
bers to  conduct  according  to  tlieir  pleasure. 
Father  Foudray,  a  sweet  singer  in  Israel,  was 
generallv  the  first   to  speak,     lie  liked,  he 


lllsroKV   OK   (MiKATKi;    I  N  DlAXAl'Ol.lS. 


ISI 


Siiiil.  ti>  "sti'ii  out  from  tlic  h\i.sy  tln-imj;-  and 
sit  ilowii  by  the  wayside  to  meditate  on  and 
talk  aliont  the  Chi-ist",  who  had  done  so  niueh 
foi-  liim.  Christ  had  always  been  a  present 
help  in  every  time  of  trouble.  "He  walks 
by  my  side  and  helps  me  over  the  roush 
places.  lie  is  the  ( )ne  in  whom  my  soul  takes 
delitrht.'"     Sittinii-  down  he  sintrs: 

"Oh.  'I'hon  in  whose  ])resence  my  snul  takes 
delight, 

On  whom  in  affliction  I  call: 
My  comfort  by  day  and  my  song-  in  the  night : 

My  hope,  my  salvation,  my  all." 

A  strange  brother  arises  and  says:  ''Ten 
years  ago  at  a  eamp-meeting  across  the  Ohio 
river,  in  the  woods  in  Kanetucky.  I  was  con- 
victed of  sin.  I  went  to  the  mourner's  bench. 
sought  forgiveness,  was  pardoned,  and,  thank 
the  Lord,  I  have  never  backslid.  Pray  for 
me,  friends,  that  I  may  always  be  faithful, 
outride  the  storms  of  life  and  get  home  to 
glory."  Mother  Little  would  speak.  She  al- 
ways held  her  hantlkei'chief  over  her  face,  and 
with  a  sobbing,  muffled  voice  gave  her  experi- 
ence. Those  near  her  could  understand,  hut 
I  could  not  catch  her  words.  There  was  al- 
ways a  peculiar  interest  in  listening  to  her, 
hecause,  in  the  old  country,  she  had  seen  and 
heard  .lolui  Wesley,  and  was  one  of  his  eon- 
verts. 

Brothel-  l'lii|)ps  was  a  very  proud  young 
iiiiin  and  ahhoi-i'ed  the  mourner's  bench,  but 
when  ho  was  convicted  of  sin  and  felt  the 
need  of  a  Savioui-,  he  found  him.self  on  his 
knees  at  the  mourner's  bench  praying  aloud 
for  mercy.  The  Lord  heard  his  prayer,  and 
forgave  his  sins.     .Vow  he  could  sing: 

"My  God  is  reconciled, 
I  liis  pardoning  voice  I  hear, 

lie  owns  me  for  His  child, 

I  can  no  longer  fear, 

(ilory  to  His  name." 

A  dear  old  lady  arcse  and  said:  "When 
a  little  girl  I  attended  a  revival  meeting  at 
old  St.  CJeorge's  church.  Philadelphia.  After 
a  stirring  exhortation  by  the  pastor,  he  said, 
'Now,  everybody  tluit  wants  to  lead  a  new 
life,  that  would  like  to  be  a  follower  of  Christ, 
hold  up  your  right  hand'.  I  saw  the  hands 
going  up.  I  felt  I  wanted  to  hold  up  mine. 
but   T    was   sue]]    a    little   girl    no   one   would 


n<  tice  me.  I  had  on  a  little  red  cloak.  I  held 
up  my  hand  under  my  cloak,  and  made  my 
pledge  to  my  heavenly  Father.  I  knew  He 
could  see  me,  if  no  one  else  could.  I  am 
thankful  for  that  decisive  moment,  for  Jesus 
has  been  my  friend  all  my  life.  Amidst  all 
its  vicissitudes  He  has  been  with  me  to  com- 
fort and  sustain  me.  Thank  the  Lord  that 
even  a  little  child  nuiy  know  Him." 

A  brother  said:  "I  came  here  this  evening 
with  a  heavy  heart,  the  cry  of  which  is, 
'  Where  is  the  blessedness  I  knew  when  firet 
T  saw  the  Lord?  Where  is  the  soul-refresh- 
ing view  of  Jesus  and  His  word?'  Friends, 
pray  for  me  that  the  clouds  may  be  removed 
from  my  mind-sky,  and  that  I  may  once  moi-e 
be  blessed  with  the  witness  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
of  my  acceptance  with  Cod."  A  brother 
sings: 

"Oh  do  not  be  discouraged. 

For  Jesus    is  your   friend. 
And  if  you  lack  for  knowledge, 

H(>'11  not  refuse  to  lend: 
Wither  will  He  upbraid  you, 

Thouah  ofttimes  you  request; 
He'll  give  you  grace  to  conquer 

And  take  you  home  to  rest." 

A  sister  said:  '1  :ini  glad  salvation  is 
free:  that  whosoevei-  will  may  partake  of  the 
water  of  life  freely."  Then  with  a  voice  that 
iilled  the  house  with  its  melody,  she  sang: 

"Long  as  I  live  I'll  still  be  crying, 

Mercy's  free!   ]\Iercy's  free! 
And  this  shall  be  my  theme  when  dying, 

Mercy's  free!    ?»Iercy's  free! 
And  when  the  vale  of  death  I've  passed. 
And  lodged  above  the  stormy  blast, 
I'll   sing  while  endless  iiges  last, 
M erey  's  f i-ee  !    iMei'cy  "s  free. ' ' 

The  song  and  the  singer  awakened  the 
greatest  enthusiasm.  An  old  man.  trembling 
with  age.  arose  and  said  :  "My  life  is  nearly 
spent.  It  will  not  be  long  luitil  I  shall  come 
face  to  face  with  death.  He  that  has  been 
with  me,  will  still  be  with  me,  and  bring  me 
off  more  than  conqueror.  T  do  not  doubt  my 
admittance  into  the  New  Jerusalem.  Then 
I  shall  walk  its  gold-iiaved  streets.  The  soft 
iiand  of  Jesus  shall  \\\]io  every  tear  from  my 
eye.  I  will  meet  the  loved  ones  gone  before, 
and  we  shall  he  forevei-  with  the  Ijord. 


183 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


"  'AdcI  wheu  to  Joi-dau's  flood  we  are  come. 

We  are  come; 
And  when  to  Jordan's  flood  we  are  come: 
Jehovah  rules  the  tide. 
And  the  waters  he'll  divide. 
And  the  ransomed  host  shall  shout, 


We 


le !  W 


e  are  eonie 


And  so  with  song  and  testimony  no  time 
went  to  waste.  One  would  infer  from  the 
experiences  given  that  the  Christian  life  was 
a  warfare:  that  we  oould  not  expect  to  go  to 
lieaven  on  flowei'v  licds  of  ea.se.  but — 

■  ■']"()  watch,  and  ti'jlit,  and  pray, 

The  battle  ne'er  give  o'er, 
Renew  it  boldly  day  by  day. 

And  help  divine  implore." 
The  i>astor  said : 

■"My  willing  soul  would  stay 

In  such  a  frame  as  this. 
And  sit  and  sing  herself  away 

To  everlasting  bliss." 

"But  it  is  time  now  to  dismiss  our  meeting. 
We  are  grateful  for  the  refreshment  we  have 
had  from  the  Lord.  Good  has  been  done;  the 
church  has  been  strengthened.  Now  let  us  all 
sing : 

"  'Together  let  us  sweetly  live. 

Together  let  us  die. 
And  each  a  starry  crown  receive. 

And  reign  above  the  sky.'  " 

The  benediction  was  pronounced,  and  the 
quarterly  meeting  was  something  of  the  past. 
It  was  gone,  leaving  only  pleasant  memories. 
But  not  all  the  experiences  of  my  childhood 
were  so  happy.  I  was  brought  up  under  the 
old-fashioned  regime  that  children  should  be 
seen,  and  not  heard.  Being  a  delicate  child. 
I  was  constantly  thrown  in  contact  with  older 
people,  heard  much  of  their  conversations,  and 
drew  my  own  conclusions.  A  few  months  of 
my  childhood  were  terrorized  by  what  was 
called  "Millerism".  I  heard  the  people  talk 
of  the  second  coming  of  Christ.  The  day 
was  set.  and  rapidly  approaching.  INIy  imag- 
ination ran  riot,  depicting  to  my.self  the  hor- 
rors (sf  what  should  be— the  loud  thunder; 
the  lightning  flashes;  the  rolling  together  of 
the  heavens  as  a  scroll ;  the  cries  of  the  wicked 


as  they  would  call  upon  the  mountains  and 
rocks  to  fall  upon  them,  to  hide  them  froiii 
the  presence  of  the  mighty  God.  They  were 
not  Millerites  in  our  family,  but  the  "ism" 
was  discussed.  I  hoped  they  were  right,  yet 
feared  they  might  not  be.  ily  mother  did 
not  know  the  agony  I  suffered  or  she  would 
have  soothed  and  comforted  me.  Across  the 
alley  from  our  house,  on  the  rear  of  the  lot, 
lived  Dicky  Weeks  and  his  family.  There 
was  a  little  girl  of  my  age,  and  I  used  to  play 
with  this  little  girl.  This  family  were  ^liller- 
ites.  They  had  their  white  robes  made,  ready 
at  the  second  coming  to  fly  up  and  meet  the 
Lord  in  the  air.  To  me  that  was  a  wonderful 
thing.  Dicky  Weeks  had  laid  aside  his  daily 
labor,  and  .spent  his  time  in  prayer,  praise 
and  reading  the  bible.  He  believed  God  would 
care  for  his  own,  even  with  all  temporal  bless- 
ings, as  he  did  for  the  widow  of  Zarephath. 
f^very  village  had  its  yoimg  wags :  so.  here, 
were  the  Wallaces,  the  Dunlaps  and  the  Co- 
burns.  They  clubbed  touether  and  decided 
that  they  would  confirm  Dicky  Wells  in  his 
faith.  As  locks  to  doore  and  windows  were 
superfiuous— really  unknown— these  young 
fellows  could  easily  have  access  to  the  Weeks 
kitchen;  so  every  night  when  the  family 
would  be  sleeping,  some  one  of  the  boys  wnnUI 
place  there  supplies  for  the  next  day. 

At  last  the  morning  of  the  great  dny  ar- 
rived. Up  from  the  countiy  came  an  old 
lady,  very  tall,  very  angular.  As  she  and 
her  family  drove  into  the  village,  she  stood 
up  in  the  wagon ;  she  had  donned  her  white 
robe;  she  drove  through  the  one  principal 
street,  ringing  a  bell,  and  exhorting  the  look- 
ers-on to  make  ready  for  the  coming.  Hav- 
ing gathered  the  faithful  together,  they 
started  toward  the  highest  point  east  of  the 
village— I  think  where  Hilton  U.  Brown's 
house  now  stands  f  Xo.  5087  E.  Washington) ; 
and  there  they  spent  the  day  in  prayer,  praise 
and  exhortation.  The  sun  kept  on  his  liright 
way,  and  Anally  went  down  behind  the  iii'eat 
forest  trees.  The  stars  came  out  one  by  one; 
the  bii'ds  had  gone  to  rest,  and  the  tjuiet 
niyht  was  settling  down  sweetly  and  peace- 
fully over  the  earth.  There  had  been  no  con- 
vulsion of  nature.  The  old  world  seemed  to 
be  going  on  in  the  even  tenor  of  its  way.  The 
poor  deluded  souls  took  off  their  white  robes, 
folded    them    up   cai-efullv    and    sori-owfnlly. 


HISTORY  OF  (.'ItKATEK  INDIAXArOLlS. 


183 


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Z  H 

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184 


HISTORY  OF  GKEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


and  wcndid  tlu'ir  way  back  to  the  village  a 
disappointed,   unhappy  band.- 

Tliis  incident  introduces  one  of  the  unique 
characters  of  our  church,  known  in  his  hiter 
years  as  Father  Weeks.  At  this  time  there 
was  but  the  one  ^Methodist  church,  Wesley 
Chapel,  in  the  vdlage.  Father  Foudray  was 
my  mother's  class  leader.  He  was  mucli  be- 
loved in  our  family.  My  mother  was  anxious 
for  the  conversion  of  a  young  lady  cousin 
and  my  sister,  who  was  about  fifteen  years 
old.  She  thought  if  they  would  attend  the 
class-meeting,  Father  Foudray 's  persuasive 
powers  and  sweet  singing  would  influence 
them  to  the  better  life.  They  led  class  dif- 
ferently then ;  members  did  not  speak  volun- 
tarily, but  the  leader  called  on  every  one  in- 
dividually to  testify.  Father  Foudray  would 
not  comjiel  a  timid  sister  to  speak,  but  with 
a  word  of  advice,  a  text  of  Scripture  and  an 
appropriate  hymn,  would  pass  on.  Unfor- 
tunately for  my  cousin,  Dicky  Weeks,  then 
a  zealous  young  Methodist,  was  leading  a 
portion  of  the  class  that  morning.  AVhen  he 
came  to  this  young  lady,  in  a  very  loud,  em- 
phatic way,  he  asked  her  to  speak  a  word  for 
the  Lord— "Tell  your  brothers  and  sisters 
what  the  Lord  has  done  for  you  the  past 
week."  My  cousin  smiled  and  shook  her  head. 
He  said:     "What!     Not    a    word    for   the 


-Miller's  jtrediction,  based  on  an  extremely 
plausible  interpretation  of  Scripture,  was 
that  time  would  end  in  the  vear.  Jlareh  21. 
1843,  to  March  21.  184-i.  After  the  latter 
date  had  passed,  some  of  his  followers  con- 
cluded that  the  error  had  been  made  in  not 
using  the  Jewish  year,  which  extended  the 
peridd  seven  months;  and  fixed  the  last  day 
on  (Jetober  22.  which  was  generally  acceiited. 
The  boy.s  mentioned  as  supplying  Weeks  were 
probably  the  victims  of  reputation.  Weeks 
worked  at  Yandes  &  Wilkins"  tan-yard,  and 
his  hopes  and  aspii-ations  were  fully  known 
to  Uncle  John  AVilkius.  who  was  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Chaiiel.  and  possessed  of  a 
marked  vein  of  luuimr.  Brother  Henry 
Tutewiler.  of  the  same  church,  likewise  ap- 
preciative of  a  .ioke.  and  chunnny  with  Wil- 
kins, always  said  tliat  Wilkins  was  the  aiigcl 
that  replenished  tlie  Weeks'  meal-jar.  which 
was  set  on  the  back  porch  for  the  conveni- 
ence of  his  siipei'iiaturnl  fi-iends. 


Lord.'"  As  she  did  not  respond,  he  said: 
"Brethren  and  sistei-s,  let  us  kneel  and  pray 
that  the  dumb  devil  may  be  east  out  of  this 
young  woman'':  and.  fallinu'  on  his  knees  be- 
fore her,  he  prayed  most  vehemently  that  she 
might  be  released  from  the  power  of  the  evil 
spirit,  and  that  thereafter  she  might  be  free 
to  testify  for  the  God  that  was  so  good  to 
her.  ]\Iy  cousin,  chagrined  and  humiliated, 
left  the  class-room  never  to  return,  but  soon 
after,  under  the  more  gentle  instruction  of 
Henry  Ward  Beecher,  became  a  good  Pres- 
byterian: and  my  sister  entered  the  Episco- 
palian Church. 

As  the  years  passed,  the  old  IMethodist  hive 
became  too  full.  The  conference  felt  that 
there  nnist  be  provision  made  for  the  increas- 
ing population,  so.  in  1842.  from  the  little 
church  at  the  southwest  corner  of  ^leridian 
and  Circle  streets,  there  was  an  eastern  charge 
set  off,  with  ^Meridian  street  as  the  dividim;- 
line.  Never  was  a  church  organized  with  a 
more  devoted,  self-sacrificing,  practical,  lov- 
ing, tender-hearted  niembership  than  this 
"eastern  charge",  afterwards  named  Roberts 
Ciiapel— now  Roberts  Park.  The  motto 
adopted  by  this  zealous  people  was,  "Roberts 
Chapel,  ail  toaether".  They  knew  that  in 
uuion  there  is  strength,  and  while  there  were 
differences  of  opinion,  each  party  would  yield 
a  little  to  the  other  and  thus  all  friction  was 
avoided.  "See  how  these  brethren  dwell  to- 
gether in  unity",  was  the  one  pride  of  the 
church.  They  were  strongly  intrenched  in 
the  old  customs  of  men  and  women  sitting 
apart :  of  no  music  but  the  human  voice ;  of 
plain  dress — no  putting  on  of  gold  and  costly 
apparel :  so  it  was  possible  in  1846  to  pass 
the  following  preamble  and  resolutions: 

"Whereas,  we,  the  uudersiirned  members 
of  the  :\rethodist  E.  Church.  Roberts  Chapel 
(Quarterly  Conference,  and  trustees  of  said 
Roberts  Chapel,  believe  that  instrumental 
music  and  choir  singing  in  public  worship  are 
prejudicial  to  the  w(u-ship  of  the  Lord  our 
(iod: 

"And  whereas,  we  believe  the  Scriptures 
retpiii'e  sacred  music  to  be  made  with  the 
human  voice  by  sin'.;ing  with  the  spirit  and 
with  the  understanding  also:  therefore, 

"Resolved:  That  instrumental  nnisic  and 
choir  singing  in  public   worship   shall  never 


lIls'l'ol.'V   OK  CRKA'I'I 

be  introduced  into  the  eongregatiou  attending 
said  Chapel  with  our  consent,  while  we  are 
permitted  to  be  members  of  said  Chapel  coii- 
grreijation. 

■■2nd.  Resolved:  That  we  most  sincerely 
request  all  our  sueeessors  to  the  offices  we 
now  occupy  to  adhere  strictly  to  the  prin- 
ciples contained  in  the  above  preambk'  and 
resolutiou  so  lon<;'  as  it  may  please  a  kind 
Providence  to  let  said  Roberts  Chapel  stand. 
■■3d.  Resolved:  That  each  of  the  members 
of  the  (Quarterly  ileetinii'  Conference,  to- 
sietlier  with  tlic  ti'ustees.  suliscribc  lii'r<'witli 
their  names  officially. 

■■4th.  Resolved:  That  the  above  be  I'ccordcd 
in  the  church  book,  and  a  copy  be  foi-wardetl 
to  the  Western  Cliristian  Advocate  for  publi- 
cation. 

■ 'Signed - 
"Is.\.vc  Piiipps,  Sec.    J.  ]\Iarsee,  P.  E. 

John  Wilkiks  Johx  Louis  Smith,  S. P. 

Joiix  I).  TnoRi-H       Abraham  Koontz 

SaMUICI.  (ioI.DSBEKRVSAilUEL  BeCK 

Henry  Tutewiler  Jas.  W.  Hii.l 
William  Smith        Sims  Colley 
Joiix  F.  II ILL  \V.  R.  Strange 

.\ndre\v  Brouse 
•■Au-ust  ■_'4tli.  lS4(i."" 

In  those  days  Bi-ntiuy  Kai-ns  and  lirotlier 
Bristor  sat  in  the  center  of  tiie  ehui'ch.  and 
led  the  singinir.  The  young  people,  both  girls 
and  yoimg  men,  sat  near  them  to  assist  in  the 
imisie.  This  lasted  until  about  ISoO,  when 
Brother  Thomas  (!.  Alfoi-d  was  transferred 
from  Wesley  Chapel  to  Roberts  Chapel,  and 
became  the  leader.  Me  was  most  faitliful  — 
never  jiitched  a  hymn  toct  high  or  too  low. 
He  coidd  sing  thi-iPUL;h  a  thi'ce  months'  revival 
I  and  be  as  fresh  at  the  close  as  at  the  begin- 
ning. He  was  most  aeconnnodating,  never  so 
happy  as  when  singing,  in  the  gi'cat  congre- 
gation, at  the  social  meetings,  at  the  funerals, 
and  at  the  bedside  of  the  sick  and  d\iiii;.  But 
as  the  years  rolled  on  there  was  an  unrest 
among  the  younycr  people — the  same  old  ex- 
cuse—we  wanted  to  be  moi-e  like  other  people 
and  other  churches.  The  organ  was  first 
brought  into  the  Sabbath  school.  :uid  finally. 
on  feast  days,  when  the  children  took  pai-t  in 
•the  service,  up  into  the  church.  Families  be- 
■,'an  sittini:  together.     There  were  some  cross 


Xni  \\  AI'OI.I.S. 


1S.^ 


looks  from  the  older  brethren  and  sisters,  but 
we  had  been  warned  by  our  leaders  never  to 
discu.ss  the  (luestions.  but  to  be  very  gentle 
and  respectful  to  our  elders;  and  so  these 
great  changes  gradually  came  about.  As  we 
left  old  Roberts  Chapel  I  noi'theast  corner  of 
i\larket  and  Peiuisylvauia  streets)  to  go  into 
our  new  home,  we  left  some  of  the  old-fash- 
ioned customs,  but  not  the  spirit  of  the  old- 
fashioned  religion.  A  choir  was  organized, 
with  Dr.  Heiskell  as  leader.  It  was  a  volun- 
teer choir:  no  one  was  paid  but  the  organist: 
This  faithful  leader  aiul  choir  sei-ved  over 
twenty  years,  when  they  were  e.xeu.sed.  and 
the  new  order  of  things  was  inti-oduccd. 

In  relating  these  incidents  of  the  long  ago, 
I  do  not  mean  to  .speak  lightly,  nor  to  find 
fault  with  the  fathers  and  mothers  of  the  old- 
time  church.  They  had  the  peculiar  ideas  of 
their  time  concerning  chui-ch  government,  the 
form  of  service  and  the  style  of  dress:  but 
they  were  honest  in  their  belief  and  fully 
convinced  in  their  own  minds  that  they  were 
right.  I  give  them  only  to  present  an  idea 
of  the  customs  of  other  days,  veiy  different 
from  the  present.  For  change  is  written 
everywhere.  '"AVhatever  lies  in  earth,  or  flits 
in  air,  or  tills  the  skies:  all  suffer  change, 
and  we  that  air  of  soul  and  Itody  mi.xed  are 
members  of  the  whole:"  and  so  our  program 
of  public  woi'sliip  has  changed — just  enough 
of  ritual  to  add  dignity  and  make  the  service 
impressive.  As  at  the  Easter  time  I  listened 
to  Hiss  Hyatt  play  the  March  to  Calvary. 
I  heard  the  solenni  tread  of  the  soldiers  as 
they  led  the  ^Messiah  from  Pilate's  .iudgment 
hall,  on  througli  the  streets  of  the  city,  out 
through  the  western  gate,  up  the  Mount  of 
Calvai-y.  and  there  the  consununation  of  the 
gi-eat  tragedy.  The  body,  by  loving  hands,  is 
conveyed  to  the  new  sepulchre,  laid  away, 
guarded  by  Roman  soldiers.  Then  came  the 
sweet  strains  of  Mendelssohn's  Spring  Song. 
Early  in  the  soft  gray  of  the  morning,  that 
first  day  of  the  week,  I  hear  the  birds  sing- 
ing: the  grass  is  green:  the  crocuses,  the  daf- 
fodils, the  tuli])s.  the  hyacinths  are  blooming; 
the  brown  buds  are  opening,  clothing  the  fruit 
trees  in  their  beautiful  pink  and  white  blos- 
soms; ;iiiil  1li;it  sr|iiilclii-c  has  given  up  it.s 
occui)ant;  and  lie.  the  Christ,  is  risen. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


AS   OTIIEKS   SAW   US. 


The  reader  will  be  aided  in  t-ettiiig  a  com- 
prehensive view  of  Indianai)olis  as  it  was  by 
a  glance  at  the  impressions  it  made  on  some 
of  its  visitors.  Among-  these  was  Mine.  The- 
resa Pulszky,  who  was  here  iu  18.52,  in  Kos- 
suth's party,  and  who  published  an  account 
of  their  visit  to  the  United  States  under  the 
title.  "White,  Red.  Black".  She  opens  the 
second  vohune  with  the  arrival  of  a  deputa- 
tion from  Indianapolis,  at  Cincinnati,  to  es- 
cort them  to  the  capital,  in  accordance  with 
the  invitation  of  the  legislature.  They  all 
started  down  the  rivei',  on  a  steamboat,  for 
Madison :  but  Kossuth,  who  was  extremely 
I)laiu-spoken,  and  who  apparently  discom- 
moded himself  for  no  one.  shut  himself  up 
in  his  cabin  1o  lest,  and  left  his  party  to 
entertain  the  committee.  In  her  diary  ;\[rs. 
I'nlszky  says : 

"We  found  most  amiable  persons  amongst 
them;  Senator  Mitchell  and  his  lady,  plain, 
unassuming  and  kind-hearted  people,  inter- 
ested themselves  wannly  about  our  children, 
and  when  they  understood  that  we  had  four, 
they  offered  us  to  adopt  one  boy,  as  they  were 
childless.  I  took  the  proposal  fm-  a  .jest,  but 
they  told  me  that  such  adoptions  were  not 
unusual  here,  and  the,v  reiterated  their  kind- 
ness, sa.ying  that  by  trusting  the  child  to 
them  we  should  not  lose  him.  When  his  edu- 
cation would  lie  completed  they  would  send 
him  back  to  us.  and  if  we  did  not  return  to 
Hungary,  we  should  all  come  to  them  :  though 
they  were  not  rich,  they  had  enough  likewise 
for  our  wants. 

"Mr.  Robert  Dale  Owen,  also  a  Seiuitor  of 
Indiana,  is  the  son  of  the  well-known  philos- 
opher, Robert  Owen,  with  whom  he  had  man- 
aged the  large  conuiiunistical  establishment  of 
'New    llariiHinv'   on    tiie   Wabash,    which   has 


[>roved  unsuccessful.  We  spoke  about  it  with 
him,  and  he  remarked  that  nothing  cmdd  re- 
place the  stiuuilus  of  individual  proprietor- 
ship. His  brother  has  since  become  a  cele- 
brated geologist,  and  has  made  the  geological 
survey  of  the  north-western  country  for  the 
general  government.  He,  himself,  is  a 
wealthy  farmer  in  Indiana,  of  great  influ- 
ence in  the  legislature.  Some  of  the  ideas 
of  his  father  he  introduced  into  the  laws  of 
Indiana.  By  his  efforts  the  women  have  here 
more  legal  rights  in  respect  to  the  manage- 
ment of  their  own  propei'ty  than  in  the  other 
States  where  the  English  common  law  pre- 
vails, which  considers  the  wives  as  miiuii-s, 
and  deprives  them  of  the  control  of  theii- 
property.  Accustomotl  to  see  in  Hunuai'y  the 
\v(]men  managing  their  own  inheritance,  the 
connnon  law  always  appeared  to  me  very  bar- 
barous, and  I  was  glad  to  understand  that 
Indiana  set  an  example,  in  this  respect,  to 
the  other  States  of  the  Union.  Mr.  Owen 
spoke  much  about  the  new  Constitution  of 
his  State.  He  had  taken  great  part  in  fram- 
ing it  last  year,  and  explained  to  us  that  such 
a  refonn  was  easily  carried  in  America.  When 
the  General  Assembly  of  a  State  finds  it  nec- 
essary to  alter  the  Constitution,  it  submits  the 
(|uestion  to  universal  suff'rage,  whether  the 
jH'ople  wish  to  elect  a  convention  or  not.  If 
the  ma.iority  requires  a  new  Constitution,  the 
membei's  of  the  convention  are  elected  by  the 
counties;  a  Con.stitution  is  drawn  up.  a  short 
report  marks  the  different  i-ef(n-ms  and  inno- 
vations introduced,  and  the  plan  is  submitted 
to  the  acceptance  or  re.iection  of  the  people. 
The  principal  change  suggested  in  the  Consti- 
tution of  1851,  was,  that  the  General  Assem-' 
bly  shall  not  grant  to  any  citizen  privileges 
(ir'  inmuuiities  which  shall  nut  e(|ually  belong 


l«(i 


lllSI'ol.'V    OF   CKKATKR    1  X  Dl  A  \  Al'OLIS. 


187 


to  all  the  citizens.  Tliis  tendency  to  diseou- 
tiuue  jirivate  bills,  and  to  establish  general 
laws  for  tlie  public  at  lartre,  is  a  remarkable 
feature  of  the  di-aft.  The  Seci-etai-y.  Auditor 
and  Treasurer  of  State,  and  the  Su|)renie  and 
Circuit  Judiies,  foi-nierly  eh(  sen  by  the  Leyis- 
lature,  are  now  selected  by  tb.e  people  and 
the  Judges  are  appointed  only  for  a  definite 
term,  not  for  life.  The  Lciiislatnre  is  pro- 
hibited from  incurring  any  debt,  and  resti-ic- 
tioiis  are  estal)lished  for  Banks.  These  re- 
forms j)rove  that  the  Democrats  had  the  ma- 
jority in  the  Conventimi.  Provisions  were 
likewise  made  for  a  uniform  system  of  com- 
mon sehiiols.  where  tuition  sliall  be  free;  the 
Institutions  for  the  blind,  tlie  deaf  and  dumb, 
and  the  insane,  ami  a  House  of  Refuge  for 
the  reformation  of  Juvenile  offenders,  have 
become  State  Institutit  ns.  ilost  of  these  in- 
novations liad  been  |)i-eviously  accepted  In- 
other  States.  The  election  of  the  Judges  b.v 
the  pc(iple.  for  instance,  and  foi-  a  limited 
term,  luis  been  introduceit  in  Xew  York.  Ohio, 
and  other  States. 

"But  the  most  striking  featuie  of  the  Xew 
Constitution  was,  to  me,  that  whilst  it  begins 
with  tlie  declaration  tliat  all  men  are  created 
e(|ual.  it  contiiins  an  article  forbidiling  any 
ni'gro  or  mulatto  to  come  into  the  State  nf 
Indiana  after  the  adoption  of  the  Xew  Con- 
stitution, and  rccomiuends  that  future  legis- 
lation should  provide  for  the  future  trans- 
portation of  the  free  colored  inhabitants  of 
the  State  to  the  black  republic  of  Liberia. 
Of  course  I  did  not  dissuise  m.v  surprise  at 
this  inconsistenc.v,  and  ^Ir.  Owen  remarked, 
that  as  the  negro  cannot  obtain  c(|ual  social 
and  |)olitical  rights  amongst  whites,  owing  to 
the  anli|)athy  of  the  two  races,  it  is  greatly 
to  be  desired  that  the  black  should  find  a  free 
home  in  other  lands,  whci-c  |)ublic  opinion 
imposes  u|)on  color  no  social  disabilities,  oi' 
political  disfranchisement.  'Oui-  children 
shall  not  have  helots  bcfoic  tliiir  eyes',  said 
he.  'l^ut  why  are  the.v  to  be  helots.''  asked 
I.  'In  Ma.ssachuselts.  as  far  as  I  know,  in 
Vei'mont  and  in  Xew  Yoi-k,  they  are  free  citi- 
zens of  the  I'nited  States,  if  they  po,ss(>ss 
landed  f)ropert.v.'  The  answer  was  that  piili 
lie  opinion  disa|)proved  this  in  Indiana. 

"Another  most  interesting  acfiuaintance  for 
nie  was  Mrs.  Bolton,  the  poetess  of  Indiana, 
distinguished    bv   lirr   talent   and    her   iiccom- 


I)lishments.  \Vc  spent  most  i)leasant  hours 
with  lier.  and  as  her  name  is  not  yet  known 
in  Europe.  I  insert  here  one  of  her  poems, 
connrnmicatcd  to  mc  by  .Mi-.  Owen: 

'Fi-om  its  home  on  high  to  a  gentle  flower. 

That  bloomed  in  a  lonel.v  grove. 
The  starlight  came,  at  the  twilight  liour. 

And  whisi)ered  a  tale  of  love. 

'Then  the  blossom's  heart,  so  stiff  and  cold, 

(!rew  warm  to  its  silent  core, 
And  gave  out  perfume,  from  its  inmost  fold. 

It  never  exhaled  before. 

'A.iul     the    blossom     slept,     tlil'o'    the    suiiuiiel' 
night. 

In   tile  smile  of  the  aneel   i'a,v. 
Hut   the  morn  arose  with  its  garish  liijht 

.\nd  the  soft  one  stole  awa.v. 

"Tlu'n  the  zephyr  wooed,  as  ho  wandered   by 
Where  the  gentle   How 'ret  gi-ew. 

But  she  gave  no  heed  to  his  ])laintive  sigh, 
Her  heart  to  its  love  was  ti'ue. 

'Ajid  the  sunbeam  came,   with   a   lover's  art. 

To  cai-ess  the  flower  in  vain  : 
She   folded  her  sweets  in   her  thrilling  lu'ai-t 

Till  th(>  starlight  came  again.' 

"It    is  a   sweet   flower  of  the   West. 

"Witli  the  other  ladies  1  spoke  much  of 
their  household  concerns.  The.v  almost  all 
lived  on  fai'ins  or  in  small  country  towns. 
where  their  husbands,  the  Senators  and  Rep- 
resentatives, were  law.vers.  |)liysiciaiis  oi-  mer- 
chants, and  come  only  to  Indianapi  lis  fni'  the 
session.  All  complained  ol'  the  great  dil'li- 
<'ult.v  to  get  servants:  colni-ed  peeple  are 
scarce,  whites  work  on  their  own  account,  ;ind 
even  the  blacks  say  often,  when  askeil  to  come 
as  a  liel]),  'l)o  your  business  yourself.  The 
feeling  of  e(|ualit.v  pei'vades  this  State  so 
much  that  people  do  not  like  to  work  for 
wages.  Towards  evening  we  ari-ived  at  .Madi- 
son. The  fashionaljle  pe()t)lc  had  as-sembled 
in  the  church,  and  paid  for  their  seats,  in- 
tending the  result  to  be  given  to  the  Ilun- 
e-arian  funds:  but  Kossuth  thought  that  in 
the  countr.v  of  e(|ualit.v  such  ])roceedings  were 
too  exclusive,  and  he  addressi^d  the  citizens 
of  .Mailison  from  the  baleon.v  of  the  hotel. 

■'Todav  \\r  left   this  small  citv  on  the  rail- 


]S8 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


way.  It  is  carried  over  a  steep  aseeiit  from 
tlu-  banks  of  the  Ohio  to  the  high  plain  of 
Indiana.  Formerly  this  inclined  plane  wa.s 
worked  by  stationary  engines,  but  a  workman, 
Mr.  Cathcart,  overcame  the  difficulty  by  plac- 
ing between  the  two  rails  a  third  rail,  with 
cogs  corresponding  to  a  wheel  in  the  center  of 
the  wagons.  One  day.  rolling  a  heavy  barrel 
to  the  railway,  he  iiiis.sed  the  train,  and  had 
to  roll  the  cask  up  the  hill.  He  repeatedly 
stopped  to  rest,  patting  a  stone  under  the 
barrel  that  it  might  not  slip  down,  and  was 
suddenly  struck  by  the  idea  that  cogs  would 
alleviate  the  a.scent,  and  diminish  the  danger 
of  the  descent.  He  suljmitted  his  i)lan  to  the 
Railway  Company,  they  advanced  him  the 
money  for  the  experiment,  and  as  it  succeeded 
they  built  the  present  line,  and  gave  him 
;t;fci,000  for  his  patent.  With  this  capital  he 
established  himself  as  an  engine  builder  in 
Indianapolis,  and"  is  getting  a  wealthy  man. 

■'In  the  afternoon  we  reached  the  capital 
of  Indiana,  a  very  small  place,  whose  re- 
sources are  not  yet  sufficient  to  ]irovide  for 
drainage  and  ]iavement.  The  aboriginal  mud 
of  the  rich  soil  reminded  me  here  of  the 
streets  of  Debreczin.  We  proceeded  to  the 
hotel,  whilst  the  gentlemen  were  paraded 
through  the  sti-eets,  and  were  introduced  to 
the  Legislature.  The  hotel  is  very  far  from 
nice,  and  the  attendants  seem  to  be  fully 
aware  that  everybody  here  is  to  do  his  own 
business.  For  example,  when  I  was  in  a 
hurry  to  dress  for  the  levee  of  Governor 
Wright,  and  asked  for  a  light,  the  waiter 
brought  two  tallow  candles,  put  them  in  my 
hands,  and  pointing  to  the  mantel-piece,  he 
said,  'There  are  the  candle-sticks,'  and  left 
the  room. 

"We  went  to  the  house  of  the  Governor; 
it  is  small,  and  I  soon  perceived  why  it  is  not 
so  comfortable  as  it  could  be.  In  thronged 
the  society  and  people  of  Indianapolis,  ladies 
and  gentlemen  of  every  description.  ]\[uddy 
boots  and  torn  clothes,  and  again  desperate 
attemi)ts  at  finery:  iilass  jewels  and  French 
silk  dresses,  which,  after  having  found  no 
jjurchasers  in  .\ew  York,  have  been  sent  to 
the  West.  Some  of  llie  mothers  had  their 
babies  in  their  arms:  workmen  appeared  in 
their  blouses  oi'  dusty  coats,  just  as  they  came 
from  the  workshoii :  fai-mers  stepped  in  high 
boots.      Once  iri(U-e   we  saw  tliat    tlir  house  of 


the  (  overnor  is  the  property  of  the  people. 
And  yet  this  incongruous  mass  did  not  behave 
unbecomingly  to  a  drawing-room.  There  was 
no  rude  elbowing,  no  unpleasant  noise,  or  dis- 
turbing laughter.  Had  they  but  shaken  hands 
less  violently !  I  yet  feel  Western  cordiality 
in  my  stiff  arm. 

■■^ladame  Kossuth  found  the  heat  so  op- 
I>ressive  that,  accompanied  by  Mv.  Pulszky, 
s!ie  went  to  the  adjoining  room.  A  waiter 
was  there  arranging  the  table  for  supper.  He 
looked  so  different  from  the  society  in  the 
drawing-room  that  ^Ir.  Pulszky  asked  him 
whether  he  did  not  come  from  the  old  country. 
"Yes,  sir,'  said  the  waiter,  'I  came  from  Wor- 
cestershire.' 'Do  you  like  this  country?' 
'Sir,'  was  the  answer,  'how  could  I  like  it? 
1  lived  in  the  old  country  and  have  there 
served  Lords.  As  soon  as  I  have  made  here 
so  much  money  that  I  can  iive  ([uietly  in 
Worcestershire,  I  shall  return." 

"ilarch  2nd.  — Now  we  are  really  in  the 
West.  It  rained  for  one  day  and  we  are 
confined  to  our  room :  even  clogs  are  of  no 
avail  in  the  street,  they  stick  in  the  mud.  The 
wind  enters  our  room  through  a  crevice  in 
the  wall,  large  enough  to  pass  through  my 
hand;  and  the  fai-e!  The  bell  was  rung,  we 
went  down  to  the  dark  dinner-room.  The 
table  was  covered  with  pies,  celeiy,  mashed 
potatoes,  sour  wheat-bi-ead,  tough  cow-meat, 
and  cold  pork.  In  the  bottles  nuiddy  water. 
The  bell  rung  again,  and  the  gentlemen  burst 
boisterously  into  the  rooms,  rushed  to  the 
table,  and  pushing  aside  the  chairs,  stormed 
the  places  which  were  left  unoccupied  b.y  the 
ladies.  When  the  soup  was  handed  round  — 
I  think  it  was  an  infusion  of  hay  — soleiim 
silence  ensued;  I  almost  fancied  we  were 
under  the  rule  of  the  Auburn  system;  not  a 
single  word  was  spoken,  but  foi-ks  and  knives 
worked  steadily.  Eating,  as  it  seems,  is  here 
likewise  a  business,  which  unist  be  dispatched 
as  quickly  as  possible. 

"Governor  Wright  is  ;i  type  of  the 
Hoosiers.  and  justly  prtnul  to  be  one  of  them. 
I  a.sked  him  wherefrom  his  people  had  got 
this  name.  He  told  me  that  'Hoosa'  is  the 
Indian  name  for  maize ;  the  principal  produce 
of  the  State.'     The  Governor  is  plain,  eor- 


'  As  to  this  eiTor.  see  Ind.  l/ist.  Soc.  f'ubs.. 
Vol.  4.  Xo.  -'.  p.   17. 


HISTORY  OF  r; HEATER  INDIAXArOLIS. 


IS!) 


dial  and  practical,  like  a  farmer,  with  a  deep 
religious  tinge.  Yesterday  we  went  with  him 
to  the  Methodist  church,  and  I  saw  that 
Methodism  is  the  form  of  Protestantism  that 
best  suits  the  people  of  the  West.  No  glit- 
tering formalities,  no -working  on  the  imagi- 
nation, not  much  of  reasoning;  but  powerful 
accents  and  appeals  to  the  conscience,  with 
continuous  references  to  the  Scriptures;  in- 
terwoven with  frequent  warnings,  pointings 
to  heaven  and  hell.  The  audience  seemed 
deeply  moved;  they  sang  unmusically,  but 
praj^ed  eai-nestly.  I  could  not  doubt  the 
deep  religious  conviction  of  the  people. 

"After  dinner  the  Govenior  went  with  ^Iv. 
Pulszky  to  visit  the  Sunday  schools,  which 
he  very  often  attends.  They  found  there  all 
ages  assembled;  children  and  old  men  in- 
structed by  the  clergyman  and  regular  and 
voluntaiy  teachers.  They  read  the  Scriptures 
in  diti'erent  groups,  and  the  teachers  took  oc- 
casion to  explain  history,  ancient  and  modern 
geography,  and  to  give  other  useful  informa- 
tion, but  always  in  connection  with  the  Bible. 
Mr.  Pulszky  had  to  make  a  speech  in  each 
of  the  .schools,  and  (iovernor  Wright  atl- 
dressed  them  also,  explaining  to  them  that 
religion  was  the  basis  of  social  order,  and 
instruction  the  only  way  to  preserve  freedom. 
He  illustrated  the  obligation  to  submit  to  tlie 
law  of  the  country  by  several  happy  examples 
from  I'eccnt  events  in  America.  Such  con- 
stant and  pers(mal  intercou7-se  between  the 
Chief  .Magistrate  of  the  State  and  the  people 
he  governs  is  really  patriarchal,  and  is  in  har- 
mony with  the  intellectual  standard  of  an 
agriculturid  population. 

"Mrs.  Wright  (she  died  sbortlx'  after  this 
was  wi-itten)  has  a  strongly-marked,  pui'i- 
tanical  eountenance.  It  seems  as  if  a  smile 
had  hai-dly  ever  moved  her  lips,  and  yet  there 
is  such  placid  scrcnit.v  in  her  features  as  only 
the  consciousness  of  well-performed  duty  can 
impart.  The  sister  of  (Jovernoi-  Wright,  a 
highly  accomplished  lady,  gave  me  a  lively 
pictvire  of  Western  life,  ever  busy  and  weary- 
ing for  tlie  ladies:  she  keejis  a  school." - 

Another  foreiirn  visitor  to  Tndiana])<ilis  was 
Hon.  Amelia  M.  IMurray.  who  came  in  ISn.'i, 
and  published  this  account  of  her  visit :  "In- 
dianapolis, May  19.— We  reached  Indianap- 


-WJiite,  Red,  Black,  Y 


pp.  (i-13. 


olis  soon  after  the  evening  closed  in.  As 
hours  are  early  in  this  part  of  the  world,  I 
determined  to  go  to  an  hotel  for  the  night, 
so  as  not  to  intrude  on  my  friends  at  an 
inconvenient  time.  This  was  acquiesced  in 
by  (iovernor  Wright,  who  visited  me  soon 
after  my  arrival. 

"May  20.— The  Governor  came  early,  and 
took  me  to  his  house.  At  half-past  ten  o'clock 
we  went  to  the  Episcopal  church,  where  the 
duty  was  admirably  done  by  a  Mr.  Talbott. 
originally  from  Kentucky,  who  preached  a 
sermon,  good  in  matter  as  in  manner.  Din- 
ner was  at  one  o'clock,  and  at  two  I  aeconi- 
|)anied  the  Governor  to  visit  two  large  Sun- 
day-schools, belonging  to  difHi^'cnt  denomina- 
tions. There  are  about  fifteen  in  this  town. 
They  have  each  a  superintendent;  and  young 
men  and  women  of  the  various  churches  in 
the  place  give  them  a.ssistanee.  In  England 
we  might  take  exanqde  by  the  wisdom  hi>i-e 
which  limits  Sunday-school  attendance  to  one 
hour,  and  leaves  the  place  and  period  of 
Divnne  worship  to  be  regidated  by  the  parents. 
If  the  teaching  at  school  is  not  such  as  to 
induce  the  children  to  go  willingly  to  church, 
a  forced  going  will  not  benefit  their  relig-ious 
feelings:  and  too  often  the  fatieiied.  bored 
appearance  of  Sabbatb-sehoiil  ebildi'cn  in  our 
churches,  is  a  sad  comirientai'v  upon  the  want 
of  judgment  evinced  by  the  British  public 
in  this  mattei-.  The  Sunday  is  kept  at  In- 
dianapolis with  Presbyterian  sti'ictness.  Xo 
trains  start,  letters  do  not  go,  nor  are  they 
received,  so  that  a  father,  mother,  hu.sband. 
or  wife,  may  be  in  extremity,  and  have  no 
means  of  communicating  their  farewells  oi- 
la.st  wishes  if  Sunday  intervenes.  Surely  this 
is  making  man  suboi-diiiate  to  the  Sabbath  — 
not  the  Sabbath  to  man.  1  have  been  annised 
at  a  story  tokl  me  of  an  iidiabitant  of  this 
place.  The  Millenarian  doctrine  has  been  rife 
here;  all  throtigh  Amc-ica  faimtics  have  lately 
spread  an  idea  that  sublunai-y  nuitters  w'ere 
to  close  yesterday,  ^lay  lit.  .\  man  not  usu- 
ally inclined  to  int.emi)era1e  habits  called  at 
a  store  as  the  day  waned,  and  i'C(|uested  a 
nuig  of  porter  to  sujiport  his  spirits  throuiib 
the  expected  catastrophe.  Time  wore  on  — 
still  the  elements  looked  calm.  'It  won't  be 
over  yet  aw'hile ;  I  must  have  another  glass. 
'Tis  very  depressing  to  have  to  wait  so  long: 
give    me    some    drink.'      This    continued    till 


190 


ll!S'|(ii;V  OK   (iUKATKi;    I  X  i  )I  AXAI'OLIS. 


the  poor  frightened  soul  became  dead  druuk ; 
and  he  was  much  surprised  next  morning  to 
find  the  world  going  on  nnich  as  usual — with 
the  exception  of  his  aching  liead. 

"^lay  21.  — Governor  Wi-ight  invited  me  to 
accompany  him  in  a  morning  walk  at  sunrise 
— foiir  o'clock.  I  had  some  letters  to  write 
previously,  lint  by  five  we  perambulated  parts 
of  the  town,  which  is  peculiarly  laid  out; 
the  Court,  or  rather  Oovernment-hoase.  being 
in  the  centre  (and  it  is  said  also  the  centre 
of  the  Union ;  but  that  can  only  be  a  tempo- 
rary centre,  for  this  place  lies  eastward  of 
the  middle  of  the  continent)  :  and  all  the 
streets  converging  towards  it.  I  occupied 
this  moi'ning  in  arranging  my  dried  speci- 
mens of  plants,  which  occasionally  require 
attention.  W-e  dined  at  one  o'clock,  and  Mrs. 
Wright,  at  present  an  invalid,  was  sufficiently 
recovered  to  .ioin  ns  at  table.  After  dinner 
I  was  happy  to  see  Judge  ]\[aclean,-'  whom 
I  knew  at  Wa.shington;  he  is  come  to 
hold  a  court :  and  Governor  Powell,  of 
Kentucln-.  is  also  expected  tomorrow.  The 
Governor  took  ^Ir.  ^faclean  and  me  for  a 
drive  to  see  the  Asylums  for  the  Deaf 
and  Dumb,  and  for  the  Blind  of  this 
State.  They  are  both  fine  institutions,  paid 
for  by  the  people  through  special  taxes,  im- 
posed for  the  purpose,  and  paid  ungrudg- 
ingly. They  have  sufficient  ground  attached 
for  out-of-door  occupations  and  exercise.  The 
deaf  and  dumb  make  shoes  and  bonnets,  farm. 
&c..  so  as  to  acquire  a  knowledge  which  en- 
ables them  to  gain  their  future  livelihood: 
and  the  girls  are  tauaht  to  be  sempstresses, 
washerwomen,  cooks,  &e.  Such  charities 
should  always  ))e  situated  in  the  country : 
town  life  cuts  off  the  most  necessary  and  ad- 
vantageous means  of  training  the  inmates  to 
healthful  and  useful  pursuits. 

"From  the  cupola  of  the  Asylum  for  the 
Blind  the  view  is  wide.  These  extensive 
plains  of  the  West  extend  one  thousand  miles 
in  the  direction  of  Canada,  and  as  far  towards 
the  Rocla'  ^Mountains.  There  is  one  height 
or  bluff  about  fifteen  miles  off,  which  I  must 
go  and  look  at.  Indiana  i)rodnces  freestone, 
coal  and  iron.  The  AVabash.  about  sixty  miles 
from    hence,    is    the    most    eonsidei-able   river. 


■'Judge  Joiui   ;\IacLi':in.  then  Judge  of  the 
U.   S.   Sujireme  Court. 


Before  we  left  the  asylum,  some  of  the  blind 
pupils  sang  quartettes  and  duets,  accoinpanie  1 
by  one  of  their  ninnber  on  the  piano.  They 
sang  in  tune  and  with  good  taste. 

''I  have  heard  nnich  of  Democracy  and 
Equality  since  I  came  to  the  Ignited  States, 
and  1  have  seen  more  evidences  of  Aristoc- 
racy and  Despotism  than  it  has  before  been 
my  fortune  to  meet  with.  The  'Knownoth- 
ings',  and  the  'Abolitionists',  and  the  'Alor- 
monites',  are,  in  my  opinion,  consequent  upon 
the  mammonite,  extravagant  pretensions  and 
habits  which  are  really  fashionable  among 
Pseudo-Republicans.  Two  hundred  thousand 
starving  Irish  have  come  to  this  countrj-, 
and  in  their  ignorance  they  assume  the  airs 
of  that  equality  which  they  have  been  induced 
to  believe  is  really  belonging  to  American 
society.  They  endeavor  to  reduce  to  practice 
the  sentiment  so  popTdai-  here— but  no— that 
will  never  do.  Ladies  don't  like  their  helps 
to  say  they  'choose  to  sit  in  the  parlour,  or 
they  won't  help  them  at  all,  for  equality  is 
the  rule  here'.  Jlrs.  So-and-So  of  the  'Cod- 
fish' aristocracy  doesn't  like  to  have  Lady 
Anything  to  take  precedence  of  her;  but 
Betty  choosing  to  ]ilay  at  equality  is  quite 
another  thing!  Xow  at  Indianapolis  I  have 
found  something  like  consistency,  for  the  first 
time  since  I  came  this  side  the  Atlantic.  I 
do  not  assert  there  is  equality,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  it  is  not  in  nature;  and  (as  Lord 
Tavi.stock  once  .so  well  said")  'the  love  of  lib- 
ei'fy  is  virtue,  but  the  love  of  equality  is 
pride';  but  here,  the  (iovernoi'  of  the  State 
is  a  man  of  small  income;  his  salary  is  only 
fifteen  hundred  dollars:  he  has  really  put 
aside  money-making,  and  his  son,  an  amiable 
young  man,  instead  of  wasting  his  time  in 
rioting  and  drunkenness  (which,  alas!  is  too 
nnich  the  case  with  the  sons  of  the  'Aristoc- 
racy' in  the  Ignited  States),  keeps  a  store  to 
make  his  own  fortune,  and.  as  he  nobly  said 
yesterday,  to  i)i-ovide  for  that  fathei-  who  has 
tlistlained  to  sacrifice  his  country  to  himself. 
(Jovernor  Wright  did  not  think  it  a  degrada- 
tion to  carry  a  basket  when  I  accompanied 
him  to  the  market  this  morning,  and  his  whole 
demeanour  is  that  of  a  consistent  Re]>ublican. 
I  do  not  care  what  a  man's  ])olifie;d  creed 
may  be  (thouuh  I  much  jirefer  the  monarch- 
ical in-inci})les  of  old  Englijnd).  but  I  do 
admire     consistciicv :     ;ni(l     1     consider     the 


HISTORY  OF  GEEATKK  IXDI.WAI'OI.IS. 


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192 


HISTORY  OF  UUEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


'Kiiow-nothingr'  movement  as  a  eousequence 
of  Tiiieertain  principles. 

"^lay  22.-  This  day  Governor  Powell  of 
Kentucky  came  on  a  visit  here.  He  was  in 
Canada  two  years  since,  and  he  spoke  with 
admiration  of  Lord  Elgin,  and  of  his  man- 
ner of  eonduetinff  the  affairs  of  that  Colony. 
The  heat  has  siidilenly  become  intense ;  to 
my  feelings  as  hot  as  any  day  we  had  in  Cuba. 
At  last  I  conclude  that  winter  has  really 
given  up  our  company,  after  returning  to  it 
so  frequently,  that  I  feel  as  if  I  had  pas.sed 
three  winters  and  three  summers  in  America. 

"May  2.3. — I  went  at  five  o'clock  this  morn- 
ing to  the  Eastern  market-place,  where  I  first 
saw  squirrels  sold  like  rabbits  for  the  table 
ready  skinned.  When  dressed  they  are  ex- 
actly like  young  chickens.  I  believe  it  is  the 
grey  squirrel.  This  evening  the  Governor 
had  what  is  now  in  the  States  universally 
called  a  levee  after  the  same  fashion  as  the 
President's  receptions.  Governors  of  individ- 
ual States  occasionally  open  their  doors  to  all 
the  citizens  who  choose  to  attend,  and  it  is 
considered  a  compliment  to  stranger  guests, 
like  the  Governor  of  Kentucky  and  myself, 
that  the  attendance  should  be  good :  so  the 
rooms  were  filled.  The  Governor  and  his  lady 
do  not  reeeive  their  visitors,  but  we  all  went 
into  the  room  after  they  had  assembled.  No 
refreshments  are  expected  on  these  occasions, 
but  everyone  shakes  hands  upon  being  intro- 
duced. The  assemblage  was  very  respectable 
and  orderly;  it  concluded  about  eleven  o'clock, 
having  begun  at  nine. 

"May  24. — I  went  to  see  a  Devonshire  man 
and  his  wife,  who  have  a  vineyard;  they  have 
been  settled  here  twenty  years  and  are  natives 
of  Dartmouth:  they  look  back  to  the  old 
country  with  regret,  and  think  they  might 
have  done  as  well  there  as  here;  though  they 
have  a  cottage  with  an  acre  of  ground  their 
own  property,  and  a  married  son  and  daugh- 
ter doing  well,  but  poor  people.  Their  young- 
est boy  is  an  inmate  of  the  Indiana  Lunatic 

Asylum.     ]\trs.  N was  brouiiht  uji  in  the 

family  of  the  lady  who  nursed  the  Duchess 
of  (Jlducester,  and  remembers  helping  to  make 
a  cradle  for  the  Princess  Amelia.  She  was 
much    delighted    to    find    that    I    knew    ^liss 

A .     We  spoke  nnieh  of  England:  I  told 

her  she  was  now  adopted  by  this  country,  and 
that   with  her  familv  here,  it   was  wronu'  to 


hanker  so  much  after  that  of  her  birth.     ^Ir. 

N buries  his  vines  in  the  ground,  as  soon 

as  the  wood  has  hardened,  during  the  cold 
months  of  the  year.  I  wonder  whether  this 
plan  would  make  the  vine  more  prolific  in 
the  open  air  with  us. 

"!^Irs.  Wright  gave  an  evening  partj-  of  in- 
vited acquaintances:  a  great  many  agreeable 
people  from  this  and  the  adjoining  State. 
One  lady  sang  some  of  ^loore's  ^Melodies  very 
sweetly ;  but,  as  yet,  music  is  not  much  cul- 
tivated in  America :  either  the  ladies  do  not 
devote  sufficient  attention  to  it,  or  there  are 
not  good  masters.  This  is  almost  the  first 
time  I  have  heard  an  American  sing  with 
taste  and  expression.  This  party  did  not  con- 
clude before  midnight.  *  »  *  x  am  told 
the  thermometer  stood  at  ninety-two  degrees 
in  the  shade  the  day  before  yesterday,  and 
the  weather  continues  very  hot,  but  there  is 
now  rather  more  air.  Last  night  a  naval 
gentleman  told  me  that  part  of  an  iron  fast- 
ening belonging  to  a  ship  had  been  found 
lialf  embedded  in  a  mass  of  iron,  which  had 
been  supposed  an  aerolite,  lying  on  a  prairie 
in  this  country.  From  this  fact  a  very  mod- 
ern origin  for  the  locality  is  deduced,  because 
it  is  concluded  that  a  mass  of  the  kind  in 
question  must  originally  have  been  left  by 
an  iceberg.  I  mention  this  as  it  was  named 
to  me  without  pretending  to  decide  upon  the 
truth  of  the  matter. 

"Thursday  ^Irs.  Wright  gave  an  invited 
reception,  with  a  standing  supper.  All  went 
oft'  well,  and  I  saw  the  principal  people  of 
Indianapolis.  Next  morning  I  drove  with  a 
young  lady  to  see  what  are  called  the  Bluffs 
of  the  AVhite  River,  sixteen  miles  distance.  I 
was  suiprised  to  find  that  the  road  there  was 
l)y  no  means  what  we  should  call  a  plain,  it 
was  rather  a  series  of  continued  low  eleva- 
tions, and  many  shoi't  but  steep  hills  mark  the 
road.  It  pa.sses  through  a  pretty  country, 
bordered  by  farms,  and  watered  by  small 
streams,  making  their  way  to  the  White  River, 
which  attended  our  drive  within  a  short  dis- 
tance. 'The  Bluff'  in'oved  to  l)c  a  rather 
highei-  hill  than  others,  overlooking  the  river, 
and  thickly  timbered,  but  without  a  I'oek 
of  any  kind.  I  found  the  large  leaved  blwd- 
wort,  theMay-apple.  and  a  pretty  red  colum- 
bine growing  plentifTilly  in  .soil  formed  by  the 
(lead  leaves  of  a  tliousaiid  autumns.     The  in- 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


lo.-; 


mates  of  a  im'tty  farm  near  at  hand  gave  us 
hospitality  and  a  sliai-i'  of  their  dinner,  while 
our  eoaelniian  aeted  as  guide  and  entered  into 
my  botanical  researches  with  gi'eat  interest. 
We  made  our  way  over  the  hill  down  to  the 
river  hank,  where  we  saw  the  laborious  but 
useless  work  for  the  formation  of  a  canal,  en- 
tered into  by  the  State  at  an  outlay  of  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  dollars  just  before  rail- 
roads were  put  into  action,  anil  abandoned  in 
con.se(iuence.  The  small  town  of  Waverly  is 
situated  a  mile  beyond  the  hill  we  came  to 
visit.  Our  drive  home  wa.s  a  chilly  one.  The 
thermometer  has  again  descended  below  50°. 
These  sudden  changes  from  intense  heat  to 
cold  are  nuich  greater  than  those  we  have  in 
England."* 

Froiii  these  views  of  passing  strangers  let 
us  tui-n  to  those  of  one  who  came  earlier  and 
remained  long  enough  to  really  know  the 
place— to  become  a  feature  of  it.  Those  whose 
memories  reach  back  as  far  as  1877  are  im- 
pressed by  the  great  change  that  has  come 
since  tlien ;  hut  here  is  what  Henry  Ward 
Beecher  wrote  in  1877  of  the  changes  that 
had  occurred  since  he  first  came :  "I  went 
to  Indianapolis  in  the  fall  of  1839  with  a 
sick  babe  in  niy  arms,  who  showed  the  first 
signs  of  recovery  after  eating  blackberries 
whieli  I  gathei-ed  bj^  the  way.  The  city  had 
then  a  population  of  four  thousand.  At  no 
time  during  my  residence  did  it  outreach 
five  thousand.  Heboid  it  today  with  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  thousand  inhabitants!  The 
Great  National  Koad,  which  at  that  time  was 
of  great  importance,  since  sunk  into  forget- 
fulness,  ran  through  the  city  and  constituted 
the  main  street.  With  the  exception  of  two 
or  three  street,s,  there  were  no  ways  along 
which  could  not  be  seen  the  original  stumps 
of  the  forest.  1  bumped  against  them  iu  a 
buggj-  too  often  not  to  be  assured  of  the 
fact. 

"Here  I  preached  my  first  real  sermon; 
here,  for  the  first  time,  I  strove  against  death 
in  behalf  of  a  child,  and  was  defeated;  here 
I  built  a  house  and  jiiiinted  it  with  my  own 
hands;  here  I  had  my  first  garden,  and  be- 
came the  bishop  of  tlowers  for  this  diocese; 

'Letters  from  the  I'nited  States.  Cuba  and 
Canada,  pp.  :?28-3:U. 
Vol.  1—13 


here  I  first  .ioined  the  editorial  fraternity  and 
edited  the  Fanner  and  Gardener;  hei'^  I  had 
my  first  full  taste  of  chills  and  fever;  here 
for  the  fii-st  and  last  time  I  waded  to  chui-cii 
ankle-deep  in  mud,  and  preached  with  panta- 
loons tucked  into  my  boot-tops.  All  is  changed 
now. 

"In  searching  for  my  obscure  little  ten- 
foot  cottage  I  got  lost.  So  changed  was 
everything  that  I  groped  over  familiar  ter- 
ritory like  a  blind  man  in  a  strange  city.  It 
is  no  louger  mtj  Indianapolis,  witli  the  abo- 
riginal forest  fi'inging  the  town,  with  pasture- 
fields  lying  right  across  from  my  house;  with- 
out coal,  without  railroads,  without  a  stone 
big  enough  to  throw  at  a  cat.  It  was  a  .joyful 
day  and  a  precious  gift  when  Calvin  Fletcher 
allowed  me  to  take  from  the  fragments  of 
stone  used  to  make  the  foundations  for  the 
State  Bank  a  piece  large  enough  to  put  iu 
my  pork-barrel.  I  left  Indianapolis  for 
Brooklyn  on  the  very  day  upon  which  the 
cars  on  the  Madison  Railroad  for  the  first 
time  entered  the  town ;  and  I  departed  on  the 
first  train  that  ever  left  the  place.  On  a 
wood-('ar,  rigged  up  with  boards  acro.ss  fi-om 
side  to  side,  went  I  forth.  It  is  now  a  mighty 
city,  full  of  foundries,  manufactories,  whole- 
sale stores,  a  magnificent  court-house,  beauti- 
ful dwellings,  noble  churches,  wide  and  fine 
streets,  and  railroads  more  than  I  ran  name 
radiating  to  eveiy  jioint  of  the  compass. 

"The  old  academy  where  I  preached  for  a 
few  months  is  gone,  but  the  church  into  which 
the  congregation  soon  entered  still  is  standing 
on  the  Governor's  Circle.  No  one  can  look 
upon  that  building  as  I  do.  A  father  goes 
back  to  his  fii-st  house,  though  it  be  but  a 
cal)in,  where  liis  children  were  bcu'n,  with  feel- 
ings which  can  never  be  ti'ansfei'red  to  any 
other  [ilace.  As  I  looked  long  and  yearningly 
upon  that  homely  building  the  old  time  came 
back  again.  I  .stood  in  the  crowded  lecture- 
room  as  on  the  night  when  the  curi-ent  of  re- 
ligious feeling  first  was  begiiniing  to  fiow. 
Talk  of  a  young  mother's  feelings  over  her 
first  babe— what  is  that  compared  with  the 
solemnity,  the  enthusiasm,  the  imix'tuosity  of 
gratitude,  of  luunility,  of  singing  gladness, 
with  whicli  a  young  pastor  greets  the  incom- 
ing of  his  first  revival?  He  stands  upon  the 
shore  to  see  the  tide  come  in  !     It  is  the  move- 


194 


HISTORY  OF  GKEATEK  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


iiient  of  the  infinite,  ethereal  tide  I  It  is 
from  the  ether  world !  There  is  no  color  like 
•heart  color.  The  homeliest  thinjrs  dipped  in 
that  forever  after  glow  with  celestial  hues. 
The  hymns  that  we  sang  in  sorrow  or  in  joy 
and  triuniiih  in  that  humhle  basement  have 
nevei-  lost  a  feather,  but  tiy  back  and  forth 
beiweeu  the  soul  and  heaven,  plumed  as  never 
was  any  bird-of-paradise. 

"I  stood  and  looked  at  the  homely  old  build- 
ing, and  saw  a  procession  of  forms  going  in 
and  out  that  the  outward  eye  will  never  see 
again  — Judge  ]\lorr;.s.  J>amuel  ]\Iei'rill.  Oliver 
H.  Smith.  D.  V.  Cully.  John  L.  Keteham. 
Coburn.  Fletcher.  Bates,  Bullard.  ^lunsei, 
Ackley.  O'Xeil.  and  many,  many  morel 
There  have  lieen  hours  when  there  was  not 
a  hand-breadth  between  us  and  the  saintly 
host  of  the  invisible  church !  In  the  heat  and 
pressure  of  later  years  the  memories  of  those 
early  days  have  been  laid  aside  but  not  ef- 
faced. They  rise  as  I  stand,  and  move  in  a 
gentle  procession  before  me.  No  outward  his- 
tory is  comparable  to  the  soul's  inward  life-, 
of  the  souFs  inward  life  no  part  is  so  sub- 
lime as  its  eminent  religious  developments. 
And  the  pastoi'.  who  walks  with  men,  deliver- 
ing them  from  the  thrnll.  aspersing  their  sor- 
row with  ti>ars,  kindling  his  own  heart  as  a 
torch  to  light  the  way  for  those  who  wouhl 
see  the  invisible,  ha.s.  of  all  men.  the  most 
tran.scendent  heart-histories,  I  have  seen 
nnich  of  life  since  I  trod  that  threshold  for 
the  last  time:  but  imthinu'  has  dimmed  my 
love,  noi'  has  any  later  nr  riper  experience 
taken  away  the  bloom  and  sanctity  of  my 
early  love.  And  I  can  ti'uly  say  of  hun- 
dreds: 'For  though  yi'  have  ten  thousand 
instructors  in  riii'ist.  yet  have  ye  not  many 
fathers:  for  in  Christ  Jesus  I  have  begotten 
you  through  the  Oospel," 

"But  othei-  incidents  arise— the  days  of 
sickness,  chills  and  fever,  the  gardening  days, 
my  first  editorial  experience,  my  luck  in 
horses,  and  i)igs.  my  house-building;  and  not 
a  few  scrapes  — being  stalled  in  mud.  half- 
drowned  in  crossing  rivers,  long,  lonely  forest 
rides,  camp-meetiu'js.  preachings  in  cabins, 
sleepings  in  the  open  air.  I  was  reminded 
of  one  comical  exjvM-ience  as  I  was  seeking 
im  Market  street  In  (ind  tlir  old  swale  or 
shallow  I'.'iviiii'  xvhicli  r.in  lirtween  mv  cottage 


and  -Mr.  Bates's  dwelling.'  It  had  formerly 
been  a  kind  of  bayou  in  spring  when  the 
stream  above  town  overflowed,  but  dried  oft" 
in  summer.  To  redeem  it  from  unhealth  a 
dike  had  been  built  to  restrain  the  river  and 
turn  th(>  superfluous  freshets  the  other  way. 
But  one  year  the  levee  gave  way  in  the  night" 
and  when  the  morning  rose,  behold  a 
flood  between  me  and  my  neighbor!  There 
was  sport  on  hand !  It  wa.s  too  deej)  for 
wading,  but  I  could  extemporize  a  boat.  I 
brought  down  to  the  edge  my  wife's  large 
washing-tub.  and  intended  with  a  bit  of 
board  to  paddle  about.  No  sooner  was  I  in 
than  I  was  out.  The  tub  refused  to  stand 
on  its  own  bottom.  Well,  well,  said  I.  two 
tubs  are  better  than  one.  So  I  got  its  mate, 
and.  nailing  two  strips  across  to  hold  thera 
fast  together,  I  was  sure  that  they  were  too 
long  now  to  upset.  So  they  were  in  the  long 
line:  but  sideways  they  went  over,  carrying 
me  with  them  with  inci'cdible  celerit.v.  Tulx 
wei'e  one  thing,  boats  another— that  I  saw- 
plainly, 

"I  would  not  be  baffled.  I  proposed  a  raft. 
Getting  rails  from  the  fence.  I  scon  had 
tacked  boards  across— enough  of  them  to 
carry  my  weight.  Then,  with  a  long  pole.  I 
began  my  voyage,  Alasl  it  came  to  a  ludi- 
crous end.  A  rail  fence  ran  across  this  ra\ine 
in  the  held,  .just  above  the  sti-eet.  One  end 
of  the  fence  had  loosened,  and  the  water  had 
floated  it  round  enough  to  break  its  connec- 
tion with  its  hither  side.  A  large  but  young 
dog  belonging  to  a  friend  had  walked  along 
the  fence,  hoping  to  ci'oss  dry-fouted.  till  he 
came  to  the  abrupt  tei'mination.  and  his  cour- 
age failinij-  him.  he  had  crouched  down  and 
lay  trembling  and  whining,  afraid  to  go  back 
or  to  venture  the  water.  I  poled  my  raft 
up  to  the  rescue:  and,  getting  alongside, 
coaxed  him  to  .iiunp  aboard,  but  his  courage 
was   all   gone.      lie   looked    nyi    wistfidly   but 


■'  His  cottage  was  where  the  synagogue  now 
stands,  and  the  house  of  ^Ir,  Bates  was  at 
the  northwest  corner  of  ^Market  and  New 
Jersey  streets.  The  "swale"  was  the  east 
ravine  or  bayou  that  cro.ssed  the  cit.v  from 
the  northeast.  It  cro.ssed  Wa.shington  street 
.just   west  of  \ew  Jei'sey, 

'■  He  means  the  bi'cakitig  of  the  State  Ditch 
in   1S47, 


■oiiv  oi-  (;i;i;.\TKi;  iNni-WAroi.is. 


195 


196 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


stirred  not.  'Well,  you  coward,  j'ou  sliall 
eoiue  aboard.'  Seiziug'  liiiii  by  the  skin  of 
the  neck,  I  hauled  hiui  onto  the  raft,  which 
instantly  began  to  sink.  It  was  buoyant 
enough  for  a  man,  but  not  for  a  man  and 
a  lubberly  dog.  There  was  nothing  for  it— 
as  the  stupid  thing  would  not  stir,  I  had  to; 
and  with  a  spring  I  reached  the  fence  just 
abdicated  by  tlie  dog,  while  he.  the  raft  now 
coming  to  the  surface  again,  went  sailing 
down  the  pond  and  was  safely  landed  be- 
low, while  I  wa.s  left  in  the  crotch  of  the 
fence.  One  such  experiment  ought  to  serve 
for  a  life-time,  but  alas !  There  is  no  end  of 
things  gone  by.  They  rise  at  every  point; 
and  one  walks  encompassed  with  memories 
which  accompany  him  through  the  living 
streets  like  invisible  spirits.'"^ 

And  now,  to  the  statements  of  casual  visi- 
tors and  the  ministerial  so.iourner,  let  us  add 
the  view  of  one  who  grew  up  in  these  sur- 
roundings. Mr.  John  H.  Holliday  says:  "It 
has  always  been  my  regret  that  I  was  not 
born  three  or  four  years  sooiiei-  in  order  that 
I  might  have  entered  more  fully  into  the  life 
and  actions  of  each  period  and  have  arrived 
at  an  age  where  greater  knowledge  and  ex- 
perience would  have  brought  clearer  insight. 
I  would  then  have  been  better  qualified  to 
paint  a  picture  of  the  life  of  the  town  during 
the  50 's,  but  as  it  is  I  must  give  the  impres- 
sions of  a  boy,  modified  or  confirmed  to  some 
extent  by  the  recollections  of  others.  Let 
it  be  understood  that  I  write  as  an  artist  nuist 
paint — as  I  saw  it.  It  was  a  great  place  to 
be  born  in  and  a  good  place  to  live  in,  after 
thirty  years  or  more  had  passed  over  its 
head.  It  seems  now  almost  ideal.  Its  people 
were  homogeneous,  holding  and  striving  for 
high  standards  and  exhibiting  the  best  traits 
engendered  in  a  simple  democracy.  It  was  a 
place  that  encouraged  the  virtues  of  faith, 
hope,  courage,  kindliness  and  patriotism ;  that 
brought  up  boys  and  girls  to  real  manhood 
and  womanhood.  The  fiery  ordeal  of  the  war 
and  the  terrible  sacrifices  the  people  were 
called  upon  to  make,  demonstrated  the  power 
of  its  environment  and  many  lives  of  fullness 
and   goodness   have   borne   testimony   to  the 


'  Biography  of  Henry  Ward  Beeeher,  by 
Beccher  and"  Seoville.  pp.  206-209. 


value  of  the  examples  and  ti-aining  of  their 
youth. 

"To  begin  with,  life  was  simple  as  com- 
pared with  what  we  now  have.  The  com- 
munity was  small,  but  while  the  rule  in  small 
places  is  still  towards  simplicity,  it  is  in- 
fluenced by  the  thoughts  and  customs  of  large 
cities,  which  did  not  obtain  fifty  years  ago, 
for  there  were  but  few  such  cities.  The  great 
increase  of  wealth,  fashion  and  luxury  af- 
fects even  our  villages  now,  while  in  that  day 
New  York  and  Boston  seemed  as  far  apart 
from  Indiana  as  London  or  8t.  Petersburgh. 
Here  the  life  was  simple  because  it  was  the 
life  of  a  new  cmnitry  in  which  wealth  was 
small,  and  the  opportunities  for  its  acquisi- 
tion limited.  Simplicity  was  a  necessity.  Thi- 
comnuinity  was  largely  self-de)H'ndent  still, 
although  it  had  developed  fi'om  the  pioneer 
stage  in  which  it  had  to  produce  everything 
for  itself,  except  a  few  unusual  articles. 
Thirty  years  had  improved  conditions  very 
much,  houses  were  better,  more  comforts  wei-i' 
olitainable.  markets  had  been  opened  and 
there  was  more  money  to  buy  with.  But  the 
spirit  and  habits  of  the  early  days  remained 
in  great  measure,  unaffected  by  improved 
conditions.  The  population  was  not  so  large 
as  to  crush  the  neighborly  feeling,  the  demo- 
cratic idea  that  one  man  was  as  good  as  an- 
other provided  he  behaved  himself.  Thei-e 
was  little  dispasition  to  Haunt  wealth  when 
it  existed,  biit  people  clung  to  the  old  stan- 
dards, the  old  manners  and  the  old  friends. 
Wealth  had  nothiiig  to  do  with  social  posi- 
tion. It  was  an  accident,  the  worth  of  the 
man  and  the  woman  was  the  best  of  merit. 
The  woman  who  kept  a  girl,  in  the  phrase  of 
the  day,  had  no  call  to  look  down  upon  her 
neighboi's  who  did  not,  foi'  these  were  in  the 
great  majority.  The  ta.stes  of  the  conununity 
frowned  down  any  attempt  at  ostentation  and 
even  the  family  which  first  ventured  u|ion 
the  iise  of  a  two-horse  carriage  or  bai'ouche 
gained  nothing  in  the  esteem  of  their  frieiuls 
from  that  apiiendage. 

"Almcst  every  one  owned  their  own  houses 
with  more  or  less  ground  in  which  thei-e  was 
usually  a  garden  and  fruit  trees  that  con- 
ti-ibuted  to  the  family  living,  assisted  often 
by  the  ownership  of  a  cow,  a  pig  and  chickens. 
.\  thousand  dollars  a  year  was  a  large  salai'y 
or    income.      One    of   our   )irominent    citizens 


nTSTOTIY   OF  (iltKATKR   IXDIANAPOLIS. 


197 


tells  how  he  ovei-lioard  some  wdl-to-do  busi- 
ness men  talking  about  the  salary  of  the 
I)iesiclent  of  the  State  Bank,  $l,oOO,  and  ehar- 
aeterizing  it  as  i)rineely.  and  one  of  the  boys 
of  his  class,  sixteen  or  seventeen  years  old, 
said  'no  wondei-  his  boys  can  have  their 
l)oots  blacked  for  them.'  Hundreds  of  fam- 
ilies lived  well  and  educated  their  children, 
sometimes  sending  them  to  college,  where  the 
income  was  not  nearly  $1,000.  In  1861  the 
bookkeeper  of  the  Journal,  a  thoroughly  com- 
petent man,  had  a  salary  of  $.")00  a  year  and 
supported  a  family  of  five  or  six  persons  and 
maintained  a  respectable  position.  This  was 
true  of  many  families  and  can  l)i'  (>xplained 
in  comparison  with  our  ideas  by  the  fact  that 
their  extraneous  wants  were  few.  Food,  shel- 
ter, clothing,  taxes,  something  for  the  church 
and  sometimes  for  the  doctor,  being  pi-ovided, 
there  was  little  else  to  call  for  money.  People 
(lid  not  travel  except  in  i-are  emergencies, 
many  never.  Such  things  as  vacations  were 
unknciwn.  There  were  no  sti-eet  cars  or  daily 
sddas.  no  niatinees.  indited  few  amusements 
of  any  kind,  no  lunching  down  town,  no  clubs 
and  dues,  no  secret  societies  except  the  Ma- 
sons and  Odd  Fellows,  no  array  of  charities 
with  their  insistent  needs,  no  costly  enter- 
taining, no  many  things  we  have  now  clamor- 
ously callintr  foi-  the  dimes  and  dollai-s.  Then, 
too,  the  necessities  of  life  were  cheap  as  a 
i-ule,  meat,  bread,  vegetables,  fuel.  Wood 
was  universally  used  except  in  stores  and 
school  houses  where  coal  from  Clay  County 
was  generally  burned  after  1853  or  1854. 
Clothing  was  probably  not  so  cheap,  but  near- 
ly all  clothes  wei-e  made  at  home  or  by  women 
and  the  chief  cost  wa.s  for  tlie  material. 

"The  houses  were  well  furnished  with  sub- 
stantial things,  hut  thei'e  was  a  notable  lack' 
of  ornaments  and  bric-a-brac.  A  whatnot 
with  some  seashells  and  dagueri-eotypes  on 
it,  a  center  table  with  a  family  Bible  and  a 
lamp  on  it,  an  occasional  candelabrum  with 
plass  pendants,  some  ar'tificial  flowei-s  and  a 
plaster  east,  a  vas(>  oi-  two  perhaps,  a  half- 
dozen  haircloth  chairs,  a  sofa  and  an  occa- 
sional piano,  constituted  the  array  of  a  well 
furnished  parlor,  which  was  a  sacred  place 
not  to  be  opened  every  day  or  t^  ordinary 
pei-sons.  People  did  not  live  in  their  par- 
loi's,  but  in  the  sitting  room,  which  sometimes 
was  the  dining  room   as  well   and    (let    it   be 


whispered  low)  there  were  some  ostensibly 
reputable  people  who  even  ate  in  the  kitchen. 
There  were  no  bath  rooms  or  toilet  facilities. 
The  first  plumber  came  here  in  1853  to  work 
on  the  Bates  House,  but  it  was  not  till  five 
or  six  years  later  that  a  bath  room  was  in- 
stalled in  a  residence,  that  of  ^Mr.  Vajen  on 
South  ^leridian  street.  There  were  no  water- 
works, \\ater  had  to  be  jjumped  for  such  use 
and  heated  on  a  stove.  Daily  baths  were  un- 
known in  practice  and  in  theory  regarded  as 
the  luxury  of  an  eflfete  people,  while  cleanli- 
ness was  preserved  by  a  weekly  ablution  in 
a  wash-tub.  Only  the  houses  of  the  very 
richest  were  lighted  by  gas.  which  was  also 
used  in  the  larger  churches  and  stores.  The 
ordinary  light  was  from  candles  and  lard  oil 
lamps,  followed  by  camphene,  an  explosive 
distillation  from  turpentine  that  made  a 
beautiful  light  but  was  dangei-ous  to  use. 
This  was  succeeded  about  1856  or  57  by  coal 
oil,  not  petroleum  but  an  oil  distilled  from 
coal,  which  was  driven  out  by  the  discovery 
and  utilization  of  petroleum  in  the  early 
3'ears  of  the  war.  The  houses  were  poorly 
warmed  as  a  rule.  Furnaces  were  known 
but  were  not  common.  Despite  the  abundance 
of  wood,  most  people  heated  only  the  living 
rooms,  fires  being  made  in  bed  rooms  only 
for  visitoi-s,  sick  or  old  peo[)le,  while  the  halls 
were  always  left  in  riatui-al  fi'igidity.  Car- 
riages, buggies  and  spring  wagons  were  not 
uncommon,  but  the  man  of  the  house  or  his 
boys  took  care  of  the  horse.  A  hired  man 
was  a  curiosity. 

"Xecessarilj-  the  making  of  the  living  was 
the  chief  thing.  There  wei'e  not  many  who 
could  live  on  aeeunuilated  wealth.  It  was  a 
woi'king  community  and  the  work  was  often 
hard  and  the  hours  long.  Stores  were  opene<l 
by  six  o "clock  generally,  sometimes  before. 
•Jfr.  Va.ien  tells  of  opening  his  hardware  store 
never  later  than  five  o'clock  and  as  a  rule 
none  closed  before  nine.  Factories  and  nie- 
ehanies  began  woi'k  at  s(>V(>n  and  quit  at  six. 
with  an  hour's  int(M'mission  at  noon.  Doc- 
tors, lawyers  and  public  officials  were  at  work 
early  and  the  banks  ran  from  eight  to  foui'. 
Everybody  ate  dinner  at  noon  and  shuddered 
at  the  idea  of  kings  and  imblemen  eating  din- 
ner after  dark.  Dinner  as  a  function  was 
unknown.  Supper  was  the  gi-eat  social  mani- 
festation of  liospiliility.     Dinner  was  just  foi' 


198 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIAXAPOLIS. 


the  family  eating',  exei'iit  soiiietiuifs  on  a 
Sunday  when  there  was  leisure  to  entertain 
a  i)assinjz'  si'Pst.  But  supper  was  the  meal 
to  invite  one's  friends  to.  It  was  then  that 
the  tables  jii'oaned  with  the  "rood  thini^s  the 
housewife  eould  i)rovide.  Fried  ehieken, 
(|uaiis,  oystei's.  dueks,  ham,  elieese.  tongue, 
jellies,  preserves,  piekles,  custards,  eakes  and 
even  pies  enriched  the  larder,  wath  tea  and 
eotfee. "  Ice  cream  was  unknown  except  as 
bought  and  eaten  in  the  ice  cream  saloons 
or  ])ar!ois,  and  at  chui-ch  festivals,  and  its 
])ui-c'hase  was  a  sort  of  a  wild  (lissi])ation  on 
siuimier  nights  to  be  eagerly  anticipated  and 
joyful l.v   rememherctl. 

"The  church  social  w;is  a  gi'eat  event. 
Sometime-;  the  gatherings  trok  place  at  the 
church,  but  usually  at  a  private  house.  It 
wa.s  inuler  the  auspices  of  the  Sewing  So- 
ciety. The  ladies  met  in  the  afteraoon  and 
.sewed  for  some  worthy  cause.  In  the  evening 
the  men  came  and  the  young  people,  and  a 
substantial  .supper,  not  mere  refreshments, 
was  served,  provided  liy  the  hostess.  Every 
two  or  three  weeks  in  the  winter  season  was 
the  rule  in  some  churches.  Init  it  was  not  con- 
fined to  that  season,  though  not  held  so  often. 
The  church  festival  was  more  unconnnon  and 
entirely  different.  That  was  a  commercial 
enterprise  for  the  benefit  of  the  church  itself. 
The  I'efreshments  were  partly  contributed. 
])artly  bought,  as  when  the  entertainment  was 
called  an  oyster  supper  and  an  admission  fer 
charged.  Sometimes  this  was  large  enough 
to  include  the  supper  and  sometimes  it  did 
not,  which  was  not  favorably  regarded  by 
some  of  the  attendants.  Sometimes  articles 
of  fancy  work  were  for  sale,  and  always  there 
was  ice  cream  as  an  extra  at  'ten  cents  a 
sauc.ei-. '  In  some  churches  there  were  'dona- 
tion parties'  where  a  body  of  friends  wouhi 
swoop  down  upon  the  home  of  the  pastor  and 
present  gifts,  and  eat  the  supper  they  had 
brought  with  I  hem.  This  f  miction  was  the 
source  of  mirth  to  the  humorist  of  the  day, 
as  well  as  church  festivals  and  oyster  sup- 
])ei-s.  It  was  said  that  the  guests  freipiently 
ale  ui)  the  presents  of  food  they  brought, 
that  the  minister  was  always  the  poorer,  and 
that  a  donation  party  was  as  bad  as  a  fire. 
This  was  an  exatrgeration.  for  usually  the  oc- 
casion   abounded    in    ecmd    fellowsliii).    kindiv 


rcmendjrance  and  real  benefit,  and  enriched 
the  social  life  of  the  organization. 

■'Next  to  making-  a  living  the  two  most 
engrossing  and  vital  things  were  religion  and 
l)olitics.  It  was  a  day  of  serious  things.  The 
light  and  trifiing  manner  in  which  many 
people  view  the  affairs  and  influences  of  life 
now  was  not  in  favor  then.  The  town  had 
been  under  the  influence  of  earnest  people 
from  its  start,  peojjle  who  worked  and  suf- 
fered and  to  whom  life  was  no  merry  jest. 
To  them  religion  was  a  solemn  matter  and 
even  those  who  cared  little  for  it  or  made 
no  professions,  were  bound  to  respect  it.  The 
whole  tone  of  the  place  was  religious.  There 
were  numerous  churches  of  various  sects,  hut 
I)robably  no  ]ilace  in  the  country  ever  had 
less  of  the  bitter,  sectarian  feeling  that  ex- 
isted widely  and  that  we  wonder  at  now.  The 
churches  here,  with  few  exceptions,  were 
friendly,  the  ministers  and  members  fellow- 
shipped,  and  united  in  movements  for  the 
common  good,  just  as  they  do  now.  The  Sab- 
bath School  parade  on  the  fourth  of  July, 
the  event  of  that  day  for  over  thirty  years, 
was  evidence  of  this,  possibly  a  contributing 
cause.  The  Episcopalians  and  Catholics  were 
the  exceptions,  the  latter  naturally  enough, 
for  the  bitterness  of  the  reformation  was  still 
in  evidence  against  Papacy  and  almost  every 
preacher  felt  bound  to  launch  a  thunderbolt 
against  Rome  'that  terrible  menace  to  the 
Republic'  at  least  once  a  year.  It  was  nat- 
ural then  that  the  Catholics  should  assume 
the  historic  attitude  of  the  church  aaainst 
'heretics',  but  the  Episcopalians  had  no  such 
reason  for  exelusiveness.  In  the  famous  cele- 
brations of  the  Fourth  the  Catholic  children 
actually  joined  once  or  twice,  but  the  Epis- 
copalians never,  and  thereby  their  childi'en 
missed  a  lot  of  fun  and  a  good  lesson  in 
toleration. 

"The  thought  of  the  day  was  altogether 
orthodox,  and  orthodox  on  the  lines  laid  doxM' 
two  hundred  years  before.  The  preaching  to 
a  considerable  degree  was  still  dixHrinal  if 
not  dogmatic.  There  was  a  fixity  of  opinion. 
Thei-e  were  no  doubts  of  the  fundamental 
truths  of  Christianity,  no  suspicion  even  that 
the  Bible  as  a  whole  was  not  inspired  in  the 
fnllc-t  sense.  Moreovei-.  ci'iticism  was  un- 
dreaiiii'd  of  in  the  church,  though,  of  coui'se, 
the  I  pinions  of  Veltaire  and  Paine  and  Vol- 


lilSTOHY   (IF  GKliATEU   I.NDIA.N Al'OLlS. 


1!)9 


ney  were  known,  and  these  were  resrai'ded  as 
fearful  examples  of  depravity  whose  punish- 
ment there  eonld  be  no  doubt  of.  Few  dis- 
believed ill  iii'll.  as  an  aetual  place  of  un- 
speakalih'  and  ineoneeivable  tortni-e  of  lost 
souls  and  a  depiction  of  its  awfnl  realities 
and  the  dan^'cr  of  the  sinner  who  neglected 
or  refiLsed  to  lie  reconciled  to  God  was  a  fruit- 
ful theme  for  many  asonizing-  sermons  es- 
pecially at  times  of  revival.  There  has  been 
a.s  great  a  change  in  the  past  forty  years  in 
the  attitiide  of  jieople  towards  religion  as  in 
any  other  line  of  tlioiight,  and  while  the  old 
truths  may  be  as  true  as  ever,  they  are  viewed 
from  another  point  and  often  present  a  dif- 
ferent appearance  and  are  better  understood. 
The  pendulum  has  swung  away  and  diffei-ent 
doctrines  or  different  aspects  of  doctrines  arf 
eiii|)hasi/ed  now.  Keligioii  has  lost  much  of 
its  somherncss.  its  harshness  has  been 
smoothed  down,  its  more  i)leasiug  features 
are  accentuated  and  it  makes  its  most  power- 
ful plea  for  the  Christian  life  through  love 
and  aspiration  for  the  good  and  not  by  words 
of  fear  or  the  hope  of  reward.  It  no  longer 
diffei-cntiates  or  intimates  a  severance  of  this 
life  fi-om  the  life  to  come.  It  is  one  in- 
divisible whole. 

"Keligi(m  was.  as  said  heretofore,  a  main 
factor  in  the  life  of  Indianapolis  and  that 
not  only  as  governing  the  eond\ict  of  the 
people,  hut  in  their  social  relations.  Church 
•.'(ling  was  piojier.  rey)utahle  and  fashionable, 
whether  j)co|ile  wei-e  members  oi-  not.  It  was 
a  cusloui  that  must  be  ob.served  by  all  who 
wished  to  stand  well  with  their  neighbors. 
One's  chief  friends  and  associates  were  usual- 
ly in  the  church  attended  and  almost  the  first 
(luesfion  about  newcomers  was  'what  church 
will  they  go  to?'  Particular  churches  were 
often  cho.sen  becau.se  of  their  attract iv(Miess 
in  this  respect.  Of  eoni'se  the  swial  life  was 
not  confined  to  any  one  church  for  most 
people.  There  was  another  and  jiossibly  a 
larger  circle  outside,  made  up  from  other 
chuivhes.  but  om's  own  was  the  center  of  the 
whole  fabric. 

"The  ministers,  too.  wei'c  more  influential 
then  than  now,  but  no  ablei-  or  wi.ser,  though 
Indianapolis  had  some  preachers  of  marked 
ability  in  that  period.  The  church  was  more 
of  an  intellectual  foi'ce  then.  Books  and 
periodicals  wen'  comparatively   fi'w.  the  min- 


ister was  usually  better  educated  than  his 
dock  aJid  he  spoke  with  more  intellectual  au- 
thority. Today  his  beai-ers  are  more  nearly 
on  a  plane  with  him  and  his  utterances  are 
.judged  more  freely.  The  democratic  spirit, 
tending  often  towards  lack  of  reverence,  is 
nowhere  more  apparent  than  in  this.  From 
this  and  other  causes  is  due  the  passing  of 
church  discipline.  It  is  obsolete.  There  is 
a  looseness  in  the  ties,  a  feeling  of  inde- 
l)endenee  that  will  not  brook  admonition  and 
is  indiffei-ent  to  the  bell,  book  and  candle. 
In  that  day  discipline  was  a  powerful  thing, 
linsiness  differences  wei-e  brought  before 
church  tribunals.  Membei-s  were  dealt  with 
for  breaches  of  rules  an<l  faithlessness  to  their 
vows  as  well  as  for  sinfulness,  and  the  penal- 
ties of  suspension  or  exjiulsion  were  dreaded. 
They  brought  disgrace  and  shame,  as  well  as 
spii'itual  suifei'ing.  Whether  the  change  has 
been  lieneficial  or  not,  time  will  tell.  Thei-e 
is  a  strong  reason  to  believe  that  this  relaxa- 
tion of  bonds  has  caused  deterioratien  in 
Christian  life. 

"Under  these  conditions  tliere  was  neces- 
sarily a  strict  observance  of  Sunday,  both  in 
home  life  and  business.  Among  the  more 
rigid  the  line  was  closely  drawn  between 
secular  and  Sunday  |)ursuits.  Reading  was 
confined  to  certain  channels,  riding  or  visit- 
ing were  tabooed,  even  walking  for  the  walk's 
sake  was  not  regarded  favorably.  On  Sun- 
days the  business  establishments  wei-e  shut, 
excei)t  possibly  some  of  the  saloons  1h:it  kejit 
a  back  dooi-  unlocked.  The  ])eo]ile  went  to 
church  morning  and  night,  and  many  to  Sun- 
day School  besides.  The  latter  was  always 
held  in  the  afternoon.  Almost  every  prin- 
cipal church  had  a.  bell  to  call  the  worshippers 
together.  Those  who  did  not  go  to  church 
renuiined  at  home  and  the  streets  were  al- 
most deserted  except  for  the  church-goers. 

"Roys  may  have  had  as  good  times  in 
other  places  as  in  Indiana|>olis.  but  none  bel- 
fei'.  The  town  was  large  enough  to  have  iul- 
vantaires  over  small  ones  or  villages,  but  not 
large  enousrh  to  foi-bid  contact  with  the  coun- 
try and  rural  life.  There  were  plenty  of 
uood  swinnning  holes  in  the  riv(>r  and  canal, 
in  Fall  Ci-eek  and  Pogue's  ]i\iu.  TIkm-c  were 
e(|uaily  yood  places  for  fishing.  The  town 
was  surroiuided  by  words  that  affordiMl  i)lcnty 
of  (inpoi tunities  for  linntinLi  rabbits,  squirrels 


200 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


and  birds.  There  were  visits  of  wild  pigeons, 
nialring  sport  ea.sy  and  deliiihtful.  The 
woods,  too,  were  full  of  niit-bearing-  trees, 
from  which  a  winter's  supply  could  be  had, 
pawpaws,  berries,  liaws,  etc.  In  the  winter 
there  was  ice  on  the  streams  and  as  few 
streets  were  improved  there  were  many  ponds 
all  over  the  town  where  the  boys  could  slide 
and  skate.  It  was  not  until  durino:  the  war 
that  the  "iris  took  to  skatincj.  Tnere  were 
so  many  vacant  lots  and  commons  that  there 
never  was  a  loss  for  a  playsround  at  the 
proper  seasons.  Nowadays  one  must  so  for 
miles  to  meet  most  of  these  things  and  some 
are  impossible  to  get  at  all.  As  fond  memory 
recalls  those  events  and  scenes  of  boyhood's 
days  it  seems  to  have  been  '.just  the  best 
place'  to  have  grown  up  in. 

"Probably  there  was  as  much  regard  pro- 
portionately for  fashion  in  those  days  as 
there  is  now,  but  boys  are  not  expected  to 
notice  such  things.  The  headgear  aud  dresses 
of  the  day  look  very  queerly  now  in  old  pic- 
tures, though  well  enough  then,  crinoline  or 
hoops,  for  instance,  arraying  the  form  divine 
until  it  looked  like  a  balloon.  It  seems  to 
me  that  colors  were  worn  more  and  were 
more  striking,  but  that  may  be  a  fancy,  or 
a  difference  in  fabrics.  Then  calicoes,  de- 
laines, nnislins,  prints  of  various  sorts  were 
in  great  favor,  with  leghorn  straw  hats  gaily 
beribboned.  Thei'e  were  no  uniforms  except 
that  of  the  military  companies,  which  nnist 
seem  sti-ange  to  this  generation  accustomed 
to  the  liveries  of  policemen,  railway  em- 
ployees, letter  carriers,  coaehmeu  and  porters. 
Some  of  the  old  fashions  prevailed  with  both 
sexes.  Some  oldish  men  clung  to  the  blue- 
swallow  tail  coat  with  brass  buttons  and  butf 
vests,  usually  accompanied  by  a  gold  or  silver 
headed  cane.  Tall  silk  hats  or  plugs  were 
in  every  day  use,  no  derby  or  other  stiff  one 
was  known.  The  only  alternative  was  a  soft 
hat  or  a  straw  in  sunnner.  A  few  ruffled 
shirts  survived  and  the  gentleman  done  up 
in  this  fashion  was  a  pretty  sight.  In  win- 
ter men  wore  shawls  almost  altogether,  though 
oecasionally  an  old-fashioned  cloak  appeared. 
Some  more  disposed  tn  be  stylish  wore  a.  fur 
collar  and  the  furs  of  the  women  were  long, 
reaching  around  the  shoulders  and  to  within 
eighteen  inches  of  tlie  ground.  There  was  a 
coat  in  occasional  use,  called  the  surtout.   The 


Century  Dictionary  says  it  was  an  overcoat. 
Every  boy  and  man  wore  boots  in  the  win- 
ter. I  mean  what  are  called  long  boots  now 
and  w-hich  passed  out  of  use  hei-e  over  thirty 
years  ago  w'hen  the  streets  had  been  paved 
and  cleaned,  so  that  there  was  no  use  for 
them.  In  the  earlier  times,  however,  there 
was  deep  snow  sometimes  and  almost  always 
depths  of  mud  to  be  waded  through  so  that 
their  use  was  necessary.  Consequent  upon 
them  was  the  boot.jack,  an  implement  as 
necessary  to  a  house  as  a  frying  pan,  but 
whose  use  none  of  the  moderns  coiild  guess 
now.  Shawls,  too,  were  worn  almost  uni- 
versally by  the  women.  They  were  of  all 
grades  and  price  from  the  serviceable  woolens 
to  the  costly  crepes  and  Indias. 

"]\Ianners  were  more  formal  in  those  days. 
This  was  reflected  among  tlie  young  people. 
Unless  they  were  cousins,  boys  of  twelve  oi- 
over  always  addressed  the  girls  as  ^liss  and 
in  reply  were  called  ]\ristei'.  There  w'as  no 
such  familiarity  as  today  when  young  people 
of  all  ages  call  each  other  by  their  first  name, 
after  they  have  been  acquainted  a  month  or 
even  less.  Neither  did  the  young  fellows  take 
the  girl's  arm  when  walking.  The  young 
lady  was  set  upon  a  pedestal,  now  she  is  on 
a  level. 

"The  second  great  interest  in  Indianapolis 
life  was  politics  and  to  many  it  was  the  ab- 
sorbing one.  Public  life  oft'ered  prizes  in 
that  day  of  limited  opportunity  and  scai-ce 
money,  and  beyond  the  pecuniary  reward 
was  the  distinction  achieved.  Candidates 
were  perhaps  more  numerous  then  than  now. 
The  community  was  pretty  equally  divided. 
The  majority  of  the  leading  people  were 
Whigs  and  Republicans,  but  a  very  consider- 
alile  minority  were  Democrats,  and  the  con- 
tests were  .sharp  and  close  with  varying  re- 
sults. Politics  was  the  great  subject  for  talk 
and  was  broached  on  all  occasions.  There 
was  intense  partisan  feeling  and  much  bitter- 
ness evolved.  ]Men  of  one  stripe  would  be- 
lieve anything  of  men  on  the  other  side.  The 
Democrats  having  opposed  prohibition— old 
Sumptuary  even  then  was  a  household  term 
—  were  denounced  by  their  advei'saries  as  a 
party  of  whisky  drinkers  and  the  eliarge  was 
lii'lieved  by  the  makers.  When  the  slavery 
i|uestion  became  prominent  the  Democrats 
denounced  the  opposition   as   'nigger  lovers' 


HISTORY  OF  GKEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


201 


and  'Black  Rt'piihlicaiis",  a  name  eliiii^  to 
until  iifter  till'  wai'.  Everytliinu-  of  a  ]io- 
litioal  iiatni-f  was  foiifjlit  for  and  over.  A 
raci'  for  constable  or  councilman  was  con- 
tested as  if  it  were  the  presidency  itself. 
Wherever  a  chance  for  spoils  came  it  was 
seized  frrcedily.  The  Democrats  were  in  pow- 
er at  the  time  of  the  ^Mexican  war  and  aj)- 
parcntly  used  all  their  power  for  party  bene- 
fit, keepiny  the  AVhiirs  out  as  nmcli  as  pos- 
sible. When  the  Republicans  got  on  top  they 
played  much  the  same  game.  Party  advan- 
lage  was  always  looked  after  and  party  dis- 
cipline was  very  strict  and  well  enforced. 
This  led  to  a  faith  in  parties  that  was  al- 
most absolute  and  blinded  men's  eyes  to  the 
truth.  It  created  such  a  conceit  that  men 
considered  their  pai-ties  infallible,  their  wel- 
fare more  impurtant  than  that  of  the  govei'n- 
nient  itself.  Indeed  myriads  of  Democrats 
believed  that  their  party  alone  was  fit  to 
manage  the  government,  and  this  partisan 
belief  later  led  them  into  opposition  to  the 
war  and  .sympathy  with  the  South.  There 
was  more  or  less  corruption  in  the  ele<'tions, 
chictly  in  crude  methods  of  repeating  and 
cheating  in  the  vi'turns.  l)ut  this  was  done 
in  party  enthusiasm  with  the  muttn  "tiizlit  the 


devil  with  fire'  and  whether  lietter  or  worse 
was  not  on  the  sordid  basis  of  buying  and 
selling  votes.  'Anything  to  best  the  enemy' 
was  another  motto,  and  all  sorts  of  trickery, 
cheap  debate  and  withering  denunciation 
was  indulged  in  on  any  and  every  oeeasion. 
■'There  was,  however,  one  good  thing  in 
the  politics  then.  ]\Ien  hated  to  be  taxed, 
iloney  came  hardly,  and  representatives  and 
officials  were  held  to  strict  accountability  for 
expenditures.  Economy  was  universally  de- 
manded and  the  tax-payers  were  a  force  to 
be  reckoned  with.  Once  in  a  long  while,  even 
now,  you  see  a  card  in  the  paper  signed  Tax- 
payer, condemning  extravagance  somewhei'e 
or  .somehow.  This  belated  wanderer  crying 
to  a  generation  of  which  two-thirds  are  not 
tax-payers  and  gladly  vote  other  people's 
money  away,  is  a  survival  of  that  period  and 
does  not  know  that  he  is  as  extinct  as  the 
Great  Auk.  But  once  he  was  a  live  wire  and 
the  politicians  feared  and  courted  him 
and  his  words  had  weight.  Possibly  in  some 
far  distant  future  when  taxation  has  ground 
the  people  down  and  their  eyes  are  opened, 
the  tax-payer  again  may  have  something  to 
sav." 


CHAPTER  XX. 


THE  (iERJIA.XS  I.\  INDIANAPOLIS. 


The  Germans  have  had  a  lai-irer  iiitiuenee 
in  the  development  of  Indianapolis  than  any 
other  foreisii  nationality,  as  a  nationality; 
but  the  nature  and  extent  of  this  intiuenee 
is  not  jienerally  undei'stood  by  American 
citizens,  chietly,  no  douht,  on  account  of  the 
wall  the  Germans  have  kept  about  them  by 
the  maintenance  of  their  native  lanjfuage. 
The  early  settlement  of  Indianapolis,  like 
that  of  the  rest  of  Indiana,  was  chietiy  of 
native-born  Americans.  At  the  census  of 
18r)0  there  were  only  ■28.r>84  (iermans  in  the 
state,  out  of  a  total  population  of  988,416; 
and  the  (ierman  born  were  over  one-half  of 
the  total  forei<in-born  population,  the  Irish 
coming  next,  with  12,787.  And  even  this 
population  of  (iermans  was  largel.v  recent, 
for  the  revolution  of  1848.  with  its  disas- 
trous ending,  and  its  vindictive  punishments, 
had  sent  swarms  of  yoiuitr  (ierman  levolu- 
tionists  1o  this  coiinti-y.  a  number  of  whom 
located  at  lndianM])olis.  A  contemporary 
notice  of  this  intiux  is  found  in  an  article 
in  the  Locomotive,  discu.ssing-  the  rapid 
growth  of  the  "northeastern"  part  of  the 
cit.v.  especially  Bates  and  Fletcher's  Addi- 
tion,  as  follows : 

"This  addition  occupies  four  blocks, 
bounded  iin  the  noi'th  by  New  Voi-k,  on  the 
east  by  Noble,  on  the  south  by  ^Market,  and 
the  west  by  East  street;  this  addition  is 
more  generall.v  known  as  Gerraantown  from 
the  fact  that  a  ureat  iTiany  Gernums  have 
bous'ht  and  luiilt  ln-ri'.  The  houses  are 
mostly  snudl  frames,  suitable  for  one  fam- 
il.y,  and  were  l)uilt  and  are  owned  by  the 
occupants."' 

It    should    lie    understiKid    also    that    tliei'c 


'Locomofiri .    Auuiist    18,   1849. 


was  a  difference  between  tlie  (ierman  imiui- 
Ui'ation  of  this  period  and  that  precedini;  it. 
The  earliei'  iuimii;ratioii  was  chic'tiy  of  those 
who  sought  oidy  to  better  their  ]iers(inal 
condition,  very  largely  of  the  farmer  class, 
and  who  were  fairly  content  with  America 
as  it  was.  The  new  imnufiration  was  largely 
of  those  who  had  to  leave  (iermany  on  ac- 
count of  the  revolution,  and  many  if  them 
were  ready  to  return  in  case  a  new  u|irisin^- 
should  appear.  They  were  people  of  idi'als 
—  weltverbesserers,  or  world-reformers,  as 
the  (iermans  ]iut  it — and  were  (piite  as  ready 
for  reform  here  as  at  home.  An  adiiiii-able 
sketch  of  this  (ierman  life  and  intiuenee  in 
Indianapolis  has  been  ])ublishe(l  by  Mr. 
Theodore  Stempfel.  of  this  cit.v.  and  lie  ha-s 
kindly  consented  to  let  me  present  a  trans- 
lation of  a  larye  ])art  of  it  here.  I  do  this 
knowinsr  that  the  reader  will  appreciate  the 
advantatie  of  havini;  it  from  the  viewpoint  of 
a  (ierman  closel\'  connected  with  it,  and  re- 
irrettiuir  oidy  that  my  tran-^lation  detracts 
somewhat  from  the  literai'y  merit  of  the 
oi'i<iiiud. 

"In  Indianai)olis  the  (iernuin  club-life 
( vei-einsleben )  be«;an  in  1S.">1.  with  the 
fouiidintr  of  the  Indiana])olis  TuiMiiiemeinde, 
ri'oiii  which,  in  the  course  of  years,  through 
■A  chain  of  cii'cumstances.  develo|)e(l  the  pres- 
ent Social  Turnverein  of  Indianapolis.  The 
most  zealous  agitator  for  the  foundintr  of  the 
Turngemeinde  wa.s  August  Tloffmeister.  an 
active,  energetic  young  man  who  had  the 
talent  of  finding  the  rijiht  word  at  the  i-ight 
liirie.  He  has  been  a  Turnei-  in  (iernuiny, 
and,  befoi-e  he  came  to  Indianapolis,  be- 
loniicd  to  the  Gincinnati  Turnverein  founded 
in  1849.  On  Monday.  July  28.  18r)l.  the  In- 
diana]>olis     Turngemeindi>     was     established 


HISTORY  OF  (IREATKU  IXDI.WAPOLIS. 


2on 


with  appropriate  solciimities.  The  founders. 
in  addition  to  the  above  named  Auoiist  Hotl'- 
lueister,  were  Jaeoh  Metzfjfer.  Alex.  ^letzjier. 
Clemens  Vonncirnt.  John  Ott  and  Karl  Hill. 
The  furniture  store  of  John  Ott.  a  one-story 
frame  huildinjr  opposite  the  State  ilouse. 
servetl  as  a  inectinjj-  ])lace,  and  the  yard  in 
front  of  it  as  a  j)laee  for  <:ymnastie  prHctice. 
The  gymnasium  outfit  eonsisted  of  a  hori- 
zojital  bar,  and  later  money  wa.s  eolleeted 
from  the  members  to  buy  parallel  bars.  After 
the  course  of  half  a  yeai-.  the  elub  rented  a 
hotel  building'  on  East  Washintiton  street- 
partiall>'  destroyed  by  five,  through  the 
damaged  I'oof  of  whieh  tlie  pleasjmt  sun  and 
heaven's  blue  peei-eil  in  inquisitively.  In 
rain  or  sutiw.  therefore,  stay  in  the  Tnrnhall 
was  little  ajjreeable.  A  single  room  in  the 
first  story  wa.s  spared  liy  fire,  and  remained 
in  j)assably  jjood  condition  for  lioldinji'  the 
weekly  liieetilifis,  in  \vhi<'h.  with  iiiisto.  the 
refoi'in  of  the  woild  was  f(n-w;ir(led. 

"Entirely  in  accord  with  the  Oernuiii  n;i- 
tiouMl  character  there  spi-anp'  up  an  opposi- 
sitioii  club  — the  Socialistic  Turnverein  com- 
posed chiefly  of  older  men.  Dr.  Ilomhury, 
who  had  been  an  established  jihysieian  here 
since  the  close  of  the  SiVs  called  the  club  in- 
to existence.  Dr.  Ilomburu-  had.  at  the  time, 
taken  part  in  the  u|)risint;-  of  the  students. 
and.  like  many  others,  was  obliged  to  Hi'e 
from  (ici-many.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
learning,  welcomed  to  every  home,  and  not- 
withstanding his  brus(|ueness  he  acquired  a 
wide  circle  of  friends  in  this  city.  An  event 
of  historical  significance  to  Indianapolis  gave 
incentive  to  the  union  of  the  two  Turuvei-- 
eins.  The  then  sitting  legislature  had  in- 
vited Louis  Kossuth  to  visit  oui-  city.  .\t 
the  close  of  Eebi'uaiw.  1S,")"J.  the  distinguislu^il 
Magyar  cauu-  hci-e  from  Cinciinuiti.  wai-mly 
welcomed  by  the  city  authorities  and  the 
people.  Kossuth  was  escorted  to  the  ca])i- 
tol,  and  our  Turners,  as  the  only  existing  (ier- 
Jnan  organization,  were  not  a  little  ])roud  to 
serve  its  iruards  for  the  guest  of  the  city,  in 
f\dl  unifonn,  i.  e..  in  white  drilling  suits, 
red  cravats,  and  black  felt  hats.  As  the 
Oerman  poet,  (iottfi'ied  Kinkel.  (m  behalf  of 
a  revolutionai'y  coiiimitlcc  in  London,  had 
undertaken    a    tour   lliriiiii;li    .\merica    in    I  lie 


=225   East   Wasliinutdu. 


hope  of  obtaining  a  loan  for  the  expected  re- 
vival of  the  (iei-man  revolution,  so  labored 
Louis  Kossuth  for  the  Hungarian  cause. 
Two  days  after  his  ai-rival  he  gave,  in  Ma- 
sonic Hall,  an  exposition  of  the  Hungai'ian 
war  of  revolution.  The  great  role  which 
the  f(n-mer  dictator  of  Hungary  had  played 
for  several  years  in  the  tight  against  Aus- 
ti'ian  rule,  his  passionate  nature,  his  radical 
ideas  to  which  he  gave  utterance  with  all 
the  tire  of  his  eloquence,  his  living  picture 
of  the  existing  .struggle,  secured  for  him  a 
sympathetic  audience,  and  reminded  oiu" 
Tui'ners  of  the  old  truth,  'In  union  there  is 
strength".  In  a  short  time  thereafter  the 
two  Turnvereins  united  under  the  name  of 
the   Socialistic   Turngemeiude. 

"iythouirh  the  Turners,  like  most  of  the 
Gei'man  innnigrants  of  that  time,  were  with 
their  thoughts  and  feelings  in  the  old  fathei-- 
land,  awaiting  a  call  for  assistance  from  the 
revolutionary  pal'ty  there,  they  nevertheless 
gave  their  attention  to  the  political  move- 
ments of  their  adopted  fatherland.  The 
I'hiladelphia  convention  of  the  North  Ameri- 
can Turnerbuiul.  of  which  this  club  was  a 
mendier.  in  18.")1  ado|)ted  this  resolution : 
The  Turnerbuiul  fav(U's  in  sicneral  the  plat- 
form of  the  radical  l-'reesoil  Party,  and 
pledges  itself  to  support  it  with  all  its  |)ower. 
Scarcely  were  'the  (ireenies' — as  the  new 
immigi-ants  were  called  — warm  in  their  nest, 
when  they  dai-ed  tn  preach  emancipation 
from  both  of  the  existing  tireat  parties,  to 
the  horror  and'  astonishment  of  the  earlier 
settled  Oermans.  to  whom  the  then  Demo- 
cratic ]>ai-ty  was  the  aljdia  aiul  omega  of 
their  political  faith.  For  .-i  numb(>r  of  years 
both  the  Democrats  and  the  Whius  cai-efully 
avoided  the  sci'c  spot  of  the  natiotud  oi-gan- 
ism.  the  slavery  (|uestion.  Both  sides  wei-e 
always  striving  to  britlge  over  by  compromises 
the  whirl|)ools  that  showed  themselves,  often 
in  thi'eatening  nuunier.  through  the  conflicts 
of  the  interests  of  the  fi-ee  states  and  the 
slave  states.  Fillecl  with  rid'orm  ideas  of  all 
kinds,  for  whicii  the  revoln1i<inarv  soil  of 
(iermany  had  offered  a  fertile  field,  the  new- 
comers pressed  forwni'd:  while  for  the  old, 
who  foi-  the  most  part  had  become  recoiu'iled 
to  the  conditions  of  their  adopted  land,  or  at 
least  accustomed  to  them,  the  <rravest  jirob- 
lem  of  the  time  was  a   imh   im    liniiim. 


204 


HISTORY  OF  GKEATEK  I^^DIANAPOLIS. 


"The  slavery  question  formed  the  foeus 
of  political  agitation.  The  ideas  of  the  two 
generations  lay  in  opposition.  Here  the  en- 
thusiasm of  youth,  there  the  sedateness  of 
a,s:e;  here  the  boimdless  pushing  forward, 
there  the  sober  holding  to  the  present;  here 
the  carelessness  for  the  future,  there  the  ap- 
jirehension  for  the  consequences  of  the  force- 
ful, progressive  ideas  of  the  young.  Natur- 
ally the  pushers  and  stormers  achieved  no 
practical  results  in  the  beginning,  but  they 
proved  themselves  to  be  a  powerful  leaven  to 
bring  the  masses  into  ferment.  Here  in  In- 
dianapolis they  even  succeeded  as  early  as 
the  year  1850,  in  establishing  a  weekly  Ger- 
man paper,  the  Free  Press,  which,  wholly  in- 
dependent of  Ijoth  existing  parties,  repre- 
sented the  radical  ideas  of  the  'Greenies', 
and  therefore  soon  came  to  be  called  an  Abo- 
lition sheet.  The  Free  Press  was  the  coun- 
terbalance of  the  Democratic  Indiana  Yolks- 
hlatt,  which,  founded  in  1848.  had  a  large 
cireulation  am(tng  the  Germans  of  the  city 
and  state.  The  following  extract  from  an 
editorial  article  in  the  Yolkshlatf  of  ]March 
81,  1855,  entitled  'The  German  Innnigration,' 
gives  an  excellent  picture  of  the  principal 
differences  between  the  older  settlers  and  the 
new  immigrants  in  Indianapolis,  differences 
which  drew  a  dividing  line  during  the  entire 
later  history  of  our  (Germans. 

"Says  the  Volhshhift :  '"With  .ioy  were 
the  newcomers  received  by  the  earlier  arrived 
Germans.  «  *  *  They  .saw  in  the  new- 
comers the  energies,  which  the  German  popu- 
lation of  this  country  still  lacked,  to  make 
its  influence  more  felt  in  all  directions  upon 
the  development  of  the  new  home.  For  this 
purpose  a  niunber  of  as.sociations  were  quick- 
ly formed  foi-  the  promotion  of  Gennan  arts 
and  German  life,  and  everywhere  all  seemed 
to  be  shaping  itself  for  our  welfare.  But 
only  too  soon  did  a  bitter  disillusion  follow 
this  .iubilation.  The  revolution  had  brought 
its  leaders  over  from  Germany;  and  with 
these  a  string  of  cliques  and  factions  which 
could  not  possibly  for  any  length  of  time  be 
of  good  inflnence.  Since  the  agitators  had 
not  succce<led  in  getting  power  over  there, 
they  expected  to  be  leaders  here  in  public 
opinion  on  all  questions,  even  those  which 
must  have  been  beyond  their  comprehension 
on  accoimt  of  thoii-  being  in  this  countrv  so 


short  a  time ;  they  looked  upon  themselves  as 
the  exclusive  representatives  of  the  light  of 
the  world,  which  until  their  coming  had 
shone  but  feebly  on  America  and  its  Ger- 
mans. These  world-reformers,  and  the  blind 
crowd  which  followed  them,  we  have  to  thank 
for  the  failure  of  the  hopes  which  at  that 
time  were  awakened  in  all  Germans.  A  large 
part  of  the  German  inmiigrants  followed 
principles  that  were  diametrically  opposed 
to  the  .spirit  of  the  American  people,  and  de- 
cidedly contrary  to  their  character.  No 
idea  was  too  insane  not  to  find  fervent  fol- 
lowers among  them.  The  "young  Germans" 
danced  around  the  tree  of  freedom  of  the 
Abolitionists,  for  which  they  had  already 
been  disciplined  on  the  school  bench  and 
from  the  pulpit  in  the  old  home ;  many  be- 
came apostles  of  Kabet  and  other  world- 
blessing  communists:  women's  rights  found 
able  advocates  in  Heinzen  and  his  school ;  the 
new  freedom  had  already  become  too  old  for 
these  heroes ;  according  to  them  it  should  be 
dumped  head  over  heels  or  at  least  law  and 
human  rights  should  be  remodeled  to  suit 
their  own  heads.  For  all  these  lunacies  they 
soon  found  worthy  organs  in  the  German 
Press,  which  through  their  clamor  contrib- 
uted not  a  little  to  turn  the  attention  of  the 
Nativistic  Party  to  their  obnoxious  princi- 
ples, and  in  its  hands  they  become  weapons 
again.st  us  all.' 

"The  Socialistic  Turngemeinde  had  in  the 
meantime  established  itself  firmly  and  even 
became  a  landed  proprietor.  Through  volun- 
tary contributions  and  the  surplus  receipts 
from  festivities  the  club  had  accumulated  a 
small  capital  that  had  been  applied  to  the 
purchase  of  a  building  site  on  Noble  street' 
and  the  Turners  'had  built  a  stately  man- 
sion', which  in  January,  1850,  was  dedicated 
with  festivities.  At  the  opening  of  this  fii^st 
home  of  a  Gennan  club  in  Indianapolis, 
Clemens  Yonnegut  made  the  address.  *  *  * 
It  may  well  be  believed  that  the  members 
of  the  Turngemeinde  made  the  fullest  use 
of  their  hall.  "Whether  the  beautiful  song, 
'We  won't  go  home  till  morning,'  was  often 
sung  at  that  time  is  unknown  to  the  writer, 
but  from  the  tales  of  the  elders  it  might 
often  have  been  sung  with  propriety.     The 


■^No.  117  North  Noble. 


HISTORY    OF   (ii;F.A'l'i:i;    l\|)|  WAI'ol.lS. 


205 


larger  festal  gatherings  were  held  in  Wash- 
ington Hall  (later  Lyra  Hall,  and  now  the 
hall  of  the  Cleveland  Club).  To  these  festivi- 
ties attach  many  happy  memories  of  the 
older  Germans  of  our  city.     *     *     * 

"The  great  eelehiation  in  the  histoi-y  of 
the  Tiirngemeinde,  almost  epueh-makiug,  was 
the  banner  consecration,  held  in  April,  185-i. 
On  April  29,  1854.  the  Indiana  Volksblatt 
said:  'From  far  and  near  were  the  Turner 
brethren  gathered  to  help  in  the  celebration 
of  the  consecration  of  the  banner  of  local 
Turners.  Cincinnati,  with  its  Turngesang- 
verein,  and  Louisville  had  sent  full  delega- 
tions, and  Terre  Haute,  Lafayette,  Madison. 
New  Albany,  Logansport  and  Shelbyville 
sent  representatives  or  full  delegations.  On 
Wednesday  the  various  trains  of  incoming 
Turners  were  greeted  at  the  L^nion  Depot  by 
the  resident  Turners.  They  marched  in  pro- 
cession throngli  the  sti'eets,  were  welcomed 
at  the  Turnhall.  and  then  taken  to  their 
lodgings.  On  Thursday  morning  the  exei'- 
cises  were  to  have  taken  place  in  the  open 
air,  but  fickle  April  willed  otherwise.  Just 
at  the  time  of  the  display,  the  rain  poured 
down  in  streams,  and  it  became  so  cold  ant! 
unpleasant  that  the  celebration  had  to  be 
adjourned.  The  paraders  fled  before  the 
streaming  rain  into  the  Court  House,  and 
waited  there  an  hour  for  it  to  clear  u|i. 
Finally  it  was  seen  necessary  to  change  the 
program,  and  to  have  the  presentation  of  the 
banner  in  Washington  Hall,  during  the  fes- 
tival ball,  instead  of  in  the  open,  as  origi- 
nally intended.  Wa.shington  Hall  could 
scarcely  hold  the  visitoi's  and  resident  mem- 
bers and  friends  of  the  Tui-ngemcinde.'  Savs 
the  Volhsblatl,  'The  ball  was  brilliant.  Early 
in  the  evening  a  large  company  was  a.s.seni- 
bled.  The  banners  of  the  Cincinnati,  Loui.s- 
ville  and  ^Madison  societies  hung  from  the 
galleries.  Finally  the  ladies  came  into  the 
hall  in  charming  array.  The  banner  was 
brought  from  the  gallery  and  a  thundering, 
thrice  repeated  (iut  Tleil  greeted  it.  When 
all  were  seated,  Fraulein  IVFetzger  (later 
Mrs.  Hermann  Lieber)  pi-esented  the  banner 
in  a  brief,  well-turned  speech.  Messrs. 
Voniiegiit  and  Wenderoth  responded  for  the 
Turners.  The  hand.some  banner  was  then 
unfolded  and  borne  throuuh  the  hall.  Soon 
after,  the  dance  was  opened  with  a  Polonaise, 


and  till  eai'ly  moi-ning  the  couples  joined  in 
the    happy    whirl."      Among    the    Cincinnati 
guests  was  Hermann   Lieber.  who  found  In-  ■ 
dianapolis  so  T)leasant  that  be  decided  to  re- 
main   and  settle  here. 

"The  inspiration  of  the  war  of  emancipa- 
tion had  awakened  in  the  youth  of  Germany 
the  love  of  song.  Everywhere  arose  societies 
for  the  cultivation  of  song  ( Liedertaf ebi  in 
the  north— Liederkraenze  in  the  south  and 
in  Middle  Germany).  ]Music  became  the 
social  art  of  the  new  century,  an  indispensa- 
ble ornament  of  every  Gennan  celebration, 
and  truly  a  pride  of  the  nation.  In  every 
|ii'ovince  awoke  the  passion  for  song  as  never 
since  the  days  of  the  bards.  One  soon  saw 
that  with  this  nobler  sociability  a  freer  at- 
mosphere came  into  the  folk-life,  and  gladly 
boasted  that  before  the  ])ower  of  song  the 
I'idieulous  barriers  of  rank  fell  away.''  The 
songs  of  Karl  Maria  von  Weber,  Konradin 
Krentzer,  Methfessel,  Silchei-,  Mar.schner. 
Zoellner,  Yon  Kucken,  Abt,  Schumann  and 
others  pressed  into  tlie  folk  life;  the  mighty 
current  of  the  time,  the  democratic  spirit 
of  the  new  century  found  a  strong  echo  in 
nuisie,  and  free  as  the  eagle's  mighty  i)in- 
ion.s,  song  arose  to  the  sun.  It  is  hardly 
necessary  to  say  that  the  Forty-eighters, 
wherever,  through  choice  or  the  spite  of  fate, 
they  made  their  residences  in  America,  took 
rare  to  make  a  home  for  song,  the  fairest 
jewel  of  German  soul-life.  The  organization 
of  song-vereins  went  hand  in  hand  with  the 
Founding  of  turn-vereins.  In  the  third  story 
of  a  brick  building,  No.  75  East  Washington 
street,  which  a  few  years  ago  gave  i)lace  to 
the  Pend)roke  arcade,  resided  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  fifties  a  (juartet  of  young  immi- 
iirants,  whom  a  freak  of  destiny  had  brought 
together  in  Indiana|)olis.  An  inexhaustible 
humor  and  the  light  heart  of  youth  helped 
them  over  the  unpleasant  period  of  newness, 
and  they  made  ac(|uaintanee  of  other  eoun- 
ti-ymen  and  fellow-sufferers;  and  it  was  not 
long  till  the  den  in  the  third  story  became 
the  tratherinir  place  of  nuiiiiTous  young  im- 
niiurants. 

"Though  inhosiiitable  the  room  mikdit  ap- 
pear,   with    its    bare    walls,    giant    bed,    and 


^Ileinrich  von  Ti-ietschke,  German  Tlisturif 
of  the  Nineteenth  Centura.  Vol.  '2,  p.  3. 


200 


JIiSl'()i;V  OF  GlIEATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


ivorni-eaten  furniture,  yet  its  occupants 
passed  many  happy  hours  therein,  of  which 
the  elders  to-day  have  many  droll  stories. 
The  room  and  all  that  pertained  to  it  was 
considered  the  national  property  of  the 
yoxinu;  Germans,  and — in  ciMifidence — there 
often  ruled  within  its  four  walls  a  spirit  of 
bachelorship  of  most  darinsi-  significance. 
Edward  Lonoerich.  Gottfried  and  Hubert 
Recker  and  A.  Schellschmidt  were  the  legiti- 
mate rent-payino-  occupants  of  the  room; 
constant  visitors  and  occasional  fellow-lod?- 
ers  were  Nicholas  Jose.  Fi'iedrich  Kusch. 
Karl  Freese,  August  Viehwesi'.  H.  Krebs.  G. 
Bauer,  H.  Schindler  and  othei-s.  They  came 
togrether,  discussed  the  news  of  the  day, 
reminisced  of  home,  or  listened  to  the  de- 
scriptions of  August  Viehweg.  who  as  sailor 
on  a  Prussian  wai-ship  had  sei'ved  in  the  war 
of  the  allies  against  Denmark.  Naturally, 
by  this  assendilage,  an  effoi-t  was  also  made 
to  accustom  the  (ierman  stomach  to  Ameri- 
can beer,  through  frequent  practice.  No 
one  of  the  regular  or  occasional  occupants 
of  the  room  dreamed  that  their  congregation 
would  attain  a  historical  significance  for  the 
Germans  of  Indianapolis.  f^dward  Longe- 
rich,  a  song-ioving  youth,  was  the  lucky 
owner  of  a  guitar,  and  under  his  direction 
songs  were  practised.  Out  of  the  original 
unconstrained  a.ssemblages  came  rehearsal 
evenings,  for  practicing  vocal  and  instru- 
mental nrasic.  and.  in  June.  IS")-!,  our 
brotherhood  of  the  chamber  adopted  the 
name  Indianajiolis  ^laennerchoi'.  New  re- 
cruits were  enlisted  and  Gernutn  song  was 
rendered   in  symjiathetic   tones. 

'"In  the  merry  month  of  ^lay.  1S55,  ap- 
peared the  following  notice  in  the  German 
newspapers  of  Indianapolis:  'First  Concert 
and  Ball  of  the  ]\Iaetinerchor,  on  ^londav. 
May  28,  1855,  in  Washington  Hall.  The 
members  of  the  above  song-verein  invite  all 
friends  of  song  and  dance  to  visit  the  ar- 
ranged concert  and  ball.  They  will  endeavor 
to  give  their  visitoi-s  a  pleasant  and  en.ioy- 
able  evening.  Admi.ssion  slil.  Tickets  at  A. 
Ha.streiter's.  Buehrig's  Hotel,  oi'  from  the 
members. 

Longerich.  Jese.  Baiu'r.  Coiimiittee. ' 

"The  modesty  of  the  sinsers  conceals  the 
gross  results  of  this  first  concert,  and  in- 
quisitive posterity  must   lie  content   with  the 


following  brief  account  in  the  Yolksbhift : 
'The  German  Maennerchor  on  Monda.v  held 
a  concert  and  danc'  at  Washington  Hall.  We 
were  unfortunately  |)revented  fi'om  being 
witnesses  of  this  Whitsuntide  celebration, 
but  we  hear  from  all  sides  that  German 
spirit  and  German  nnrth  prevailed,  and 
that  all  visitors  had  a  pleasant  and  enjoy- 
able evening.  In  place  of  Edward 
Longerich,  who  in  the  same  .vear  i-e- 
tui'ned  to  Gernuiny.  on  account  of  his 
health,  E.  Desjia  became  director,  and  the 
i-ehearsals  wei'e  held  at  his  shop.  No.  23  E. 
Washington  street.  .\s  there  was  no  electric 
light,  and  they  could  not  afl'ord  the  luxury 
of  gaslight,  each  singer  brought  his  light 
with  him.  One  pictures  to  himself  how  the 
Turners  held  their  a.ssemblies  weekly  in  the 
half-fallen  hotel  building  on  East  Washing- 
ton street:  how  the  singers  met  regularly  in 
the  paint-shop  of  their  director  Despa,  and. 
with  notes  in  one  hand  and  tallow-candle  in 
the  other,  leai-ned  songs:  and  compare  those 
times  with  today,  when  the  Tiirners  and 
siiigers  have  sumptuous  quarters  for  prac- 
tice at  their  disposal;  and  then  realize  how 
far  in  the  course  of  past  .veai-s  we  have  ad- 
vanced,  and  how  nnich  — we  have  lest. 

'"In  the  year  185(j  the  ]\Iaennerchor,  which 
in  the  meantime  had  formally  organized  with 
constitution  and  by-laws,  decided  to  admit 
passive  members.  In  the  same  year  they  took 
part  in  the  Saengerfest  at  Cincinnati.  A 
year  later  they  were  able,  througli  the  kind- 
ness of  the  ladies,  to  celebi-ate  a  banner  con- 
secration. The  year  1838  was  notable  for 
the  holding  of  the  Saengerfest  of  the  In- 
diana Saengerbund  at  Indiauajjolis,  in  which 
the  entire  German  population  participated. 
The  director  of  this  celebration  was  Carl 
Barns,  the  leader  of  the  song-verein  of  Cin- 
cinnati. The  fest  began  on  June  14.  1858; 
delegations  from  the  societies  of  Louisville. 
Cincinnati.  Da.vton.  Lafa.vette.  Terre  Haute 
and  other  cities  being  in  attendance.  On 
the  opening  evening  there  was  a  great  con- 
cert in  ]\Iasonic  Hall ;  the  Fest-president 
Clemen.s  Vonnegut  delivered  an  address,  and 
Miss  Henningei-.  on  behalf  of  the  German 
ladies  of  Indianapolis,  presented  the  Singers 
a,  handsomely  embr(}idered  baniuM-.  which 
liore  the  inscri|)tion.  in  u-oklen  lettei's.  'The 
honor  of  i!iaidi(>od  is  given  into  voui'  hands: 


(  ir.  //,  lldds  I'holo  (11.) 


MAENNERCHOR  HALL 


HISTORY  OF  (;i;i:a'I'Ki;  ixdi.wai-ot.is. 


2or 


preserve  it.'  On  the  next  day  was  a  ureal 
parade;  the  pi'dccssion  halteil  at  the  C'irele 
and  the  unitetl  siii>;ers  saui;'  several  (ieriiiaii 
sonf.'.s  amid  a  stoi-iii  of  apjilause  from  a 
thickly  |)aeked  crowd.  In  the  afternoon  the 
fest-participants  aninsed  themselves  on  the 
sumptuoasly  ai'rani;ed  Fail-  Ground  (Mili- 
tary Park),  and  in  the  evenintr  thei-e  was  a 
fri-ciil  hall  at  Washinjrton  Hall. 

■"Of  the  g'reatest  InHiience  on  the  (ipiiiimi 
of  the  immiirrants  of  "4S  who  had  made  their 
homes  in  Indianapolis,  was,  and  remained, 
the  radical  oiator  and  writer  Karl  Ilein/.en. 
He  was  a  man  ')f  iron  logic.  His  whole  life 
was  an  unending  battle  for  freedom  and 
trutli.  Kevolutionist  from  ci-own  to  sole,  he 
lashetl  unmercifidly  with  tongue  and  pen 
the  faults  of  liis  enemies  ;ind  the  wi-aknesses 
of  his  friends.  lie  luid.  as  Wendell  Phillins 
said  of  him,  'the  coui-age  to  dare  to  be 
wholly  consistejit.'  The  (Jermaiis  of  In- 
dianapolis of  tliat  time  found  tlicmselves  in 
the  happy  stage  of  develo[)ment :  business 
caivs.  social  duties,  conventional  C(!n.sidera- 
tions  and  aristocratic  iiai'oxysms  were  then 
unknown  bacilli:  the  word  'so<nety'  diil 
not  exist  in  tlio  dictionai-y  of  the  pe 
riod.  The  nncorru|)ted  (Jennan  uoi  d 
nature,  with  its  great  excellences,  and 
possible  impei'tincnces,  bloonu'd  in  the 
elui)  life,  and  the  multifariousness  of 
(iei'iiian  aspii'ations  declared  itself  through 
the  founding  of  organizations  of  all  kinds. 
So  there  arose  here,  as  in  othei-  cities  of  the 
Union,  at  the  beginnint;'  of  the  fifties  an  Anti- 
monarchy  society,  tlie  leading  pi-inciple  of 
whicli  was  that  it  plcdued  the  ii(>ople  of  this 
re|)ublic  to  supi)oi't  tlie  people  of  Eui'ope  in 
their  sti'usigle  foi'  free  govei'innent. 

"Ijatei'  through  the  active  agitation  of  the 
editor  of  the  Ciiu-innati  fToiInrai  i/itrr.  Fi'ed- 
erick  Ilassaurek.  the  I''reeineirs  League  was 
organized.  This  organization  had  foi-  its 
aim  "to  oppose  In-  toniiue  and  iien  all  pi'e.ju- 
dices  iif  political,  social  and  relitiious  Lrovern- 
nient.  and  llu'outrh  schools.  i)ublic  addi-r^sses 
and  debates  Id  be  active  for  the  iMlucation 
of  free  men."  .Mex.  Met/wer.  John  V.  Mayer. 
George  Fehrlinir.  Th.  1  liilsehei'.  Jos.  Lanir- 
hein  and  others  were  amoUL;-  the  most  zeal- 
ous meudiers  of  thi'  lea-jue.  In  ls.">4  \ho  first 
state  convention  of  the  Freemen  was  held  in 
this    city.      The    frankness    with    which    this 


convention  spoke  out  on  the  subject  of  slav- 
ery wa.s  indeed  refreshing  when  compared 
with  the  caution  with  which  statesmen  ami 
politicians  avoided  it.  To  the  Fivemen's 
League  is  credited  the  service  of  founding 
the  first  (lernian  school  in  this  city.  Karl 
Beysehla^,  editor  of  the  Firir  Prrssr,  was 
the  teacher.  Moreover  fortnightly  plays 
were  given  in  the  league  hall  (south- 
ea.st  corner  of  Washington  and  Alabama). 
The  ilramatic  section  of  the  Freemen  reached 
the  climax  in  the  production  of  Schiller's 
"Robbei's".  A  further  undertaking  was  the 
Tract  Society  of  the  ^len  of  Progress,  the 
soul  of  which  was  the  then  editor  of  the  Frer 
Press,  Th.  Ilielsehei-.  The  literatui'e  which 
the  society  circulated  in  tract  form  was  di- 
voted  to  religious  freedom  and  was  directed 
chiefly  against  Puritanism  and  its  cherished 
sister-.  Prohibition.  The  idea  of  diffusing 
s[)iritual  noui-isbment  among  the  masses  was 
in  fact  borrowed  from  the  Bible  societies  and 
Methodist  organizations  of  the  East,  which 
were  pledged  to  welcome  each  innnigrant 
with  numberless  soul-saving  tracts. 

'"The  Turngcmeinde  took  great  care  for 
the  intellectual  uplift  of  (!ei-man  life 
through  the  arrangement  of  lectures  which 
accoi-diug  to  newspaper  i-epoi-ts  were  enjoyed 
by  vei-y  large  audiences.  Frederick  ^fuench, 
known  under  the  name  of  'l-'ar  West'. 
Samuel  Ludvigh  — the  '  Fackel  Ludvigh', 
Schuenemann-Pott,  Richard  Solger,  Judge 
Stallo  aiul  others  gave  addresses  in  the  Tui-n- 
hall.  With  great  satisfaction.  Schuem'mann- 
Pott  sjxike  of  the  activity  of  the  lii)eral 
minded  (iermans  here,  in  a  letter  by  the  Kx- 
ecutive  Conuinttee  of  the  Turnerbnnd,  id' 
which  the  following-  is  an  extract:  'in  In- 
dianapolis there  is  a  livini;  intei-est,  a.s  I  have 
found  for  m>'self.  Hoth  a.s.sociations  wei-e 
visited,  and  if  I  ni:iy  judge  from  lunMci-ous 
assurances,  uttei'anccs,  hand-claspings  and 
serenades,  the  reception  of  it  was  as  sin- 
cere and  heai-ty  as  I  could  have  wished." 
Historic  memorial  da,\'s  like  the  Four-th  of 
July,  Washington's  birthday,  the  aniuver- 
sary  of  the  ileath  of  Kobei-t  Blum,  (>tc.,  were 
always  fittingly  celebrate<l.  in  fact,  an  op- 
poi'tunitv  to  celebi-ate  verv  seldom  slipped 
by. 

".Xi'Xl  to  the  clubs  which  wci-e  devoted  to 
earnest  etl'ort.  the  .Maetuierchor  gave  its  best 


208 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATEE  INDIAXAPOLIS. 


atteution  to  musical  eutertaininents,  and  the 
Thalia-verein  to  draiuatie  presentations.  Both 
societies  recruited  their  members  from  the 
same  circles,  and  the  zeal  with  which  in- 
dividuals took  part  in  the  efforts  of  the  dif- 
ferent societies  is  quite  astounding-  to  us 
children  of  the  new  period.  From  the  Thalia 
arose  another  dramatic  association,  the  Con- 
cordia, which  every  Sunday  evening  gave  an 
entertainrnent  at  the  Athenaeum  (northwest 
corner  of  ]\Ieridian  and  Marjland)  under 
the  discTiise  of  a.  'sacred  concert',  and  on 
Monday  evening  presented  more  extensive 
plaj's.  The  Concordia  appears  to  have  gone 
out  of  business  after  a  short  time,  and  the 
Thalia-verein,  of  which  Gottfried  Recker,  Alb. 
Hoening,  Nicholas  Jose,  Charles  Whitten- 
berg  and  othei-s  were  the  high  trumps,  took 
its  place.  A  visit  to  the  presentations,  how- 
ever, left  something  to  be  desired,  and  this 
hampered  it  somewhat  from  the  beginning. 
The  newspaper's  were  rather  severe  in  their 
criticisms  of  the  theatricals,  but  were  more 
kintUy  to  the  attractions  of  the  Turner  Hall. 
"The  Turngemeinde  had  in  the  meantime 
given  up  its  property  on  Noble  street,  and 
moved  to  the  Apollo  Garden  (on  the  south- 
west corner  of  Capitol  and  Kentucky  ave- 
nues). The  condition  of  Noble  street  was 
such  that  the  unsuspecting  traveler,  in  wet 
weather,  would  often  leave  his  shoes  sticking 
in  the  unfathomable  mire,  and  nuist  hastily 
abandon  his  socks  lest  he  sink  full  length  in 
the  bottomless.  The  dear  days  of  Kentucky 
avenue !  How  long  past  they  seem  !  If  one 
listens  to  our  older  Germans  talk  of  the 
happy  hours  in  the  Turnhall  on  Kentucky 
avenue,  he  can  almost  wish  that  he  were  old. 
and  might  have  lived  at  that  time.  There 
gathered  the  German  life  and  aspiration  of 
Indianapolis.  There  were  turning,  singing, 
theatricals,  music,  debates,  as  well  as  politi- 
cal and  philosophical  discussions.  In  Apollo 
Garden  He1ie  busily  administered  her  govern- 
ment, and  I'oguisli  Eros  played  his  tricks 
with  the  hai>py  youth.  Turner  exhibitions, 
dramatic  presentations,  concerts,  dances, 
balls,  and  patriotic  celebrations,  with  hair- 
raising  fireworks,  alternated  in  brilliant  ar- 
ray. But  also  niaiiy  a  serious  word  was  ut- 
tered there,  for  the  Turnhall  was  the  head- 
quarters of  the  anti-slavery  agitation,  and 
the  political   barometci'  indicated   a  storm. 


■'The  most  meritorious  work  that  the  cn- 
tei-prising  energy  of  our  liberal  minded  Ger- 
mans brought  to  consununation,  and  which 
proved  to  be  of  lasting  benefit  thereafter, 
was  the  founding  of  the  German-Enulish 
school.  AVe  cannot  today  judge  what  fdrin 
the  development  of  the  German  life  of  our 
city  would  have  taken  without  this  influence, 
but  we  know  that  the  first  German-American 
generation  has  taken  up  the  ideal  efforts  of 
the  older  ones  with  zeal  and  intelligence,  and 
has  contributed  much  to  their  accomplish- 
ment. If  it  be  a  fact,  as  is  often  told  us  by 
outside  acquaintances,  that  Indianapolis,  in 
comparison  with  other  cities  of  the  country, 
has  excellent  material  in  its  Gennan- Ameri- 
can citizens,  then  we  will  make  no  mistake  in 
seeking  the  reason  in  the  beneficial  influence 
of  the  German-English  school.  It  took  to 
itself,  in  large  part,  the  difficult  task  of  keep- 
ing the  growing  youth  (icrman  in  thought 
and  sympathy,  a  ta.sk  which  today  falls  al- 
most wholly  on  the  parents,  and  to  which, 
if  it  be  successful,  constant  perseverance, 
steady  attention,  and  indefatigable  effort  are 
essential. 

"The  public  schools  in  Indianapolis  in  the 
fifties  were  in  poor  condition ;  the  entire 
tuition  extended  only  over  three  or  four 
months  in  -the  year,  and  had  in  consequence 
to  be  restricted  to  instruction  in  the  more 
essential  rudiments.  In  addition  there  were 
Gei-raan  private  schools,  for  example  in  the 
Scotch  church,  corner  of  Delaware  and  Ohio 
streets,  in  Zion's  church,  in  the  so-called 
Second  Ward  school  on  Delaware  street  be- 
tween Vermont  and  Alichigan  streets,  like- 
wise the  Freemen's  verein  had  a  school,  and 
also  Theodore  Hielscher.  the  place  of  instruc- 
tion being  on  Washington  street  opposite 
the  Court  House.  Praiseworthy  as  these 
were,  there  was  still  need  for  a  school  in 
which  the  instruction  should  be  in  English 
as  well  as  in  German.  The  practicability  of 
this  idea  was  often  considered,  especially  by 
the  members  of  a  secret  society  which  bore 
the  oracular  name  of  'B.  d.  T.'.^  and  definc<l 
the  rights  and  duties  of  its  membei-s  in  a  con- 
stitution composed  of  19  articles  and  121 
sections.     The  B.  d.    T.  will   be  remembered 


^Binid    der 

virtuous. 


Tugendhaf ten— union    of    the 


lii.SToitY    OV  (iKKATEJt  l.NDl A.N Al'Ul.lS. 


209 


as  the  secret  soeiety  of  tlie  students,  in  vopiie 
in  Jletteriiieh's  time,  ti-ausplaiited  to  Aiiieri- 
can  soil:  aiul  toda.v,  after  more  than  -tO  yeai's. 
it  wouUl  jx-rhaps  not  be  dangerous  to  brinij 
one  of  the  seerets  of  tliat  eirele  out  of  the 
night  of  ot)liviou  into  the  light  of  the  sun. 
And  so  nia.v  he  revealed  the  names  of  those 
who  in  'Ziska  Zelt  No.  1,'  i.  e.,  in  the 
oflRce  of  the  'Z.  H.',"  Dr-  Hombiirg,  came 
together  weekly  for  advising  as  to  the  pres- 
ent and  forminir  jilans  for  the  future,  viz. : 
Dr.  llomburir.  Jolin  K.  .NFaver,  (leoi'se  iMann- 
feld,  Jacob  Heeker,  :\lnth.  ".Aloeseh,  Th.  lliel- 
scher,  Ferd  AYieser,  ('harles  John,  Herm. 
Weinberger.  Fraz  Damme,  and  Giistav 
Zscheck.  The  members  of  this  secret 
society  deluded  themselves  with  pi'o- 
digious  plans  and  liuilt  the  most  gorgeous 
air  turn-and-music  halls,  compared  with 
which  the  pi-esent  (iermaii  House  is  a  mere 
bagatelle.  Nevertheless  one  I)eautiful  dream 
was  realized  after  the  lapse  of  a  few  years 
—the  founding  of  an  independent  German- 
English  school.  Opportunely,  at  a  Thomas 
Paine  celebration,  on  January  29,  1859,  was 
pointed  ont  for  the  first  time  in  official  man- 
ner the  need  of  owneishi])  of  a  place  for  a 
school;  roiisinir  communications  to  the  news- 
papei's  set  the  hall  iu  motion,  and  a  week 
later  a  provisional  assembly  named  ;in  agi- 
tation committee  composed  of  V,  Hutsch, 
Alex,  ^fetzger,  F,  (loepper,  Wenderoth,  Im- 
berey.  Klotz  and  Th.  ITielscher.  At  a  later 
meeting  was  oi-ganiz(>d  the  German-English 
School  Society  h.v  the  election  of  V.  Butsch 
as  i>resident  and  Hermann  Lieber  as  secre- 
tary. The  meeting  deci-eed  the  founding  of 
a  school  which  'independent  of  all  sectarian 
influences  should  secure  the  education  of 
free,  moral  men,  in  tlie  principles  of  human- 
ity.' At  the  same  time  $000  was  appro()riated 
to  a  fund  for  building  a  seliool  house.  The 
pro,jeet  met  such  universal  favor  that  within 
the  course  of  three  months  a  site  was  bouglit 
and  a  two  stor.v  building  was  begun.  To- 
ward the  end  of  1859  the  school  was  opened, 
under  the  management  of  the  teachers  Th. 
Hielscher  and  Julius  Schunun  with  a  moder- 
ate number  of  pupils  at  the  start.  Soon 
such  favorable  results  appeared  that  with 
each  tei-m  uinrc  pupils  were  enrollrd.     Addi 

''•Zelt-Tlau|itiiianu—  'r<'ut    captain. 
Vol.  1—14 


tional  teachers  were  engaged  aiul  the  c(mrse 
of  stud.v  broadened.  Thereliy  the  cost  of 
management  increa.sed.  The  unavoidable 
deficit  was  nuide  up  by  voluntary  contribu- 
tions and  by  entertainments,  picnics,  fairs, 
theatricals,  concerts  and  balls,  in  which  the 
whole  German  population  took  part,  filled 
with   couuiiendable   enthusiasm. 

"The  AVbig  parl.v  had  in  the  course  of 
.vi>ars  surrendei-ed  one  position  after  an- 
other, but  the  palliative  of  compromise  failed 
of  effect  and  the  presidential  election  of 
1852  bi"oke  the  decadent  jiart.v  to  pieces. 
New  parties  appeared.  The  universal  clamor 
over  the  political  distress  raised,  among 
others,  a  secret  organization,  which  for  its 
jilatform  adopted  the  restriction  of  immigi'a- 
tion,  the  i)urification  of  the  ballot,  and  the 
inti-oduction  and  maintenance  of  Ibe  bible  in 
the  publif  schools.  The  aim  of  this  agitation 
was  directed  espeeiall.v  against  the  Germans, 
nuui.v  of  whom  had  .ioined  the  Democratic 
|)art.v,  attracted  perhaps  more  by  predilec- 
tion for  the  name  than  for  the  principal  ten- 
dencies of  the  partv.  This  secret  organiza- 
tion called  itself  the  American  Party,  and 
the  .iokers  gave  it  the  name  Know-Nothing 
I'ai'Vy  because  its  mendiers  to  all  questions 
as  to  tlu>ir  allegiance  answered  with  a  stereo- 
typed 'T  don't  know.'  After  a  short  period 
of  existence  the  American  Part.v  had  attained 
success  in  manj^  states  of  the  TTnion,  .vet  its 
methods  of  agitation  ripened  characteristic 
fruit;  the  native  and  foreign  'Kowdies' 
clasped  hands,  and  under  the  firm  name  of 
.\merican  Party,  these  dirty  confederates 
committed  outrages.  On  election  days  it 
often  came  to  euttine  and  stabbing  afl'i-ays 
between  the  Know-Nothings  and  the  Ger- 
mans. In  neighboring  Cincinnati  there  raged 
a  .street  fight  for  several  da.ys  in  the  be- 
uinning  of  April,  1855,  in  which  Turners 
and  Singers  had  opportiinit.y  to  show  their 
readiness  in   barricade  building. 

"The  German  societ.v  halls  bad  to  be 
guai'ded  with  saber  and  jiistol ;  even  at  the 
peaceful  beer-table  our  coiuitr,vnien  were 
constantl.v  expecting  the  signal  'to  arms',  and 
the  skatplayers  looked  uji  man,v  times  from 
their  cards  to  inquii-e  with  a|)prehension 
whetbei-  th(\v  might  pla,v  another  roun<l  lic- 
forc  the  Rowdies  came.  In  |ieaceablc  In- 
dianapolis the  loinv.'-nolhinL:'   rcnneni   did   imt 


210 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATEI]   TXDIAXAl'OUS. 


>>rl  ill  action.  'I'liere  was  a  skirmish  now 
and  then  with  some  son  of  the  Einerald  Isle, 
especially  as  introduction  to  or  wind-up  of  a 
picnic,  and  the  votinir  in  elections  was  often 
associated  with  dano:er,  but  in  comparison 
with  Cincinnati.  Louisville.  Columbus  and 
others.  Little  ]\Iadam  Iiidiana]iolis  beliaved 
hei-self  very  well.  The  entire  Know-Xotliing 
movement  wrecked  finally  on  the  sound  sense 
of  the  Anglo-American. 

"A  new  party  had  for  some  time  been 
groping  into  life,  the  Republican  Party. 
Under  its  banner  collected  all  those  who  had 
realized  the  danger  of  the  supremacy  of  the 
Democratic  Party.  A  motley  assembly  in- 
deed found  itself  gathered  together  at  the 
beginnino-  of  this  new  party.  The  Demo- 
cratic Indiana  Volksblaft  described  a  con- 
vention of  the  Republican  Party  held  in  In- 
dianapolis as  follows:  'This  motliest  of  all 
motley  conventions  of  fusionists  was  com- 
posed of  Know-Xothiiigs,  Americans,  patented 
progressionists  and  aliolitionists,  noi'thern 
secessionists  and  renegade  Democrats,  of 
Catholic-eaters  and  Temperance  hypocrites, 
of  Mainiacs'  and  political  priests.'  Out  of 
the  conglomerate  of  political  reform  ideas 
and  opinions  crystallized  the  firm  i-esoliition. 
regardless  of  the  threats  of  the  'fire-eaters'  of 
the  South,  to  call  a  halt  on  the  further 
spread  of  slavery.  The  day  for  decision  ap- 
proached. The  most  exciting  campaign  in 
the  history  of  the  republic  raged  through  the 
countiy.  Mass  meetings,  parades,  torch-light 
processions  and  demonstrations  of  all  kinds 
increased  the  deep  stirring-up;  all  other  in- 
terests disappeared  under  the  weight  of  the 
event.  The  (Jth  of  Xovember,  1860,  holds  a 
world 's-historic  significance  through  the  elec- 
tion of  the  candidate  of  the  young  Republi- 
can  Party,  Abraham   Lincoln. 

"With  the  vietoiy  of  the  Republican 
Party  the  conflict  was  here;  the  slave  states 
made  good  their  threat  and  seceded  from  the 
Union  before  Lincoln  entered  his  office.  With 
apprehensive  anxiety  all  eyes  turned  to  Fort 
Sumter.  On  the  morning  of  April  12,  18(11, 
the  hot-blooded  Virginian,  Edward  Rutliii, 
fired  the  first  shot  at  the  T^nion  fort ;  the 
garrison  returned  the  early  morning  greet- 
ing, and  the  bloody  drama  of  the  Civil  War 


"Play  on  the  .Maine  lii|U(ir  law. 


had  begun.  On  the  15tli  President  Lincoln 
issued  the  first  call  for  75,000  volunteers; 
on  the  18th  the  Inrlianapolis  Journal  con- 
tained the  following:  'The  Turners  marched 
to  Camp  Morton  yesterday  morning,  accom- 
panied by  their  own  band,  and  .joined  the 
several  companies  with  which  they  have  iden- 
tified themselves.  Passing  up  Delaware 
street  they  stopped  in  front  of  the  residence 
of  Hon.  A.  G.  Porter  and  gave  him  three 
hearty  cheers,  and  then  passed  on  to  the  resi- 
dence of  William  Wallace,  where  Adjutant 
General  Wallace  is  temporarily  residing,  and 
cheered  the  general  with  loud  hurrah.  The 
Turners  are  aroused  and  ready  for  action. 
All  unmarried  Turnei-s  answered  the  first 
call  of  Lincoln.  The  Turngemeinde  was 
broken  up.  The  Turnhall  on  Xoble  street 
was  turned  over  to  one  of  the  creditoi-s  for 
the  settlement  of  the  more  impoi"tant  debts 
of  the  society.  The  remaining  ett'ects  of  the 
Turners,  consisting  of  banner,  gymna.stic 
apparatus  and  library  were  turned  over  to 
Hermann  Lieber  for  pi'eservation. 

"The  ^laenuerchor.  which  under  the  di- 
rection of  E.  Despa  had  made  rapid  prog- 
ress, also  went  down  from  the  beginning  of 
the  Civil  War.  Several  of  the  active  mem- 
bers had  gone  into  the  army,  and  moreover 
the  harmony  among  the  membei-s  had  been 
tottering  for  some  time.  The  interests  of 
the  whole  country  concentrated  on  the  battle 
field.  The  cheerfulness  of  the  German  club 
life  was  silenced.  Times  had  come  that  tried 
men's  souls.  That  the  Germans  brilliantJy 
stood  the  test  is  written  in  the  book  of  his- 
tory in  indelible  letters.  In  unmeasurable 
higher  percentage  than  others  the  German 
immigrants  fought  under  the  starry  banner 
for  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  Of  the 
self-sacrificing  devotion  to  the  new  home, 
and  the  patriotic  inspiration  of  the  Germans 
of  Indianapolis,  the  following  extract  from 
the  Journal  of  April  KJ.  1861.  gives  informa- 
tion :  'Our  (Jerman  fellow  citizens  held  a 
meeting  yesterday  morning  for  the  purpose 
of  considering  the  jiropriety  of  offering  their 
services  to  the  (lovernor  during  the  f)rescnt 
emergency.  They  announced  their  firm  and 
undying  devotion  to  the  land  of  their  adop- 
tion and  resolved  to  offer  their  services  to 
the  Governor  with  the  understanding  that 
thev   will   not   all    be   coiitinued   in   the  same 


KISTOin    nV  (IKEATKR   TXDT.WAPOTJS. 


•211 


company,  as  they  eonsiiU'i-  that  all  nation- 
ality should  be  sunk  now.  save  that  of  the 
American.  Long  live  our  brave  axlopted 
citizens!  They  have  felt  and  known  the 
oppression  of  an  aristocracy,  and  will  never 
consent  to  ayain  how  theii'  necks  to  the  yoke. 
nor  sacrifice  tlieir  love  of  liberty  to  save  thcii- 
lives.  ■ 

■"As  the  'i'ui'Hi'i's  rrtiiriii'd  at  the  close  of 
their  thi-ee  months'  service,  a  desire  was 
urgent  among  them  to  organize  a  whollj' 
German  regiment.  They  were  inspired  to 
this  l>y  the  service  of  the  (Jerman  regiment 
from  thi'  East  under  Ludwig  Blenker.  and 
the  (iermans  of  St..  Louis  under  Franz  Sigel. 
The  ulea  was  tiiutlly  taken  up  actively  at  a 
roundtable  which  met  every  morning  at  11 
o'clock  at  Washington  Hall,  composed  of  Val 
Butsch.  Dr.  lIond)urg.  Adolph  Seidensticker, 
Th.  Ilielscher,  and  August  Ritzinger,  and 
with  the  approval  of  (lovernor  Morton  was 
brought  to  accomplisbiiH'iit.  The  first  com- 
paii\'  was  fi'om  Indianapolis.  The  I'emainiiig 
9  com|)anics  wei'i'  I'ccruited  at  .Madison, 
Auroi-a.  La\vii'nc(»bui-g.  'I'erre  Haute,  Cincin- 
nati. Lafayette.  Laporte  and  Evansvillc.  The 
command  of  the  regiment  was  given  to  Au- 
gust Willich.  then  :\rajor  of  the  9th  Ohio 
regiment.  His  staff  officers  were,  Lieut(>nant 
Col.  IL  von  Trebra.  .Ma.j.  Wm.  Hchnacken- 
burir.  Adjutiint  Karl  Schmitt  aiul  (Quarter 
.Masti'r  Edward  .Mueller.  The  n'giin<'iit  was 
enrolled  as  th("  ■■{2nd  Lidiana  Regiment,  and 
fh  parted  on  September  (i,  IStJl,  for  Louis- 
ville, whei'c  the  regimental  colors  were  pre- 
sented to  it  by  Jlrs.  Seidensticker  in  the 
name  of  the  German  ladies.  After  a  short 
stay  in  L(uiisville.  the  :V2nd  mai'chcil  to  \cw- 
havcn.  Ky..  and  from  there  into  the  field  at 
'Camp  Nevin'."  The  further  history  of  llh' 
32nd  is  thus  continued  by  the  ('a|)taiti  of  the 
first  company,  and  later  Lieutenant  Colonel, 
Frank   Erdelmeyer: 

"Under  the  command  of  AVillieh.  tiie  regi- 
ment became  one  of  the  best  di-illed  bodies  of 
soldiers.  We  drilled  undei'  (Jerman  eom- 
ina)id  and  Germ.in  siu'uals.  and  thi'i'c  devel- 
oped a  spirit  of  fellowship,  a  genuine  soldier 
spii'il.  that  biouiiht  us  victory  in  many  a 
hitter  fiL'liI,  Durinir  the  latter  i)art  of  the 
year  our  regiment  was  added  to  General  R. 
W.  .(ohnsiiti's  (Ith  Hi-ii;ade,  of  McCook's  Di- 
vision.    <  )ii  the  advanee  I  here  a()peared  need 


for  forming  a  pioneer  division,  which  Colonel 
Willich  forthwith  organized  carefully,  and 
it  w-as  put  xnider  the  capable  command  of 
Lieutenant  Joseph  Peitzuch.  These  wise  pre- 
cautions pi'oved  their  benefit  in  a  short 
time.  On  the  12th  of  December  (1861) 
Johnson's  Brigade  advanced  to  the  village' 
of  .Munfordsville  on  (ireen  River.  The 
only  bridge  over  the  river  was  partially  de- 
stroyed, and  to  cover  its  repair  Willich  thi-ew 
two  companies  as  pickets  on  the  south  side 
of  the  river,  and  our  pioneers  worked  night 
antl  day  to  repair  the  structure.  On  the 
17th  the  bi-idge  was  ready.  It  was  high  time, 
for  shortly  after  noon  the  enemy's  cavalry 
and  infanti-y  appeared.  Our  pickets  gave 
the  alarm:  our  com[)anics  f(U'med  (juiekly 
and  went  over  the  bridge  at  double  (juick. 
Colonel  Willich  was  absent  at  the  tinu%  and 
the  conunand  devolved  on  von  Trebra.  With 
a  precision  as  on  parade  our  companies  fell 
into  line  of  battle.  The  rebel  infantiy  could 
not  withstand  our  well-directed  fin',  aiul 
were  hurled  back  in  wild  confusion.  Then 
the  enemy  advanced  his  cavali'y,  the  dreaded 
Te.xas  l?angers.  With  a  wild  cheer  they 
rushed  from  behind  a  hill  on  our  extended 
firing  line,  and  individual  fighting  com- 
I)anies.  But  we  received  the  impact  steadily; 
the  companies  formed  scpiares.  and  let  the 
Texas  Rangei's  come  within  a  short  distance; 
then  sounded  one  volley  after  aru)ther;  the 
wild  riders  were  thrown  back  and  numy  a 
one  renuuned  on  the  field.  Hut  again  and 
again  they  retui'ued  I  On  the  left  wing 
Lieutenant  INIax  Sachs,  with  a  i)art  of  the 
Third  Company,  on  the  open  field,  groui>ed 
about  two  haystacks,  was  suri'ounded.  He 
i-efused  to  surrender-,  and  fought  bravely  till 
a  bulli't  brought  his  end.  llel|i  came  (juiekly, 
but  uiduil)l)ily  too  late  for  Sachs.  The  Texas 
Rangers  now  formed  feu-  a  final  charge,  and 
oui-  men  hekl  tlieir  position.  Meanwhile  1 
had  taken  possession  of  a  little  hill  on  our 
left  flank  to  bar  the  way  of  the  cavalrj-. 
Coming  then  we  saw  thick  before  us  the 
enemy's  infantry  and  artillery.  1  waited 
now  till  the  infantry  advaneed  to  attack  our 
right  wing,  and  then  advanced  slowly  with 
my  com|)aiiy.  Tiie  enemy  imagined  the  whole 
division  behind  us,  and.  fearini:  <i  tiaiik  at- 
tack, turneil  back  in  hasty  HiLdit.  The  bat- 
tle  was  over.     Cn  our  side  we   had    in  de.nl 


212 


HISTOKY  OP  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


and   '2\1    wouiuUhI.      Tlie   vietorv   belonged  to 
the  (ieinian  Indiana  Regiment." 

"The  troops  engaged  were  higldy  conipli- 
niented  in  the  general  orders  of  December  27, 
1861,  by  General  Fry,  who  commended  the 
regiment  as  'a  study  and  example  to  all 
troo])s  nnder  his  command,  and  enjoins  them 
to  emulate  the  discipline  and  instniction 
which  insure  such  results.  The  name  of  Row- 
lett  Station  will  be  inscribed  on  the  regi- 
mental Colors  of  the  Thirty-second  Indiana 
Volunteei-s. '  The  following  spring  the  legis- 
lature of  Kentucky  passed  an  act  to  purchase 
the  field  and  notified  the  regiment  of  this 
recognition  of  its  German  defendants.  In  the 
further  course  of  the  war  the  regiment  took 
part  in  the  battles  of  Shiloh.  Stone  River, 
Chicknmauga,  ^Missionary  Ridge  and  the 
niarel)  to  .\tlanta,  and  maintained  the  good 
reputation  it  had  earned  in  its  first  baptism 
of  fire.  It  was  AYillich's  regiment  that  at-^ 
traeted  wide  attention  by  a  notable  perform- 
ance on  the  second  day  at  Shiloh.  It  was  ad- 
vancing on  'the  Hornet's  Nest'  when  Willich 
noticed  the  lines  of  a  new  company  wavering 
under  the  awful  fire.  He  at  once  halted  the 
regiment,  and  (tut  them  through  the  manual 
of  arms  in  that  rain  of  death;  then,  steadied 
once  more,  sent  them  on  with  the  charge.* 
There  wa.s  also  a  German  battery  in  the  6th 
Indiana  that  was  raised  at  Evansville.  Its 
captain  was  Fredrich  Behr,  and  after  his 
death  at  Shiloh,  Wm.  :\Iueller.  The  other 
officers  of  the  battery  were  Louis  Kei'u,  Wm. 
^Lissman,  Ed.  Janke.  and  Peter  Butsch,  of 
Indianapclii-. 

■'After  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  a  new 
s])irit  made  itself  noticeable  among  the  Ger- 
mans of  Ameriea,  perhaps  this  change  took 
place  unknown  tn  themselves.  During  the 
war,  and  fre(|uently  on  account  of  the  war, 
many  had  worked  their  way  up  to  a  comfort- 
able condition  in  life.  The  improvement  of 
their  financial  condition  called  for  increased 
energy,  and  soon  increased  both  their  social 
obligations  and  their  circumspection.  Their 
active  participation  in  club  affaii's  natin-ally 
lessened  in  proportion  as  their  commercial 
interests    increased.      Others    mav    have   neg- 


'  Lew  Wallace's  Auhilnnr/niiiln/,  pj).  r)()l-2; 
Willich 's  modest  i-eport  of  the  occui'rence  is 
in  the  Journnl  of  .\pril  23,  1862. 


lected  the  chance  of  the  moment  to  take  time 
liy  the  forelock,  or  have  lacked  energy ;  be 
that  as  it  may,  the  social  relations  of  the  Ger- 
mans among  themselves  lost  their  former 
level,  and  the  former  lack  of  constraint  of 
German  club  life  began  to  lose  its  original 
naturalness.  ^Moreover  after  the  war  the 
principal  differences  of  opinion  heightened. 
From  social  and  political  conditions  arose  ani- 
mosities and  enmities,  which  in  turn  spread 
in  wide  circles.  The  personal  quarrels  of 
some  were  carried  into  club  life,  and  attained 
there  the  ruling  influence.  Factions  were 
formed  which  finally  broke  out  in  long  bick- 
erings, and  shivered  the  club  in  pieces.  Their 
energies  were  broken  in  fragments.  Some, 
weary  of  the  unending  scpiabbles,  drew  away 
entirely  and  threw  themselves  into  the  arms 
of  the  Aniilo- America II  life.  New  societies, 
new  cliques  and  clubs  were  formed.  The  his- 
toric weakness  of  the  German  people,  par- 
ticularism, broke  out  disastrously,  also  in  far 
Amei-ica.  Another  influence  which  reacted 
on  the  German  club  life  was  the  readier  di- 
vision of  the  Germans  in  party  polities.  It 
is  indeed  not  mere  chance  that  in  so  many 
cities  the  leading  spirits  of  two  clubs,  oro-an- 
ized  for  the  same  purposes,  are  in  public  life, 
known  as  representatives  of  opposing  political 
factions. 

"But  the  chief  influence  in  this  process  of 
transformation  which  slowly  but  irresistibly 
proceeded  in  all  (ierman  clubs  of  the  country, 
was  the  meanwhile  i-ipening  youth.  A  new 
generation  had  matured.  Grown  up  in  other 
surroundings  it  brought  in  a  different  thought 
and  feeling.  The  revolutionary  .spirit  of  "48 
which  thrilled  the  fathers  was  strange  and 
incompi-ehensible  to  the  children.  In  the  as- 
semblages and  entertainments  of  the  German 
clubs,  English  convei'sation.  which  came  so 
much  easier,  attained  precedence.  The  Ger- 
man club  life  received  a  different  chai-acter. 
The  process  of  Americanization  also  overtook 
our  forty-eighters,  for  the  events  of  the  jiast 
were  too  powerful  to  pass  over  them  without 
leaving  traces.  The  affectionate  care  for  the 
family,  the  free  intercourse  and  expression 
of  opinion,  the  business  and  the  dollar,  the 
social  and  material  advantages  which  the  new 
home  offered  so  profusely  frightened  away 
the  homesickness,  the  u'enfle  longing  for  the 
old   fatherland,   to    a    hidden    corner   of   the 


HISTORY  OF  (illKVlKi;    I  NDl.WAl'OLlS. 


213 


D 


< 

X 


2U 


HLSTOTJy  (»K  CltHATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


heart.  The  iioble  American  knew  liow  to  ap- 
I)reciate  the  noble  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  which 
the  Germans  showed  in  the  sore  crisis  of  the 
Civil  War.  Business,  social  and  political  points 
of  contact  in  cnnse(|uence  liecaiiie  fre(inent, 
and  the  mutual  knowledue  dawned  u]ion  both 
of  them  that  each  could  learn  much  from  the 
other.  Out  of  the  German  in  America  de- 
veloped the  German  American. 

"A  stronfj  bond  for  the  liberal  element 
was  found  for  a  number  of  years  in  the  Ger- 
man-Eno-lish  school,  the  hlessiuffs  of  which 
were  not  obstructed  through  the  years  of 
war.  Durin>:-  the  war  the  Schulverein  had 
bought  the  ad.ioiniui;  lot.  and  doubled  tlie 
size  of  the  school  tiuildinj;-  '216  East  ^lai'v- 
land  street).  The  school  itself,  under  the 
management  of  Johann  Reitz  and  his  son 
Heinrich  Reitz  ( 18t52-18().5)  made  excellent 
]iro^ress.  It  reached  its  bloom  in  the  years 
1865  to  1871.  Ry  the  care  of  the  principal 
a  fine  corps  of  teachers  was  secured,  viz. : 
Th.  Dinsledey,  "\Vm.  ^Mueller.  L.  Klenuii.  Miss 
^late,  ]Mrs.  Wynn,  ^liss  Beman.  and  later 
Ernst  Knodel  and  Christian  Bopp.  The 
studies  tauorht  were  reading,  writing-,  gram- 
mar, composition,  arithmetic,  geometry,  geog- 
raphy, history,  nature  study  in  both  lan- 
guages, perspective  drawing,  nnisic  and  gym- 
na.stics.  The  snpjunt  of  the  school  re(|uired 
considerable  money  annually,  and  it  often  re- 
quired extraordinary  effort  to  avoid  a  threat- 
ened deficit.  Small  as  the  tuition  charge  was, 
it  exceeded  the  ability  of  many  German  fam- 
ilies. There  was.  therefore,  general  satisfac- 
tion when  Representative  J.  T.  Coft'roth,  of 
Huntington,  introduced  a  bill  in  the  legisla- 
ture of  1869  to  have  (German  included  in  the 
course  of  study  of  the  public  schools  if  the 
parents  of  twenty-five  children  in  a  school 
district  petitioned  for  it.  In  recognition  of 
the  services  of  the  Germans  the  House  passed 
this  bill  on  February  17,  1869,  by  a  vote  of 
77  to  7,  and  the  Senate  declared  itself  for 
the  same  favor  on  April  "27  by  a  vote  of  37 
to  3.  Moved  by  an  unselfish  purpose  to  pro- 
mote the  general  welfare,  the  nunnbei's  of  the 
(ierman-English  society  were  the  most  zeal- 
ous supporters  of  this  law,  though  as  before 
mentioned,  the  introduction  of  German  in  the 
public  schools  was  the  death  blow  to  their 
own  school. 

"The    attendant'    diniiiiislicd    vcarlv;    the 


money  for  the  suppt)rt  of  the  management, 
which  amounted  to  $6,000  to  $7,000  an- 
nually, grew  harder  to  raise.  Xevertheles.? 
the  leading  members  of  the  Schulverein  did 
not  abandon  agitation  for  the  support  of  the 
school,  and  thanks  to  the  devoted  activity  of 
some  the  school  was  able  to  keep  alMve  water 
for  a  decade  longer.  It  is  due  first  to  men- 
tion the  capable  teachers  who,  during  this 
time,  labored  in  the  school,  among  whom  were 
G.  (Jramlich,  Hy.  Koessly,  P.  Berwig,  and 
especially  R.  C.  Tschentcher,  who  was  prin- 
cipal from  1872  to  1879,  and  Karl  Pingpang, 
who  served  as  teacher  for  ten  .years,  until 
1882.  During  the  years  1865  to  1882,  the 
names  of  the  following  members  were  most 
frequent  in  the  Schulverein  records:  Val 
Butseh,  A.  Seidensticker,  C.  Vonnegut.  H, 
Lieber,  Ed.  Mueller,  F.  Schmidt,  Wm.  Kothe, 
Alex.  Metzger,  Louis  Lang,  Jacob  Metzger 
and  \Ym.  Haueisen.  In  the  early  part  of 
1882  the  society  found  it  necessary  to  give 
up  the  school  altogether,  as  all  attempts  to 
find  a  teacher  who  was  willing,  according  to 
the  wishes  of  the  society,  to  carry  it  on  on 
his  own  account,  were  unsuccessful.  All  of 
the  pupils  went  into  the  public  schools,  where 
they  entered  older  classes  without  difficulty. 
In  further  evidence  of  the  thoroughness  of 
the  German-English  school  may  be  mentioned 
the  fact  that  pupils  of  former  years,  after 
finishing  the  German-English  school,  were  ad- 
mitted to  the  cit.v  high  school  without  fur- 
ther examination,  and,  moreover,  were  re- 
garded by  the  teachers  there  as  model  pupils. 
Thereby  is  answered  the  oft-repeated  argu- 
ment that  a  course  in  two  languages  is  of 
no  advantage  to  the  intellectual  development 
of  the  pupil." 

Leaving  Mr.  Stempfel's  account  at  this 
point,  it  may  be  ad<led  tliat  the  (ierman  move- 
ment from  this  time  forward  was  devoted 
chiefiy  to  eharitflble  undertakings  and  musical 
cidture,  which  will  be  considered  elsewhere, 
and  to  the  develn])ment  (  f  club  interests.  On 
January  1,  1865.  former  members  of  the 
Turngemeindc  reorganized  as  the  Indianap- 
olis Turnverein,  which  met  for  eighteen 
months  at  Mueller's  Hall,  27  South  Delaware 
street,  a.s  did  also  the  ^laiMinerchor.  The  Tur- 
ners then  built,  at  280  East  Maryland  street, 
the  hall  being  dedicated  on  Jlay  7,  1867.  In 
1868   the    Boston    cotivcntion    of  the   Turner- 


PITSTORY  OF  GKEATER  IXDIANAPOLIS. 


21.5 


bund  indorsed  the  Republican  platfoitn 
adopted  at  Chicajru.  and  the  Indianapolis  so- 
ciety decided  to  expel  those  nieiiibers  who 
did  not  indorse  the  Boston  action.  On  .Inly 
17,  1868,  sixty-eiiiht  members  were  cxjtelli'd. 
The  "free  thinkers"  were  puttini;  freedom 
of  thoujjht  behind  the  bars.  Two  years  later 
there  was  another  split  over  woman's  rights, 
and  other  niembei-s  withdrew.  The  expelled 
members  of  1868  formed  an  independent  or- 
tranization  called  the  Social  Tnrnverein.  and 
put  up  a  bnildinu-  at  218  Kast  ^laryland 
street,  which  was  dedicated  in  May.  1872. 
Meanwhile  the  Indianapolis  Tnrnverein,  weak- 
ened by  the  loss  of  members,  and  embarrassed 
by  the  expen.se  of  the  Turn-fest  of  Septem- 
ber, 1870,  had  to  give  up  its  building  to  its 
creditors.  Various  efforts  to  unite  the  two 
failed  until  the  national  Turnerbund  ordered 
them  to  unite  within  three  months.  The 
union  was  effected  on  -Inly  16.  1872.  luulci- 
the  name,  Indianapolis  Socialer  Turnvercin. 

On  April  10,  1870,  the  Friedenkerverein 
was  organized  to  combat  the  pernicious  teach- 
ings of  Christianity,  which  it  did  by  lec- 
tures, newspaper  articles  and  tracts.  .More 
important,  as  a  result  of  a  meeting  on  De- 
cember 7.  1884.  it  established  a  (lewerbe- 
schnle,  or  industi'inl  training  school,  in  which 
numbers  of  young  people  received  instruction, 
and  which  was  a  large  factor  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  ^lanual  Training  High  School. 
In  1876  the  "Zukunft".  the  organ  of  the 
Turnerbund   at  this  point,  supported   Tilden 

I  and  Hendricks,  which  caused  a  pi'otest  fioTu 
the  local  society,  and  on  account  of  which 
the  Turnerlnuid  in  1878  cancelled  its  contracl 

i  with  the  i)ai)er.  This  brought  llu'  politii-al 
controversy  to  a  head,  and  on  Jannaiy  1. 
1879.  a  iiiinority  of  thirt.v-three  membei-s  I'c- 
signed  and  founded  the  Fnabhaengiger  or 
Independent  Turnvercin.  This  society  made 
its  (|uarters  in  Mozart  Hall  for  six  years. 
On  July  2it.  1884,  a  Turidiall  Stock  ('omi>any 
was  formed,  which  boii-jlit  the  old  Third 
Presbyterian  Church  pmixTt.v,  at  the  north- 
east cornel-  of  Ohio  and  Illinois  street,  for 
$12.r)((0.  Alterations  were  made  in  the  build- 
ing, and  on  February  '■].  1885,  the  Society 
moved  into  the  new  home,  which  was  dedi- 
cated on  March  30.  Soon  after  it  bought,  for 
$4.r>00,  the  lot  to  the  north,  which  was  occu- 
pied for  several  years  as  a  summer  garden; 


anil  in  18!)7  the  pi-cscnt  two-story  luiilding 
was  erected.  ^Meanwhile  a  new  front  was 
put  on  the  building  and  an  addition  at  the 
I'car,  the  total  of  the  remodeling,  additions 
and  new  building  costing  .'f^4o,()(l().  The  so- 
ciety took  over  the  property  from  the  stock 
company,  and  has  refused  to  consider  an 
otter  of  "$150,000  for  it. 

In  October,  1891,  the  Soeialer  Turnvercin 
decided  to  erect  a  building,  not  for  itself 
;done,  but  for  the  entire  liberal-minded  (icr- 
nian  clement  in  the  city,  A  stock  company 
was  formed  that  winter,  and  a  site  was  jiiU'- 
chascd  for  $20,000  at  the  southeast  corner 
of  Michigaji  and  .New  Jei'se.v  streets.  The 
work  of  building  was  pushed  forward,  and 
February  22,  1894,  the  east  wing  of  the  build- 
ing was  occupied  with  api)ropriate  festiv- 
ities. The  remainder  of  the  building  was 
four  years  in  completion,  and  on  June  15. 
1898,  Das  Deutsche  Ilaus  was  dedicated,  with 
music,  addresses,  and  a  pla,v;  followed  by 
other  festivities  on  the  16th  and  18th.  The 
total  cost  of  this  tine  building  was  $175,000. 
In  addition  to  the  Soeialer  Turnvercin,  it 
is  occupied  by  Der  Deutsche  Klub,  which  in- 
cludes all  stockholders  in  the  house;  the  (Jer- 
mau-Atnerican  Veterans  Club,  oi-ganized  in 
1S7M;  the  ^lusikverein,  founded  in  1897.  Tln' 
hall  and  jxii-tions  o|)encd  to  rent  ai-e  much 
used  by  outsiders  for  balls,  plays,  and  gath- 
erings of  various  kinds.  When  the  Soeialer 
Tnrnverein  decided  to  move  farther  north, 
about  a  third  ot  its  nu'mbers  lived  on  the 
South  Sitlc.  and  a  movement  arose  for  a  new 
society,  the  most  active  jii'omotei-  being  H. 
W'iddekind.  As  a  result  the  South  Side  Turn- 
vercin cclebrateti  its  foundation  on  Novem- 
ber 5.  189:5.  Fiietional  troubles  soon  came 
near  disruf)tiiig  it.  but  in  Septendier.  1894. 
Henry  V^ictor  took  charge  of  it.  and  somi 
brought  it  into  prosperous  condition.  Its 
first  meeting  place  was  the  Phoenix  (iai-den. 
Iiiit  a  buildinu'  societ.v  was  oi'ganized  and  on 
.ianuary  18,  1901.  the  handsome  turnhall.  on 
l*r<is|)eet  street  lu'ar  iNladison  avenue,  was 
dedicated.  The  cost  of  Mic  liuildini!'  and 
grounds  was  .$45,000. 

In  1878  the  J[a''nncrehor  rented  the  old 
City  Hall.  3:17  F^ast  Washington  .street;  and 
it  was  dedicated  to  its  new  occupation  on 
March  26.  27.  In  1897  a  fund  of  $10,000 
was   raised,  and   the   Imildint:    was   renovated 


216 


HISTOPtY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


and  aruamentt.Hl,  making  a  hautlsoiue  resi- 
dence for  the  society  for  the  next  ten  years. 
But  it  aspired  to  something-  better,  and  by 
the  accession  of  passive  members  the  society 
had  taken  on  hirtrely  the  character  of  a  gen- 
eral purpose  elub.  and  also  acquired  power 
to  spread  out.  Accordingly  it  purchased  a 
.site  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Jlichigau  and 
Illinois  streets,  for  $30,000,  and  erected  its 
imposing  hall  at  a  cost  of  $126,000.  On  Feb- 
ruary 17.  1907,  the  ^Maennerchor  bade  fare- 


well to  its  old  hall  with  due  ceremony,  and  a 
month  later  dedicated  its  new  building  with 
a  series  of  services  beginning  on  March  21, 
on  which  occasion  the  opening  address  was 
made  by  Mrs.  Fernanda  Richter  (Edna  Fern) 
of  St.  Louis,  on  "German  Song".  This  is  the 
latest  of  the  German  building  enterprises,  of 
a  quasi-public  character,  and  is  a  gratifying 
addition  to  the  ornamental  structures  that 
thev  have  contributed  to  the  citv. 


CHAPTER  XXI 


CIVIL  WAR  Ti:\rES. 

(Ry    .ToiIX    II.    HOLLIDAT.') 


The  election  of  Lincoln  had  been  preeeded 
by  threats  of  seeession,  but  these  met  witli 
utter  iucredidity.  They  wei-e  considered  as 
ante-election  bliilTs.  Every  one  believi>d  the 
South  would  aeee|)t  the  situation  after  a  little 
blustering-.  The  ]\r'pulil leans  were  not  abo- 
litionists. Their  content i(jn  was  that  slavery 
should  not  be  extended,  and  the  far-seeinjr 
ones  who  agreed  with  Lincoln,  that  the  gov- 
ernment could  not  exist  half  slave  and  half 
free,  were  few  indeed  in  comparison  with 
the  mass  who  were  contented  to  let  slavery 
keej)  what  it  had.  The  Republicans  had  con- 
demned lirown's  i-aid  the  year  befoi-e  and 
they  had  no  symiiathy  with  (iarri.son,  Phil- 
lips and  abolitionists  generally.  In  these  later 
days  it  has  been  claimed  in  many  obituary 
notices  that  their  subjects  wei'e  original  abo- 
litionists. If  they  had  been  the  South  would 
have  l)een  correct  in  the  ehariie  that  the  Re- 
publican party  was  an  abolition  ])arty,  but 
the  fact  is  that  most  of  the  abolitionists  wei-i' 
made  such  bv  the  necessities  of  the  wai-.  Weu- 
dt-11  Phillips  was  egged  in  Cincinnati  in  18(i2 
foi-  an  abolition  speech.  After  the  election 
the  "fire-eaters",  as  they  were  called,  pro- 
ceeded to  carry  their  thi-eats  into  speedy  op- 
eration.    South  Carolina  s(>ceded,  followed  bv 


'  ^Ir.  llolliday  has  kindly  consented  to  the 
use  of  this  hitherto  unpublished  .irticle  here. 
Living  here  dui-iug  the  wai',  and  soon  after 
its  close  founding  the  Indianapolis  Ncivs,  of 
which  for  many  years  he  was  editor,  his  per- 
sonal familiarity  with  th(»  suli.ject,  coupled 
with  the  extensive  I'csearch  given  in  the  pi-ep- 
aration  of  tliis  article,  make  it  a  contribu- 
tion to  local  liistory  especially-  worthy  of 
l)i-eservation. 


other  states.  The  national  forts  and  i)r(ipi'i-ty 
were  seized  when  possible  and  the  administra- 
tion otl'ercd  no  hindrances,  if  it  did  not  abet 
the  movement.  Even  when  the  Confedei-acy 
was  organized  and  the  country  was  rushing 
on  to  wai',  the  northern  people  believed  it 
would  be  averted  and  did  nothing  but  talk 
and  agree  to  certain  peace  conferences  that 
,  might  hit  upon  a  compromise. 

Still  there  was  some  war  talk  in  Indianap- 
olis that  winter.  One  faction  of  the  Repub- 
licans, headed  by  Governor  ]\Iorton,  spoke  for 
coercion,  another,  led  by  the  Journal,  thought 
it  unnecessary  and  was  almost  i-eady  for 
■'peace  at  any  price".  On  January  7,  1861, 
the  Zouave  Guards,  a  recently  organized  mil- 
itary company,  offered  its  services  to  the  Gov- 
ernor in  case  of  war.  On  the  22nd  the  flag 
was  publicly  raised  on  the  State  House  dome 
after  a  procession  of  the  military  and  fire 
department  in  the  jii-esence  of  a  vast  con- 
coui-se;  a  salute  was  fired  and  Cai'oline 
Richings,  a  jxtimlar  actress,  sang  the  Star 
Spangled  Banner  and  aroused  great  enthu- 
siasm. P''ebruary  12  Mr.  Lincoln  came  on 
his  way  to  Washington,  the  first  president- 
elect to  visit  here,  and  that  was  one  of  the 
great  days  of  th(^  town.  What  he  said  was 
not  much  l)ut  it  ins(Mre(l  confidence  that  there 
would  be  no  yieldinii-  without  .a  struggle.  He 
was  inaugui-ated.  but  the  rush  of  onice-seek- 
ers  almost  obscured  the  condition  of  the  coun- 
try and  the  rising  Confederacy. 

Within  two  months,  Api-il  P2th,  the  blow 
fell  with  the  attack  on  Ft.  Sumter.  Senti- 
ment ci-ystallized  in  a  flash.  War  had  com(> 
unprovoked.  Thi>  flair  had  been  fired  on  and 
humiliated  by  defeat.  There  was  l)ut  one 
voice — sustain  the  goverunieiit  and  i)ut  down 


217 


21. S 


IIISIORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


thr  rebellion.  The  l'M\  day  of  April  was 
another  o;reat  day  in  Indianapolis,  the  i;reat- 
est  it  had  yet  seen :  and  probably  it  has  never 
been  surpassed  in  the  intense  interest,  anxiety 
and  enthusiasm  exhibited.  Never  were  its 
people  so  aroused.  It  was  Saturday.  Busi- 
ness was  praetically  forgotten ;  the  streets 
were  crowded ;  the  newspaper  nei<;Iiborhoods 
were  thi-onged:  a  deep  solemnity  was  over 
all  as  they  waited  to  hear  the  news,  or  dis- 
eus.sed  in  low  tones  the  crisis  that  was  upon 
them.  In  the  afternoon  dodgers  were  issued 
calling  for  a  public  meeting  at  the  Coui't 
House  at  seven  o'clock.  Before  the  time  the 
little  room  was  packed.  Ebenezer  DuiiKint.  a 
Democrat  who  had  been  an  officer  in  the 
ilexican  AVar,  was  made  chairman,  and  im- 
mediately a  juotion  was  made  to  adjourn  to 
the  Metropolitan  theatre.  The  crowd,  con- 
stantly aug-menting.  hurried  down  Washing- 
ton street  to  the  theatre,  which  was  soon 
tilled  and  overflowing.  Then  iNFasonic  Hall, 
acr(.ss  the  street,  was  opened  and  filled,  with  ^ 
hundreds  standing  in  the  streets.  The  meet- 
ings were  full  of  the  war  spirit.  Governor 
IMorton  and  othei-s  .spoke.  Patriotic  resolu- 
tions M'ere  adopted  declaring  in  favor  of 
armed  resistance.  ^Nfajor  Gordon  announced 
that  he  would  organize  a  flying  artillery  com- 
pany, for  which  Governor  Morton  had  al- 
ready secured  six  guns,  and  forty-five  men 
enrolled  their  names  for  the  war.  At  the 
close  the  surrender  of  Ft.  Sitmter  was  an- 
nounced, and  the  meetings  disper.sed  in  deep 
gloom  but  with  finu  purpose. 

Sunday  was  little  observed  in  tlie  usual 
way.  There  was  no  demonstration  of  excite- 
ment but  great  seriousness,  fur  hundreds  were 
pondering  over  the  future  and  their  po.ssible 
part  in  it.  The  Journal  published  an  extra 
with  an  account  of  the  meetings  Saturday 
night.  The  next  day  recruiting  offices  were 
oi)ened,  the  military  com])anies  volunteered 
in  large  part;  volunteers  were  offered  from 
many  other  places;  and  on  Wednesday,  the 
17th,  the  first  troops  went  into  Camp  ^lorton, 
then  the  new  fair  gi'oimds.  covering  the  site 
of  AForton  Place.  Then  they  poured  in  by 
thousands  from  town  and  country,  some  with 
flags,  some  with  fife  aiul  driuns  or  brass  band  ; 
the  streets  were  alive  with  them.  It  is  l)e- 
yond  my  power  to  give  any  adequate  idea 
of    those    davs    with    the    buri-v    and    bustle. 


the  innumerable  details  of  the  swift  prepa- 
rations, the  deepening  feeling  and  the  con- 
tinued excitement. 

The  Journal  of  the  16th  reports  it  in  a  way 
as  follows:  "There  is  but  one  feeling  in  Indi- 
ana. We  are  no  longei-  Republicans  or  Demo- 
crats. Never  did  party  names  lose  their  signif- 
icance so  rapidly  or  completely  as  since  the 
news  of  Saturday.  Parties  are  forgotten  and 
only  our  common  danger  is  remembered.  Here 
and  there  inveterate  sympathizers  with  South- 
ei'u  institutions  and  feelings  scowl  and  curse 
the  mighty  tempest  of  patriotism  they  dare 
not  encounter:  but  they  are  few,  as  pitiful  in 
strength  as  in  spirit.  Even  the  Scntiiirl  now 
avows  its  devotion  to  the  stars  and  stripes, 
and  gives  ns  some  cause  to  modify  if  not 
recall  the  harsh  censures  we  expressed  yes- 
terday. Our  streets  are  blazing  with  Na- 
tional flaws.  Huge  banners  wave  from  the 
tops  of  houses  and  hundred  of  flags  flutter 
in  windows  and  along  the  walks.  The  drum 
and  fife  are  sounding  the  whole  day  long  at 
Military  Hall,  where  volunteers  are  pouring 
ill  to  record  their  names  and  enter  the  sennce 
(if  their  country:  and  crowds  are  gathered 
constantly  around  the  doors  of  Colonel  Du- 
mont's  station,  whei-e  he  is  enlisting  volun- 
teers for  a  regiment  of  picked  men.  Though 
the  news  of  the  fight  has  as  yet  only  reached 
towns  along  the  lines  of  railroads,  and  no 
(ifficial  or  other  notice  has  been  published 
that  the  services  of  volunteers  would  be 
needed,  2,000  men,  regularly  organized  and 
ready  to  start  at  the  word,  have  already  been 
tendered  to  (Jovernor  Morton,  and  more  than 
l'0,000  are  forming  with  eager  haste  to  be  in 
time  for  acceiitance.  By  the  time  the  news 
can  be  thoroughly  circulated  throut;h  the 
state  that  men  are  needed,  there  will  be  more 
than  50,000  officered  and  ready.  In  the  full 
spirit  of  the  times  Governor  iMorton  has  sunk 
party  distinctions  and  yesterday  appointed 
to  the  important  post  of  Adjutant  General  of 
the  State,  Cajit.  Lewis  Wallace  of  .Montgom- 
ery County,  a  prominent  Democrat  and  wide- 
ly known  for  his  military  zeal  and  skill. 
Lewis  H.  Sands,  of  Putnam,  another  Demo- 
crat devoted  to  his  country,  has  been  ap- 
pointed colonel.  There  will  be  no  more  Re- 
publicans or  Democrats  hereafter  till  the 
countiy  is  at  peace."  A  vain  ])rediction  was 
this.      The  S()ilin(1.   thouuli   f(ir  the  iiidiiient 


lIISToltV   OF   (IKKATKi:    I  XDIAXAPOI.IS. 


•21f> 


cowod  iiiln  liiilf-heartcd  :i|i|iriival  of  llii-  \v;ir, 
soon  ri'vcrtcil  to  tho  tk'iiuiiciatidii  of  the  ;ui- 
iiiiiiistratioii  and  th(^  battles  of  op|)osini>  pol- 
itits  were  as  many  and  as  fierce  as  those  of 
the  armies.  i)efore  tlie  country  was  at  peace. 

There  had  iieeti  a  lull  in  military  spirit 
after  the  ^Fexican  War.  and  Indianapolis 
had  no  permanent  eomi)any  for  a  decade. 
The  City  Guards  were  organized  in  1S.")2. 
with  (lovernor  Wallace  a.s  captain,  and  the 
Mechanic  Rifles  in  1858.  but  botii  spcmi  went 
lo  pieces.  A  visit  of  the  St.  Louis  (luards 
to  the  city  in  1856  aroused  the  dormant  sen- 
timent, and  the  National  (iuai'ds  were  oriran- 
ized.  with  Oen.  W.  J.  Elliott  as  captain.  They 
were  uniformed  in  bhie,  with  cai)s  bearing' 
white  plumes.  Some  di.ssensions  aro  e,  and  in 
1857  (ieneral  Elliott  or^ranized  the  City  Greys, 
who  woi-e  frrcy  unifoi-ms  and  bear-skin 
shakos.  'I'hesp  were  the  only  i)ei-manent 
companies  until  18()().  when  a  visit  from  Lew 
Wallace's  !\Iontiromery  (iuards,  who  wei-e 
Zouaves,  and  drilled  by  drum  beat,  wakened 
new  and)itions.  The  Inde|>endent  Zouaves 
were  then  ortranized,  on  the  same  basis,  with 
Francis  A.  Shoup  as  captain:  and  these  three 
Indianapolis  companies,  with  the  Montgomery 
Gnai'ds  and  two  Tei-re  Haute  companies,  held 
a  state  encami)m('nt  at  the  fair  L'ronnds  (  .Mili- 
tary Park")  the  week  befrinniuf;-  Sei)tembei-  19. 
In  October.  18fi(l.  the  Zouave  (iuards  wei-e 
ortranized.  with  John  Fahnestock  as  cajytain. 
They  were  {jorfjeous,  in  ))lue  .iaekets  with 
pold  lace,  basrpy  scarlet  trousers  to  the  knee. 
orange  lejrfring.s  and  shirts,  white  belts,  and 
rimless  scarlet  ca()s  with  tassels.  They  also 
made  the  i-ecord  of  beinjr  the  first  comi)any 
to  tender  services  to  the  (iovei-noi-  for  any 
duty  that  mipht  a  rise. - 

These  four  companies  went  out  in  the  Elev- 
enth regriinent  in  the  three  months'  service. 
The  Greys  were  Co.  A.,  with  R.  S.  Foster, 
captain;  George  Butler,  1st  lieutenant,  and 
Jos.  H.  Livesey,  2nd  lieutenant.  The  Zouave 
Guards  were  Co.  B,  with  John  Fahnestock, 
captain;   Orin   S.   Fahnestock.  1st   lieutenant. 


and    Darnel    B.   Cullev. 


lieutenant.      Tin 


Independent  Zouaves  were  Co.  E.  with  l)e- 
witt  C.  Rupfr.  captain;  Henry  Tindall.  1st 
lieutenant,  and  Nicholas  Ruckle.  "Jnd  lii-n- 
tenant.      The   National    (iuards   wrrr   Co.    K'.. 


with  Wni.  Darnall.  (■a|)Iiiin  ;  .biliii  .McLaui:li- 
liii.  1st  lieutenant,  and  Wm.  Uawson.  2nd 
lieutenant.  There  was  niie  othei'  Indianapolis 
company  in  the  p]leventli.  Co.  H,  which  was 
organized  in  the  spring  of  1861.  with  W.  J. 
11.  Robinsen.  captain;  Fred  Knetlei-,  1st  lieu- 
tenant, and  Wallace  Foster,  2nd  lieutenant. 
The  Eleventh  was  a  Zouave  regiment,  but 
with  very  mild  uniforms  of  a  irreyish  cloth 
i-esendiling  blue  .jeans,  not  made  very  full. 
and  with  very  little  color  in  the  trinnnings. 

The  Indejiendent  Zouaves  went  out  a  tritlc 
warmer  tlian  the  othei-s.  Their  original  caj)- 
tain.  Francis  A.  Shouj),  was  a  West  Pointer 
who  had  sen-ed  in  the  artillery  in  the  regu- 
lar army,  and  held  the  raid<  of  second  lieu- 
tenant when  he  resigned,  on  Januai'.v  10. 
1860.  and  located  at  Indianapolis.  He  was 
a  good-looking  fellow,  ijuite  talented,  and  a 
fine  drill-master.  The  boys  e.steemed  him 
highly,  and  at  a  eoin])any  meeting  in  the 
winter  of  1860-1,  at  which  patriotic  si)eeches 
were  made  by  several,  including  Shoui),  they 
[•resented  him  a  pair  of  revolvers  with 
holsters  and  trappings,  being  under  the  im- 
[)ression  that  the  officers  would  ride,  in  the 
event  of  war.  That  night  he  went  South, 
and  it  was  scon  rumored  that  he  had  gone 
to  stay.  There  was  a  meeting  of  the  com- 
pany, and  V^olney  'i'.  ;\Ialott  was  delegated  to 
correspond  with  him  and  lea)-n  his  intentions. 
Shoup,  who  was  then  visiting  Cai)tain 
Hood— later  General  Hood— at  Charleston, 
promptly  replied  that  he  had  decided  to  cast 
his  fortrrnes  with  the  South  in  tlu'  event  of 
war-.  The  meeting  at  which  this  answer-  was 
r-ead  wa.s  an  occasion  for-  "thoughts  that 
br-eathe  and  wor-ds  that  burn''.  The  idea  that 
a  native  Iloosier-.  educated  by  the  gover'u- 
ment.  and  sent  to  West  Point,  fr-orn  Wa.\rie 
County  at  that,  shoidd  go  over  to  the  South, 
was  .simply  appalling.  However,  there  was 
irothing  in  the  pai)er-s  about  it  except  nren- 
tiorr  that  Shoup  had  r-esigned.  and  Lieut. 
Dewitt  C.  Rugg  had  been  elected  (•a|)tain  irr 
his  place.'' 

Shoup  far-ed  ver-y  well  with  his  Soirlheirr 
frieirds.  lie  was  a  ma.i(U'  in  1861,  coirrmarrd- 
ing  three  batteries  of  artillery,  and  was  made 
br-igadier-general  April  11,  1868.  He  was  in 
(•(inimand  of  the  artiller-\-  at  Mobile,  chief  of 


'Journal,  Jauuar-v  8.  1S61. 


'■'Joiiniiil .  Jariiiai'V  80,  IStil. 


220 


lllsTokV  OF  GKEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


artillery  of  Jolinstpn's  army  in  the  Dalton 
campaign,  and  chief  of  staff  under  General 
Hood  at  Atlanta.  When  Vieksbiirg-  was  cap- 
tured he  was  commanding  a  Louisiana  brigade 
there,  under  Peniberton.  Just  after  the  capit- 
ulation, a  private  of  tlie  Eleventh  Indiana 
saw  a  gorgeously  attired  Confederate  officer 
approaching  our  lines  on  horseback,  and  rec- 
ognized Shoup.  With  a  yell  of,  "Get  off 
that  horse,  Frank  Shoup,  you  —  —  —  !"  he 
made  for  a  stand  of  arms  near  by,  but  was 
stopped  by  an  officer  before  anything  serious 
occurred.  In  reply  to  the  officer's  question  as 
to  what  he  wanted,  Shoup  explained  that  he 
understood  that  the  Eleventh  Indiana  was  in 
his  front,  and  he  had  come  out  to  see  some 
of  his  old  friends.  "Well'",  replied  the  offi- 
cer, "you  have  seen  a  specimen  of  what  the 
Eleventh  Indiana  thinks  of  you.  You  had 
better  get  back  to  your  quarters  at  once ;  and 
I  woidd  advise  you  to  dispose  of  those  side- 
arms  at  your  earliest  convenience."  Shoup 
was  paroled,  with  Pembertou  and  others,  and 
a  few  weeks  latei-  the  Confederate  exchange 
agent  announced  them  as  "exchanged",  au- 
thorizing an  equal  exchange  of  paroled  Union 
men ;  they  then  resumed  their  sei'vice.  After 
the  war  Shoup  entered  the  ministry  of  the 
Episcopal  Church. 

Human  nature  soon  adjusts  itself  to  ex- 
traordinary conditions.  The  town  settled 
down  and  resumed  its  life,  with  the  great 
new  interest  of  the  war.  The  six  regiments 
that  were  called  for  to  serve  three  months 
were  quickly  filled  to  overflowing.  The  Elev- 
enth wa.s  the  pride  of  Indianapolis.  This 
was  the  Zouave  regiment,  organized  and  com- 
manded by  Lew  Wallace,  into  which  went  the 
four  militia  companies  of  Indianapolis  and 
one  other.  It  not  only  wore  the  zouave  uni- 
form, and  had  guns  with  sword  bayonets,  but 
the  drill  was  the  zouave  system,  introduced 
into  this  country  from  Prance  by  Colonel 
Ellsworth  of  Chicago.  It  was  a  picturesque 
body,  and  its  colonel  was  a  picturesque  figure. 
Who  that  witnessed  it  can  ever  forget  how, 
when  the  regiment  was  gathered  in  the  State 
House  yard  to  receive  a  stand  of  coloi-s  from 
the  ladies  of  Iiuliana,  he  made  the  men  kneel 
and  with  uplifted  hands  swear  to  remember 
Buena  Vista  and  the  stigma  put  upon  In- 
diana valor  on  that  field  by  Jefferson  Davis? 
What  liojies  animated  and  followed  these  de- 


parting troops!  How  hearts  were  sorely 
tried  and  bereft  as  their  boys  marched  away 
to  face  the  unknown  and  perilous  future! 
For  tliey  were  but  boys  in  the  main,  as  we 
realize  now,  but  they  were  men  in  purpose, 
and  courage,  and  deeds. 

Six  regiments  of  state  troops  were  called 
for  by  the  Governor  aud  these  were  soon  filled 
and  accepted  by  the  general  government  for 
twelve  months  and  three  years.  The  whole 
state  was  awake.  Governor  Morton  called  a 
special  session  of  the  legislature  to  provide 
means  for  the  war.  The  ladies  met  and 
formed  an  aid  society  com]>osed  of  branches 
from  each  ward  to  make  shirts  and  other 
garments  and  havelocks,  a  head  protection 
modeled  on  the  sun-bonnet  and  borrowed 
from  the  British  Indian  army — an  article  in 
great  request  at  first,  but  it  was  never  liked 
by  the  soldiers,  and  soon  disappeared  from 
public  mention.  The  Journal  issued  an  extra 
every  afternoon.  The  City  Council  voted 
•$10,000  for  the  soldiers'  families.  Some  rail- 
roads offered  to  carry  troops  free.  Banks 
gave  money.  Gifts  were  showered  on  sol- 
diers. There  was  eagerness  to  get  into  the 
service  before  the  war  covdd  be  finished.  A 
man  92  years  old  enlisted :  another  shaved 
his  beard  and  dyed  his  hair  to  pass  muster 
Home  guards  were  organized  in  the  wards, 
among  them  the  Silver  Grays,  comjiosed  of 
men  above  militai-y  age,  captained  by  James 
Blake,  seventy  years  j'oung,  and  with  Caleb 
Seudder  as  president. 

Illustrative  of  journalism  was  this  item  in 
the  Journal  on  April  23rd:  "p]rratum.  In 
Mr.  Hyde's  sermon  as  printed  in  our  extra 
of  yesterday  there  were  two  mis-prints  which 
eveiy  intelligent  reader  corrected  for  himself. 
In  the  first  sentence  Kingdom  of  Israel  should 
read  Kingdojn  of  Saul ;  and  in  the  seventh 
paragraph  peaceable  resistance  should  read 
forcible  resistance". 

The  legislature  met  on  the  24th  and  all 
was  amity.  It  organized  by  a  unanimous  elec- 
tion of  officers,  the  only  instance  in  the  state's 
history  probably,  and  then  adjourned  to  visit 
Camp  ^Vlorton  and  hear  Stephen  A.  Douglass 
speak,  which  he  liid  not;  but  he  did  speak 
that  night  from  the  Bates  House  veranda,  of 
which  no  mention  was  made  by  the  papers, 
when  he  again  took  his  stand  on  the  side  of 
the  Union  and  in  su]ipoj-t  of  the  administra- 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOIJS. 


321 


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iiisT()i;v  OF  (;i!i:atj:i;  ixdiaxapolts. 


tion,  an  act  of  inestiiiiablf  valiu'  to  the  cause. 
Within  a  few  days  he  was  dead. 

The  Eleventh  was  sent  to  Evausviiie  to 
quell  possible  disturbances  on  the  border,  but 
the  remaining  regiments  were  reviewed  by 
General  jMcClellan.  Governor  Yates  of  Illi- 
nois, Denuison  of  Ohio,  and  [\Iorton  and  Sen- 
ator Trumbull  on  ^lay  24th.  on  the  conunons 
northwest  of  ^Military  Park,  then  Camp  Sul- 
livan. Three  regiments  were  in  full  uniform, 
one  had  ever\'thing  but  hats  and  one  had 
nothing  military,  but  all  made  a  gallant  ap- 
pearance. It  was  the  first  time  that  Indian- 
apolis had  seen  so  many  soldiers  together  and 
it  was  witnessed  with  great  enthusiasm.  It 
was  the  first  of  many  such  displays.  The 
•work  of  equipping  these  men  was  necessarily 
slow.  It  took  time  to  make  uniforms,  and 
longer  time  to  procure  arms  and  ammunition. 
much  of  which  was  imported.  It  may  be  of 
interest  to  know  what  the  uniforms  cost.  Two 
regiments  were  clothed  in  cadet  satinet,  cost- 
ing .$7.90  each,  one  in  jeans  at  $6.50  and  an- 
other at  $7.50:  the  fifth  of  gray  satinet  at 
$6.75  and  the  Zouaves  at  $10  each.  Flannel 
shirts  cost  $1.40,  hats  $1.'25,  and  shoes  $1.15. 
While  waiting,  the  troops  were  drilled  con- 
stantly, but  it  was  not  until  June  19th  that 
the  la.st  of  the  three  months'  regiments  left 
for  the  seat  of  war.  After  this  more  regi- 
ments were  called  for,  recruited  and  mus- 
tered, with  two  Of  three  independent  cavalry 
companies  and  a  number  of  artillery  com- 
panies, and  later  full  cavalry  regiments.  A 
number  of  these  never  came  here,  but  some 
passed  through  or  camped  here  for  a  few 
days.  There  was  a  German  regiment,  an 
Irish  regiment  formed  and  a  .second  projected, 
a  railroad  regiment,  a  mechanics'  regiment, 
and  a  preachers'  I'egiment,  the  field  officers 
and  captains  of  which  were  to  be  ministei-s, 
a  scheme  not  fully  carried  out.  Altogether 
hfty-eight  regiments  were  authorized  during 
1861,  although  about  half  a  dozen  were  never 
completed.  Besides  these  many  Indianians 
had  gone  into  the  regular  army  and  into  out- 
side companies  tliat  recruited  hei-e,  until  the 
state  authorities  put  a  stop  to  it.  It  was  a 
tremendous  achievement  to  raise  an  army  of 
over  50,000  men  in  less  than  nine  months. 
Indianapolis  contributed  a  number  of  com- 
panies to  various  regiments;  and  in  alnmst 
every    regiment    thei'e    was   some    repi-esenta- 


tive  of  the  town.  It  was  also  true  that  many 
citizens  of  other  places  came  here  and  en- 
listed. 

A  very  important  event  was  the  return  of 
the  three  months'  troops  in  August.  They 
had  not  had  nuich  war,  as  war  appeared  later; 
but  they  had  done  all  that  was  in  their  power 
to  do,  and  had  borne  themselves  gallantly. 
Each  regiment  received  an  ovation  of  sahttes, 
speeches,  feasting  at  the  west  market  house, 
and  a  heart-felt  welcome.  Each  man  was 
a  hero,  and  nothing  was  too  good  for  him. 
All  these  regiments  reorganized  for  three 
years.  ]\Iany  of  the  men  became  officers  in 
the  new  regiments,  many  new  men  were  re- 
cruited, and  before  sixty  days  they  were  off 
to  the  war  again. 

The  raising  and  drilling  of  troops  was  no 
more  important  than  e(|uipping  them,  for 
there  was  difficulty  in  obtaining  arms,  ammu- 
nition or  accoutrements.  On  February  1, 
1861.  the  state's  supply  of  arms  in  possession 
of  the  state's  quartermaster  were  "505  mus- 
kets, worthless  and  incapable  of  being  re- 
paired; 54  flint  lock  Yager  rifles,  which  could 
be  altered  at  $2  each  to  percu.ssion  locks ;  40 
serviceable  nuiskets  in  the  hands  of  military 
companies  at  Indianapolis,  which  could  be  re- 
turned at  once;  80  muskets  with  accouti-e- 
ments  in  store;  1:3  artillery  musketoons;  75 
holster  pistols;  26  Sharpe's  rifles;  20  Colt's 
navy  pistols;  2  boxes  of  cavalry  sabres;  1 
box  powder  flasks;  3  boxes  accoutrements."' 

There  were  also  estimated  to  be  600  mus- 
kets in  fair  condition,  distributed  among  15 
militia  companies  in  the  state.  The  state  was 
entitled  to  488  muskets  from  the  natioiuil  gov- 
ernment on  its  1861  quota,  and  (iovernor 
Morton  took  in  place  of  them  a  6-pounder 
cannon  and  350  minie  rifles  with  bayonets. 
On  April  27  Calvin-  Fletcher  was  commis- 
sioned to  learn  what  could  be  obtained  from 
manufactories  of  arms  in  the  United  States, 
and  later  jMiles  J.  Fletcher  was  sent  on  the 
same  mission,  but  they  found  practically 
nothing  available.  On  May  80  Robert  Dale 
Owen  was  conunissioned  to  purchase  arms  to 
the  extent  of  6,000  rifles  and  1,000  carbines 
in  this  country  or  in  Europe,  and  this  order 
was  from  time  to  time  eidarged.  To  the  close 
of  his  service  on  February  6,  1863,  he  pur- 


^  Terrell's  Report.  Vol.  1,  p.  428. 


nrSTOKV   OF  OKF.ATET^   TXDTAXArOT.lS. 


233 


chased  80.000  Enfiold  i-iHes,  2,731  carbines, 
751  revolvers,  and  797  sabres,  at  a  cost  of 
$752,694.75;  besides  e-xijendin-r  $3,905  for 
cavalry  e(|uipiiients.  $50,407  for  blankets,  and 
$84,829  for  o\-ereoats.  His  total  bill  for  serv- 
ices and  e.xpenses  for  twenty  iiiontiis  einployed 
in  this  service  was  $3,452.'' 

Animunition  was  also  almost  impossible  to 
obtain,  and  .Morton,  who  balked  at  no  ob- 
stacle, determined  to  try  making  it.  Captain 
Herman  Sturm,  wlio  had  learned  the  l)usi- 
uess  in  Europe,  was  put  in  charge  of  the  ex- 
periment in  rented  quarters  on  the  square 
south  of  the  state  house,  with  a  blacksmith's 
foige  for  melting  lead,  a  room  for  making 
cartridges,  and  a  detail  of  men  from  the 
Eleventh  regiment  to  do  the  work.  The  work 
wa.s  a  success,  and  oui'  first  troops  were  fur- 
nished with  anununition  from  this  source. 
The  work  was  started  on  April  27:  and  a 
month  later  (Tovei'uor  ]\Iorton  ordered  the 
construction  of  buildings  for  the  work  ou 
the  square  north  of  the  state  house— now  the 
north  half  of  the  state  house  grounds.  On 
June  15  the  Jouriidl  i-eported  the  buildings 
about  completed.  On  the  north  side  of  the 
enclosure  was  a  small  brick  building  with 
furnaces  for  melting  lead,  and  room  for  eight 
men  to  work  at  molding  bullets,  as  well  as 
benches  for  swedging  and  perfeetiiiir  the  bul- 
lets. Ad.joining  this  was  a  room  for  tilling 
shells  and  prepariuLr  fuzes.  On  the  east  and 
west  sides  of  the  enclosure  were  frame  build- 
ings for  making  cartridiics  and  storing  am- 
munition. There  were  soon  about  100  women 
and  girls  employed  in  making  cartridges,  and 
the  institution  grew  steadily.  In  October. 
1861.  Secretary  of  War  Cameron  and  (Jen- 
eral  Thomas  visited  this  arsenal  and  iiispeete(l 
the  work.  They  recommended  its  continu- 
ance; and  it  not  only  supplied  most  of  the 
Indiana  troops  but  vrry  lartrely  others.  The 
transactions  of  the  ai'senal  to  its  close  on 
April  18,  1864,  amounted  to  $788,838.45.  Mud 
the  state  made  a  clear  profit  from  its  opera- 
tion of  $77,457.32.  .\s  high  as  700  jiersons 
were  cmi)loycd  iu  it  at  one  time.  In  the  win- 
ier  of  1861.  the  furniture  factory  of  John  Ott. 
on  West  WashinLitdU  street,  was  rented  for 
tile  work,  and  eannister-sbot  and  siirnal  liirhls 
were  added  to  the  jirodnets.     In  ]xi;-2.  pai-tly 


■•Terrell.  V,,l.   1.  pp.  433-5. 


for  safety  and  partly  foi'  economy,  the  ar- 
senal was  moved  about  a  mile  and  a  half  ea.st 
of  the  state  hou.se  on  Washington  street.  In 
1863  the  United  States  purchased  the  tract 
now  known  as  the  Winona  Technical  insti- 
tute grounds,  and  be^an  the  ei'cction  of  an 
arsenal  there. 

In  all  this  time  the  town  was  feeling  an 
acceleration  of  blood  in  every  vein.  .Military 
careers  opened  up  to  many ;  other  service  to 
some;  and  business  opportunities  to  those 
who  remained.  Money  was  more  plentiful 
than  ever  before,  and  ])opulation  was  increas- 
ing. p]ven  polities  was  not  foi'gotten.  Can- 
didates at  the  election  of  city  officers  on  ^lay 
3  had  been  nominated  before  the  war  began. 
.V  few  days  later  '"C.  A.  R."  in  a  communi- 
cation to  the  Jounuil  advises  that  "the  Re- 
publican candidates  should  resign  in  favor  of 
a  patriotic  ticket  or  a  new  party",  "embrac- 
ing all  its  country's  friends".  "Let  \\s  all 
unite  now  and  forget  party  till  the  war  is 
over."  Soiuid  advice,  that  if  heeded  and  fol- 
lowed up  woulil  have  been  of  untold  value, 
but  the  selfish  desire  for  office  was  too  great 
and  the  election  was  held  on  pai'ty  lines  with 
Repidjiican  success.  Soon  after  two  new 
wards  were  organized  but  the  councilmen 
were  Democrats  and  they  were  kept  out  of 
office  by  the  Republican  ma.i'oi-ity  until  their 
terms  were  almost  otit.  Such  peanut  |)olitics 
boi'c  bitter  fruit  in  increasing  partisan  hos- 
tility. The  Sfntliirl.  though  professing  ex- 
treme loyalty,  soon  began  a  course  of  cen- 
sorious criticism  and  opposition  to  the  State 
and  Federal  administi'ation  that  grew  fiercer 
as  the  war  progressed,  and  was  terribly  ef- 
fective for  harm  to  the  National  cause.  Pos- 
sibly a  different  attitude  ou  the  part  of  the 
Republicans  niiyht  have  pi-eviMited  this,  or  at 
least  modified  it.  Tjater  in  the  sununei-  the 
Democrats  offci'cd  to  withdi'aw  theii-  candi- 
dates for  county  and  township  officers  and 
unite  with  the  Republicans  ou  a  union  ticket, 
but  the  offer  was  treated  with  contempt  and 
another  oiiportunity  for  conciliation  lost. 

Tlere  are  some  interesting  facts  from  the 
pa]icrs  cover! nu'  several  months:  .\  self- 
appointed  viuilance  connnittee  was  foi-med. 
and  as  earl\'  as  May  4th  bcL'^an  stopping  the 
pa.ssage  of  arms  to  the  South.  There  was  a 
good  rleal  of  talk  about  diseiplining  "Seces- 
sionists".      On     Ma\'    3r(l    tlie    Jminnil    said: 


00  A 


HISTOKY  OF  OHKVTEE  INDIANAPOLIS. 


''Spot  llim  — That  Secessionist  who  was 
chased  out  of  liewisville,  Indiana,  a  few  days 
since,  who  had  been  eorresponding:  from  that 
place  with  Southern  traitors,  was  seen  in  our 
city  yesterday.  He  should  be  attended  to. 
Later — At  a  citizens'  meeting  he  was  ordered 
to  leave  instanter. "  It  was  about  this  time 
that  a  mob  called  on  some  well  known  Demo- 
crats and  made  them  take  the  oath  of  al- 
legiance. It  is  interesting  to  note  that  among 
the  first  to  advertise  for  recruits  was  H.  II. 
Dodd.  His  company  of  "Marion  Dragoons"' 
■was  never  formed,  and  later  he  became  the 
head  of  the  Sons  of  Liberty.  Within  three 
months  men  began  to  be  discharged  from 
service  for  disability:  officers  resigned,  some 
under  comiiulsion  -.  and  on  November  15th 
deserters  are  first  mentioned,  mainly  from 
one  regiment  that  had  lost  150  men  by  dis- 
ease in  four  months— a  horrible  commentary 
on  the  lack  of  camp  sanitation  and  care_  of 
men.  Regiments  scarcely  got  to  the  field  be- 
fore they  sent  back  recruiting  officers  to  fill 
depleted  ranks.  An  entertainment  given  in 
the  fall  by  the  Sons  of  ]\Ialta.  exhibitinir  the 
burlesque  i-itual  of  that  order,  netted  5^(582 
for  soldiers'  families.  The  City  Mar.shal  gave 
notice  that  he  would  take  up  all  hogs  that  did 
not  have  rings  in  their  noses;  and  every  man 
that  planted  a  shade  tree  was  commended  by 
the  papers.  October  10th,  Governor  ^Forton 
appealed  to  the  women  to  furnish  blankets, 
socks,  gloves,  mittens,  woollen  shirts  and 
drawers,  and  on  November  23rd  it  was  an- 
nounced that  tons  had  been  received  and  that 
nothing  more  was  wanted,  except  gloves  and 
mittens.  This  indicates  something  of  what 
the  women  did.  But  for  their  sacrifices  and 
support,  the  war  would  not  have  succeeded. 
They  were  useful  in  a  hundred  wars  and  at 
all  times.  In  November  the  Ladies'  Patriotic 
Association  was  organized,  with  ]\li-s.  ^Forton 
as  pi'csident.  and  glorious  work  it  did. 

In  this  same  month  the  Journal  says :  "Two 
men  refusinc:  to  take  the  oath  miistering  thein 
into  the  U.  S.  service  were  yesterday  drummed 
out  of  one  of  the  camps  near  the  city.  One 
side  of  their  heads  was  shaved,  bundles  of 
straw  tied  to  their  backs,  they  were  moved 
on  double  quick  in  fr'ont  of  the  line  to  1hi< 
lively  tune  styled  the  Rogue's  ]\Farch.'"  .V 
notable  reception  was  given  to  ex-Govemor 
"Wright  on  his  return  from  Prussia.     He  had 


been  the  great  Democratic  leader  of  the 
Douglass  wing,  as  opposed  to  Jesse  D.  Bri^lit; 
but  from  that  time  forward  was  an  anient 
l^uion  man  for  whom  his  former  party  had 
no  use.  It  is  noted  that  fall  that  many  riot- 
ous acts  ai'e  being  committed  in  saloons  and 
evil  resorts  by  soldieis.  ;\Fueh  more  of  this 
is  heard  later  on. 

Indianapolis  miglit  be  called  the  birthplace 
(if  machine  guns.  On  November  7th  a  ;\Fr. 
Hatch,  of  Sprinsrfield.  Ohio,  exhibited  a  model 
of  a  breech-loading  cannon,  made  like  a  re- 
volver, with  percussion  caps,  and  firing  25 
shots  per  minute.  It  is  noted  that  Dr.  Rich- 
ard J.  Gatling,  the  inventor  of  the  wheat- 
drill  and  other  things,  was  present  at  the 
trial,  and  later  he  produced  the  celebi'ated 
"(fatling  eun",  exhibiting  it  first  on  ^Fay  30, 
1862.  The  po.stoffice  was  moved  on  the  ISth 
of  November  from  South  ]\Feridian  street  to 
the  new  Federal  building  at  Pennsylvania 
and  Market  streets.  A  national  loan  was  of- 
fered, interest,  7.3%,  for  popular  subscrip- 
tion, which  realized  after  several  weeks 
.$31,235;  Hum])hi-ey  (iriflith.  the  largest  suli- 
scril^er,  takinc  $3,000.  A  review  was  held 
November  21st  of  1,000  cavalry,  4,n00  in- 
fantry and  two  batteries.  The  theatre  went 
on  steadily  at  the  .Metropolitan  with  such 
actors  as  Felix  Vincent  and  Marian  I\Fac- 
cai'thv,  Sallie  St.  Claii'.  Adah  Isaacs  3Fenken, 

C.  W'.  Couldock.  J.  Wilkes  Booth,  with  a  daily 
change  of  bill.  Prices,  reduced,  were  75  cents 
for  a  oentleman  and  lady  to  the  dress  circle, 
each  additional  lady  25  cents.  Those  to  the 
pit,  or  parquet  as  now  kno\\ai,  and  the  gallery 
were  not  given.  The  Seiiiiiirl  continued  its 
nagging  opposition.  It  had  much  to  say 
about  "nisre'ers".  Witness  the  following: 
"The  Rev.  Dr.  Weaver.  This  divine,  late 
])astor  of  the  African  chiirch  opposite  the 
Terre  Haute  depot,  arrived  in  the  city  a  day 
or  two  ago,  and,  we  noticed,  was  very  cor- 
dially greeted  on  the'  street  by  Mr.  Barton 

D.  Jones,  of  the  Journal,  the  nigger's  hand 
being  grasped  warmly  by  the  latter." 

The  progress  of  the  war  was  not  smooth 
in  1861.  The  principal  battle  fought.  Bull 
Run,  was  a  defeat,  and  phuiged  the  Noi-th 
into  ylooiii :  but  it  had  a  vahiable  result  in 
demonstrating  that  the  war  was  not  to  be  an 
easy  task,  and  convincing  the  people  of  the 
need  of  thorough  preparation  and  larger  ef- 


HISTORY  OF  GREATF.li   TXDl ANAl'OMS. 


fort.  In  West  Virgiuia  and  Missouri  tlu' 
Union  ti'oops  met  with  decided  success,  but 
the  confliots  were  small.  In  October,  Novem- 
ber and  December  an  advance  was  made  int;i 
Kentucky  with  s-ratifyinji'  results,  but  no  seri- 
ous fif-'hting-  took  place.  This  is  not  the  iilace 
in  which  to  follow  the  general  course  of  the 
war,  the  aim  beins  to  allude  only  to  incidents 
that  directly  affected  Indianapolis,  or  to  those 
great  events  that  stirred  it  as  well  as  the 
whole  country  to  either  gloom  or  rejoicin"!:. 
The  next  year,  1862,  was  tilled  with  biij  mili- 
tary  events,  and  ureat  campaiirns  and  huui' 
battles,  with  varying-  fortunes,  but  as  a  rule 
the  Federal  troops  were  snccessfid  in  the 
West  and  tlie  Confederates  in  the  East.  The 
story  of  the  year  can  best  be  <>iven  in  a  run- 
ning recital  covering  all  matters  of  interest, 
rather  than  in  a  consecutive  narrative. 

Gold  had  gone  to  a  slight  premium  in  Au- 
gust or  September,  that  had  riui  by  .Januaiy 
to  a  point  of  alarm,  and  a  nund)er  of  eastei-n 
banks  had  sus]>ended  si)ecie  i)ayments  with 
the  almost  certainty  that  all  would  have  to 
do  so.  Hugh  ^M^Culloch.  jjrcsident  of  tln' 
bank  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  that  had  not 
suspended  during  the  panic  of  '57,  wrote  a 
card  to  the  Journal  early  in  January  in 
which  he  said:  "Tender  no  conceivable  cir- 
cumstances will  the  Bank  of  the  State  of  In- 
diana suspend  specie  payments."  By  the  last 
of  February  nearly  all  the  branches  had  voted 
to  make  redemptions  in  legal  tender  notes  in- 
stead of  gold.  Another  instance  of  Tloiace 
Greeley's  wisdom  when  he  said  "it  is  hard 
enough  to  tell  the  truth  about  what  has  been, 
without  trying  to  tell  what  is  going  to  be."" 

The  Indianapolis  Horticultural  Society  was 
one  of  the  institutions  of  the  town.  It  met 
bi-weekly,  and.  as  gardens  were  ])lentiful.  had 
a  good  membership  in  which  j)rof('ssioiial  grn- 
tlemen  were  pi'ominent.  Apiiarently  it  ncvei- 
suspended  meetings  but  kept  right  along  dur- 


"  The  bank  did  not  suspend  specie  pay- 
ments, however,  until  after  the  Sui)reme 
Court  had  dreidcd.  at  the  :\ray  term.  18(i-_', 
that  it  co\ild  legally  do  so.  Its  charter  re- 
(|uii'ed  the  redemption  of  its  notes  "in  gold 
or  silver",  but  the  court  said:  "The  fi-ue 
interpretation  of  the  section  must  be  that  the 
bank  shall  not  refuse  to  redeem  her  bills  in 
what  Congress  shall  constitutionally  make 
Vol.  1—13 


ing  the  whole  war,  discussing  topics  of  im- 
l)ortance.  It  is  intei-esting  to  see  that  the 
sub.ject  in  January  was  shade-trees;  and  that 
the  silver  leaf  poplar  wa.s  decided  to  be  a 
business  ti-ee,  suitable  for  Washington  street. 
Complaints  were  made  of  the  Circle  that  it 
was  used  for  beating  carpets  and  littered  with 
straw,  probabl.y  the  refuse  of  beds  or  straw 
ticks.  It  had  a  dilapidated  fence  around  it, 
but  University  Square,  wliich  wa.s  used  by  the 
19th  Regulars  as  a  drill  ground,  had  none, 
and  the  aesthetic  ideas  of  some  of  our  aspir- 
ing citizens  begpn  to  be  offended. 

On  January  8th  there  was  a  gi-and  review 
of  all  the  troops,  but  singularly  the  S(  iilinci 
did  not  mention  it.  A  public  meeting  to  eulo- 
gize Douglass,  seven  months  dead,  was  held. 
Robert  Heller,  illusionist,  composer  and  ])ian- 
ist,  gave  an  entertainment;  Bayard  Taylor 
lectured;  Charles  Bass  played  Falstaff,  and 
Annette  Ince  Jennie  Deans.  The  rnderhill 
lilock,  being  three-quarters  of  the  square  on 
which  Shortridge  Iligh  School  stands,  was 
jilatted  into  lots  and  offered  for  sale  at  $45 
per  foot  on  Penn.sylvania  street,  except  the 
northwest  comer,  which  was  $46.50.  The 
southwestern  quarter  was  occupied  by  the 
Baptist  Female  Seminary.  The  Delaware 
street  lots  were  offered  at  $35  for  inside  ones, 
.$87.50  f(n'  the  northern  and  $45  for  the 
southern  corners.  The  next  month  ;i  lot  30 
feet  front  centrally  located  within  two  and  a 
half  S(piares  of  Odd  Fellows  Hall  was  ad- 
vertised at  $25  per  foot.  A  Sentinel  etlitorial 
February  6  gives  the  Democratic  opposition 
in  a  nutshell:  "He  who  loves  abolitionism 
hates  the  Constitution  and  the  Union.  There 
is  no  friend  of  that  pernicious  hei'esy  but  who 
is  for  the  vigorous  prosecution  of  the  war, 
I)rovided  it  is  for  the  enianeipation  of  the 
negro,  but  not  to  preserve  the  Constitution 
and  maintain  the  Union  as  framed  by  the 
patriots  of  the  Revolution." 

The  donations  of  clothiui:  and  bedding  for 


legal  tender  money.  The  bank  eonnot  be 
compelled  to  receive  treasury  notes  from  the 
citizen,  in  one  hand,  and  pay  to  the  {-itizen 
gold  and  silver  in  the  other.  I'udei-  this  con- 
struction of  the  charter,  the  act  of  Congress 
in  question  does  not  impair  its  obligation  re- 
garded a.s  a  contract.  (Revnolds  vs.  The 
Bank,  18  Ind.,  p.  467.)" 


226 


IIJS'I'OIIY  OF  GREATER  IXDIANAPOLTS. 


the  trooi)S  were  so  great  that  Quarter-Master 
General  \ajen  liad  to  advertise  for  appliea- 
tioiis  for  them  from  regiments,  and  this 
seemed  to  be  unsuccessful ;  so,  late  in  ^lareh 
they  were  turned  over  'to  the  Sanitary  Com- 
mission, 'this  was  an  orgauization  formed 
to  look  after  the  health  and  comfort  of  the 
soldiers  m  the  tiekl.  It  was  a  national  so- 
ciety with  a  branch  in  each  state.  The  one 
in  Indiana  was  established  in  January,  and 
of  course  James  Blake  was  president  and 
James  .M.  Kay,  secretary.  There  was  also  a 
Christian  Commission  later,  on  the  same  basis. 
It  furnished  material  comforts  as  well  as 
religious  literature  and  evangelistic  laborers. 
When  the  emancipated  slaves  became  numer- 
ous the  Freedmen"s  Aid  Society  was  also  or- 
ganized on  the  same  plan,  to  look  after  their 
needs.  These  various  societies  collected  large 
sums  of  money  and  (juantities  of  supplies, 
and  were  of  great  usefulness.  Indiana,  how- 
ever, became  noted  for  the  care  taken  of  its 
soldiers.  This  was  Governor  Morton's  woi'k 
and  embraced  not  only  the  meeting  of  sud- 
den demands  after  a  battle,  when  he  would 
secure  surgeons  and  nurses  with  medicines 
and  supplies  as  quickly  as  they  could  be 
transported,  but  also  an  unremitting  atten- 
tion to  their  health  and  comfort.  When  pos- 
sible the  siek  and  wounded  were  brought 
home  or  to  hospitals  in  the  North,  at  Evans- 
ville  and  iliidison  foi-  instance,  where  lai-ge 
ones  had  been  built.  PeniiMuent  agents  were 
maintained  in  cities  near  the  front  and  others 
visited  troops  in  the  fields.  It  was  the  duty 
of  some  of  these  to  receive  the  soldiers' 
mone}%  when  desired,  and  bring  it  safelj' 
home  to  their  families.  The  system  was  ex- 
ecuted carefully  and  Indiana  gained  the  repu- 
tation (if  kxiking  after  its  men  more  thor- 
oughly than  any  other  state,  the  credit  for 
which  was  due  to  Governm-  .Morton,  who  was 
ju-stly  named  "The  Soldiers'  Friend'". 

In  February  the  i-ealization  of  what  war 
was  came  near.  Ft.  Donaldson  had  been 
taken  with  many  thousand  prisoners.  On  the 
I22nd  and  23rd,  2,398  of  them  arrived  here, 
all  from  Kentucky,  Tennessee  and  Missi.ssipjii 
regiments.  They  were  taken  to  Camp  ilortoii 
and  in  a  few  days  the  inimbei-  inerea.sed  to 
4,000.  From  that  time  on.  Camp  Morton  was 
a  prison.  This  great  victoi-y  gave  rise  to  high 
hopes.     It  was  fi'eely  asserted  that  the  back- 


bone of  the  rebellion  was  broken.  The 
weathei-  was  seseiv  and  the  prisoners  were 
thinly  clad,  and  many  became  sick.  The  town 
rallied  to  their  aid.  Hospitals  were  impro- 
vised, one  in  the  old  Athenaeum  building  at 
^Maryland  and  ^Meridian  streets,  another  in 
the  old  pastoffice  buildiiig  on  South  ^Meridian 
and  in  other  places.  The  laciies  turned  out 
as  nurses,  and  the  best  possible  care  was 
given  them,  as  much  as  if  they  had  been 
Union  men.  Humanity  knew  no  distinction. 
at  least  not  much,  for  it  was  asserted  that 
certain  Democratic  ladies  who  had  never  been 
Icnown  to  help  before,  were  very  active  at 
this  time.  The  arrival  of  the  prisoners  cre- 
ated great  interest.  The  Jouruul  advised  that 
"no  rudeness  be  allowed  or  taunting  ex|)res 
sions.  Let  us  do  as  we  would  be  done  li.v". 
Later  it  reported  that  the  conduct  of  the  peo- 
ple was  perfectly  exemplary.  One  young 
man  was  said  to  be  so  anxious  to  "see  the 
Secesh"  that  he  followed  them  to  Camp  Mor- 
ton, and  getting  mixed  with  them  was  taken 
in  and  held  as  one  till  the  next  morning.  Thi- 
Sd'iitinel  called  them  "Secession  prisoners", 
never  rebels.  A  public  subscription  for  the 
wounded  Federals  reached  $5,400  in  three 
days.  On  February  28th  men  were  urged  to 
join  a  new  battery  as  it  was  probably  the 
la.st  one  that  would  be  organized  in  the  state 
The  price  for  the  daily  paper  then  was 
1214  cents  a  week.  There  were  no  Sunday 
issues.  All  holidays  were  oliserved  and  there 
was  no  issue  the  next  day.  Train  service  was 
bad.  The  time  to  Chicago  was  eight  hours 
and  considered  fast.  News  came  slowly.  It 
took  ten  days  to  find  out  that  Pittsburgh 
Landing  was  not  a  great  victory.  The  Jour- 
nal published  many  letters  from  regiments 
and  was  beginning  to  discover  what  news  was. 
After  the  battle  of  Shiloh.  Berry  Sulgrove. 
the  editoi-  of  the  JoKnnil.  ])aid  a  visit  to  the 
front  there,  and  on  the  29th  of  April  wrote. 
among  other  things,  this  paragraph,  which 
has  more  than  passing  interest:  "Of  Gen- 
era] Grant  I  heard  much  and  little  to  his 
credit.  The  army  may  know  nothing  of  the 
real  guilt  of  the  late  sacrifice  and  the  real 
cause  of  the  confusion  tiiat  was  left  to  ar- 
range itself  in  a  storm  of  bullets  and  fire, 
but  they  believe  that  (irant  is  at  fault.  No 
respect  is  felt  foi'  him  and  no  confidence  felt 
in   him.     I  heard   nobody  attempt   to  excul- 


TrTS'l'ORV  OF  CltEATEl!   TNDTAXAI'OLIS. 


22^ 


piiti*  him,  ami  liis  cdiRhict  was  the  oiic  to])ic 
of  disciissiou  ai'ouiul  t-aiiip  fires  (luriiiji  my 
stay. '  ■ 

The  Scvfiiul  manifested  some  cotu'et-n 
about  piiblie  morals  tliat  savoi'ed  more  ol'  a 
desire  to  carp  and  sneer  than  of  sincere  re- 
gret, for  instance  the  folhnvint; :  "The  Holy 
Sabhatii  — There  is  no  Sabbatii  now.  This  is 
a  time  of  war.  It  pains  us,  as  indeed  it  must 
pain  evei-y  othei-  C'hi'istian  gentleman,  to  see 
sueh  open  desecration  of  the  holy  day.  al- 
thoujrh  we  supjiose  it  is  ab.solutely  necessary 
now.  Yesterday  thiwighout  our  streets,  sol- 
diers were  marching'  and  countermareliiui;' 
contiinially.  The  drum  and  fife  everywhere 
were  heard.  Companies  iuid  i)attidions  with 
{lliltei'iny:  bayonets  and  tlauntinir  flays  parad- 
ed under  the  (iood  (iod's  jiloi'ious  sun  which 
lie  Himself  with  His  own  liand  jilaeed  in  the 
firmament  all  for  His  own  honor  and  oflory 
and  not  all  for  man's.  President  Ijineoln's 
administration  nnist  ])e  sustained,  if  we  do 
smash  the  saei'ed  day.  which  as  innocent  little 
boys  we  were  tauulit  to  leverenee,  all  to 
pieces.  This  mi'jht  just  as  well  be  under- 
stood at  once  in  lieaven  as  it  is  on  earth." 

Keal  estate  bey:an  to  show  activity.  March 
14th  the  Maxwell  pni|)erty  (  now  the  Fitz- 
gerald), three  lots  and  a  iiootl  brick  house. 
at  the  northeast  corner  of  ^Meridian  and  St. 
Clair  sti'cets.  was  sold  for  $9,000  and  consid- 
ered a  jrood  sale,  as  showin*;'  that  real  estate 
had  not  depreciated  much  on  accomit  of  the 
war.  Vacant  uround  within  one  and  a  half 
squares  of  the  Circle  was  offered  at  $()0  per 
foot  in  50  or  100  foot  lots.  The  i)a|)ers  bei^an 
to  talk  of  contemplated  buildinfrs  and  prob- 
able lar<re  improvements.  In  April  John  C. 
New  boutrht  Xos.  10  and  VI  East  Washiui;- 
ton  stivet  of  S.  A.  Fletcher,  Sr.,  for  .$2.'),000, 
with  the  buiUlinu:s  that  ai'e  still  thci'c.  The 
Stewart  corner  at  Vermont  and  New  Jer.sey 
streets  sold  for  $45  a  foot.  The  council  or- 
dered some  street  imi)rovemenfs,  mainly  down 
town,  which  means  between  ]\lai'yland  and 
Ohio  streets.  The  houses  were  I'cnumbered 
to  make  room  for  more,  what  was  102  North 
Alabama  street,  foi-  examiile,  became  No.  '24'1. 
The  low  Court  Ilmise  grounds  were  filled  up 
in  .lune  and  so  much  buildinjr  was  done  that 
till  sui)ply  of  bi-ick  ran  out  in  th(>  summer. 
Oil  -huie  '25th  the  S()ili}i(I  said:  "'liusiness 
in    till'   citv    is   bi-isk.      Hdusi's   ai-c    mil    td   be 


had.  'I  he  war  so  fai'  has  added  to  our  popu- 
lation and  the  business  of  our  city."  The 
police  were  first  uniformed  in  July.  Before 
that  the  only  mark  of  their  business  was  a 
silver  star.  The  coat  was  dark  blue  with 
brass  buttons,  the  trou.ser.s  a  liy:ht  blue  with 
a  small  cord  alony  the  seam,  and  the  caps 
were  blue,  a  i);d])alile  imitation  of  army  uni- 
forms. 

At  this  time  we  catch  the  last  effort  to  en- 
force the  fugitive  slave  law.  Two  Kentuek- 
ians  found  a  runaway  slave  here,  who  agreed 
to  return  with  them  to  Kentucky,  Ki-iends 
intervened  and  he  was  taken  to  a  lawyer's 
oOice,  where  he  escai)ed  oi-  walked  off.  I'l-os- 
ecutor  Fishback  airested  the  men  on  a  charge 
of  kidnaping.  They  were  bi-ought  before 
Judge  Perkins  of  the  Supreme  Court  on  a 
writ  of  habeas  eor[)us,  who  releasetl  them  as 
having  done  nothing  contrary  to  law,  saying 
that  while  the  fugitive  slave  law  exi.sted  it 
must  be  enforced,  no  matter  how  repugnant 
it  might  be  to  the  people  of  this   Nation. 

On  July  7th  Governoi-  Morton  i.ssued  a 
pi-oclamation  under  the  President's  call  f(n- 
:500.000  more  men.  Recruiting  had  practie.-dly 
ceaseil  for  some  time.  A  dangerous  apathy 
wa.s  growing.  He  urged  every  man  "to  put 
aside  his  business  and  come  to  the  rescue  of 
his  country",  adding,  "And  to  the  women 
of  Indiana,  let  me  especially  apiieal.  *  *  * 
Kmuhde  the  virtues  of  the  Romaii  mothers; 
ui'ge  your  husbands  and  bi-othei-s  to  the  field. 
Your  influence  is  all-pervading  and  powei-ful. 
And  to  the  lovely  maiden  let  me  say,  beware 
of  that  lover  who.  full  of  health  and  vigor, 
lingers  at  home  in  inglorious  ease  when  his 
country  calls  him  to  arms".  In  spite  of  this 
ap])eal  enlistments  were  few.  On  Saturday, 
July  I'ith,  a  "grand  rally"  to  (>i-omote  them 
was  held.  (iovernor  .Moi-fon  presided  and 
spoke,  as  did  ('olonel  Duniont.  W'm.  Wallace 
and  Benjamin  Harrison,  the  latter  empha- 
si/.ing  his  call  by  saying  he  would  go  him.sclf. 
]\lotiey  and  land  to  be  sold  foi-  money  was 
offered  by  citizens  to  those  who  would  volun- 
teer in  the  70th  regiment,  the  one  assigTied  to 
this  district,  and  the  meetinir  adjourn<'d  luitil 
Tuesday,  On  .Monday  Mr.  Harrison  was  com- 
missioned a  second  lieuteimnt  and  emi>owei-ed 
to  raise  a  company,  which  was  the  method 
used.  The  City  Coinieil  voted  to  pay  fen 
dollars  per  man  to  the  first   tiftv  and  tn  make 


228 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


no  more  street  iinproveinents  this  year  ex- 
cept those  that  were  actually  necessary  for 
the  safety  of  the  city.  The  County  Connnis- 
sioners  voted  .$10  each  to  the  first  500  men. 
This  stinnilated  the  work  and  the  response 
was  such  that  the  camp  of  the  regiment  wa.s 
established  on  the  22nd.  It  was  in  that 
month  that  the  Soldiers'  Home  was  con- 
structed. So  many  soldiers  wei-e  continu- 
ally passing  through  the  city  or  remaining 
for  a  short  time,  both  in  bodies  and  individ- 
ually, and  for  whom  camps  were  not  suitable, 
that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  provide  a 
place  for  them.  It  was  located  on  AVest 
street,  south  of  ^laryland.  where  there  was 
open  ground  and  a  fine  grove.  IMr.  George 
Jlerritt  was  the  superintendent.  At  first  it 
aceonnnodated  100,  but  was  enlarged  from 
time  to  time  until  it  could  care  for  many 
more.  All  re-enlisting  or  retui-ning  regiments 
were  fed  there,  and  a  hospital  with  forty  beds 
was  established.  The  maintenance  came  from 
the  allowance  for  rations  of  the  soldiers  and 
the  Home  more  than  paid  its  way.  Some- 
what later  a  house  was  rented  near  the  depot 
that  was  u.sed  for  the  same  purpose  by  the 
wives  and  children  of  soldiers  who  had  to  re- 
main overnight.  The  provost  guard  had  its 
headquarters  at  the  Home  and  several  hun- 
dred men  were  in  a  permanent  camp  there 
for  many  months. 

Recruiting  became  quite  active,  but  it  was 
greatly  accelerated  by  the  President's  call  on 
August  4th  for  300.000  more  men,  to  be 
taken  by  draft.  ]\Ien  fairly  fell  over  each 
other  to  get  into  the  army,  rather  than  stand 
the  draft,  and  what  was  considered  the  dis- 
grace of  being  drawn.  The  regiments  filled 
at  once  for  both  calls,  and  the  scenes  of  the 
fall  before  were  re-enacted  all  over  the  state, 
in  this,  the  second  great  enlistment  period 
of  the  war.  The  state's  quota  of  the  300,000 
was  21,2.50.  In  the  end  it  was  filled  without 
the  draft.  In  August,  Kentucky  was  invaded 
in  great  force  and  our  troops  driven  back. 
All  available  forces  were  sent  forward  at 
once,  often  unequipped  and  all  green,  ifany 
battles  were  fought,  both  east  and  west,  and 
for  weeks  the  Journal  was  filled  with  lists  of 
casualties  at  Richmond,  Perryville,  luka,  Cor- 
inth, ]Manassas  and  Antietam.  A  list  of 
deaths  of  Indiana  soldiers  in  hosjiitals  had 
long  before  become  an  almost  daily  publica- 


tion. ]Many  prisoners  were  released  in  Au- 
gust, 500  taking  the  oath  of  allegiance  at 
one  time,  but  the  most  being  exchanged. 

In  the  last  half  of  1862  the  more  interest- 
ing facts  noted  are  as  follows:  There  was 
such  a  dearth  of  change,  all  silver  having 
disappeared  by  reason  of  the  premium,  that 
various  merchants  issued  tickets  for  5,  10 
and  25  cents,  payable  in  goods.  The  govern- 
ment then  issued  fractional  currency,  or 
"  shinpla.sters "  as  they  were  called,  in  de- 
nominations from  3  to  50  cents  and  these  re- 
mained in  circulation  for  years.  They  were 
counterfeited  extensively  even  down  to  the 
ten-cent  ones,  and  were  a  necessary  nuisance. 
By  this  time  taxes  had  been  levied  on  almost 
everything,  it  seemed,  but  they  were  to  be 
more  and  higher  before  the  end.  There  were 
stamp  duties,  income  tax,  business  licenses, 
taxes  on  manufactures,  etc.  Besides  this  was 
the  tariff  law,  designated  "an  act  increasing 
temporarily  the  duties  on  imports  and  for 
other  purposes",  and  which  filled  six  or  seven 
columns  of  the  Journal's  smallest  type.  It 
was  considered  a  terrible  taxation  on  business 
and  a  prominent  merchant  said.  "If  that  tax 
is  levied  it  will  make  me  disloyal".  But  that 
"temporary  tariff"  would  be  considered  a 
light  affair  now.  Shipments  to  Europe  of 
Pennsylvania  rock  oil  or  petroleum  to  the 
extent  of  a  million  gallons  during  the  first 
six  months  of  1862  caused  the  Journal  to  say: 
"This  for  a  trade  that  is  in  its  infancy  is 
a  large  business."  An  event  of  more  than 
usual  interest  was  the  resignation  in  July  of 
Rev.  Horace  Stringfellow,  rector  of  Christ 
Church.  He  was  a  Southei-n  man  and  his 
sympathies  were  ill-concealed.  Soon  after  the 
war  began  he  was  waited  upon  by  a  commit- 
tee and  firmly  requested  to  pray  for  the  ad- 
ministration, which  he  had  not  done  before. 
and  from  time  to  time  there  were  reports  that 
he  would  leave.  It  was  currently  reported 
that  his  resignation  was  not  voluntary,  and 
that  he  was  given  a  certain  number  of  days 
in  which  to  get  out  of  town :  but  this  was  un- 
true, according  to  the  statement  of  one  of  his 
warm  friends,  a  lady  still  living  here,  who 
could  not  have  been  mistaken.  He  left  be- 
cause the  situation  had  become  unpleasant  to 
him.  He  made  his  way  to  Virginia  and  re- 
mained there  until  the  war  was  over.  Fre- 
i|nc'iit  T'nion  meetings  were  held  to  keep  up 


TTT>;T0T]Y  of  nnFATFi;   TXDTAXATor.IS. 


OOf) 


the  spirit.  "In  all  directions  new  buildings 
are  sroinp:  up.  eonvincinn;  proof  of  the  prosper- 
ity of  the  i)lace."  The  custom  of  rin5i:inf!:  the 
fire  bells  when  a  member  of  the  department 
died  was  inaugurated  and  only  dropped  in 
recent  years.  When  the  man  who  eai'ried  the 
mails  between  the  postottiee  and  the  dejiot  was 
buried,  the  postoftiee  was  closed  for  two  hours. 
Xothinp  less  than  the  President's  death  would 
do  that  now.  While  the  draft  was  pendiup 
men  leavin»'  the  county  or  state  had  to  <;et 
pa.sses  from  the  military  authorities.  The 
Ladies'  Protective  Association  reported  that 
10.8.58  articles,  clothinfr,  bedding,  lint,  ban- 
dages, compresses,  etc.,  had  been  made  since 
October.  18«1,  The  State  Fair  was  held  that 
year  at  the  old  Military  orounds.  but  did  not 
prove  very  attractive. 

October  first  there  was  the  finest  review 
yet  seen,  10,(100  men  of  all  branches  of  service 
en<raKin<i:  in  a  sham  battle  afterwards.  Christ 
Church  was  deilicated  XovcMuber  "ilst,  thouirh 
I  finished  some  years  beftn-e.  It  had  been 
!  planned  to  cost  $15,000,  but  ran  much  over. 
Deserters  be^an  to  be  very  uumei'ous  and  re- 
wards were  offered  for  their  arrest,  eighty-si.K 
from  the  51st  bein?  missing.  Criuje  had  be- 
come so  prevalent,  and  disorder  of  all  sorts, 
that  the  streets  were  not  safe  A  i)ermanent 
[irovost  guai'd  was  establishi'd,  that  patnillcd 
the  streets,  watched  the  T^nion  Station  and 
other  places.  Somewhat  later  guards  were 
placed  on  every  train  when  in  the  station 
and  no  soldier  could  enter  unless  he  had  a 
pass.  Annoyances  to  citizens  occurred  some- 
times and  ))('oi)le  began  to  realize  what  mili- 
tary rule  meant.  The  Council  was  i)etitioned 
to  remove  Foot's  dairy  on  Michigan  street 
west  of  Pennsylvania,  and  refcri'i'd  the  re- 
quest with  instructions  to  report  an  ordinance 
forbidding  dairies  in  the  city  limits.  Ap- 
parently this  never  was  done.  Thanksgiving 
day  then-  was  another  review.  Tln're  wei'e 
then  12,000  men  in  the  various  camps,  prob- 
ably the  laiucst  nund)er  at  any  one  time. 
D.  J.  ('Mllinan's  store,  next  to  Fletcher's 
liank,  was  robbed  of  ijiS.OOO  worth  of  goods, 
the  record  haul  to  that  date.  The  court  of 
imiuiry  into  the  conduct  of  General  Buell 
began  liere.  Tfie  owners  of  pi'ominent  news- 
pa[)ers  met  here  and  organized  the  Westei'ii 
Associated  Press,  llor.si's  for  the  army  cost 
$04  each  for  a  lot  of  :{,0()0.     The  largest  ta.x- 


payers  in  the  county  were  Calvin  Fletcher, 
assessed  for  $137,155;  S.  A.  Fletcher, 
$132,824;  N.  MeCartv's  heirs.  $132,670; 
James  U.  Ray.  $135,772.  The  SchnuU  Pros. 
bought  the  Baptist  Church  lot,  southwest  cor- 
nel' of  ^leridian  and  Maryland  streets  (the 
building  had  burned),  55  .x  94iA  feet,  for 
$5. 000,  also  the  Hasselman  house  ad.joining 
(built  by  Mr.  Vajen),  for  $13,700.  The  house 
and  lot  on  West  Maryland  on  the  west  side 
of  the  alley  back  of  these  properties  sold  for 
.$5,400,  the  lot  being  67i/o  feet  front  by  195 
deep,  and  the  house  a  good  two-stoi-y  one 
of  ten  or  twelve  rooms. 

The  JoHrnal  was  an  ardent  admii-(>r  of  (ien- 
ei'al  AVallace.  He  had  been  oi-dered  to  take 
the  field  in  General  Grant's  department  of 
Corinth,  but  General  Grant  immediately  or- 
dered him  back  to  Cincinnati,  whereupon  the 
Journal  said  on  Xovendier  13th:  "General 
Grant  has  been  living  a  good  while  on  whis- 
key and  the  re])utatioii  he  iiuule  without  any 
effort  of  his  own  at  Ft.  Doneison.  and  if  he 
has  taken  on  himself  to  defy  his  superiors 
and  flout  his  equals,  he  has  about  exhausted 
the  patience  that  his  factitious  honoi-s  entitle 
him  to." 

Probably  few  know  that  on  aeeouiit  of  the 
scarcity  of  cotton,  an  effort  was  m;ide  to  en- 
coui'age  its  growth  in  the  Xoi-th.  The  govern- 
ment advertised  that  it  would  furnish  free 
seed  and  instruction  and  appointed  agents 
who  traveled  through  the  counti'y  to  pei-suade 
farmei's  to  plant  it.  nuiking  all  sorts  of  plaus- 
ible statements.  So  far  as  newspaper  ac- 
counts show  nobody  took  it  up  seriously.  Cap- 
tain Oglesbey  raised  some  in  his  yard,  which 
caused  the  Jouniul  to  make  the  following  ex- 
traoi'dinary  statement  that  pi-obably  could  not 
be  vei'ified:  "Cotton  was  oiu'c  grown  in  con- 
siderable quantities  in  this  place.  When  Cal- 
vin Fletcher  came  here  { that  was  in  1S21 1 
there  was  a  large  field  of  cotton  full  grown 
on  Pennsylvania  street,  a  little  south  of  where 
the  Blind  Asylum   now  staiuls."' 


'The  Journal's  statement  is  broader  than 
the  evidence,  but  Kev.  .1.  C.  Fletcher  gives 
his  father  as  authority  for  the  assertion  that 
James  Mcllvain  raised  ;i  [)atch  of  cotton,  in 
1821,  on  I'ennsylvania  street,  where  the  Sec- 
ond Pi-esbyterian  Church  now  stands.  (A>(/'.?, 
April  12,"  1879.)  It  was  used  for  eandle 
wieking. 


230 


lllS'ldlJV  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


'J'hc  liciicTMl  coiulitidii  of  the  I'diintry  as 
well  as  the  (icpreciation  in  the  value  of  the 
currency  had  by  now  vastly  increased  the 
cost  of  livings.  Prices  had  risen  to  unheard 
of  fiirures  and  the  ((uestion  of  livin<;-  had  be- 
come a  very  serious  matter  to  the  most  of  the 
people.  Business  men  who  were  makini;' 
more  money  than  ever  before  mit;ht  stand  it, 
but  there  were  scores  and  hundreds  whose 
means  had  not  increased  much  or  were  fixed. 
On  these  fell  a  burden  that  could  not  be 
lisjhtened  and  they  were  forced  to  economies 
that  often  amounted  to  privation.  Hundreds 
had  to  abandon  tea  and  coft'ee  and  use 
parched  rye  or  wheat  as  a  substit\ite,  and  to 
exist  (Ui  as  little  as  possible.  This  was  one 
of  the  uncounted  sacrifices  of  the  war.  The 
high  prices  of  the  last  few  yeai-s,  though  bad 
enough,  bear  no  comparison.  On  November 
29,  1862,  Governor  Morton  sent  a  connnuni- 
eation  to  Senators  and  Representatives  in 
Congress  urg:ing  increased  pay  for  the  sol- 
diers on  the  groun-d  that  the  cost  of  living 
had  vastly  increased  and  the  price  of  labor 
as  well.  He  embodied  in  this  a  comparison 
of  prices  in  August.  1861.  and  Novembei-  21, 
1862,  showing  an  increased  cost  in  percentage 
as  follows:  Brown  nuislins,  190 :  bleached 
muslins,  175:  Amei'ican  ])i-ints,  95:  blue 
checks.  100:  hickoiy  checks.  100;  canton  flan- 
nel, 150:  drillings.  170:  cassinetts.  100;  jeans, 
100:  bcots,  33:  shoes,  56;  browTi  sugar,  62; 
Rio  coffee,  150:  tea,  50;  rice,  25;  molasses, 
40;  flour,  44;  salt,  180:  meal,  75;  fish,  33; 
potatoes,  130;  candles,  50;  wood,  100. 

"It  will  be  entirely  safe,"  said  he.  ''to  say 
that  the  co-^t  of  living  on  the  most  economical 
scale  tin-oiighout  the  northern  states  has  in- 
creased at  least  75  per  cent  within  the  last 
fifteen  months  and  prices  are  still  advancing. 
Thus  !|;8.00  j)er  month  in  August,  1861.  would 
have  been  a  better  compensation  and  gone 
fai-tliiT  in  maintaining  a  family  than  !}!l3.00 
per  month  in  November,  1862.  Soldiers  are 
paiil  in  treasury  notes  at  par  and  as  these 
notes  have  depreciat(>d  thirty  pi-r  cent,  as 
shown  by  the  price  of  gold,  their  pay  from 
this  fact  nlon<'  is  substantially  reduced  to 
$9.00  per  month"'.  This  appeal  bore  no  fruit 
and  the  soldiers'  pay  was  unchanged.  Think 
what  penury  it  meant  to  thousands  of  fami- 
lies whose  bi-ead-winnei-s  eai-ned  so  little,  or 
perluips  were  cut  off'  I'utii-ely.     Wi'  lie;ir  much 


of  late  yeai-s  of  the  fortitude  of  the  Southern 
people  under  iirivation,  but  it  seems  to  be 
unknown  or  forgotten  that  distress  was 
widely  spread  in  the  North,  in  spite  of  nioi(> 
fav(a-able   conditions. 

The  October  election  liad  been  carried  hy 
the  Democrats,  who  claimed  to  stand  for 
constitutional  liberty,  the  freedom  of  opin- 
ion, of  speech  and  of  the  press,  which  had 
been  trodden  under  foot.  In  realit.v  they 
were  opposed  to  the  war.  The  vote  was  a 
surpri.se,  showing  a  ma.iority  of  9,391  with 
seven  out  of  eleven  Congressmen  and  both 
houses  of  the  legislature  by  good  ma.iorities. 
The  Denuierats  claimed  that  the  election  here 
was  unfair  and  probably  they  were  right,  as 
any  soldier  who  chose  to  could  vote  without 
(|uestions.  The  total  vote  of  this  state  was 
246,163,  a  decrease  of  25,980  over  1860. 
Counting  out  the  natural  increase  of  20.000 
this  showed  a  decrease  of  about  45,000.  The 
Hepublieans  clainied  fraxids  in  numerous 
co;inties  and  jjrobably  they  were  right  too, 
as  there  were  extraordinary  gains  in  some 
whose  i)opulation  had  not  increased  and 
many  had  gone  to  the  war.  Only  three 
comities  increased  Republican  nia.iorities, 
two  on  account  of  Democratic  splits  and 
Marion,  but  57  counties  gave  a  larger  Demo- 
cratic vote  than  in  1860.  Undoubtedly  there 
was  a  reaction  against  the  war;  the  repeated 
assertions  of  "abolition  war"  had  been  con- 
firmed to  many  by  the  announcement  of 
speedy  emancipation.  Many  people  were  not 
educated  to  the  point  of  seeing  its  necessity 
as  a  war  measure  and  were  full  of  the  old 
]>re.iiulices  and  dislike  of  the  negro  and  the 
"Black  Kepublieans",  who  now  openly  con- 
fessed to  be  hated  abolitionists;  they  voted 
the  old  way.  Even  in  the  army  there  was 
considerable  of  this  sentiment  and  it  took 
time  to  correct  it.  It  is  likely,  however,  that 
many  who  voted  the  ticket  had  no  idea  that 
the  jiarty  when  once  in  jiower  would  ]iroceed 
to  the  lengths  that   it  did. 

I  close  the  yeai'  with  an  anecdote  of  Lin- 
coln that  seems  to  have  been  lost  sight  of: 
A  gentleman  after  jiourinu  out  his  vials  of 
wrath  upon  a  prominent  officer  was  surprised 
to  hear  the  President  (piietly  remark:  "Now 
you  are  .just  the  man  I  have  been  looking  for. 
I  want  you  to  give  me  your  advice  and  tell 
ine  if  vou  wei-e  in  iii\'  place  and  had  learned 


JllsroKY   OF  GKEATKK  l.NDJ A.N Al'OLIS. 


•^;51 


all  you've  been  tellinjr  and  didn't  believe  a 
word  of  it.  what  would  vou  do.'" 

The  Will'  liiirinfT  1863  was  a  yi^antie  stnitr- 
{fle  marked  by  <rreat  battles  with  varyiii<r 
fortunes.  MeC'lellan  was  sueeeeded  after 
Antietaiii  by  Biirnside  who  lost  the  terriliie 
battle  of  Frederieksburir  in  Deeeiiiber. 
Cirant's  operations  ajrainst  VieUsburj^'  that 
month  were  met  by  defeat  and  Kosenerans's 
battle  of  Stone  Kiver  was  praetieally  a  drawn 
one.  Hooker  sueeeeded  Hnrnsidi'  and  was 
whipped  at  ('haneellorsville  in  May.  .Meade 
sueeeeded  liini.  and  Lee  broke  for  the  North 
to  be  whipped  at  (iettysbur^^  in  July.  (Irant 
kept  at  Vicksburfj  and  captured  it  at  the 
same  time.  Rosenerans  moved  to  Chatta- 
iioofra  and  lost  the  battle  of  Chiekamaujra. 
In  Xoveinber  the  disaster  was  retrieved  by 
Lookout  -Mountain  and  Mission  HidLre.  On 
the  whole  tile  advaiita>;e  was  with  the  .\orth, 
but  Hiehiiioncrs  eaptuie  seemed  as  far  otf  as 
ever.  At  homo  the  wai'  eaiiie  nearer  in  a 
form  of  aetual  peril  for  a  few  days  durinj,' 
the  Morfran  raid,  days  that  were  full  of  ex- 
citement and  apprehension  to  the  town. 

The  Lesrisjature  held  its  session  clurintr  the 
winter  and  the  iiiajdiity  tried  to  obstruct 
Ciovernor  Morton  in  every  way  tluit  it  eould. 
Daily  the  oiiposition  of  that  faetion  beeaiiie 
more  violent  and  jiroiionneed,  and  while  that 
is  another  story  it  is  well  to  know  what  the 
Snitincl  said  about  President  Lineoln's  eman- 
cipation proclamation  in  January:  "The 
policy  of  the  party  now  in  power  is  devel- 
oped. It  is  the  abolition  of  slavery.  It  is 
the  sub.ju<ration  of  the  slave  states— the  de- 
struction of  the  white  race,  where  slavery 
exists,  by  servile  insurrections.  It  is  to  make 
one  half  the  country  a  howling'  wilderness 
and  to  elevate  to  the  status  of  eitizen.shi|)  a 
worthless  and  improvident  I'aee.  The  two 
races  cannot  live  ujion  terms  of  er|uality. 
The  atteiiii)t  will  result  in  the  extei'iiiination 
of  one  of  them.  Tlii>  Administration  has  de- 
liberately chosen  to  invite  such  a  contest  mid 
aid  the  nesroes  in  the  destructinn  nf  the 
white  race.  The  present  condition  ol'  public 
at^'airs  is  partly  attributalile  U<  the  folly. 
fanaticism  and  iiiibecilit.\'  of  the  party  in 
power.  The  sectional  dilTiculties  of  the  coun- 
try would  have  been  amicably  ad.iu.sted.  Iiul 
the  Republican  leaders  refusi'd  all  overtures 
to  that  end.     They  prefiTred  war  to  peace — 


tliey  chose  war  rather  than  union,  and  what 
is  the  result  of  their  iiolicy*!  An  luiited  South 
williniL'  to  make  any  saci'itice,  warrinj;  to  se- 
cure their  independence,  and  a  divided 
North.  •  *  *  If  tiijj,  a(.f  „f  usurpati(jii 
passes  unrebuked,  then  we  may  bill  farewell 
to  constitutional  libei'ty.  The  constitutional 
iruarantees  of  personal  rights  and  personal 
liberty  will  not  be  worth  the  iiarchment  upon 
which   they  are   written." 

.Notable  incidents  are  as  follows:  Caleb  B. 
Smith  w;is  appointed  Judtie  of  the  U.  S.  Dis- 
trict Court.  Emerson  lectured  to  a  small 
audience,  sub,ieet  not  i,nven.  Butternuts 
were  worn  as  jewelry  and  caused  numerous 
outbursts.  Real  estate  went  higher.  W.  C. 
Holmes  paid  .$4,000  for  the  lot  where  Judge 
Martindale  lived,  41*9  X.  Meridian  street.  A 
room  on  W.  AVashington  sti'eet,  Xo.  9,  where 
Bobbs-Merrill  Co.  are,  sold  for  $450  per  foot, 
and  the  lot  where  Somiiiers"s  store  is,  11-13 
K.  Washington  street,  wint  at  tli'e  same  price 
to  Robert  Browning.  The  Farniei's  Hotel, 
northeast  corner  of  Illinois  and  Geoi-gia 
streets,  now  the  Stubbins  Hotel,  sold  for 
$14,500  in  specie,  gold  being  worth  IGO.  Xo. 
15  \V.  Washington  street  sold  f(U-  $9,05(1  to 
J.  A.  Ileidlinger.  In  March  gold  drojiped  to 
3S  and  for  some  time  fluctuated  between  that 
and  5iS.  There  began  to  be  much  speculation 
ill  that  article  with  a  wide  range  of  jji-ices. 
The  sale  of  arms  was  forbidden.  Dr.  Bul- 
lard  declined  to  meet  Dr.  J.  F.  Johnston,  the 
dentist,  in  consultation  because  he  was  a  Se- 
cessionist and  a  subscriber  to  the  SiiiliiKi. 
Crime  was  rife  and  li(|iior  dealers  were  for- 
bidden to  .sell  to  soldiers,  but  apparently  did 
not  obey.  Laborers  got  $1.50  a  day  and  car- 
penters and  uiasons  .$2.50,  and  wi'iv  scarce 
at  that. 

City  Hospital,  so  called, 
by  the  (Joveriiment,  Dr. 
had  treated  6,114  cases, 
lirisoneis  of  war.  277  of 
citv  election  in  Mav  the 


In  two  years  the 
though  maintained 
Kitchen  in  charge, 
.S47  of  which  were 
whom  died.     At  the 


Democrats  withdrew  their  ticket  on  Ww. 
ground  that  the  election  would  be  unfair, 
aiul  only  14  Democratic  votes  were  ca.st  f<u" 
councilmen  in  nine  wards.  Revenue  stamps 
were  sold  at  a  discount  of  2  per  cent  on  $50, 
3  per  cent  on  .$100  and  4  per  cent  on  $500 
worth.  A  full  company  of  negroes  was  en- 
li.sted    for    (be   54fb    Mass;icliiisetts    Ketiiineiit. 


232 


HISTORY  OF  GREATP^E  IJ^DIANAPOLIS. 


In  ]May  the  famous  battle  of  "Pogue's  Run" 
occurred  and  1.500  pistols  were  taken  from 
delegates  to  a  Democratic  convention,  by  sol- 
diers who  searched  the  outiroing-  trains,  in 
addition  to  which  many  were  thrown  into 
Pogue's  Run,  as  the  trains  passed  aionji  it. 
W.  S.  Hubbard  paid  $10,(526  for  four  acres 
of  sround  on  N.  Meridian  street,  just  above 
11th  street  and  running  through  to  Illinois. 

The  tirst  military  execution  took  place  on 
]\rarch  27th.  Robert  Gray  being  the  victim. 
He  was  a  Parke  or  Clay  county  school  teacher 
who  enlisted  in  the  71st  and  a  few  days 
later  was  captured  at  Richmond,  Kentucky. 
Thinking  he  could  escape  military  sen'ice  he 
took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  Confeder- 
acy. General  Carrington  said  he  became  a  spy 
for  them  in  Indiana,  but  the  newspapers  make 
no  mention  of  that  charge.  He  was  convicted 
of  treason  and  the  sentence  approved  after 
sevei-al  months  delay.  The  execution  took 
place  in  the  rear  of  Burnside  Barracks,  be- 
tween ISth  and  19th  streets.  He  was  quite 
cool,  and  made  a  confession  that  he  had  acted 
wrongly  through  a  desire  to  get  out  of  the 
service. 

On  July  7th  the  town  turned  itself  loose  in 
re.joicing  over  Vicksburg  and  Gettysburg. 
There  were  fire  works,  bonfires  and  speeches. 
The  next  day  word  came  that  John  ^Morgan 
had  crossed  the  Ohio,  heading  for  Indian- 
apolis, and  the  scene  shifted.  His  purpose 
was  said  to  be  the  capture  of  the  city,  the 
relea.se  and  arming  of  the  rebel  prisoners,  the 
destruction  of  railroads,  and  the  bringing  of 
the  horroi's  of  war  to  the  state.  The  excite- 
ment was  indescribable.  The  bells  rang 
alarms  and  a  great  crowd  gathered  at  the 
Bates  House.  Governor  Morton  read  the 
dispatches  and  urged  the  people  to  fill  up 
companies  in  eveiy  ward,  meeting  places  be- 
ing designated.  The  next  morning  Governor 
Morton  issued  a  proclamation  asking  business 
houses  to  close  at  8  P.  M.,  and  calling  on 
every  able-bodied  citizen  to  bring  whatever 
arms  he  had  and  nuister.  Almost  instantly 
the  City  Regiment  was  organized  with  one 
or  more  companies  from  every  w'ard  to  the 
number  of  12.  Eight  additional  companies 
were  also  nuistcred  in  the  city.  Morgan 
moved  more  rai)id]y  than  the  news  about 
him  and  there  wa.s  nnich  ignorance  and  un- 
certainty.     'I'he    Citv    Regiment    drilled    on 


University  Square  and  the  signaling  for  its 
assembling  was  the  fire  alarm  bell.  This 
rang  several  times  but  each  time  it  was  found 
the  exigency  was  not  great  and  the  men  were 
dismissed.  The  railroads  and  telegraph  lines 
were  taken  possession  of  by  the  military  and 
public  use  was  excluded.  Louisville  sent  $1.- 
500,000  of  specie  north  for  safety  and  the 
Indianapolis  banks  did  the  same  with  theirs. 
Morgan  had  crossed  at  Brandenburg.  Ken- 
tucky, and  moved  north  to  Paoli.  thence  ea.st 
through  Salem  and  Xorth  Vernon,  b\it  his 
course  was  uncertain  for  several  days  during 
which  time  the  armed  popidace  of  the  state 
poured  into  Indianapolis  to  the  extent  of  60.- 
000.  By  Monday  the  13th  more  troops  had  ar- 
rived than  could  be  used.  All  saloons  were 
closed  and  biisiness  almost  suspended.  On 
Sunday  afternoon  the  bell  was  sounded  and  in 
forty-five  minutes  all  the  troops  in  tbe  city 
were  in  line.  Five  regiments  slept  in  the  State 
House  yard  that  night.  During  this  time 
many  troops  had  been  sent  to  the  supposed 
field  of  action,  but  none  came  in  contact 
with  the  enemy.  None  of  the  city  companies 
left  to\\"n,  though  twice  they  were  marched 
to  the  trains  and  then  ordered  back.  On  the 
14th  it  was  announced  with  authority  that 
^lorgan  had  passed  into  Ohio  and  the  raid 
was  over  so  far  as  Indiana  was  concerned. 
Then  came  the  natural  re%-iilsion  of  feeling 
and  there  was  much  .ioking  over  the  events 
of  the  week:  and  as  usual  what  was  so 
threatening  before  was  lightly  spoken  of. 
Even  to  this  day  some  men  will  smile  when 
they  say  they  were  veterans  of  the  Morgan 
Raid,  but  no  one  who  went  through  it  would 
care  to  repeat  the  experience.  An  unusual 
accident  took  place  on  the  13th,  when  the 
12th  Michigan  battery,  then  located  here,  was 
ordered  away.  As  it  came  da.shing  down  In- 
diana avenue  from  the  camp,  in  the  north- 
west part  of  the  town,  ammunition  in  a 
caisson  exploded  killing  three  soldiers,  a  boy 
and  two  horses,  and  breaking  all  the  gla.ss 
within  some  distance.  Disorder  almost 
cea.sed  during  the  excitement,  and  be  it  re- 
membered the  saloons  were  closed. 

That  month  Kingan  &  Co.  located  here 
and  began  building  a  mammoth  packing 
house  and  flour  mill.  Dwellings  were 
reported  scarce  and  not  a  single  busi- 
ness room  to  be  had.     The  list  of  income-tax 


HISTOKY   OF  (;l!i:.\'l'F.R   IXHIAX Al'OLIS. 


233 


<     c 


334 


HISTOKV  OF  (;i! HATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


[Jiiyers  for  1S62  was  publisln'il.  Only  two 
exceeded  $10,000— Calvin  Fletcher  and' J.  A. 
Crossland.  In  August  gold  fell  to  26  and 
in  September  the  first  mention  of  a  bath-room 
in  a  contemplated  house  was  made.  Agita- 
tion for  street  cars  began.  The  Crown  Hill 
Cemetei'v  corporation  was  organized  and 
bought  .Martin  Williams'  fruit  and  iiursci'v 
farm.  Fish  and  game  were  abundant  and  a 
wild  turkey  weighing  27  pounds  was  said  to 
have  been  shot  in  the  vicinity  of  Broad  Kip- 
pic.  The  Young  ]\Ien's  Library  Association 
was  organized.  On  October  22.  2.000  prison- 
ers were  in  Camp  ^Morton.  Judge  Koache 
bought  the  tine  Bishop  Ames  residence  on 
Nortli  Pennsylvania  street,  now  No.  1029, 
with  four  acres  of  ground,  for  .'^20.000.  In 
May  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  was  pro- 
claimed by  the  President,  and  on  August  6 
a  day  of  thanksgiving  for  the  recent  vic- 
tories.    Both  were  well  observed. 

Prices  continued  to  soar.  At  the  first  of 
the  year  the  newspapers  had  advanced  their 
price  to  15  cents  a  week.  Paper  had  i-isen 
from  8  and  9  cents  to  16  cents  per  pound,  be- 
sides which  an  excise  tax  was  put  on  adver- 
tisements. The  Journal  had  prospered  with 
other  business.  It  was  crowded  with  adver- 
tising so  nuu'h  that  it  had  to  eidarge  twice. 
and  its  circulation  grew  so  that  it  had  to 
buy  a  faster  press  twice,  in  three  years.  The 
Snitiiid  shared  little  of  the  prosperity,  such 
wa.s  the  antagonism  to  it.  Before  the  war 
ceased  the  prices  of  both  papers  was  25  cents 
per  week,  or  double  the  original.  The  Ladies 
Fair  in  October  netted  .$7,000  from  the  raf- 
fling of  various  donated  ai-ticles  alone. 
Bisho))  I'pfold.  Episcopalian,  condennied  the 
use  of  tlowers  in  churches,  and  declared  that 
he  would  not  visit  or  officiate  in  any  church 
on  Eastei-  Sunday  where  a  floral  display  was 
attemjited. 

The  year  1S()4  opened  with  the  cold  New 
Years  day.  probably  the  coldest  day  on  rec- 
ord the  world  over.  The  day  bcfoie  was 
warm  and  rainy,  temperature  above  60.  By 
three  o'clock  the  next  morniny  it  had 
drop])etl  to  28  degrees  by  the  then  ther- 
mometers. A  great  social  event,  the  bouse 
warming  of  John  ^\.  Lord  's  new  residence  on 
the  southeast  coriuM-  of  Xortli  and  Pennsyl- 
vania streets,  took  jilace  on  the  31st.  ^lany 
of   the   guests  were   lightly  clad   and   it   is  a 


story  to  this  day  how  they  suffered  in  get- 
ting home.  The  suffering  in  the  camps  every- 
where, north  and  .south,  was  territtc  and 
many  persons  were  frozen  to  death.  Cold 
closed  Decendier  81st  at  52  and  reached  75 
in  April.  Wheat  in  New  York  was  worth 
from  $1.44  to  .$1.61  and  corn  $1.80.  The 
chui'ches  were  reported  as  prospering.  I'm- 
tracted  meetings  were  held  in  several  with 
.scmie  additions.  A  daily  prayer  meeting  was 
maintained  at  the  Soldiers'  Tlome  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Indianajiolis  Bi-anch  of  the 
I'.  S.  Christian  Association.  The  Scottish 
Rite  of  ]\Iasons  was  established.  Judt:e  Caleb 
B.  Smith  died.  Butchers  began  to  agitate  for 
stock  yards. 

JIditary  funerals  were  (|uite  common  and 
the  circumstances  of  death  were  sometimes 
grievous  beyond  description.  Adjutant 
Jfar-shall  Hayden  was  wouiuled  at  the  attack 
on  Vieksburg  and  captured  in  December, 
1862.  For  months  his  parents  lived  in  hope 
under  the  belief  that  he  had  been  taken 
prisoner  merely,  when  he  had  died  in  a  few 
days.  After  that  was  known,  his  body  could 
not  be  secured  for  nmnths  more  and  in  Feb- 
ruary he  was  bui-ied  here,  having  been  dead 
thirteen  months.  The  town  was  becoming 
useil  to  horrors.  Every  day  corpses  were 
transported  through;  the  express  com|ianic3 
left  them  on  the  pavements  ovei-  night,  and 
the  I'nion  Depot  authorities  refused  to  allow 
them  to  remain  there  UHU'e  than  an  hour. 
Death  was  so  conunon  as  to  cause  little  com- 
ment. A  Pennsylvania  ofticer  sto])ped  over 
here  and  was  found  dead  on  the  street,  mur- 
dered. His  father  came  soon  to  invcstiuatc 
and  after  a  few  days  went  away  with  no  suc- 
cess, but  complaining  Ihat  he  got  no  sym- 
pathy or  aid  aiul  that  the  peoiile  seemed  sn 
inui-ed  to  murder  and  death  that  they  were 
indifferent.  This  was  an  exaggeration.  Imt 
there  was  some   foundation   for  it. 

In  February  a  draft  f(U-  500.00(1  men  was 
(U'dered.  The  portimis  of  reuiments  that  bad 
veteranized  or  reeidisted  f(U-  three  yeai"S 
more  liegan  to  retui-n  on  fiu'louirh  and  were 
publicly  received  and  feasted.  The  ChamlK'r 
of  Commerce,  or  ^Merchants  Exchange,  was  or- 
ganized and  gave  daily  market  rep(u-ts,  an 
evidence  of  business  progress.  A  great  change 
was  made  in  the  theatre.  AVbat  was  known 
as  the  pit  or  panpict    which   was  always  oc- 


IIISTOl.'V   OF  (IKKAIKi;    l\l)l.\.\A]'()l,IS. 


235 


tci  Indies  and 
'I'licse  sold  t'of 
fifty  that  Im.iiirht 
^fciicral  admission 
.Many  of  the  lead- 
tlic  li(iusc>s  wcri' 
union   inrctini;   was 


cupied  by  men,  was  opeiiec 
calletl  "orchestra  chaii's". 
fifty  eents  excejit  abcnit 
seventy-five  cents.  The 
was  raised  to  fifty  cents. 
iiifr  stars  jterforined  am 
packed  nijrhtly.  A  lireat 
held  February  "J'ind.  with  a  parade  of  troops 
and  speeches.  Andrew  Johnson  of  Tennessee 
beinjr  the  stai-.  Two  arches  were  built  on 
Washinfrton  street,  one  at  Pennsylvania,  the 
other  at  Illinois.  Within  these  two  scpiares 
there  was  a  "scarlet  fever''  of  tiafrs.  The 
Journal  said  the  city  nevei-  before  "was  so 
gallantly  and  profusely  illustrated  with  our 
national  coloi-s".  "At  nifrht.""  it  yoes  on  to 
say,  "an  niuniiiiation  bui'st  out  ainn^-  tlie 
streets  tliat  borrowed  little  splendor  from  the 
bonfires  below.  The  .Juiinuil  office  was  also 
brilliantl.v  ali^rht,  and  was  probably  the  finest 
siirht  that  any  sinjrle  buildinsr  nutde.  From 
floor  to  roof  and  from  the  roof  to  the  up|)er 
lights  of  the  tower  it  filittered  with  a  splen- 
dor that  nusjht  have  recalled  to  travellers  in 
Euroi)e  the  irreat  illumination  of  St.  Peter's. 
In  the  lowei-  windows  blazed  every  admissa- 
ble  row  of  candles,  while  alonir  the  Circle 
street  and  .Meridian  street  sides  with  theii- 
profuseiicss  of  window  service,  litrhts  flamed 
and  sparkled  upon  rows  of  Union  fiajrs  that 
plowed  almost  as  brilliantly  as  duiMiifr  the 
day  in  Iheii-  m-w  I'adiance."  "At  one  time 
there  were  si.x  bonfires  <roinfr  on  AVashinirttm 
street."  Tliis  showed  a  proiiei'  self  a|)i)i'e- 
ciatioii,  but  as  the  lights  were  candles  and 
probably  not  moT'e  than  si.xteen  could  be 
placed  in  a  window,  the  modern  sceptic  will 
scoff  at  the  brilliancv  and  be  reminded  of 
"Little   Pedliufrton"." 

The  street  railroad  system  was  bcfrun  that 
sprinfr  on  a  charter  driven  to  some  Xew  Yoi-k- 
people  who  associated  some  home  ])eople  with 
them.  The  first  line  was  i)uilt  on  Illinois 
street  from  the  depot  to  Washington,  thence 
to  AVest,  thence  to  the  .Military  iri'ounds  and 
opened  on  the  week  of  State  nnd  Sanitary 
P'airs  in  October.  It  was  finished  that  year 
on  Xorth  Illinois  street  to  St.  Clair.  On  May 
3rd  it  was  said  that  1,400  pieces  of  real  estate 
had  chaniTcd  hands  since  Jainiary  1st.  John 
Morris  sold  his  lot  on  th(>  southwest  cornei' 
of  Meridian  and  r;eoi-t.na  streets,  fKix'JO")  feet, 
for   $200   per   foot.      The    First    Presbyterian 


Church  boiiuht  12")  feet  of  the  Daniel  Yandes 
home,  at  Pennsylvania  and  Xew  York  streets 
for  .$22.0(10,  and  projierty  across  the  street 
was  valued  at  $80  per  foot  — now  held  at 
$1,250  or  $1,500.  The  Second  Presbytei-ian 
Church  on  the  Circle  was  offered  for  $14,000. 
Joseph  E.  McDonald  boufrht  32  ft.  on  Xorth 
Penn.sylvania  street  next  Wood  &  Foudray's 
livery  stable  for  $375  per  foot,  and  E.  S. 
.VIvoi'd  i-efused  $3(1.000  foi-  his  house  and  lot. 
on  which  the  Newton  Claypool  block  stands. 
Forty  thousand  dollars  was  offered  for  the 
old  Athenaeum  or  (iymnasium  buildini;  at 
the  northwest  corner  of  ^Meridian  and  ]\Iary- 
land  streets.  The  Fii-st  Xational  Bank, 
opened  in  the  Dccembei-  before,  was  the  (mly 
incor|)orated  one  here  except  the  Branch 
Hnnk  of  tlie  State.  House  board  was  not  less 
than  $5.00  per  week.  The  retail  grocers  com- 
bined to  sell  for  cash  only,  as  wholesalers  had 
ajri-eed  to  credit  no  one.  The  school  enumera- 
tion was  11,907,  a  sain  in  one  year  of  5.044. 
Baled  hay  was  worth  $29.00  per  ton  and  the 
iroveriuncnt  was  payint;  $156  for  horses. 
.Marion  County  had  thiis  far  spent  $120.90(1 
fill-  Iwiunties  and  relief  for  soldiers.  'Vhv 
Chand)er  of  Conniierce  reported  sales  of 
Lidods  in  one  year-  $15.29S.()00,  manufactures 
$5,O(i9,00(l,  provisions  $77().524.  total  business 
$23.()2(),524.  It  enumerated  among  the  in- 
dustries two  woolen  factories,  one  saw,  one 
hub  and  spoke,  two  ayricultural  implements, 
seven  flouring'  mills,  six  foundries  and  ma- 
chine shops,  two  harness  and  two  cooi)er 
shops,  one  I'ollinir  mill  makinu  10.000  tons  of 
rails,  furuitui'c.  bakei-ies.  eonfectioners.  three 
raili-oad  shops  and  packing  houses.  Else- 
where It  was  told,  thiit  there  wei-c  700  li(|uor 
sellers  in  the  city. 

The  City  Heyimeut  had  maintained  an 
oi'fj'ani/ation  since  th<-  Moruan  Kaid.  In 
.\|)ril  it  was  believed  that  tin-  eomiufj'  sum- 
mer would  eiul  the  war  and  (iovernor 
Morton  |)roposed  that  certain  states  should 
furnish  100,000  uien  for  one  hundred  days 
who  would  miard  tlii>  transixu-tation  lines  and 
release  that  many  seasoned  troops  for  active 
operations  at  the  front,  which  was  adopted 
and  a  call  made.  On  April  2(i  the  City  \ii'>/\- 
ment  was  called  to  meet  that  afternoon  to 
decide  whether  it  shoidd  tendei"  its  servi<-es 
for  that  period.  I''cw  appejii-ed,  howi'ver. 
.\n    enthusiastie    war    nieelini;-     was     held     at 


23G 


lITSTOin'  OF  GREATEK  IXDIAXArOLIS. 


Masouic  Hall  and  every  kuowu  iiitiueuee  to 
till  the  call  was  brought  to  bear.  Employers 
paid  the  salary  of  clerks  who  would  go.  Ad- 
ditional bounties  were  offered,  young  ladies 
volunteered  to  take  the  places  of  clerks  while 
they  were  gone  and  iu  due  time  the  regiment 
was  filled,  together  with  others  from  the  state. 
Six  and  a  half  companies  of  the  City  Regi- 
ment were  from  Indianapolis,  the  remainder 
from  adjoining  counties.  Probably  this  regi- 
ment was  the  most  beloved  of  all  that  the 
town  was  interested  in.  The  greatest  pride 
and  admiration  was  lavished  on  the  11th,  for 
that  was  the  tirst-boru,  next  to  that  probably 
ciuue  the  70th  and  then  the  79th,  though  the 
2tith  and  33rd  were  highly  esteemed.  But  the 
City  or  132nd  was  the  youngest  born,  the 
Benjamin,  and  the  town's  affection  was  lav- 
ished on  it.  ]\Iany  of  its  members  were 
really  boys  and  many  were  older  men,  who 
were  prominent  and  gave  up  much  in  order 
to  help  in  the  emergency.  It  was  raised  too 
by  hard  work,  and  the  zeal  and  enthusiasm 
of  the  war  seemed  to  culminate  in  the  effort. 
It  could  not  vie  with  the  others  iu  point  of 
sei-vice  for  its  life  was  short  and  its  field 
narrow,  but  it  did  the  work  laid  out  for  it, 
and  who  could  do  more?  The  Journal  said 
that  more  people  gathered  to  see  it  go  than 
any  other. 

In  ^lay,  with  gold  at  70,  beef  sirloin  was 
worth  20  cts. ;  veal  15  or  20,  mutton  15,  pork 
12  and  15,  eggs  18,  chickens  $3.00  and  .$3.25 
per  dozen,  potatoes  $1.50,  butter  -40  cts., 
canned  tomatoes  25  cts.,  turnips  60  cts.  and 
wood  $7.50  a  cord— unheard  of  prices.  On 
May  17th  a  meeting  of  ladies  was  held  at 
iMasonic  Hall  and  addressed  by  Hon.  Albert 
G.  Porter  who  asserted  that  the  country  was 
being  ruined  by  buying  for  gold  $500,000,000 
w'orth  of  foreign  products  annually  and  re- 
ducing the  value  of  greenbacks.  A  platform 
was  adopted  as  follows:  "To  promote  econ- 
omy, to  show  our  sympathy  with  the  great 
hardships  and  sufferings  of  our  brave  .sol- 
diers and  to  aid  the  finances  of  the  Govern- 
ment, we  the  undersigned  ladies  pledge  our- 
selves not  to  purchase  during  the  war  any 
imported  article  of  dress  or  house  furnishing. 
We  also  pledge  ourselves  to  lay  aside  during 
the  war  silk  antl  other  expensive  dresses  and 
mantillas,  all  laces,  velvets  and  jewels,  and 
appear  as  soon  as  practicable  only  in  clothes 


of  American  manufacture."  The  merchants 
were  not  pleased  with  this  action  and  al- 
though some  800  or  1,000  signers  wei-e  pro- 
cured, exceptions  began  to  be  called  for  and 
the  whole  movement  seems  to  have  died  a 
"bornin". 

Gold  soared  that  summer,  getting  way 
over  200,  where  it  stayed  until  the  fall  elec- 
tions and  victories  caused  a  reduction  below 
that  figure.  Its  highest  price  as  noted  here 
was  280.  The  University  Square  was  im- 
proved by  a  public  subscription  of  $2,100. 
The  first  street  car  arrived  in  August  "with 
cushioned  seats  affording  ample  room  for 
sixteen  passengers".  A  Sanitary  fair  was 
projected  and  later  held  successfully  in  con- 
junction with  the  State  Fair.  On  June  1st 
Crown  Hill  Cemetery  was  dedicated.  Judge 
Albert  S.  Wliite  being  the  orator.  The  first 
interment  took  place  on  the  second— Mrs. 
Lucy  Ann  Scaton,  of  Paducah,  Kentucky. 

As  anticipated  there  was  fearful  fighting 
all  along  the  line  with  I'nion  gains.  Politics 
warmed  up,  and  just  before  the  October  elec- 
tion came  the  sensational  and  effective  ex- 
pose of  the  Sons  of  Liberty  or  Knights  of  the 
Golden  Circle  that  had  much  to  do  with 
Democratic  defeat,  but  which  cannot  be  de- 
scribed hei'e,  though  an  interesting  chapter 
in  city  history.  On  the  18th  of  October  the 
Sentiucl  prophesied  as  follows:  "If  IMr.  Lin- 
coln is  reelected  the  man  is  not  now  living 
who  will  see  peace  and  prosperity  in  the 
Union.  It  is  certain  that  future  generations 
will  never  see  that  result  if  the  radical  policy 
prevails.  It  is  hopeless  of  good."  Within 
six  months  it  welcomed  the  advent  of  peace. 
The  theatre  that  fall  introduced  reserved 
seats,  to  be  held  until  the  end  of  the  first  act. 
Bandmann,  Laura  Keene,  Lawrence  Barrett 
and  others  played.  A  tabernacle  for  union 
meetings  was  built  on  the  Washington  street 
front  of  the  Court  House  square.  It  was 
afterwards  turned  into  an  amusement  hall 
and  was  not  torn  down  until  1866.  The  as- 
sessments for  the  income  tax  were  iiublished 
officially  in  order  to  encourage  informei-s. 
Bounty  jumpers  were  paraded  through  the 
streets  tied  by  ropes  and  preceded  by  a  huge 
negro  ringing  a  bell,  and  then  sent  to  punish- 
ment. Live  hogs  were  worth  14  cts.  An  era 
of  oil  speculation  began  that  la.sted  a  year 
or  two  and  cost    much    money.      Numerous 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOIJS. 


companies  were  foniied  to  bore  for  oil  in  t)liio, 
Indiana,  West  Virginia,  and  Kentucky.  D. 
Jf.  Hoyd  sold  21  feet  on  the  east  side  of 
Jleridian  just  below  ^Maryland  street  to  .Mur- 
phy and  ilolliday  for  ^'.i-il  per  foot.  I'p  to 
January  31st  there  had  been  1,307  rebel 
prisoners  buried  in  (ireenlawn  Cemetery. 

The  year  should  not  close  without  report- 
mg  this  from  the  Journal,  thouuh  oceui'rin>;- 
in  .\u<rust.  It  was  written  in  the  style  of 
Berry  Sulfrrove  that  pervaded  the  Jdiinml, 
thou^'h  scarcely  by  him.  Col.  James  Hlake's 
old  bay  horse  and  low  seated  old  rockaway 
had  been  stolen;  after  reeountiu)sr  the  inci- 
dent it  then  says:  "The  miscreant  who  would 
steal  Colonel  Ulake's  bugjjy  from  the  (jirele 
fence  while  the  Colonel  is  presiding'  over  a 
Union  nieetinir,  would  sneak  into  lieaven  and 
steal  the  supper  of  the  Angel  (labriel". 
About  New  Years  it  was  reputed  that  some 
friends  had  presented  the  good  old  nuin  with 
a  new  vehicle. 

The  New  Year  18fi5  opened  with  confident 
expectation  tluit  the  war  would  soon  end. 
Another  draft  was  ordered  and  many  citi- 
zens still  living  were  among  the  chosen,  but 
by  great  effoi-t  and  cxjieuditure  of  money  the 
quota  was  filled.  The  last  i-egiments.  includ- 
ing the  156th,  a  half  regiment,  were  raised 
for  one  year.  The  Journal  declared  that 
"Rebel  prayers  were  a  mockery  to  the  Al- 
mighty". The  Governor's  "mansion"  wa.s 
sold  for  ■'f!4'2,;'J00.  The  era  of  combiiuition 
among  grocers,  ice  d(>alers.  etc.,  began.  An 
Opera  House  and  ^lasonic  Temple  were  pro- 
jected; idso  water  works,  with  a  stand-])i|)i' 
on  Sliortridge  High  School  site  — said  to  be 
the  highest  point  in  the  city.  Grant  moved 
to  tlie  finish.  Richmond  fell  on  April  3rd. 
Lee  surrendered  on  the  9th.  Thr  news  was 
received  at  11  P.  IVI.  but  the  town  rose  and 
as  the  expres.sion  was  "whooped  it  up"  all 
night.  "Indiana]iolis  never  before  was  so 
thoroughly  demented,"  said  the  Journal.  Gold 
dropped  from  111!  to  144.  Governor  Morton 
appointed  the  20th  as  a  day  of  thanksgiving, 
but  changed  it  to  "a  day  of  mourning,  hu- 
miliation and  prayer",  when  on  the  ir)1h 
news  eanu>  of  the  a.ssa-ssinatiou  of  President 
Lincoln.  That  day  is  described  as  "the  most 
exciting  one  ever  known  in  Indiaiuipolis". 
The  whole  town  was  in  mourning  gai'b  and 
all    business    susi)en(led.      Even    the    sun    ri'- 


fused  to  shine.  Hut  time  fcu'hids  the  recital 
ol'  that  awful  and  never-to-be-foi-gotten  ex- 
perience, followed  by  the  pi-otracled  mourn- 
ing and  the  funeral  march  from  Wa.sliiugton 
to  Springfield,  during  whicli  the  body  of  the 
martyred  president  rested  in  the  State  House 
for  eighteen  hours  of  the  gloomiest  Suiulay 
ever  known  and  was  viewed  by  thousands  of 
weejiing  mourners.  That  is  a  stoi-y  to  itself. 
It  was  the  la.st  of  the  five  greatest  days  of 
the  struggle:  Lincoln's  visit,  the  day  Sumter 
fell,  the  opening  of  the  ^lorgan  Raid,  the  fall 
of  Richmond  and  this  one.  ^lay  their  like 
never  be  seen  again. 

The  incidents  of  the  closing  up  must  he 
jia.ssed  over  lightly.  Troo])s  were  soon  dis- 
charged and  sent  home.  All  were  ])idilicly 
welcomed  as  they  deserved,  and  while  most 
came  within  a  few  months  it  was  more  than 
a  year  before  the  la.st  Indiana  soldiers  were 
discharged.  The  great  armies  vanished  into 
private  life  as  easily  as  they  came  from  it 
and  all  the  apprehensions  of  trouble  were 
groundless. 

Indianapolis  kept  on  her  course  of  material 
progress  that  year.  Prices  contiiuied  high, 
building  iiu'i'eased,  rents  were  at  uidieai'd  of 
figures.  $0,000  being  paid  for  one  single  room 
by  the  Eirst  National  Bank  the  s(uitheast  cor- 
ner of  AVa.shington  and  i\reri(lian  streets, 
^lore  banks  and  insurance  companies  were 
organized,  railroads  wei'c  projected,  a  steam- 
boat built  on  the  river,  i-eal  estate  boomed, 
aiul  expansion  was  everywhei-e.  In  July  there 
were  34  wholesale  houses  running  with  five 
more  to  o])en  up  as  soon  as  buildings  coidd 
be  finished.  The  largest  income  ta.x  i>avers 
were:  Calvin  Fletcher.  .+31.043:  S.  "  A. 
Fletcher,  s|;.30,960:  Thos.  II.  Shan)e,  !i;27,847, 
and  Oliver  Tousey,  $28,530.  Wa.shingtou 
street  property  between  ^leridian  and  Illi- 
nois streets  sold  at  $800  ])er  foot.  The  lot 
at  the  southeast  corner  of  ^leridian  and 
.Maryland,  25x130,  was  sold  for  .$400  |)er  foot. 
Ill  l'\'l)ruary.  1909,  with  a  building  on  it,  it 
brought  $(i0,000.  Grant  and  Sherman  vis- 
ited the  city  and  had  rousing  receptions, 
liaseball  was  started.  The  last  rebel  left 
Camp  Morton  June  12th.  A  jMiblic  bath  house 
was  erected.  On  July  25,  Sherman's  wagon 
train  twenty-eight  miles  long  en  route  from 
Washington  to  Louisville  jiassed  through, 
ami    that    fall    witnessed    the    closing    of   the 


•.'.■!S 


IIIS'|'()1;y   of  (;i;KATEU  IXDIAXAFOLIS. 


Soldiers'  Home,  the  Ladies'  Home  antl  all  the 
camps. 

A  crop  of  oats  was  cut  from  University 
Square,  probably  the  only  cereal  ever  raised 
there,  having:  been  sown  as  a  cover  for  gettinij 
grass  established  tiiere.  A  ijovernment  mili- 
tary hospital  was  ordered,  and  the  selection 
of  a  site  developed  irreat  hostility  from  every 
locality  suggested,  but  the  close  of  the  war 
caused  the  abandoiuiient  of  the  proposition, 
and  gave  wide-spread  relief.  In  November 
the  Blake  orchard,  a  tract  lying  between 
Tennessee  and  ^lississippi  streets,  extending 
from  the  alley  below  Walnut  to  St.  Clair 
street,  wa.s  sold  at  auction,  realizing  an  aver- 
age pi'ice  of  $70  per  font,  and  attracting  "the 
biggest  crowd  ever  at  ;i  ri'al  estate  sale  in  In- 
dianapolis". 

The  cost  of  the  war  to  the  town  may  be 
fancied  by  a  brief  statement  of  some  of  the 
taxation.  For  the  year  ending  June  30,  1865, 
the  internal  revenue  tax  on  Clarion  County 
was  .$.517,742,  the  income  tax  $l(il,8(il  on  a 
total  of  $2,618,007.  In  the  year  ending  ilay 
12th  the  city's  inennie  was  $597,831  of  which 
about  only  $170,000  was  from  taxes,  licenses 
and  fines,  the  rest  was  from  loans  and  con- 
tributions to  the  draft  fund.  The  expenses 
were  $854,391,  a  deficit  of  $301,707  and  $775.- 
000  went  for  the  war  fund.  The  estinmted 
expenses  for  the  next  year  were  $137,000. 
In  addition  to  this  the  county  had  also  in- 
curred a  war  debt.  The  contribution  of  life 
can  not  be  estimated,  bi;t  it  was  large,  many 
hundreds.  Possibly  as  many  as  4,000  men 
from  this  town  went  into  the  army  first  and 
la.st,  and  many  never  returned. 

The  war  was  ovei'  but  its  gi-ini  ei-a  closed 
upon  a  new  Indiaiuipolis.  The  quiet  town 
with  its  simple  lifi'  was  srone  forever  and  in 
its  place  was  the  bustling  city  with  new  ideas, 
new  aspirations,  new  ways.  Much  more  than 
half  the  i)opulation  were  new-comers.     As  it 


had  changed  materially,  it  had  changed  in 
other  respects.  Its  life  was  difl'erent.  The 
war  had  brought  sorrow  to  many  households 
and  broken  up  many.  In  four  ordinary  years 
there  are  likely  to  be  many  changes,  but  how 
much  more  in  these  four  years  of  awful 
havoc  and  heart-breaking  experience.  Old 
friendships  and  social  relations  had  been 
severed  by  death  and  by  estrangement 
throuffh  differing  opinions.  The  alteration 
in  circumstances  made  a  difference  for  many 
large  fortunes  had  been  made  and  many  fam- 
ilies had  been  impoverished  or  had  gained 
nothing.  There  Mas  more  luxurious  living 
and  ostentation.  The  inevitable  demoraliza- 
tion of  war  was  to  l)e  reckoned  with,  and 
both  morality  and  religion  were  affected. 
Hundreds  of  young  men  had  become  addicted 
to  intemperance  and  the  general  moral  tone 
had  been  lowered.  Extravagance  had  in- 
creased in  many  things  and  was  driving  out 
the  former  simplicity.  Change  was  over  all. 
"The  old  order  changeth."  That  is  the 
rule  of  life.  "Without  the  war  Indianapolis 
would  have  changed  at  some  time  but  it 
would  have  taken  a  generation  for  it  instead 
of  being  hannnei-ed  out  in  the  white  heat  of 
the  four  years'  confliet,  and  the  slow  trans- 
formation, almost  imperceptible,  would  have 
been  natural.  But  with  all  the  changes 
something,  yes  much,  was  left.  The  impress 
of  the  early  .settlers  could  not  be  eil'aced.  The 
influences  that  made  for  civic  righteousness, 
for  public  spirit,  for  education,  for  cleanly 
living,  for  kindliness,  for  general  well  being 
and  progress,  were  not  destroyed  and  thiw 
abide  with  us  yet.  However  feeble  their 
force  has  seemed  at  times,  at  othei-s  it  has 
burst  out  in  unrestrained  volume,  showing 
that  it  had  not  lost  its  power  and  that  while 
material  environment  may  alter,  the  spirit 
persists. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 


THE  COLOTJED  BROTHEE. 


The  negro  wa.*  willi  Indianapolis  from  the 
beginning.  General  Tipton  brought  a  negro 
boy  with  him  when  he  came  for  selecting  of 
the  .*itc  of  tlie  capital,  but  his  stay  was  only 
transient.  When  Alexander  Ralston  came  here 
to  live,  he  brought  a  colored  housekeeptT, 
Cheney  Lively,  who  ])a*sed  the  rest  of  her  life 
here  and  is  remembered  by  old  residents  as 
"Aunt  Cheney".  Jlr.  Ralston  left  her  some 
property :  and  some  years  after  his  death  she 
married  John  Britton,  a  very  reputable  colored 
man.  who  kept  a  barber-shop,  and  accumu- 
lated some  property.  On  June  lit,  18'i."),  two 
colored  men,  brothers,  named  Knight,  wcm- 
drowned  in  White  River,  at  the  mouth  of  Fall 
Creek.'  This  was  the  second  instance  of 
drowning  in  the  I'iver  since  the  beginning  of 
the  .-ett lenient.  The  negroes  came  in  with 
the  other  i)opulation,  and  the  census  of  the 
town  taken  in  1827  showed  58  colored  resi- 
dents. ;U  males,  and  •?-!  females.  In  18;i.j  the 
total  colored  |)opulatioii  had  reached  73,  of 
whom  .34  were  males  and  ;5!)  females;  alnnit 
one-half  of  all  being  adults. 

The  attitude  to  the  negro  was  what  it  was 
generally  in  the  free  states  at  that  time — one 
of  tolerance  to  an  inferior  race.  It  is  illus- 
trated in  the  following  advertisement,  which 
appeared  in  \\k'  Joiinial  oi  December  11.  is:!;i: 
".\  Card.  Thomas  Chubb  (colored  man).  Bar- 
ber and  Hair  Dresser.  With  all  that  humility 
that  becomes  gentlemen  of  colour,  very  respect- 
fully tenders  his  services  to  the  good  ])eople 
of  Indianapolis.  His  Magnum  Bonum  and 
Ratlers  are  of  the  first  grit,  and  his  Cologne 
Water  and  perfumery  of  the  very  best  quality. 
He  is  no  politician,  and  the  (listincticuis  of 
party  are  entirely  unknown  in  the  grand  lioiir- 


ish  of  taking  oil  a  gentleman's  beard.  His 
shop  is  at  the  Washington  Hall,  where  he  will 
be  extremely  happy  to  administer  to  the  com- 
fort and  gratification  of  all  those  gentlemen 
who  may  be  incommoded  by  that  troublesome 
appendage,  a  long  beard.  Gentlemen  who  from 
sickness  are  unable  to  call  at  his  shop  will  be 
promptly  waited  on  at  their  rooms,  at  any 
hour  either  day  or  night.  In  short,  he  does 
not  ask  a  monopoly  but  only  solicits  a  share 
of  the  public  patronage." 

There  was  a  firm  maintenance  of  the  fact 
that  Indiana  was  free  soil,  and  a  protection 
id'  negroes  in  the  legal  rights  that  this  im- 
plied. The  earliest  case  involving  this  sub- 
ject arose  in  1829.  In  the  fall  of  that  year 
Wm.  Sewall,  who  had  emigrated  from  \'ii-- 
ginia,  was  passing  through  Indianapolis  with 
four  slaves — two  women,  Nelly  and  Mary,  and 
two  daughters  of  Nelly.  They  were  detained 
for  several  days  by  high  water,  and,  someone 
having  told  tbe  women  that  they  were  free, 
they  left  Sewall  and  took  refuge?  with  one  of 
the  overseers  of  the  poor.  Sewall  retook  them, 
and  on  their  behalf  they  w'ere  brought  before 
Judge  Betbuel  F.  JMorris,  on  writ  of  habeas 
corpus.  The  evidence  was  conflicting  as  to 
whether  Sewall  intended  to  settle  in  Hlinois 
or  Missoxiri ;  but  was  unquestioned  that  be  had 
left  Virginia,  and  that  ho  had  voluntarily 
brought  them  into  this  state.  They  could 
not  be  said  to  have  "escaped  into"  free  terri- 
tory. On  this  basis  Judge  ilorris  held  that 
the  negroes  were  free,  filing  a  very  elaborate 
opinion  in  support  of  his  decision.'-'  Decisions 
to  the  same  ett'ect  luui  already  been  made  in 
several  of  the  southern  states,  and  it  bad  long 
been  a  prinei])le  o{  the  common  law   in   Eng- 


'Jiiiiniiil  and  ilnzrtti 


•l\,  182.1. 


-Jountal,    December  ol,   1829. 


;!9 


240 


HISTOEY  OF  GEEATER  lA'DIANAPOLIS. 


laud,,  where  it  had  taken  the  poetical  form — 
"A  slave  caunot  breathe  the  air  of  England."' 

Of  course  the  negro  had  no  political  rights, 
but  there  was  one  who  exercised  them  for  some 
time.  This  was  Cader  Carter,  a  quadroon, 
who  passed  himself  off  for  a  white  man.  But 
he  was  not  content  with  voting,  and  took  an 
active  and  aggressive  part  in  street-corner  and 
other  debates.  In  1S3(j  he  was  a  pronounced 
"Jackson"  man  and  some  of  the  Whigs  who 
became  acquainted  with  his  secret,  de- 
cided to  put  him  out  of  business.  They  chal- 
lenged his  right  to  vote,  and  proved  that  he 
was  within  the  prohibited  degree  of  African 
blood,  whereupon  he  voted  no  more.  The  first 
recorded  manifestation  of  race  hostility  oc- 
curred in  1838,  when  some  of  the  ''chain  gang" 
began  annoying  colored  residents,  and  were 
resisted  by  a  plucky  negro,  named  Overall, 
with  a  shot  gun.  As  related  elsewhere,  Over- 
all instituted  surety-of-peace  proceedings 
against  Daniel  Burke,  one  of  the  leaders  of 
the  gang,  and  received  protection  of  the  law. 
Beyond  this  point  of  aiding  the  negro  in  se- 
curing protection  from  abuse,  there  was  no  ap- 
parent favor  for  him.  Abolitionism  was  at  a 
discount  and  anything  like  association  on  terms 
of  equality  was  not  considered  by  any  one. 

Yet  there  was  a  case  of  miscegenation  here 
on  January  1,  1840.  A  young  lady  had  been 
brought  here  from  the  East  to  play  the  organ 
in  the  new  Episcopal  church,  and  her  sister 
came  with  her.  A  few  months  later  the  sister 
married  a  light-colored  mulatto,  who  had  served 
in  the  family  for  some  years.  This  caused 
much  excitement,  and  a  mob,  led  by  Josiah 
Simcox,  and  composed  mostly  of  young  men 
and  boys,  surrounded  their  house  and  captured 
the  groom.  The  bride  was  not  badly  used, 
but  the  groom  was  given  a  ride  on  a  rail  and 
warned  to  leave  town,  which  he  promptly  did. 
Sulgrove  says  that  the  leader  of  the  mob  also 
left  town  and  never  ventured  to  return  openly, 
though  he  did  secretly.  On  February  T^.  1840, 
in  its  accoTmt  of  the  legislative  proceedings, 
the  Journal  said:  "Yesterday  morning,  Mr. 
Johnson  presented  the  petition  of  Sophia 
Spears,  the  white  female  who  recently,  in  this 
town,  connected  herself  in  marriage  with  a 
light  mulatto  man,  praying  a  divorce.  The 
petition  was  accompanied  by  another  of  the 
same  import  from  a  large  number  of  the  citi- 
zens of   Indianapolis.     Immediately   after  the 


I'eading  of  the  petitions,  Mr.  Johnson  intro- 
duced a  bill  dissolving  the  bonds  of  matrimony 
between  Sophia  Spears  and  Jolin  N.  Wilson, 
which  was  read  three  times  and  passed."  It  is 
iiiitable,  however,  that  it  was  not  passed  with- 
out opposition.  The  vote  in  the  House  was  (31 
for  and  22  against  the  bill.  There  was  also 
opposition  in  the  Senate,  but  it  passed  on  Feb- 
ruary 22,  by  a  vote  of  20  to  14. 

There  was  another  case  of  the  kind  ten  years 
later,  but  the  parties  were  not  so  prominent. 
On  August  5,  1848,  the  Locomotive  said: 
■'.\  buck  nigger,  as  black  as  the  ace  of  spades, 
named  Peter  Tilman,  tried  to  get  several  Jus- 
tices of  the  Peace  to  marry  him  to  Miss  I'ar- 
melia  Powell,  a  white  girl,  on  last  Wednesday. 
The  license  was  procured  by  telling  the  clerk 
the  girl  had  negro  blood  in  her,  but  she  is  to 
every  appearance  as  white  as  a  lily.  Peter  is 
certainly  a  man  of  taste.'  We  wish  Jliss  Par- 
melia  much  joy  of  her  conquest.  Go  it  butes. 
The  Doctor  could  not  succeed  in  getting  mar- 
ried here,  and  on  Thursday  he  went  to  Boone 
County  where  he  found  more  accommodating 
Justices.  On  his  return  he  met  a  warm  recep- 
tion— eggs  were  plenty  and  the  bovs  know  how 
to  throw  them.  He  left  for  parts  unknown 
yesterday  morning." 

It  is  probable  that  the  claim  of  negro  blood 
in  the  woman  saved  the  couple  from  a  worse 
fate,  for  the  law  was  much  more  severe  than 
in  1840.  At  that  time  the  restriction  on  mar- 
riage was  that  it  be  "not  prohibited  by  the  law 
of  God";  but  on  January  20,  1842,  a  law  was 
jiassed  prohibiting  marriage  between  a  white 
])erson  and  one  having  one-eighth  or  more  of 
negro  blood.  It  made  any  such  marriage  null 
and  void,  and  provided  a  penalty  of  fine  of 
$1,000  to  $0,000,  and  imprisonment  in  the  pen- 
itentiarv  from  1  to  10  vears  for  the  principals, 
and  a  fine  of  $100  to  $1,000  for  the  adviser  of 
such  a  marriage.  By  the  revision  of  1843  this 
was  broadened  by  making  such  a  marriage  "ab- 
solutely void,  without  any  decree  of  divorce, 
or  other  legal  proceeding",  and  declai'iiig  the 
issue  of  such  marriage  illegitimate.  This  law 
was  held  to  be  in  force  by  the  Supreme  Court 
in  1871,  after  the  adoption  of  the  fourteenth 
amendment.  The  court  held  that  the  United 
States  had  no  jurisdiction  of  the  subject  of 
marriage  within  a  state,  and  that  such  mar- 
riages were  proliibiti'd  as  violations  of  the  laws 
of  nature  and  of  (iod.     The  Indiana  court  at 


JIISTOKV  OF  GKKATER  IXDIAXAI'UIJS. 


■Ul 


times  seemed  more  deeply  versed  in  the  law 
of  God  than  in  the  law  of  the  land ;  as,  for 
example,  wlicn  it  decided  in  favor  of  a  debtor 
charged  with  fraudulently  conveying  his  prop- 
erty to  his  wife,  citing  as  authority  only  1 
Timothy,  Ch.  5,  v.  8:  "But  if  any  provide  not 
for  his  own,  and  especially  for  those  of  his 
own  house,  he  hath  denied  the  faith,  and  is 
worse   than   an   infidel." 

It  is  possible  that  the  Spears  case  may  have 
caused  a  revulsion  of  feeling  which,  as  well  as 
the  influ.x  of  a  disorderly  class  of  settlers, 
made  the  sentiment  of  the  community  moi-e 
hostile  to  the  negro.  .At  any  rate  it  showed 
very  badly  on  July  4,  1843,  when  a  negro  was 
beaten  to  death  by  a  mob,  on  a  public  street, 
under  circumstances  that  would  have  disgraced 
any  rowdy  settlement  in  tlie  country.  The 
negro,  John  Tucker,  was  ]ieaceably  passing 
along  Washington  street,  when  Xicholas  Wood 
who  was  half-drunk,  struck  him  on  the  nose, 
making  it  bleed,  and  then  dodged  into  a  gro- 
cery, the  negro  remaining  outside,  and  calling 
to  Wood  that  if  he  wanted  blood,  to  come  out 
and  he  would  get  it.  The  evidence  is  c|uite 
fully  reported  in  the  Sviitiiiel  of  August  13, 
1845,  and  the  occurrence  is  very  fairly  pre- 
sented in  the  statement  of  .\l)raliiini  Bird, 
which  is  as  follows: 

"The  first  I  saw  was  Wood  coming  out  of 
a  grocery  on  the  south  side  of  Washington 
street.  Wood  made  fun  of  the  negro's  nose 
because  it  was  bleeding.  The  negro  struck  at 
Wood.  Wood  crossed  over  to  a  grocery  and 
enquired  for  an  axe  luiiidlc.  saying  that  be 
wanted  to  kill  the  damned  negro.  Wood 
picked  up  a  board,  and  pursued  the  negro  down 
the  street,  \\lien  he  came  neaj-  the  negro,  the 
negro  j)icked  up  a  brick  and  hit  Wood  on  the 
head.  A  scufHe  ensued :  after  which  T  saw- 
Davis  strike  the  negro  on  the  back  of  the  head 
with  a  brick  or  stone  which  Davis  threw  at 
him.  It  struck  the  negro,  and  the  blow  bent 
the  negro  forward.  'J'he  back  of  the  negro's 
head  was  towards  Davis.  The  negro  threw, 
and  retreated  towards  the  north,  up  Illinois. 
Saw  the  negro  throw  brickbats  towards  the 
crowd,  but  not  until  bricks  had  been  thrown  at 
the  negro.  The  crowd  still  followed  uj)  the 
street.  Davis  threw  a  brickbat  and  hit  tin; 
negro  in  the  side.  The  negro  then  threw  at 
Davis,  hit  him  on  the  head,  knocked  him  down. 
Several  persons  then  threw  at  the  negro,  and 
Vol.  I—]  6 


several  cried  'Kill  him'.  Woods  appeared  with 
a  stick  following  towards  tlii'  negro.  The  negro 
told  Woods  not  to  strike,  and  Woods  did  not 
then  strike.  Davis  was  in  advance  of  the  crowed 
when  he  threw  at  the  negro.  Saw  Ballinger 
standing  near  the  signpost  at  Armstrong's, 
and  crying  out  'Kill  the  negro".  After  the 
negro  had  knocked  Davis  down.  Ballinger  fol- 
lowed the  negro  and  caught  him  by  the  col- 
lar, and  taking  a  club  in  one  hand  struck  at 
the  negro,  which  blows  the  negro  fended  off. 
Ho  then  took  the  club  in  both  hands  and 
again  struck  the  negro  over  the  head,  and 
knocked  him  down.  The  club  was  a  common 
sized  hand  spike,  about  four  feet  long.  About 
the  time  Davis  was  knocked  down,  Ballinger 
stepped  up  to  some  person  having  the  club  and 
said,  'Give  me  the  stick;  I'll  soon  fix  him'. 
Was  acquainted  with  the  negro.  His  name  was 
John  Tucker.  Wood  then  came  to  where  the 
negro  was  lying,  and  struck  him  twice  over  the 
head  or  shoulders.  Could  not  see  for  the  crowd 
the  precise  place  where  he  hit  the  negro.  Some 
l)erson  then  caught  the  stick  of  wood,  and 
prevented    further    blows." 

There  was  little  or  no  conflict  in  the  testi- 
mony except  that  Joseph  Stretcher,  who  was 
first  to  get  to  Tucker  after  he  fell,  said  that 
Davis  also  struck  him  with  a  brick  after  he 
was  down,  and  others  said  they  did  not  see  this. 
There  were  half-a-dozen  reputable  citizens  in 
the  crowd  trying  to  get  them  to  desist,  and 
urging  the  negro  to  get  away.  Even  Dave 
P>urkhart,  the  leader  of  "the  chain  gang"  told 
him  to  go  away  or  he  would  be  killed,  but  he 
refused,  saying  that  he  was  "a  civil  man" 
and  "had  insulted  nobody".  There  was  some 
testimony  that  others  told  him  to  stay  and 
they  would  see  that  he  had  a  fair  fight,  but  it 
was  very  weak,  and  if  true  the  support  did  not 
inaterializc. 

There  was  no  politics  in  it.  On  the  oth 
the  Sentinel  said:  "On  the  afternoon  of  yes- 
terday, the  4th,  at  about  3  o'clock,  an  affray 
occurred  in  this  city  between  a  negro  and  some 
whites,  in  which  the  negro  was  finally  killed 
outright.  The  name  of  the  negro  is  said  to 
be  John  Tucker,  about  4o  years  old,  and  previ- 
ous to  this  incident  he  is  said  to  have  been  of  a 
ipiiet  and  inoffensive  disposition.  He  was,  we 
are  told,  formerly  a  slave  in  Kentucky,  but 
many  years  ago  honorably  obtained  freedom, 
and  came  to  this  vicinity.      Ilr  bad  Ikhmi  em- 


IIISTOKY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


jiloyod  on  tlie  ianu  ul'  J'ostiiiaster  Hciidersoii 
for  several  years,  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 
He  has  left  two  children,  a  jiirl  abont  13,  and 
a  bov  about  10  year.*  old.  On  the  complaint 
of  two  respectalilo  c!tizcn>.  Nicholas,  or  as 
eonunonly  called  Nicic  Woods,  was  arrested  on 
the  charge  of  liaving  comniittcd  this  fatal 
act.  He  was  taken  before  ilayor  Levy,  but 
Wood  being  rather  uproarious  with  liquor,  and 
the  excitement  considerable,  the  Mayor  very 
properly  committed  tlie  accused  until  this  (Sat- 
iirday)  morning.  *  *  *  The  priiici|)al 
wounds  received  hy  the  negro  were  apparently 
those  on   his  head.      There   was   a   severe   one, 


•■THE  BABY"   OF  -UXCLE  TOMS   CABIN.- 
(Louisa   Magnifier.) 

perhaps  the  severest,  over  the  right  frontal 
region  of  the  skull,  probably  made  by  a  club; 
another  on  the  back  of  the  head ;  a  large  gash 
on  the  top  of  the  front  head  a  little  to  the 
left;  a  hole  on  the  right  cheek  below  the  right 
corner  of  the  eye,  and  the  jaw  bone  fractured ; 
a  hole  cut  through  the  left  ear  and  several 
smaller  wounds. 

"It  was  a  horrilile  ■i)ie(tac-le;  doubly  horrilde 
that  it  should  have  occurred  on  the  4tli  of 
July,  a  day  which  of  all  otliers  should  be  con- 
secrated to  purj)oses  far  different  from  a  dis- 
play of  angry  and  vitulictivc  passion  ami  bru- 


tality. -VU  good  men  will  reflect  upon  it  with 
deep  regret.  *  *  *  A  more  careful  exam- 
ination by  physicians  today  proves  that  Tuck- 
er's skull  was  fractured  the  whole  length.  The 
blow  which  caused  it  would  have  felled  an  ox." 
Naturally  the  town  was  horror  strii-ken,  and 
action  was  prompt.  On  July  'i9  the  grand  jury 
returned  indictments  against  Nicholas  Wood, 
Wni.  Ballinger  and  Edward  Davis  for  murder, 
and  also  for  aiding  in  the  commission  of  mur- 
der. Ballinger,  who  was  a  saloon-keeper,  es- 
caped before  arrest  and  was  never  taken.  Davis 
was  jmt  on  trial  first,  but  the  prosecutor  made 
the  mistake  of  nollemg  the  indictment  for 
■"aiding""  and  tried  him  on  the  charge  of  mur- 
der, though  it  seems  clear  from  the  preserved 
evidence  that  he  did  not  strike  the  fatal  blow. 
He  was  acquitted  on  August  13.  Wood  was 
at  once  tried,  and  on  August  16,  the  jury 
found  him  guilty  of  manslaughter;  and  the 
judge — Stephen  ^lajor — sentenced  him  to  three 
\ears  in  the  penitentiary.  He  afterwards  served 
another  term  for  larceny.  On  July  "29,  Wm. 
Watson;  David  Buckhart,  and  James  M.  Buck- 
hart  were  also  indicted  for  aiding  in  the  com- 
mission of  the  murder,  but  were  never  tried. 
They  were  local  "toughs"",  the  Buckharts  be- 
ing leaders  of  "the  chain  gang"',  but  they  do 
not  appear  to  have  been  guilty  in  this  case. 
David  Buckliart  was  indicted  at  this  same  term 
for  gaming,  and  James  M.  for  larceny.  This 
atfair  had  a  sobering  effect  on  the  whole  com- 
munity, and,  notwithstanding  the  general  de- 
vclojiment  of  feeling  on  the  negro  question 
through  political  agitation,  there  is  no  record 
of  any  further  serious  mistreatment  of  negroes 
in   Indianapolis  liefore  the  Civil   War. 

And  now  was  coming  a  great  event  in  tlie 
history  of  the  nation — the  writing  of  "I'ncle 
Tom's  Cabin"- — and  in  it  Indianapolis  had  an 
interesting  part.  Mrs.  Stowe  says  that  after 
the  publication  of  the  book  numerous  towns 
claimed  "Uncle  Toms"",  but  that  the  character 
was  a  composite  one.  and  that  the  "experi- 
ences'" were  largely  drawn  from  the  life  of  Jo- 
siah  Henson.  Her  only  acquaintance  with  Hen- 
son,  however,  was  through  the  story  of  his 
life,  which  had  been  published  years  before, 
and  the  "experiences""  were  only  suggestive, 
for  Henson  was  not  beaten  to  death,  but  escaped 
into  Canada,  and  was  a  preaclier  there  for 
nmny  years.  But  there  was  an  Uncle  Tom 
in    Indianaiiolis  that   she  <lid  know   personally, 


IIIS'I'OKV   OF  r.KEATER  TXT>TA\.\PO!JS. 


24n 


and  ><>  flid  nearly  evervliinly  in  the  place,  lor 
he  was  noted  as  an  exemplary  and  religious 
man.  and  was  generally  respected.  Henry 
Ward  Beeeher  developed  a  great  liking  for  him, 
and  on  at  least  one  oceasion  referred  to  him  in 
a  sermon. 

I'ncle  Tom  Mngnider  had  heen  a  .•jhive  uf 
Dr.  Xdhle.  in  \'irginia,  j)rior  to  ITOI.  hi 
tliiit  year  the  doetor  moved  to  Kentucky,  tak- 
ing his  slaves  witii  him.  In  1S31,  Governor 
Xohle — a  son  of  l)r.  Xoble — brought  Tom 
and  his  wife  Sarah  to  Indianapolis,  and  built 
a  cabin  for  them  at  the  northeast  corner  of 
Xohle  and  ^larket  streets,  where  they  resided  till 
their  death.  At  the  same  time  their  daughter 
Louisa,  who  had  i)een  living  at  Lawrenci'i)arg, 
was  brought  here  to  take  care  of  the  old  cou])le. 
Uncle  Tom  was  a  ^lethodist,  and  after  Rob- 
erts Chapel  was  built  was  a  regular  attendant 
there  until  the  negroes  had  a  chtirch  of  their 
own.  He  was  an  enthusiastic  worshipper — his 
"aniens",  "hallelujahs"  and  "glorys"  being  as 
frequent  and  fervent  as  those  of  any  of  the  white 
brethren;  and  they  had  "shouting  ^fethodists" 
in  those  days.  His  religion  was  not  restricted 
to  church,  but  was  a  characteristic  of  his  daily 
life.  It  is  the  testimony  of  the  Xoble  family 
that  "Mrs.  Stowe  was  a  frequent  visitor  at 
T'nde  Tom's  cabin,  and  wrote  much  of  her 
book  there"'.  The  latter  part  of  this  is  prob- 
ably an  exaggerated  refereiu-e  to  her  taking 
notes,  which  would  naturally  be  reported  by 
the  (iniearned  darkies  as  writing  a  book. 

In  addition  to  this  acquaintancesiii|i.  and 
the  identity  of  name  and  character  portrayed, 
there  is  a  notable  coincidence  as  to  the  family. 
In  the  fourth  chapter  of  her  book,  Tom's  fam- 
ily is  <lescribed  as  consisting  of  two  boys,  ?rTose 
and  I'ete,  and  the  girl  baby.  Tncle  Tom  had 
liiit  two  children.  Mo.ses.  and  his  vounger  sister 
Louisa,  and  thev  were  middle-aged  jK'ople  when 
Mrs.  Stowe  know  them.  lUit  there  was  another 
male  member  of  tlie  family  at  the  time,  of 
aiiout  the  same  age  as  Moses,  and  his  name  was 
Peter.  He  had  been  a  slave  of  Judge  Isaac  Dunn 
of  Lawrenceburg  until  the  decision  of  I'ollv's 
case,  in  lS-.>(),  which  ))Ut  an  end  to  slavery  in 
Indiana."  After  that  be  continued  to  live  vol- 
untarily witii  liis  for-nier  master  until  all  uf 
l)i>   old    nejiro    fi'iends    in      LawreiU'i'luiri,'     bail 


died  or  left  the  place,  and  he  became  very 
lonesome.  Judge  Dunn  then  made  arrange- 
ments for  him  to  come  to  Indianapolis  and 
live  with  the  Magruders,  and  he  was  living 
with  them  when  ^Irs.  Stowe  knew  them.  This 
makes  the  family  identical  with  the  one  in  the 
book,  and  the  boys  with  the  same  names, 
iionisa  had  been  married  and  had  a  daughter 
Martha — commonly  called  "Topsy",  but  by  no 
means  so  hopeless  as  ^Irs.  Stowe's  "Topsy" — 
who  is  still  living.  "Uncle  Tom''  died  on  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1857,  and  Louisa  on  September  7, 
lltOO.      Tom   was   buried   in    the   Xoble    faniilv 


•  fiiiU'ina. 
41(1.  .•tc. 


in   .\m.   ( 'iinnnonwealtb   Series, 


LAST    HOME   OF   LOUISA    AND   HER 
DAUOHTER. 

(4.51    HiKlUr.nd    Ave.  I 

lot  at  tireeiilawn,  and  Lmiisa  in  the  Davidson 
family  lot  at  Crown  Hill.  Louisa  was  92 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her  death,  and  had 
long  heen  cared  for  liy  white  friends,  especially 
Mrs.  (ieorge  Frank  Miller,  who  fullilled  her 
last  request  "to  be  buried  with  her  folks" — 
i.  e.,  the  Xoble-Davidsou  family.  For  a  num- 
ber of  years  after  Fnclc  Tom's  death.  Moses 
and  Louisa  lived  in  a  log  cabin  on  Wabash 
street,  opposite  the  present  Kmpire  'I'heater — • 
just  back  of  the  iiresent  Security  Trust  build- 
ing— but  after  the  war  Mrs.  Miller  furnished 
Louisa  a  home  at  \'<\  Highland  avemie.  where 
she  remained  till  her  death. 

\i  the  time  of  'I'om's  <lealb,  the  .lotiriKil 
said:  "On  Sunday  morning,  an  old  negro, 
Thomas  Magruder,  belter  known  in  our  boyish 

days   as   "Old    Uncle   Tnin'.    lr|iuled    to    be   aboul 


244 


HISTOKY  OF  GEEATEE  INDIANAPOLIS. 


one  hundivd  and  ten  years  old,  died  in  his  cabin 
at  the  eoruer  of  Marlvet  and  Noble  streets. 
*  *  *  He  was  buried '  yesterday  morning. 
Thus  has  passed  away  one  of  the  few  for  whom 
we  jiave  assurance,  in  a  guileless  life  and  an 
earnest  faith,  a  rich  reward  is  ready.  If  there 
was  ever  a  Christian  in  the  world,  we  believe 
'Old  Tom"  was  one.  Indeed  he  had  no  dis- 
tinguishing mark  but  his  Christian  virtues. 
There  was  nothing  to  describe  him  by  to  a 
stranger  but  his  piety.  In  other  men  we  note 
talents,  education,  judgment,  memory,  wit  or 
fancy,  but  in  'Tom"  the  first  characteristic 
noted  would  be  piety,  and  there  would  be  no 
other.     *     *     *         ^ 

"To  those  unacquainted  with  "old  Tom"  the 
most  interesting  circumstance  connected  with 
him  is  ihc  probability  that  he  gave  the  name 
and  the  leading  features  of  the  character  to 
Mrs.  Stowe's  celebrated  hero.  Of  course  no  one 
knows  that  to  be  the  ease,  but  there  are  some 
circumstances  which  give  it  an  air  of  proba- 
bility. The  coincidence  of  the  character  and 
the  name  are  not  much  in  themselves,  but  con- 
nected with  the  fact  that.  Henry  Ward  Beecher, 
during  his  residence  here,  was  a  constant  vis- 
itor of  Uncle  Tom's,  well  acquainted  with  his 
history,  and  a  sincere  admirer  of  his  virtues, 
the  coincidence  becomes  more  suggestive.  We 
have  been  told  that  ^Irs.  Stowe  herself  some- 
times called  to  see  the  old  man.  'Uncle  Tom's 
cabin',  too,  was  the  name  of  his  hous&.amoug 
all  his  acquaintances,  and  was  a  familiar  phrase 
here  long  before  ilrs.  Stowe  immortalized  it. 
At  all  events  we  know  that  it  is  the  impression 
with  all  the  friends  of  Mrs.  Stowe  and  her 
brother,  in  this  city,  that  'Old  Uncle  Tom'  was 
the  original  or  at  least  the  suggestion  of  the 
hero  of  the  raliiii."  * 

This  was  about  the  only  feature  of  '"Uncle 
Tom's  Cabin''  as  to  which  the  local  papers  did 
not  differ,  and  they  stood  up  for  the  claim  when 
occasion  demanded.  A  year  later  the  Citizen, 
a  new  afternoon  paper  took  up  an  item  as  to 
"the  veritable  Uncle  Tom"  appearing  in  a 
lecture  at  Boston,  and  said :  "It  is  believed  here 
that  Thomas  ^fagruder,  an  old  negro  who  died 
in  this  city  about  a  year  ago  was  'the  veritable 
Uncle  Tom'.  The  Beechers  knew  the  old 
man,  and  it  is 'altogether  probal)le  that  Mrs. 
Stowe  took    from   him   and  his  rustic  cabin — 


which  was  so  well  known  among  observing  citi- 
zens, but  which  has  been  torn  down  to  give 
place  to  a  more  modern  structure — the  per- 
snnitication  of  her  world-renowned  'Uncle 
Tom's  Cabin'.'"^  If  this  opinion,  so  publicly 
and  repeatedly  expressed  here,  had  not  been 
well-founded,  it  is  passing  strange  that  none  of 
the  numerous  friends  and  admirers  of  the 
Beechers  in  this  city  received  any  denial  of  it, 
which  would  necessarily  have  broken  the  uni- 
form faith  in  the  tradition. 

While  the  public  and  tlie  press  .were  at  the 
height  of  their  discussion  of  the  accuracy 
of  "Uncle  Tom's  Cabin''  as  a  presentation  of 
slavery,  there  came  an  occurrence  that  created 
a  more  profound  impression  at  Indiana]iolis 
tlian  the  book  did.  On  June  20,  18.53,  John 
Fieeman,  a  negro  who  had  been  living  in 
Indianapolis  for  0  years,  had  married  here, 
niid  had  four  children,  was  arrested  on  atfi- 
(lavit  of  Pleasant  Ellington,  formerly  of  Keu- 
tuckv  but  then  of  Missouri,  charged  with  be- 
ing a  fugitive  slave.  He  averred  that  Free- 
man had  run  away  seventeen  years  before.  There 
was  no  question  that  Ellington  had  lost  a 
slave,  named  Sam,  at  that  time.  Freeman  was 
a  man  of  good  character,  and  had  acquired 
some  property.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  ex- 
citement for  several  days,  during  which  John 
L.  Ketcham,  Lucian  Barbour  and  John  Co- 
burn  were  employed  to  defend  Freeman.  After 
two  or  three  brief  adjournments  to  give  coun- 
sel opportunitv  for  investigation.  Commissioner 
Sullivan  adjourned  the  case  for  GO  days  to 
|ierinit  Freeman  to  procure  evidence,  and  pub- 
lic feeling  then  quieted  down,  though  there  re- 
mained an  intense  interest  in  the  case.  Con- 
cerning the  progress  of  the  case  the  traditional 
stories  are  quite  conflicting,  but  the  most  de- 
tailed and  accurate  statement  is  the  following 
contemporary  one : 

"At  the  request  and  by  direction  of  John 
Freeman,  'Mr.  Ketcham.  one  of  his  attorneys, 
went  to  Monroe.  Walton  County,  Georgia,  and 
a.'icertained  that  Freeman  had  truly  stated 
that  to  be  his  former  residence  since  18.31,  up 
to  184-1 — that  he  had  been  free  there  at  all 
times.  He  brought  to  Indianapolis  ^Ir.  Patillo. 
the  ])ostmaster  in  Monroe,  wlio  upon  seeing 
Freeman  in  jail,  recognized  him  in  the  most 
friendiv    and    affecting    manner.      While    'Mr. 


*Jouni(iI,    February    24,    1857. 


=>  The  Citizen,  April  5,  18.58. 


ITTSTOEY  OF  GEEATER  INDIAXAPOLIS. 


245 


J'atilli)  was  ill  town.  EUingtDii  caiiu'  with  tlirue 
men  from  Geemii)  County,  Kentucky,  wlio  went 
into  the  jail  against  the  remonstrance  of  Free- 
man's counsel,  but  under  the  direction  of  the 
United  States  ^larsliall,  John  L.  Robinson, — 
strii)ped  Freeman,  looked  at  his  scars  and 
marks  and  swore  to  him  as  the  slave  of  Ell- 
ington.    The  case  seemed  to  be  very  dark. 

■"In  the  meantime,  however,  Mr.  Colnuii,  an- 
other of  Freeman's  counsel,  had  been  taking  de- 
positions in  Greenup  Count}',  Kentucky,  at 
Amanda  Furnace,  and  there  heard  that  Elling- 
ton's slave  some  years  before,  had  sent  his 
respects  to  his  master  by  Dr.  Adams,  of  Ohio. 
He  learned  that  the  Doctor's  daughter  lived 
in  the  county,  and  from  her  he  found  out  his 
residence  to  be  in  Jackson,  Ohio,  lie  immedi- 
ately went  to  see  the  Doctor,  who  stated  that 
he  liad  taken  Sam's  respects  to  his  master — 
that  he  (Sam)  then  lived  at  Salem,  Ohio,  and 
passed  by  the  name  of  William  ^IcConnell. 
That  lie  had  told  his  name  in  a  puljlic  speech 
— his  master's  name  to  be  Ellington — his  resi- 
dence Greenuj)  County.  Kentucky,  opposite 
Hanging  Rock — his  history,  his  escape  and 
capture  at  Jlillersport,  Ohio,  in  the  year  IS;!."), 
in  the  canal.  It  was  upon  the  occasion  when 
Mr.  Paul,  of  Wheeling,  attempted  to  retake 
I  his  slaves  and  failed,  having  been  resisted  liy 
Sam  (alias  McConnell)  and  others. 

''J[r.  C.  then  Mcnt  to  SaltMu.  wlicre  lu'  found 
the  Doctor's  statement  confirmed;  found  men 
who  knew  Sam's  marks — his  history  since  183G, 
at  Salem,  and  his  account  of  his  slavery  and 
adventures  on  Big  Sandy,  at  the  Iron  Furnaces, 
and  tlie  Hanging  Rock  Ferry.  He  found  that 
McConnell  answered  the  descriptions  given  of 
Sam  in  the  depositions  in  Kentucky,  which 
did  not   correspond  witli   Freeman." 

"lie  returned  to  Indianapolis  and  offered 
to  bear  Ellington's  expense  to  Canada,  to  Sam's 
residence,  where  he  had  fled  on  the  passage  of 
the  fugitive  slave  law.  This  Ellington  refused 
to  do.  ilr.  C.  then  went  to  Canada,  found 
Sam,  alias  McConnell.  He  acknowledged  his 
name — his  master — told  his  history  and  Ell- 
ington's freely.  Mr.  C.  then  proceeded  to 
Kenlucky.  and  prevailed  ii])on  Henry  .\.  Mead, 


'''This  fact  makes  llie  darkest  feature  of  the 
case  against  his  claimant  and  the  witnesses  who 
swore  to  his  identity.  See  Smith's  "Eurhj  Tii- 
ilinini   Trials",  p.  278. 


E.<(1.,  a  relative  of  Ellington,  a  slaveholder,  and 
a  man  of  wealth,  who  now  resides  on  the  farm 
from  which  Sam  escaped,  to  go  with  him  to 
Canada.  He  also  prevailed  upon  Captain  James 
Xichols,  a  near  neighbor,  and  the  largest  slave- 
holder in  Greenup  Countj-,  to  accompany  them. 
They  are  both  gentlemen  of  the  first  character, 
and  friends  of  Ellington.  When  they  started 
they  said  it  was  impossible  that  Ellington 
could  be  mistaken  in  his  man,  but  that  they 
would  go  to  Canada  and  see  if  the  man  pointed 
out  was  really  Sam.  They  went  together— 
when  near  Sam's  house  Mr.  C.  stayed  behind 
in  the  woods,  and  let  Messrs.  Nichols  and 
ilead  go  alone  to  the  house.  As  they  ap- 
proached, a  mutual  recognition  took  place — 
they  met  as  old  friends — shook  hands — con- 
versed freely  about  Ellington  and  all  their 
former  acquaintances. 

■'Sam  seemed  very  glad  to  see  them.  He 
showed  them  the  scars  on  his  person,  a  very 
large  burn  on  the  outside  of  his  left  leg  be- 
low the  knee,  going  down  over  the  ankle — 
bites  in  the  back  over  the  shoulders,  a  mark 
on  his  left  wrist,  and  another  on  the  left  el- 
bow— his  peculiarly  small  ears — his  singular 
feet,  the  two  longer  toes  being  much  longer 
than  the  others  in  proportion;  and  what  were 
surer  marks,  their  mutual  recollections  tallied. 
They  went  to  Indianapolis,  in  their  depositions 
stated  the  facts  as  above,  and  that  they  had 
not  the  shadow  of  a  doubt  as  to  the  man  in 
Canada    (ilcConnell)    being  the  genuine  Sam. 

"Liston,  one  of  Ellington's  counsel,  became 
convinced  by  the  statement  that  Freeman  was 
not  the  .slave,  and  upon  Ellington's  return  on 
the  following  Saturday,  advised  him  to  aban- 
don his  claim.  He  brought  with  him  his  son  to 
swear  to  Freeman,  but  before  seeing  him  he 
first  read  the  depositions  of  ^lossrs.  Nichols 
and  Mead,  which  prepared  his  mind  for  a  pro- 
per inspection  of  Freeman.  He  said  he  did  not 
believe  Freeman  was  his  father's  slave.  The 
case  was  then  dismissed.  Upon  that  day,  and 
the  following  Monday,  si.x  Georgians  came  to 
testify  in  behalf  of  Freeman.  They  have  all 
known  him  since  1S31.  Creed  'SI.  .Teniiiiigs. 
his  old  guardian,  came. — GoveriKU-  Howell  Colib 
would   liave  come   if  telegraphed. 

"All  ])raise  is  due  these  gentlemen  from  Ken- 
titcky  and  Georgia  for  tiieir  magnanimous  and 
manly  conduct,  and  most  nobly  does  their  dis- 
interested generosity  contrast  with  the  rapacity 


246 


HISTOUY  OF  GKEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


of  Ellington.  Ellington,  as  a  ruse,  pretended 
to  desire  to  compromise  with  Freeman  on  Sat- 
urday, but  ran  away  without  having  offered  one 
cent.  He  was  sued  for  ten  thousand  dollars, 
and  notice  served  upon  him.  No  honest  and 
htxmane  jurv  will  deny  Freeman  a  heavy  ver- 
dict."''  This  dismissal"  of  the  case  was  on  Au- 
gust 24,  and  on  September  3  the  Locomotive 
had  stated  that  suit  had  been  brought  against 
Ellington  for  $10.0l»0.  adding:  "An  unsuccess- 
ful attempt  was  made  to  compromise — the  at- 
tornevs  of  Ellington  offering  either  to  pay 
$1,500  as  a  full  satisfaction,  or  else  the  ex- 
penses incurred  by  him  in  the  suit,  includmg 
reasonable  lawyers'  fees,  $2  a  day  for  lost 
time,  and  a  reasonable  amount  for  damages. 
Freeman's  counsel  agreed  to  receive  $3,000." 
The  Seniinel  had  made  a  similar  statement 
on  September  1,  and  on  September  3,  Messrs. 
Ketcham  and  Barbour  published  a  card  in  the 
Journal  saying:  "No  proposition  to  settle  the 
matter  at  anv  sum,  or  on  any  terms  was  ever 
made  bv  Mr.  Ellington  or  his  attorneys,  or 
either  oi'  them.  The  nearest  approach  that  was 
ever  made  to  an  offer  to  settle  was  this,  made 
by  Mr.  Liston,  when  he  dismissed  his  client's 
claim:  "If  you  will  take  $1,500  in  full  of  all 
demands  I  will  advise  Mr.  Ellington  to  give 
it,  but  I  want  you  to  understand  that  I  am 
not  authorized  bv  him  to  make  any  offer." 
To  which  he  replied:  "$1,500  will  not  more 
than  cover  the  actual  expenses  Freeman  has  in- 
curred not  including  anything  for  attorney's 
fees  or  compensation  to  himself  for  the  out- 
rage." 

Freeman  certainly  had  cause  for  action.  For 
over  sixty  days  he  had  been  confined  in  the 
upper  room  of  the  old  jail — the  second  one — 
on  the  east  side  of  the  courthouse  square,  alone 
except  for  a  casual  comrade  or  two  at  odd  times. 
It  was  while  he  was  a  solitary  inmate  that 
George  Lingenfelter  was  brought  in  intoxicated, 
on  August  3  and  fell  through  the  trao.  pulling 
the  door  down  and  crushing  his  skull."  It  must 
have  been  an  awful  strain  on  the  man,  held 
there,  with  the  uiu'crtainty  as  to  whether  he 
should  be  carried  away  into  slavery.  His 
brightest  days  were  when  some  of  his  old 
Southern  friends  came  to  his  relief.  On  Au- 
gust 26,  the  Journal  said:   "Mr.  Jennings,   a 


'Locomotive,   September  24,   1853. 
"Journal,  August  5,  ]853. 


Southern  gentleman  who  was  formerly  Free- 
man's guardian,  came  all  the  way  from  Georgia 
when  he  heard  of  the  latter's  bad  situation, 
and  was  accompanied  to  the  jail,  like  Mr.  Pa- 
tiUo  before  him,  by  counsel  and  several  of  our 
citizens.  Freeman  was  not  informed  that  ilr. 
Jennings  was  in  the  city,  or  anything  else  in 
relation  to  the  intended  visit.  The  prisoner 
was  shaking  hands  with  the  others  when  he  ob- 
served the  stranger;  he  ruslied  toward  him, 
grasped  his  hand  with  emotion,  fell  on  his 
knees,  and  exclaimed,  'God  bless  you  .Massa 
Jennings  I'  He  then  turned  around  and  ob- 
served to  the  spectators  that  Massa  Jennings 
knew  he  didn't  lie,  and  that  he  was  not  a 
slave,  or  something  to  that  eft'ect.  The  spec- 
tators were  strongly  moved,  and  we  are  in- 
formed that  Mr.  Jennings  could  not  reiircss 
the  tears  of  feeling  and  sympathy." 

To  this  account  the  Journal  added:  "The 
case  will  be  tried  next  Monday,  when  every- 
thing will  undoubtedly  be  weighed  in  the  scale 
of  justice  and  Freeman  liberated  if  he  is  not 
a  slave.  The  day  is  looked  for  with  great 
interest."  This  was  the  most  vigorous  comment 
the  Journal  made  during  the  whole  att'air; 
and  this  was  the  day  before  Ellington  himself 
gave  it  up.  It  is  amusing  now  to  note  how 
carefully  the  Journal  avoided  the  subject,  as 
did  the  Sentinel  also;  and  in  fact  most  of 
what  is  preserved  about  the  case  was  by  the 
Locomotive.  But  the  editor  of  the  Journal 
was  doomed  not  to  escape  criticism.  On  Au- 
gust 29,  a  mass  meeting  was  held  at  Masonic 
Hall  to  take  action  in  regard  to  the  Freeman 
case— though  the  nature  of  the  action  was  not 
mentioned.  The  case  was  to  have  been  heard 
tiiat  day,  and  a  number  of  persons  from  over 
the  state,  who  had  not  heard  of  the  dismissal, 
had  come  to  attend  the  hearing.  Rev.  .">.  T. 
Gillet  presided,  and  five  of  the  gentlemen  who 
had  come  from  the  South  to  testify  in  Free- 
man's behalf,  occupied  seats  on  the  stage,  (ieo. 
\V.  Julian,  who  had  come  over  to  hear  the 
case,  was  called  on  for  a  speech,  and  made  a 
hot  attack  of  the  fugitive  slave  law.  He  never 
minced  matters,  and  was  an  outspoken  aboli- 
tionist. This  was  getting  away  from  the  inir- 
pose  of  Freeman's  counsel  in  calling  the  meet- 
ing, and  John  L.  Ketcham  replied,  urging 
tiuit  "the  law  as  construed  by  the  courts  was 
not  liable  to  the  objections  made  by  Mr.  Jul- 
ian."    Meanwliile  John  Coburn  had  come  with 


HISTORY  OF  (;in:ATER  1XD1AXAP0]>1S!. 


tioiiie  resolutions,  and  asked  the  editor  of  the 
Journal  (.John  D.  Defrees)  to  introduee  them, 
as  he  felt  that  he  should  not  himself  on  ac- 
count of  being  of  Freeman's  counsel.  He  did 
so.  The  resolutions  were  not  objectionable 
from  any  point  of  view.  They  simply  de- 
clared that  the  meeting  was  "heartily  rejoiced 
at  the  unconditional  release  of  John  Freeman 
from  the  claim  of  those  who  would  have  con- 
signed a  free  man  to  the  degradation  and  sor- 
row of  slavery" :  and  accorded  ■"much  credit  to 
the  liberality  and  humanity  of  those  gentle- 
men who  have  come  from  the  South  for  the 
noble  and  generous  purpose  of  seeing  and  know- 
ing that  justice  should  be  awarded  to  one 
whom  they  believed  to  be  entitled  to  the  bless- 
ings of  liberty."  These  were  the  only  resolu- 
tions adopted,  Init  the  meeting  was  promptly 
denounced  by  the  Democratic  press  as  a  free- 
soil,  abolition  Whig  meeting,  and  the  accounts 
grew  until  it  was  alleged  that  the  meeting  was 
"got  up  by  George  W.  Julian,  John  D.  De- 
frees  &  Co.  for  the  purpose  of  making  political 
capital":  and  that  it  adopted  "a  resolution  in 
favor  of  repealing  the  fugitive  slave  law"'; 
and  those  participating  were  labeled  "albinos", 
"white  niggers",  and  "woolly-headed  Whigs". 
This  did  little  damage,  however,  beyond  giv- 
ing Mr.  Defrees  some  trouble  in  explaining 
that  he  was  neither  a  free-soiler  nor  an  aboli- 
tionist." 

Rut  there  were  others  who  sjioke  out  vigor- 
ou>ly.  The  Indiunn  Amvr'unn  wrote  a  scath- 
ing article  on  Ellington  and  United  States 
Marshal  Robinson,  and,  among  much  else,  said: 
'"W'e.see  in  this  case  the  most  remarkable 
instance  on  record  of  mistake  in  personal  iden- 
tity, or  else  .stupendous  perjury.  Here  comes 
i'",llington  and  swears  to  his  "chattel';  then  come 
others  to  testify  to  his  identity:  and  yet  after 
all  he  is  no  slave,  but  a  bona  fide  free  man. 
-Vow  were  Fllington  and  his  co-swearers  all 
this  time  mistaken?  If  so,  what  a  les.son  to 
courts  on  the  didiculty  of  'personal  identity". 
If  not  'mistaken'  then  were  they  all  the  while 
practising  deep  perjury.  .\nd  now,  who  pays 
all  these  costs?  Who  pays  the  loss  of  Free- 
niairs  time,  the  sacrifice  of  his  business,  and 
the  destruction  of  its  profits?  *  *  *  gy 
the  'mistake'  or  jierjury  of  the  covetous  wretch 
who  sought  to  increase  his  ownership  in  groan- 

"  foil  null.   Sc|it<-iiiliiT   li.    1853. 


iug  humanity,  has  this  man  been  stripped  of 
his  property.  Has  he  a  remedy?  Does  this 
'glorious  compromi.se"  furnish  any  offset  against 
a  grievance  so  oppressive?  Must  this  man — 
innocent  and  free — bear  all  this  outrage  and 
have  no  legal  redress?  Must  he?  Is  this 
justice?  Shall  no  legal  justice  be  visited  on 
the  would-be  man-stealcr  and  the  marshal  who 
was   his   tool   and  co-oppressor?"^" 

Of  course  F^reeman  "had  his  remedy"'.  He 
had  the  right  to  bring  a  suit  for  damages.  He 
not  only  sued  Ellington  for  $10,000;  but  also 
sued  United  States  Marshal  John  L.  Rob- 
inson for  $3,000.  The  case  against  Ellington 
was  tried,  and  resulted  in  a  verdict  and  judg- 
ment for  the  plaintiff'  ou  May  9,  1854,  for 
$■^,000  and  costs.  The  judgment  still  stands 
on  the  Circuit  Court  Judgment  Docket  wholly 
unpaid.  The  case  against  Robinson  went  to  the 
Supreme  Court  on  the  pleadings.  Freeman's 
complaint  charged  that  Robinson,  as  marshal, 
did  "assault  the  plaintiff,  and  strip  him  naked, 
and  expose  his  naked  limbs  and  body  to  divers 
persons  who  were  witness  against  the  plaintiff, 
and  thereby  exposed  the  ]jlaintirt'  to  be  car- 
ried into  slavery  for  life  by  fraud  and  per- 
jury"; also  that  from  June  21  to  September  1, 
Robinson,  "by  fraud,  threats  and  duress  illeg- 
ally extorted  from  plaintiff'  the  sum  of  three 
dollars  a  day  during  said  time  for  the  space  of 
sixty  days",  i.  e.,  charges  for  confinement  in 
the  jail  for  "'safety".  To  this  Robinson  an- 
swered that  the  acts  complained  of  were  in 
the  course  of  his  duty  as  an  otlicer;  and  also 
pleaded  no  jurisdiction,  on  the  ground  that 
ins  residence  was  in  Rush  County.  The  lower 
court  sustained  his  contention,  and  the  Su- 
preme Court,  on  Freeman's  appeal,  affirmed 
the  decision  of  the  lower  court  on  the  point  of 
jurisdiction.  It  held,  however,  that  the  strip- 
ping and  exposure  to  hostile  witnesses,  and  the 
extortion  of  money,  were  no  part  of  Robinson's 
oflicial  duty,  and  were  actionable."  This  de- 
cision was  handed  down  on  December  21,  1855, 
and  of  course  ended  the  case  in  Marion  County. 
For  some  reason  no  action  was  brought  in 
Rush  County,  and  so  ended  Freeman's  legal 
remedies. 

His  expenses  had  been  heavy:  and  indeed,  he 
was  lucky  in  being  able  to  meet  the  ex))eiise-( 


^"Journal,  September  ■,"..',   1853. 

"  Freeman  vs.  Robinson,  7  Ind.,  3'21, 


248 


HISTORY  OF  GREATEK  INDIAXAPOIJS. 


O  _ 

X  £ 

z  £ 

O  M 


2    2 
c  = 

Ed     S 


IIISTOEY  OF   niJEATER.   IXDIAXAPOT.IS. 


249 


of  the  iuvei-tigatiun  that  saved  him  from  slav- 
ery. As  mentioned,  he  had  some  property, 
the  most  important  piece  being  between  three 
and  four  acres — the  greater  part  of  lot  4  of 
St.  Clair's  addition — lying  between  Meridian 
and  Pennsylvania  streets,-  sotith  of  the  present 
St.  Peters  and  Paul's  Cathedral.  Here  he 
lived,  his  cabin,  part  log  and  part  frame,  stand- 
ing on  the  southwest  corner  of  the  tract,  on  the 
site  of  the  residence  now  known  as  1153  North 
Jfcridian  street.  On  this  tract  he  "made  gar- 
den"', but  his  chief  business  was  keeping  a  res- 
taurant, which  was  in  the  basement  of  the  old 
"Bee  Hive"'  building  at  the  northwest  corner 
of  ileridian  and  Wasliington  streets.  On  June 
30,  1853,  when  it  became  necessary  to  supply 
■'the  sinews  of  war",  he  executed  a  deed  of  all 
his  property  to  William  S.  Hubbard  in  trust, 
to  secure  the  payment  of  "a  note  of  $1,600, 
signed  by  Henry  P.  Coburn  and  others"  and  to 
pay  the  "costs  and  expenses  for  w^hich  said 
Freeman  may  become  liable  in  defending  him- 
self against  the  claim  of  Pleasant  Ellington  to 
tlie  services  of  said  Freeman  as  a  fugitive  f  r  "  ■ 
labour  from  the  State  of  Kentucky."^=  As  a 
mere  financial  proposition  it  woukl  have  been 
miuh  cheaper  for  his  trustee  to  have  bought 
Ellington's  claim,  and  have  gone  through  the 
form  of  nninumission. 

But  the  thing  that  affected  public  sentiment 
was  not  so  much  what  Freeman  suffered  as 
what  he  escaped.  The  Fugitive  Slave  law  was 
the  absorbing  jiolitical  question  of  the  day,  and 
in  answer  to  all  the  defenses  of  its  fairness  and 
justice  here  stood  this  ease  of  a  man,  unques- 
tionably free,  narrowly  escaping  from  T)oing 
carried  into  slavery  under  that  law ;  and  l)y  a 
most  remarkable  combination  of  circumstances. 
It  was  out  of  the  ordinary  that  the  negi'o 
eliiimed  should  have  had  the  means  to  make 
his  defense.  It  was  phenomenal  that  the  real 
escaped  slave  should  have  been  located  in  Can- 
ada, and  identified  beyond  question.  It  was 
almost  incomprehensible  to  the  Xorthern  mind 
that  eight  prominent  Southern  citizens,  most  of 
them  slaveliolders,  ami  all  disinterested,  should 
have  made  huig  journeys  here  to  testify  in  his 
behalf,  and  that  two  of  them  should  have  gone 
to  Canada  to  satisfy  themselves  before  testi- 
fving.  This  last  of  itself  was  a  demonstration 
that   the  average   Southeiuci-   was  much   more 


reputable  than  he  got  credit  for  in  the  Xorth; 
though  it  was  only  natural,  for  no  honest  man 
who  considered  it  iniquitious  to  steal  his  slaves 
could  countenance  the  stealing  of  a  free  man. 
But  all  that  was  obscured  by  the  evident  fact 
that  some  were  not  so  scrupulous ;  for  to  the 
English  and  American  mind  it  is  not  the  prob- 
ability but  the  possibility  of  wrong  that  raises 
resentment.  The  suspension  of  habeas  cor- 
pus, without  ample  cause,  would  create  tre- 
mendous excitement,  not  because  of  what  would 
])robably  happen,  but  of  what  might  happen. 

Of  this  ease  Ignatius  Brown  says :  "This  case 
had  no  small  inliuence  on  political  matters  aft- 
erwards, and  made  many  earnest  opponents  of 
slavery  among  those  who  had  been  formerly 
indifferent  on  the  subject. "^^  There  is  little 
reason  to  doubt  this,  for  there  was  plain  speech 
in  regard  to  it.  The  Fort  Wayne  Sentinel, 
one  of  the  leading  Democratic  papers  of  the 
state,  referring  to  Freeman's  suit  against  Ell- 
ington for  $10,000.  said:  "We  hope  he  may  re- 
cover the  full  amount.  A  more  flagrant  case 
of  injustice  we  have  never  seen,  and  he  is 
richly  entitled  to  most  exemplary  damages.  It 
appears  to  us  that  if  in  such  ca.ses  the  persons 
swearing  to  the  identity  of  the  accused,  and 
seeking  to  consign  a  free  man  to  slavery,  were 
tried  and  punished  for  perjury,  a  wholesale 
lesson  would  be  given,  which  might  prevent 
much  injustice  to  free  persons  of  color. 

"The  fugitive  slave  law  evidently  needs  some 
amendment,  to  give  greater  protection  to  free 
persons  of  color.  As  it  now  stands  almost  any 
of  them  might  be  dragged  into  slavery.  If 
Freeman  liad  not  had  money  and  friends  he 
must  inevitably  have  been  taken  off  into  bond- 
age. Any  poor  man,  witliout  friends,  would  at 
once  have  been  given  up  and  taken  away,  and 
it  was  only  by  the  most  strenuous  exertions  that 
he  was  rescued.  A  law  under  which  such 
injustice  can  be  perpetrated,  and  which  holds 
out  such  inducements  to  perjury,  is  imperfect, 
and  must  be  either  amended  or  repealed.  The 
.\merican  peo)ile  have  an  innate  sense  of  jus- 
tice which  will  not  long  allow  such  a  law  to 
disgrace  our  Statute  books.'"" 

The  case  unquestionaldy  added  to  the  nuiss 
of  facts  that  intensified  the  feeling  against 
slaverv.  and   brought  on   tlie  war  bv  which    it 


'"Town  Lot  Beeord   1.  p.  95. 


"Hist.  Tndiaiinjwlis,  p.  Q7. 

'*  Quoted  in  JouniaJ,  September  8,  1853. 


2.50 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


was  ended.  If  Freeman  ever  got  any  satis- 
faction from  the  aHair  at  all,  it  was  from  the 
knowledge  that  he  had  been  a  martyr  to  the 
cause;  but  it  was  doubtful  that  he  ever  reached 
that  viewpoint.  Like  most  of  the  old  Southern 
negroes,  he  had  a  deep-seated  faith  in  the  prow- 
ess of  the  South,  and  after  the  battle  of  Bull 
Riin  expressed  to  neighbors  his  apprehen- 
sion  the   North   might   be  conquered   and   the 


=C)Z 


A^ 


V 


Lansing' 


Port  Huron 


[  South  Bend 
IPIjmouth 


m-^. 


y^i 


rRensselafer 


i^° 


,x>v«' 


J.ogansport 


'Ft.iWayne 
li,Dejcatur 


fafajetteV      X'''""''""'       ""r    I  OHIO 

r j^      f '"  / "'         \Wi|Dche6ter 
''J°?"'°s-\Ar\A\*''^*^y  Richmond 


*t^Brailiy 


i Terrs  \,^ 
fHautp,;-*? 


IColumbi 


Greej^bnrg 

Hamilton 


Bloomljfgtoi^.^^    ,  «  V-J^ncinnali 

'►f  BroAiistown    J^Lawrrtywbuig) 

^^«n»vllle(^    v./  Louisville  "^  ** 


"UNDERGROUND   RAILROAD"   LINES    IN   INDIANA. 
(As  mapped   by  Lewis  Falley  of  Lafayette.) 

negroes  all  be  put  back  in  slavery.  He  sold 
what  ])roperty  he  had,  packed  his  effects  in  a 
wagon,  and  went  to  Canada  to  make  sure  of 
freetlom.  Later  his  family  returned  to  this 
country.  One  of  his  sous  lives  in  Chicago; 
and  his  aged  widow  lives  with  a  daughter  nt 
Topeka,  Kansas. 

It  is  not  generally  known  that  there  was  a 
station  of  the  "rnderground  Railroad"  in 
this    vicinilv,    though    there    was    an    extensive 


belief  tliat  there  was  among  the  old  citizens  ou 
account  of  the  disappearance  of  negro  fugi- 
tives in  this  direction.  Siebert  mentions  that 
"the  Central  Indiana  Route"  was  by  way  of 
Indianapolis,  but  gives  no  details  or  names  of 
those  connected  with  it.'^  In  reality  two  routes 
— from  Columbus  and  Gr'feensburg — converged 
here;  and  they  were  converging  points  for  lines 
from  Lawrenceburg,  New  Albany,  Madison  and 
Leavenworth.  The  station  here  was  not  in  the 
city,  though  it  will  be  before  many  years,  but 
at  the  farm  of  Hiram  Bacon,  half-a-raile  west 
(if  ^lalott  Park  station,  ou  the  road  north 
from  Hammond's  Park.  He  was  one  of  the 
laidy  settlers  in  this  vicinity,  and  a  member  of 
the  original  Presbyterian  church.  Later  he 
practically  built  the  Presbyterian  church  in 
Washington  Township,  long  known  as  the 
Washington  Church,  and  practically  maintained 
it.  For  years  it  had  no  pastor  but  was  sup- 
plied chiefly  by  Indianapolis  preachers,  who 
were  lodged  and  entertained  at  Bacon's  home. 
Beechcr,  Gurley,  and  other  Indianapolis  jircai-li- 
ers,  often  occupied  the  pulpit. 

Bacon's  house  stood — and  still  stands — on 
the  east  side  of  the  road,  about  the  center  of 
his  farm.  The  old  barn  stood  on  the  west 
side,  but  it  burned  down  about  1900.  In 
the  barn  was  an  elevated  wheat  bin,  the  open- 
ing into  which  could  be  reached  only  by  ladder, 
and  which  was  usually  covered  on  three  sides 
liy  hay.  This  w^as  the  ordinary  hiding  i)lace 
for  the  fugitives,  but  when  it  was  filled  with 
grain  another  large  bin  in  the  cider-house,  or 
some  other  convenient  place  was  used.  Mr. 
Bacon's  function  was  to  convey  the  fugitives 
on  to  the  (Quaker  settlement  of  Westtield,  in 
Hamilton  County,  which  was  the  next  station 
imrtli.  His  daughter,  ilrs.  George  W.  Sloan, 
informs  me  that  these  trips  were  always  made 
in  the  night,  and  that  the  secret  of  his  con- 
nection with  the  system  was  very  carefully 
guarded. 

The  Civil  War  lirought  a  rapid  change  in 
the  colored  population  of  Indianapolis.  .\t 
the  census  of  1850,  the  total  of  negroes  in  the 
city  was  405.  In  18G0  it  had  increased  only  to 
498.  The  law  against  the  immigration  of  free 
negroes  remained  on  the  statute  books  but  from 
the  beginning  of  the  war  it  was  a  dead  Icttci-; 
and  an  escaped  slave  was  a  free  negro  in  prac- 


^''Thc  rnilci-firouinl   h'ailrdinl.   p.   138. 


HISTOEY  OF  GREATEli  INDIANAPOLIS. 


2-)! 


tical  coii.-tructioii.  'I'lie  "refugees""  soon  began 
i-oniing  this  far  north,  and  increased  in  num- 
ber after  tlie  Enianei|iati<)n  I'rochunation.  hi 
ISTO  tiie  negro  popuhition  of  Indianapolis 
had  reached  "^.ii;!!;  and  moi-e  tlian  that  had 
come  here,  many  having  found  employment  in 
the  adjacent  country.  They  were  not  unwel- 
come. There  was  a  shortage  of  labor,  especi- 
ally of  agricultural  and  unskilled  labor.  \Voik 
was  plenty  and  wages  good.  Of  course  many 
came  destitute,  and  the  first  organized  meas- 
ures for  their  relief  at  this  point  was  Ijy  the 
Freedmen's  Aid  Society,  of  the  Western  Yearly 
fleeting  of  Friends.  It  had  an  otlice  on  I'eiin- 
sylvania  street,  north  of  Washington,  in  a 
one-story  building,  north  of  Odd  Fellows"  Hall, 
where  Jacob  Willetts,  and  his  son  Fenn,  dis- 
pensed relief  to  the  colored  refugees.  It  was 
on  petition  of  these  Aid  Societies,  of  which 
there  were  IS  in  the  country,  that  Congress 
established  tlie  Freedmen's  Bureau  in  18G3. 
In  reality  the  negro  owes  as  great  or  greater 
debt  than  the  Indian  to  the  Quaker. 

The  question  of  using  the  negro  as  a  sol- 
dier did  not  arise  practically  in  Indiana  until 
18C3.  In  his  annual  message  of  .lanuaiy  of 
that  year  Governor  ^lorton  justified  the  eman- 
cipation proclamation  of  President  Lincoln  on 
the  ground  that  the  Confederates  were  making 
instrumentalities  of  war  of  their  slaves  by 
using  them  to  build  fortifications,  transport 
baggage  and  supplies,  and  raise  food  for  the 
subsistence  of  their  armies.  The  anti-negro 
Sentiment  was  still  strong  in  Indiana.  A 
number  of  officers  had  resigned  on  the  grouiul 
that  the  object  of  the  war  was  to  free  the  negro 
and  raise  him  to  an  equality  with  tlie  white 
man ;  and  the  proposal  to  enlist  him  was  op- 
posed on  the  ground  that  if  you  put  a  musket 
in  his  hands  you  could  not  refuse  to  jtut  the 
ballot  there.  Governor  Morton  was  first  of  all 
desirous  to  crush  the  rebellion,  and  made  ap- 
plication to  raise  colored  troops  to  be  credited 
on  Jiuliana's  quota,  authority  .  for  whicli  was 
granted  by  the  War  Department  on  Novendier 
■  li'.  l.s(i:i.  Says  Adjutant-General  Terrell: 
"He  had  requested  this  authoritv  not  so  much 
because  our  colored  citizens  were  anxious  to 
enter  the  service,  as  for  the  reason  that  the 
state  had  been  and  was  overrun  with  recruit- 
ing agents  representing  other  states,  and  he 
had  found  it  necessary,  to  prevent  the  men 
from    being    enticed    awav    and    credited    else- 


where, to  issue  an  order  (November  .5th,  ISG;!) 
warning  all  persons  so  engaged  to  desist  from 
procuring  substitutes  or  further  enlistments, 
under  penalty  of  being  arrested  and  summarily 
punished.  Orders  for  recruiting  the  colori'd 
regiment  or  battalion  were  promulgated  on  the 
;{d  of  December,  and  a  camp  of  rendezvous 
established  at  Indianapolis,  with  William  P. 
Fishback,  Esq.,  as  commandant.  Si.\  compan- 
ies were  raised,  aggregating  five  hundred  and 
eighteen  enlisted  men.  The  battalion  was  after- 
wards recruited  np  to  a  full  regiment  in  Mary- 
land, and  was  known  as  the  Twenty-eighth 
I'nited  States  Colored."  '"  .V  number  of  col- 
ored men  were  enlisted  from  Indiana  as  sub- 
stitutes, and  in  other  states;  and  the  number 
reported  by  the  Provost  Marshal  General  as 
raised  in  the  state  was  l,y^7,  though  only 
about  800  were  credited  on  the  Indiana  quota. 

The  Twenty-eighth  I'nited  States  Colored 
made  a  very  excellent  record.  Capt.  Charles 
1.  Pussell,  of  the  Eleventh  United  States  In- 
fantry, was  made  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the 
battalion  and  left  Indianapolis  with  it 
on  April  24,  1864.  After  a  brief  stay  in  a 
camp  of  instruction  at  Alexandria,  Vii-ginia, 
it  went  to  the  front,  and  got  into  battle  at 
White  House,  Virginia,  on  June  21.  It  went 
uilli  Sheridan  on  his  march  through  the 
Chickahominy  Swamps;  and  in  the  summer  and 
fall  took  part  in  the  campaign  against  Peter.<- 
burg.  At  the  bloody  battle  of  "the  Crater"  it 
lost  nearly  half  its  number  in  killed  and 
wounded.  New  recruits  were  added,  and  four 
more  conii)aiiies  were  raised  in  Indiana,  making 
it  a  full  regiment.  It  lost  heavily  again  at 
Hatcher's  Run;  and  served  later  at  City  Point: 
in  the  operations  against  Richmond;  and  in 
Texas.  It  reached  Indianapolis  on  its  return 
on  January  (5,  1866,  and  was  given  a  public 
reception  at  the  Tabernacle  on  January  S.  when 
(Jovernor  Baker  and  others  spoke. 

After  the  Civil  War  there  was  a  good  deal  of 
bitterness  in  politics,  and  especially  in  connec- 
tion with  "reconstruct ion"  ami  negro  sulVragc. 
Indiana  did  not  take  kindly  to  the  latter.  The 
state  was  counted  as  ratifying  the  fifteenth 
amendment,  but  the  ratification  was  by  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor Isaac  P.  Gray.  The  Dem- 
ocratic senators,  at  the  special  .session  of  1S()9, 
had  resigned  in  a  body,  breaking  a  c|norum.  but 


'"Report,  Vol.  1.  p.  81. 


HISTOEY  OF  GEEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


wlien  they  returned  tu  the  senate  chamber  for 
their  effects,  the  doors  were  locked,  and  Gray 
counted  them  "present  but  not  voting".  The 
next  legislature  was  Democratic;  and  in  18T3 
Thos.  A.  Hendricks  was  elected  Governor — 
the  first  Democratic  governor  in  Indiana,  or 
in  the  North,  after  the  war.  The  race  ques- 
tion became  a  leading  one;  and  in  the  city 
campaign  of  187.3  the  Journal  undertook  to 
offset  the  negro  question  by  a  savage  onslauglit 
on  the  Irish,  who,  it  alleged,  were  being  im- 
ported in  quantities  to  vote  the  Democratic 
ticket.  Especially  for  the  week  before  the 
election  on  !May  4,  it  was  virulent  in  the  ex- 
treme in  its  denunciation  of  "Irish  tramps"", 
'"villainous-looking  cattle"',  "Hibernian  heifers", 
■'.Milesian  bullocks".  "Eomish  herds"",  and  more 
for  quantity. 

On  May  2,  1876,  there  was  a  special  election 
for  councilmen  owing  to  a  change  in  the  law. 
The  Democrats  gerrymandered  the  city  on  the 
eve  of  the  election,  and  the  Eepublicans  or- 
ganized a  "committee  of  safety"  to  prevent  the 
awful  frauds  which  they  alleged  the  Democrats 
were  about  to  perpetrate.  Tlie  negroes  antic- 
ipated trouble,  and  not  averse  to  it,  at  least 
in  their  stronghold,  the  Fourth  Ward.  The 
yews,  which  was  independently  supporting  the 
Eepublican  ticket  with  vigor,  said  "there  was 
more  or  less  disposition  among  them  to  as- 
sume the  aggressive  upon  a  mild  provocation". 
Late  in  the  afternoon  about  100  of  them  start- 
ed for  the  Sixth  Ward — the  Irish  stronghold. 
The  Democratic  witnesses  said  they  started  to 
"clean  out  the  Iri.sh",  and  the  Eepublicans 
claimed  that  some  evil-minded  Democrat  start- 
ed them  by  reporting  in  the  Fourth  that  the 
Democrats  were  intimidating  negro  and  other 
Republican  voters.  At  any  rate  they  went, 
and  got  as  far  south  on  Illinois  streets  as 
Pogue's  Eun.  In  front  of  the  Woodburn-Sar- 
ven  Wheel  Works  was  a  pile  of  square  hickory 
sticks  for  making  wagon  spokes,  to  which  they 
helped  themselves.  The  alarm  was  soon  out  in 
the  Sixth  and  the  sons  of  Erin  began  to  gather. 
The  trouble  is  said  to  have  begun  by  the  effort 
of  an  officer  to  disarm  a  negro,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  everybody  was  in.  The  negroes  be- 
gan to  retreat  up  Illinois  street,  the  Irish  fol- 
lowing, and  incidentally  appropriating  the  rest 
of  the  Wheel  Company's  spoke  timber,  which 
was  very  freelv  used  in  addition  to  bricks  and 


l)owlders.     At  South  street  revolvers  began  to 
lie  used. 

The  negroes  were  at  the  same  disadvantage 
that  Napoleon  was  in  his  retreat  from  ilos- 
coAv.  They  were  in  the  enemy's  country,  and 
the  enemy  increased  in  numbers  constantly.  It 
was  simply  a  rout  till  the  corner  of  Kentucky 
avenue  was  reached,  where  the  negroes  received 
reinforcements  and  made  a  stand.  There  was 
a  pitched  battle  in  which  not  less  than  a  hun- 
dred shots  were  fired,  and  then  the  retreat 
was  restimed,  the  pursuers  following  as  far  as 
Tennessee  street,  on  Washington,  where  the 
chase  was  abandoned.  But  the  crowd  continued 
to  gather  at  Illinois  and  Washington  street  as 
reports  spread,  and  there  was  danger  of  still 
more  serious  trouble,  especially  as  someone 
had  started  a  report  that  the  negroes  were 
massing  in  Bucktown,  preparatory  to  seeking 
revenge.  But  cooler  heads  were  working  for 
peace.  Mayor  Caven  and  Major  Gordon  spoke 
from  the  Bates  House  balcony  urging  quiet 
and  order,  and  then  repaired  to  the  Yellow 
Bridge  to  give  the  same  good  advice  to  the 
negroes.  They  were  followed  at  Illinois  and 
Washington  streets  by  Judge  Buskirk  and  Pros- 
ecutor James  Cropsey,  who  strongly  urged 
quiet,  and  finally  the  crowds  dispersed  without 
further  trouble.  Nothing  but  bad  marksman- 
ship explains  the  small  list  of  casualties.  Xo 
one  was  killed  outright,  and  the  only  man 
fatally  wounded  was  Anthony  Carter,  a  negro 
who  was  stabbed,  and  died  early  the  next  morn- 
ing. Half-a-dozen  negroes  were  wounded  by 
bullets,  and  many  more  were  badly  beaten.  No 
material  casualties  were  reported  from  the 
other  side.  This  was  the  worst  riot  that  ever 
occurred  in  Indianapolis.  There  seemed  a  prob- 
ability that  it  might  lie  surpassed  in  the  great 
railroad  strike  of  the  next  year,  but  fortunately 
the  strikers  were  persuaded  to  disperse,  and  no 
blood  was  shed. 

On  August  .30,  187T,  an  interesting  civil 
rights  case  occurred  in  Indianapolis.  The 
H3"ers  Sisters  Combination,  a  colored  opera 
troupe,  was  here  with  an  entertainment  called 
"Out  of  Bondage".  Their  advance  agent  se^ 
cured  accommodations  at  the  Grand  Hotel. 
which  was  then  in  the  liands  of  a  receiver,  ^Ir. 
Charles  F.  Hunt,  appointed  by  Judge  Hohnan 
of  the  Superior  Court.  The  receiver  insisted 
that  the  troupe  should  eat  in  the  ordinary,  and 
the  troupe  refused,      .\fter  eating  one  or  two 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


253 


meals  in  the  dining  room;  and  iiricr  eating  one 
or  two  picnic  dinners  wliicli  were  brought  in 
from  a  restaurant  wiien  tlie  waiters  refused  to 
serve  them,  the  doors  were  shut  in  their  faces. 
Then  Manager  Ilyers  had  the  receiver,  and 
Captain  \\'ightnian,  the  owner,  arrested  under 
the  civil  rights  law.  They  were  taken  Ijctore 
Commissioner  John  J.  ilawes,  wlio  bound  the 
defendants  over  to  the  Federal  Court.  The 
newspajiers  tried  the  case  quite  fully.  ^Mr.  Hunt 
was  rather  prominent  in  Reiuibliean  |)olitics, 
and  Judge  llolman  was  a  Democrat,  and  there 
was  a  great  effort  l)y  the  papers  to  shift  the  re- 
sponsibility, though  most  of  the  community 
were  quietly  laughing  over  the  whole  jierfoiin- 
anee.  Hunt  said  that  "the  advance  asent  of 
the  company  contracted  for  their  entertain- 
men  here,  and  when  making  the  contract  vol- 
unteered to  Ca])tain  Wightnum  and  myself 
the  statement  that  the  party  was  composed  of 
educated  ladies  and  gentlemen,  who  would 
not  give  us  any  trouble,  and  who  would  take 
their  meals  in  the  ordinary'".  The  ti'ou])e  got  a 
large  amount  of  advertising,  and  the  case  was 
settled  in  some  way  out  of  coui-t.  ami  never 
came  to  trial. 

After  the  war  the  immigration  of  ncirroes  to 
Indianapolis  was  as  marked  as  during  it.  From 
3,938  in  1870,  the  negro  population  of  ifarion 
Countv  grew  to  8,038  in  1880;  11,118  in 
1890:  and  17,536  in  1900.  In  1900  there  were 
15,931  inside  the  city  limits,  and  most  of  the 
remainder  were  in  territory  since  annexe(l.  It 
has  repeatedly  been  charged  that  many  lU'groes 
were  imported  here  to  vote,  and  there  is  lit- 
tle reason  to  doubt  it.  One  significant  fact 
in  that  connection  is  the  large  proportion  of 
adult  males,  there  being  5.200  in  the  citv  by 
the  census  of  1900.  The  poll  books  of  both 
political  parties  for  several  years  past  have 
shown  over  7.000  negro  voters.  For  years  the 
charges  of  importation  fell  lightly  on  Hepub- 
liean  ears,  and  the  average  member  of  that  party 
usually  re])lied  to  this  effect:  "They  are  en- 
titled to  vote ;  and  as  they  are  not  allowed  to 


vote  in  the  South  it  is  all  right  to  bring  them 
here  to  vote."'  In  the  later  years  there  has  been 
some  cliange  of  sentiment  in  tliis  respect,  partly 
for  social,  and  partly  for  jjolitieal  reasons. 
JIany  objectionable  negroes  have  come  here, 
especially  since  the  southern  states  began  driv- 
ing out  their  undesirable  classes.  It  is  gen- 
erally understood  that  the  disreputable  class, 
from  the  Jesse  Coe  class  down  to  purse-snatch- 
ers,  are  mostly  recent  importations,  and  not  of 
the  older  negro  families  of  tiie  city.  Politi- 
cally it  has  been  found  that  the  negro  vote  is 
almost  as  solid  in  primaries  as  in  elections. 
Hence  they  have  virtually  held  control  for  the 
last  decade.  The  Republican  candidates  who 
secured  the  negro  vote  were  generally  nomi- 
nated, and  when  elected  were  elected  by  the 
negro  vote.  Very  few  Republican  candidates 
have  received  a  majority  of  tiie  white  votes  of 
the  city  since  1880. 

In  the  line  of  thrift  the  negro  has  been  liard 
to  class  locally.  Many  of  them  have  shown  a 
reasonable  amount  of  industry,  and  a  smaller 
number  have  shown  a  dis|:)0sition  to  save  their 
money  and  invest  it  in  some  ]K'rnianent  form. 
Some  have  been  fairly  prosperous.'^  On  the 
other  hand  there  is  a  surprisingly  large  num- 
ber who  seem  to  live  on  tlie  basis  of  "the  lilies 
of  the  field".  The  most  hopeful  movement  of 
tiie  race  locally  has  been  their  effort  at  eon- 
cert  in  business  development.  There  were 
formerly  two  business  leagues  of  colored  men 
here,  but  on  January  21,  ]90(),  under  the  lead 
of  Dr.  S.  A.  Furniss  they  e()nsoiidate<l  and 
formed  a  branch  of  the  National  \egro  Busi- 
ness League,  of  which  Booker  Washington  is 
president.'*     George   P.    Stewart    was    elected 


'■  The  Press,  February  20,  1  HOC. 

^^News,  January  25,  ]90(i. 
jiresident  of  the  local  organization,  and  still 
holds  the  office ;  and  under  his  administration 
it  is  believed  by  its  members  to  he  doing  a  val- 
uable work  in  stimulating  a  sound  business 
sentiment  anuuig  the  coloi-ed  people  of  the  city. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


EAILROAD  DEVELOPMENT 


The  liard  times  of  the  later  fifties  put  an  end 
to  railroad  building  in  Indiana  for  a  dozen 
years.  The  financial  depression  was  national 
in  character,  aft'ceting  Indiana  locally  as  lit- 
tle as  any  state  in  the  Union,  but  it  stopped 
the  large  loans  necessary  for  railroad  construc- 
tion. Some  of  the  projected  lines  were  dropped 
altogether.  The  Toledo  &  Indianapolis  Com- 
panv  was  organized  in  February,  1854,  its  pur- 
pose being  to  construct  T.5  miles  of  road  in  a 
nearly  direct  line  to  Toledo,  connecting  with 
existing  lines  at  that  point.  Surveys  were 
made,  but  subscriptions  were  not,  and  in  185.3 
it  was  abandoned.  A  direct  line  to  Evansville, 
the  natural  complement  of  the  Toledo  line, 
had  been  projected  in  1849.  It  was  not  or- 
ganized until  1853.  and  then  considerable  w^ork 
was  done  on  it  till  1856,  when  the  enterprise 
succumbed  with  a  loss  of  nearly  everything 
invested  in  it.  If  the  projects  for  "Lakes 
to  Gulf'  navigation  are  realized,  as  now  seems 
probable,  it  would  not  be  surprising  to  see 
both  of  these  lines  constructed.  The  Cincin- 
nati &  Indianapolis  Short  Line  Company  was 
organized  in  1853  to  build  a  road  between  these 
terminals  by  way  of  Rushville,  Laurel  and 
lirookville.  Xo  very  material  results  had  been 
accomplished  when  it  was  given  up  in  1855. 
The  C.  H.  &  D.  now  covers  part  of  its  pro- 
posed line. 

The  Indianapolis  &  Yincennes  road  was 
])i-o]iosed  as  early  as  1830,  talked  of  in  1850 
and  1851,  and  finally  organized  in  1853,  but 
tliat  was  as  far  as  it  then  progressed.  In  1805 
an  eastern  contpany  was  organized  by  that  dis- 
tinguished Indianian,  Gen.  Ambrose  E.  Burn- 
side,  and  work  was  actively  i)ushed.  It  was 
completed  to  Indianapolis,  68  miles,  in  the 
spring  of  1868,  and  leased  for  a  time  to  the 
Cincinnati  road,  but  soon  went  tn  independent 


operation,  and  later  2:)assed  into  the  control 
of  the  Pennsylvania.  Indianaj)olis  voted  it  a 
subscription  of  $60,U00.  The  Indiana  &  Illi- 
nois Central  was  organized  February  15, 
1853,  to  build  a  line  to  Decatur,  Illinois,  160 
miles.  Contracts  were  let  in  July,  1853,  for 
the  whole  line,  at  $"2"-i,000  per  mile,  and  work 
to  the  amount  of  $500,000  was  done,  chiefly  on 
the  west  end  of  the  line,  which  was  opened  as 
far  as  Montezuma,  Indiana,  before  hard  times 
stopped  the  work  and  the  lands  of  the  company 
were  sold  to  pay  the  contractors.  It  was  re- 
organized in  186(;.  sold  again  under  foreclos- 
ure in  1875,  again  reorganized,  and  finally 
completed  to  Indianapolis  February  9,  1880. 
It  is  now  organically  part  of  the  Cincinnati. 
Indianapolis  &  Western,  which  is  a  part  of 
the  C.  H.  &  D.  system,  in  the  jiands  of  a  re- 
ceiver, until  the  summer  of  1908,  when  it  was 
bought  liy  the  B.  &  0. 

In  1866,  Henry  C.  Lord,  president  of  the 
Cincinnati  road,  unable  to  purchase  the  La- 
fayette road,  started  the  construction  of  a  rival 
line  by  way  of  Crawfordsville.  The  work  was 
being  pushed  with  some  vigor  when  the  La- 
fayette people  concluded  to  sell,  and  the  new 
project  was  abandoned  by  its  originators.  But 
the  people  along  the  line  wanted  the  road,  and 
the  Indianapolis.  Crawfordsville  and  Danville 
was  reorganized  and  went  on  with  the  work. 
It  was  completed  to  Crawfordsville  in  the  win- 
ter of  1868-9,  and  to  Danville  in  1870.  By 
union  of  several  small  Illinois  lines  it  con- 
nected to  Peoria,  making  a  continuous  line  of 
212  miles.  In  1879  this  was  consolidated  un- 
der foreclosure  as  the  Indianapolis.  Blooming- 
ton  &  Western.  In  1881  it  consolidated  with 
the  Ohio,  Indiana  &  Pacific  Railway  Co.,  and 
extended  its  line  to  Springfield,  Ohio,  this  ex- 
tension being  completed   in  1882.     The  whole 

54 


IIISTOIJY  OF  rxREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


255 


fvstriii  was  soil!  liy  a  receiver  in  188T,  reorgan- 
ized as  llie  Oliii).  Iniliana  &  Western,  sold 
again  in  lySlU.  and  became  i)art  of  the  Big 
Four  system.  l'"or  a  luiinber  of  years  tiie  part 
east  of  Indianapolis  was  known  as  the  I'eoria 
and  Easti'rn,  ami  the  |iart  west  as  the  I'eoria 
and  Western. 

The  "Junction  road" — Indianapolis  &  Cin- 
cinnati Junction — from  Indianapolis  to  Ham- 
ilton, Ohio,  was  ijegun  in  ISoO,  the  work  be- 
ing done  in  sections  !iy  the  Ohio  \-  Indian- 
apoli.s  and  Junction  companies.  In  .\pril. 
1853.  the  two  were  consolidated,  antl  the  road 
was  about  half-way  completed  when  tiie  hard 
times  of  lS55-(i  sto|jped  it.  The  coni|)any  was 
reorganized  in  IStiti.  and  completed  the  road 
to  Indianapolis  in  1S(;S:  after  which  it  uas 
operated  as  the  Cinciiiiiati,  Hamilton  tS:  In- 
dianapolis. In  1902  this  was  con.solidated  with 
the  Indianapolis.  Decatur  it  Western  as  the 
Cincinnati.  Indianapolis  &  Western,  and  is  a 
part  of  the  system  of  the  Cincinnati.  Hamilton 
&  Dayton  Company's  system.  The  Indian- 
apolis iV  St.  Louis  line!  was  built  in  IStiit.  as 
a  competing  line  to  the  A'andalia,  from  In- 
dianapolis to  Terre  Haute,  72  miles,  where  it 
connected  with  the  old  Terre  Haute  &  Alton 
line  to  St.  l^ouis.  It  was  built  very  rapidly 
and  very  well,  as  the  coin|ianies  hack  of  it  had 
everything  that  could  be  asked  in  the  way  of 
c.\|ierience,  means  and  talent  at  their  com- 
mand. On  June  27,  1SS9,  it  was  consolidated 
in  the  Rig  Four  system,  and  the  Terre  Kaute 
&  .\lton  was  absorbed  a  year  later.  It  is  now 
controlled  by  the  New  York  Central.  It  has 
been  important  from  th<'  start  as  a  new  line 
to  the  coal  fields. 

Though  it  did  not  get  into  lndiana|)C)lis  un- 
til 18S2,  the  Motion  is  one  of  the  old  roads 
of  the  state.  It  began  its  the  New  Albany  & 
Salini  road,  which  was  chartered  July  8,  1847, 
to  build  a  line  35  miles  in  length  between  these 
two  terminals.  It  was  completed  and  opened 
January  1.3,  1850.  IJy  this  time  amendments 
had  ocen  secured  to  the  charter  authorizing  the 
extcn-iiin  of  the  line  to  any  point  in  the  state. 
^^o^k  was  begitn  on  an  extension  to  Alichigan 
City  in  1850,  and  the  litie  was  completed  atid 
opened  July  4,  1854.  The  first  45  miles  i.f 
the  road  were  laid  with  strap  rail,  whi(4i  was 
replaced  with  T  rail  in  1855-(;.  The-  name  was 
ehmiged  to  the  Louisville.  New  .Mbany  &  Chi- 
eatro  Hailroad  Octubcr  ■.'!.  IS5!I.     The  company 


was  reorganized  under  foreclosure  in  1869, 
1873,  and  1881,  and  in  the  latter  year  consoli- 
dated with  the  Chicago  and  Indianapolis  Air 
Line.  The  Air  Lino  was  the  successor,  through 
foreclosure  reorganization,  of  the  Indianai)olis, 
Delphi  &  Chicago,  which  was  organized  in 
18; 2  to  build  a  narrow-gauge  road  from  In- 
dianapolis to  Chicago.  It  had  constructed  43 
miles  of  road,  from  Uensselaer  to  Dyer,  prior 
to  the  consolidation  of  1881.  After  the  con- 
solidation the  work  was  pushed  rapidly.  The 
track  was  broadened  to  standard  gauge,  and 
coinpleted  to  Hammond  in  January.  1882. 
l'"foin  this  point  it  entered  Chicago  over  the 
Chicago  &  Atlantic  tracks  till  1884,  when  it 
was  extended  to  connect  with  the  Chicago  & 
Western  Indiana,  in  which,  and  the  Chicago 
licit,  it  now  owns  a  oue-tifth  interest.  It  was 
constructed  to  Ilowland's  Station,  just  nnrth 
of  Indianapolis,  in  October,  1882,  but  had 
some  dilliculty  about  arrangements  for  entry 
to  the  city  from  that  point.  It  finally  made 
satisfactory  terms  with  the  Lake  Erie  A  West- 
ern, and  its  first  train,  a  local,  came  in  over 
its  tracks  March  24,  1883, — the  first  through 
train  in  May.  On  account  of  getting  involved 
in  the  guaranty  of  some  Kentucky  railroad 
bonds,  the  company  was  reorganized  under 
foreclosure,  in  1897,  as  the  Chicago.  Itidian- 
ajiolis  &  Louisville. 

The  last  railroad  built  into  Indianapolis  was 
the  indiatiapolis  Southern.  It  was  incorpor- 
ated September  15,  1899,  to  construct  a  road 
from  Indianapolis  to  Sullivan,  Indiana,  about 
100  mile.s,  chiefly  as  a  coal  road,  with  a  branch 
aliout  20  miles  long  from  Stanford  to  Bloom- 
tield.  The  road  was  origiiuiUy  a  local  etiter- 
prise,  but  was  taken  up  by  the  Illinois  Central, 
and  a  consolidation  was  made  with  the  line 
from  EtTlngham.  Illinois,  to  Switz  City,  In- 
diana, formerly  known  as  the  St.  I>ouis,  In- 
dianapolis &  Eastern,  or  Effingham  District 
of  the  Illinois  Central.  This  consolidation  was 
effective  as  of  June  30,  190G,  and  the  entire 
outstatiding  funded  debt  of  the  two  lines  ($7,- 
0(!5.550)  is  held  by  the  Illinois  Central  com- 
pany. By  its  orditiance  contract  of  .\])ril  11, 
1902,  this  road  is  obligated  to  carry  to  Indiati- 
apolis ''Indiana  mined  coal,  wherever  received 
by  it;  or  coal  delivered  by  other  railway  com- 
panies more  than  fifty  7niles  from  said  city", 
at  not  over  one-half  cent  per  ton  per  mile.  In 
aiblitioii    til  luit.-iilr   cninmunication,   there   are 


256 


HISTDKY  OF  CiitKATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


two  strictly  local  railroads.  The  \Yhite  Eiver 
Railway  Co.,  an  organization  of  Kingan  t!c  Oo., 
was  authorized  August  2.5.  1ST3,  to  lay  tracks 
from  Mississippi  street  (Senate  avenue)  to  the 
river.  Its  half  mile  of  track  is  little  more  than 
a  switch,  but  stands  as  the  property  of  an  inde- 
])endent  company.  The  other  local  company  is 
The  Belt  Railroad  and  Stock  Yards  Company, 
the  first  one  of  the  kind  ever  constructed. 

Although  ^layor  Caven  was  the  effective 
originator  of  the  Belt  Railroad,  the  idea  was 
not  a  new  one  in  his  day.  Indeed  it  had  been 
figured  on  from  the  start.  In  the  spring  of 
1849  the  town  was  stirred  up  by  a  proposal  of 
the  Bcllefontaine  and  Peru  roads  to  lay  a  track 
through  the  central  part  of  the  town,  along  tlie 


streets.  At  the  meeting  on  the  3rd,  Ovid  But- 
ler offered  a  resolution  that  the  city  allow  the 
railroad  companies  to  have  a  common  track 
around  the  city  on  North,  South.  East  and  West 
streets,  and  that  no  tracks  should  be  permitted 
within  these  limits.  He  argued  for  this  at 
length,  urging,  among  other  things,  that  "the 
Depots  would  be  located  on  or  near  these 
streets,  and  the  cars  from  any  road  could 
traverse  them  at  pleasure,  thereby  virtually 
making  the  depot  for  each  road  a  common  de- 
pot, as  the  business  man  would  deliver  and 
receive  his  goods  at  the  depot  nearest  his 
house".'  But  fortunately  the  railroads  did  not 
desire  this  convenience,  and  so  the  matter  was 
put  off  to  a  later  and  a  better  day. 


UNION   DEPOT  AND  AMERICAN  HOTEL,   1854. 


streets.  This  raised  objection,  and  on  ilarch 
3,  IS-iO,  a  citizens'  meeting  was  held  at  the 
court  house  "to  discuss  the  propriety  of  admit- 
ting a  track  to  be  laid  within  the  city  proper"'. 
There  was  some  clash  of  opinion,  lietween 
property  owners  who  wanted  depots  near  their 
laiul  and  people  who  did  not  want  railroads  on 
streets  near  them ;  and  the  meeting  finally 
agreed  that  the  question  should  be  left  to  the 
people  along  the  streets  proposed  to  be  used, 
reserving  to  the  council  the  right  to  remove 
the  tracks  at  any  time,  and  the  railroads  to 
keep  the  streets  used  in  good  repair.  This 
position,  which  was  adopted  by  the  council, 
headed  off  the  railroad  companies,  and  on  April 
1-t,  the  Locomuih-c  announced  that  the  Peru 
and  Bcllefontaine  roads  had  decided  to  run 
their  line  "through  Noble's  pasture",  and  con- 
nect with  the  Madison  without  disturbiu'i  anv 


With  the  increased  business  activities  follow- 
ing the  civil  war,  and  the  railroads  then  con- 
structed, the  desirability  of  a  belt  road  in- 
creased. The  Union  tracks  were  congested  by 
the  interchange  of  through  freight  cars,  and 
the  passage  of  streets  was  badly  blocked  for 
pedestrians  and  vehicles.  In  ISTO,  Joel  F. 
Richardson,  a  practical  railroad  man,  proposed 
a  belt  line  around  the  city,  connecting  the  sev- 
eral lines,  and  the  proposal  was  very  generally 
favored,  but  the  railroads  preferred  the  exist- 
ing inconvenience  to  the  expense.  Considerable 
interest  was  taken  in  the  project,  however,  by 
property  owners,  and  notably  by  Nicholas  Mc- 
Carty,  as  the  representative  of  the  McCarty 
heirs'.  Nicholas  [McCarty,  Sr..  had  the  good 
business  judgment  to  secure  a   large  tract  of 


^Locomotive,  March  10,   1849. 


IIISTCJKY    OV  GliKATER  IXDIAX Ai'OJ-lS. 


bottoiii-lanil  west  of  the  river,  wliich,  like  all 
of  the  White  Kiver  bottoms,  was  the  liiiest  of 
corn  land;  but  the  younger  Nicholas  saw  that 
in  his  day,  its  location  gave  it  a  possible  value 
for  manufacturing  or  stock-yards  purposes  far 
in  excess  of  its  agricultural  value.  In  1869 
ITcCarty  visited  Chicago  and  St.  Louis,  and 
investigated  the  stock-yards  there.  On  his  re- 
turn he  pointed  out  to  Gen.  Thos.  Morris,  then 
president  of  the  I.  &  St.  L.,  a  tract  of  land 
on  the  west  side,  adjoining  the  Vandalia  road, 
which  wouhl  lie  desirable  for  stock  yards,  and 
Morris  proposed  to  have  a  pl^at  niaile  showing 
how  accessible  it  would  be,  but  shortly  after- 
wards'he  resigned  his  position  to  become  re- 
ceiver of  the  I.  ('.  iS:  L.,  and  no  further  action 
was  taken. 

In  187(1,  Kingan  >S;  Co.  established  a  small 
Stock-yards  on  a  tract  of  land  near  their  pork- 
house,  and  public  sales  were  held  there  for 
several  years.  Up  to  this  time  there  had  been 
no  stock-vards  where  sales  were  made  except 
those  of  the  several  railroads,  aiid  at  them  the 
-ales  were  only  occasional.  The  new  yards 
"idy  em])hasizcd  the  desirability  of  something 
better,  and  in  the  business  activity  of  the  early 
eeventies  it  was  not  a  matter  to  escape  action. 
On  June  28,  1873,  the  Indianapolis  Belt  l!ail- 
way  Company  was  incorporated,  with  Tliomas 
D.  Kingan,  A.  L.  Roaehe,  John  H.  Fan[uhai-. 
Elijah  B.  Martindale,  Joel  F.  Richardson,  JlJl- 
ton  JI.  Landis,  John  Thomas,  William  ('ough- 
Jen.  and  Henry  C.  Lord  as  directors;  and  on 
July  31.  revised  articles  were  tiled  l)y  Thomas 
D.  Kingan,  H.  C.  Lord,  John  II.  Fan|uhar, 
James  C.  Ferguson,  and  Franklin  Landers. 
The  stated  ])urpose  was  tn  build  a  road  from 
Xorth  Indianapolis  to  Brightwood,  about 
twelve  miles,  connecting  the  several  lines  enter- 
ing the  city.  Henry  C.  Ijord  was  president  of 
the  comi)any,  and  began  work  actively,  with  ex- 
cellent prospects  for  success.  At  the  same 
time  the  stock-yards  project  took  on  new  life. 
The  P>oard  of  Traile  report  for  that  year  said: 
"For  many  years  the  establishing  of  stock  yards, 
conveniently  located  adjacent  to  this  city,  for 
the  accommodation  of  shippers  of  live  stock, 
has  been  agitated  among  members  of  the  Board 
of  Trade.  Committees  have  been  ajipointod, 
able  reports  have  been  made,  and  much  elo- 
quence has  been  brouglit  into  use  in  settiTig 
forth  (he  advantages  accruing  to  the  whole  city 
by  the  convenient  location  of  union  stock-yards. 
Vol.  1—17 


We  are  permitted  to  announce  that  an  organi- 
zation has  been  effected  by  the  wealthiest  and 
most  enterprising  of  our  citizens,  with  whom 
to  undertake  a  project  is  to  successfully  com- 
plete it,  and  that  soon  we  may  invite  dealers 
in  live  stock  to  proper  yard  accommodations 
hei-e.  This  enterprise  is  necessarily  more  or 
less  contingent  upon  the  building  of  the  Belt 
Railway,  but  as  the  circle  road  is  certain  to 
be  built,  we  have  no  hesitancy  in  saying  the 
establishing  of  Union  Stock  Yards  is  now  a 
fixed  fact."  The  same  report  says  that  the  belt 
road  "has  progressed  far  enough  to  show  a  solid 
purpose  and  insure  its  early  completion". 

The  company  had  in  fact  made  material 
])rogress  with  its  grade.  Fresident  Lord  had 
|)ropo.sed  to  Nicholas  ilcCarty  that  if  the  ^Mc- 
Carty  heirs  would  give  the  right  of  way  from 
Oliver  avenue  to  the  river,  free  of  charge,  but 
subject  to  reversion,  he  miglit  select  the  route 
to  be  taken  from  three  routes  submitted  by 
Lord.  The  proposition  was  accepted  and  the 
line  was  located  as  now  existing.  The  land  was 
to  revert  if  the  road  were  not  completed  within 
a  specified  time;  and  McCarty  inserted  a  \n-o- 
vision  that  the  work  on  the  right  of  way.  which 
was  about  8,800  feet  in  length,  covering  some 
20  acres,  should  begin  at  the  west  end,  and  be 
completed  between  Oliver  avenue  and  the  Vin- 
cennes  road  before  beginning  on  the  jiart  be- 
tween the  road  and  the  river.  The  object  of 
this  was  to  sccur«  the  grading  for  switch  pur- 
poses in  case  the  road  should  not  be  comi)leted, 
and  it  proved  prudent,  for  the  panic  sto|)ped 
the  work  hmg  before  the  grading  was  finished. 
It  became  imjiossible  to  raise  money  for  con- 
struction ;  the  men  were  |)aid  ofl:  and  all  W(u-k 
was  discontinued.  Some  months  later  Thomas 
D.  Kingan  undertook  to  push  the  road  through, 
but  after  expending  considerable  money  on  the 
embankment  grade  west  of  the  river,  he  gave 
it  up.  Nothing  further  was  done  by  this  com- 
j)any,  and  the  right  of  way  reverted  to  the 
donors.  An  effort  at  a  stock  yards  without  a 
belt  road  was  then  made.  In  187.3  the  Ex- 
change Stockyards  and  ilanufacturing  Com- 
pany was  organized,  and  liought  of  the  Mc- 
Carty heirs  some  three  acres  of  land  on  the 
west  side  of  the  river  at  the  old  Vincennes 
ci-ossing.  Among  the  incorporators  and  direc- 
tors were  Thomas  Patterson  and  Ezra  Olleman 
— the  latter  widelv  known  as  "Weary  Olle- 
man", on  acciiiuit  of  a   letter  he  wrote  to  Gov- 


258 


HISTORY  OF  GIJEATER  INDIAJS^'^.POLIS. 


ernor  ^Idi-tiui  stating  that  he  was  weary  of 
waiting  I'or  an  appointment  that  had  been 
promised  liim,  which  letter,  by  some  strauge 
chance,  got  into  print.  This  yard  was  oper- 
ated for  some  time  and  was  finally  bought  by 
the  Union  Railroad  Transfer  and  Stock  Yards 
Company. 

ileanwhile  the  original  union  stock  yards 
and  belt  railroad  project  was  only  slumbering. 
^Ir.  Lord  tried  to  revive  it  by  infusing  new 
blood,  and  on  February  2-1,  1876,  articles  of 
association  were  filed  by  the  Transfer  and  Belt 
Railway  Company.  It  proposed  the  same  line 
as  the  original  Belt,  and  the  directors  were 
Charles  W.  West.  I.  L.  Keck,  B.  L.  Cunning- 
ham, John  ^[orrison,  H.  C.  Lord,  Thos.  D. 
Kingan.  R.  J.  Bright,  Stanley  ilatthews  and 
J.  M.  Sinclair.  This  company,  however,  never 
got  past  the  paper  stage.  That  it  would  not 
was  so  soon  apparent  that  in  the  spring  of 
1876,  McCarty.  Canada  Holmes  and  others 
took  the  matter  up  with  several  railroad  men, 
chiefly  of  the  Pennsylvania,  and  particularly 
with  Col.  Horace  Scott  and  M.  A.  Downing, 
who  were  connected  with  the  Louisville  stock 
yards.  While  these  negotiations  were  in  prog- 
ress, with  some  prospect  of  success,  it  was 
learned  that  ilayor  Caven  was  contemplating 
a  message  to  the  council  advocating  that  the 
city  undertake  the  work.  He  was  induced  to 
delay  his  message  for  a  week,  to  see  if  it  would 
not  be  undertaken  independent  of  the  city ; 
but  it  was  not,  and  on  July  17,  Mayor  Caven 
delivered  his  message,  and  the  matter  became 
a  public  one.  Opposition  to  city  aid  was  mani- 
fest from  the  first,  and  Ijy  many  of  the  best 
people  of  Lidianapolis,  who  had  been  discour- 
aged by  the  past  exjjerience  of  the  city  in  rail- 
road donations,  and  could  see  nothing  in  this 
i)ut  a  public  donation  to  a  private  enterprise. 

The  contest  that  developed  was  as  earnest  as 
any  that  ever  occurred  here,  and  was  based 
wholly  on  divergent  views  as  to  the  city's  in- 
terest;  but  notwithstanding  the  warnitli  it  at- 
tained, and  some  insinuations  made  at  the  time, 
it  seems  to  have  been  singularly  free  from  cor- 
ruption an.d  improper  methods  of  any  kind,  on 
lioth  sides.  Nearly  every  day  a  meeting  was 
held  at  an  office  on  the  southeast  quarter  of 
the  circle  by  Mayor  Caven,  Canada  Holmes, 
'^^cCa^ty,  and  occasionally  others,  to  consult 
and  to  push  on  tlic  wurk.  Solicitors  were  sent 
(uit  to  canvass  tlie  citv  and  secure  signatures 


to  a  petition  to  the  council,  asking  that  the  city 
loan  its  credit  to  the  proposed  belt  companv,  to 
the  extent  of  $500,000.  On  August  :id.  1876, 
the  articles  of  incorporation  of  the  Union  Rail- 
road Transfer  and  Stock  Yards  Company  were 
filed,  with  J.  0.  Ferguson,  John  Thomas,  W. 
C.  Holmes,  W.  N.  Jackson,  E.  F.  Claypool, 
John  F.  Miller,  M.  A.  Downing,  Horace  Scott, 
and  W.  R.  ilcKecn  as  directors.  On  August 
.'Sd.  the  company  submitted  to  the  council  its 
proposal,  that  the  city  put  $500,000  of  its 
bonds  in  the  hands  of  trustees ;  that  $-150,000 
of  these  be  delivered  to  the  company  when  it 
completed  its  stock  yards  and  the  belt  track 
from  Brightwood,  on  the  Northeast,  to  the 
Terre  Haute  tracks  on  the  West ;  that  the  re- 
maining $50,000  be  delivered  when  the  tracks 
were  completed  to  North  Indianapolis  and  con- 
nected with  the  Big  Four  there ;  that  at  each 
of  these  deliveries  of  bonds  the  company  de- 
])osit  with  the  trustees  an  equal  amount  of  its 
lionds,  to  be  held  as  security  for  the  city,  bear- 
ing the  same  rate  of  interest  as  the  citv  bonds, 
but  with  interest  payable  thirty  days  earlier; 
and  that  the  companj'  obligate  itself  to  begin 
work  within  thirtv  da\s,  and  complete  it,  if 
possible,  in  1877." 

On  September  4,  1876,  a  supplemental  pro- 
posal was  made  to  give  the  city  a  first  mort- 
gage on  the  property  as  security,  if  it  ])re- 
ferred.  On  September  18,  a  petition  to  the 
council  was  filed,  signed  by  a  majority  of  the 
resident  freeholders  of  the  city,  asking  that  the 
city  loan  its  credit  to  the  company  to  the  ex- 
tent of  $500,000.  But  the  opposition  was  active 
also,  and  had  weight  with  the  council.  The 
question  was  to  come  to  a  vote  on  October  16, 
and  the  sentiment  was  so  closely  divided  that 
when  the  friends  of  the  measure  "counted 
noses''  in  the  afternoon,  most  of  them  thought 
they  were  defeated.  There  was  one  council- 
man, Albert  Izor,  as  to  whose  position  they 
w'ere  uncertain,  and  a  representative  was  sent 
to  sound  him.  He  reported  that  Tzor  woidd 
support  the  measure,  and  be  did.  'i'hat  night 
the  original  proposal  was  accepted  i)y  one  ma- 
joritv,  and  an  ordinance  was  passed  ratifying 
the  contract. 

But  the  end  was  not  \et.  On  submission  of 
the  matter  to  competent  attorneys,  an  opinion 
was  giveii  that  the  bonds  would  not  be  valid 
without  a  confirming  act  of  the  legislature,  and 
the  contest  was  transfci  red  to  that  field.     The 


illSToltV   ()|--  (IIJKA'l'Ki;    INDIANAPOLIS. 


259 


IcffislativL'  coiiiinitti'c  held  its  iiiuetiug.s  at  the 
Grand  Hotel,  and  there  were  some  warm  ilis- 
cussions  at  some  of  the  hearings  on  the  bill. 
However,  practically  all  of  the  jneat  packers, 
and  most  of  the  ijusiness  men  of  the  city  fa- 
vored the  action,  and  McKeen  and  Scott  had 
a  good  deal  of  influence  with  the  legislature, 
so  the  bill  was  finally  passed,  notwithstanding 
the  opposition  of  some  of  the  Marion  County 
members.  In  view  of  the  opposition  at  the 
time,  and  of  the  direful  predictions  then  made, 
it  lias  Ix'cn  a  matter  of  no  little  satisfaction  to 
those  who  sup])orted  the  measure  tliat  not  only 
have  the  Belt  Koad  and  the  Stock  Yards  proven 
great  successes,  and  great  benefits  to  the  city, 
but  also  tiiat  the  bonds  were  taken  up  at  ma- 
turity by  the  company,  and  the  city  was  never 
at  a  dollar  of  exjiense  on  account  of  them. 

It  is  almost  certain,  however,  that  the  city".^ 
action  would  not  have  been  taken  but  for  the 
depressing  conditions  that  existed  at  the  time. 
The  panic  of  187;5  had  struck  Indianapolis 
with  peculiar  force  because  there  had  been  a 
"boom"  in  real  estate  after  the  war  which 
reached  its  climax  at  that  time.  It  was  not  at 
all  a  senseless  boom,  as  things  were  then  go- 
ing, for  prop(>rty  that  was  then  considered 
'■far  out"  by  the  conservative  is  now  well  "in- 
side"; but  it  was  a  boom  into  whose  seductive 
grasp  nearly  everybody  had  fallen.  A  man 
without  a  few  lots  on  a  speculative  basis  was 
an  exception.  Debt  had  been  incurred  freely, 
and  when  the  demand  for  pay  came  on  all  sides 
the  rigors  of  the  panic  were  doubled.  The 
natural  shrinkage  of  values  from  the  resum|)- 
tion  of  specie  payments  and  the  demonetiza- 
tion of  silver  was  increased  enormously  by  the 
large  amount  of  real  estate  thrown  cm  the 
market  at  forced  sale.  .Men  who  had  been  land 
rich  became  land  poor,  and  more  of  the  old 
families  that  had  grown  up  with  the  city  were 
wrecked  in  that  depression  tlian  at  any  other 
time  in  the  city's  history.  .Moreover  hundreds 
of  men  were  thrown  out  of  employment,  and 
as  labor  conditions  were  no  better  elsewhere, 
there  was  no  rclii^f  in  leaving  liulianapolis. 
The  very  conditions  that  made  it  impossible  for 
a  private  corporation  to  raise  funds  for  this 
enterprise  made  it  inijwi-tant  that  the  city 
should  lend  its  aiil  to  give  work  In  llir  imcni- 
plnycil.  ^lorcovcr  business  was  at  low  clili.  and 
the  prospect  of  having  several  hundred  thou- 
sand   dollars   spent    here    among    ])eoplc    who 


would  necessarily  spend  it  again  at  once,  was 
something  that  appealed  to  every  business  man 
of  the  slightest  intelligence.  The  industrial 
situation  also  largely  explains  the  active  inter- 
est of  Mayor  Caven. 

Mayor  Caven  was  deeply  impressed  with  the 
importance  of  a  coal  road  for  Indianapolis, 
and  also  with  the  desirability  of  a  belt  road. 
His  own  story  of  the  inception  of  the  work, 
given  in  ISMl,  deserves  preser\4ition  by  the 
people  of  Indianapolis.  He  says:  "One  day 
in  September,  18T.">,  I  walked  around  the  old 
abandoned  embankmenl  west  of  \Miite  River, 
and  from  the  Vandalia  Road  to  the  river  1 
walked  all  the  way  through  weeds  higher  than 
my  head,  pushing  them  aside  with  my  hands. 
1  took  off  my  boots  and  waded  White  River  not 
far  from  the  present  Jielt  Road  bridge,  and,  as 
the  water  was  deep,  I  got  my  clothes  wet. 
Climbing  over  to  the  partially  built  abutnu-nt 
on  the  east  bank  to  dry,  I  sat  there  for  two 
hours  considering  the  question  of  whether  the 
great  work  of  a  road  around  this  city  could  be 
put  in  motion..  It  would  combine  all  the  bene- 
fits sought,  not  only  furnish  work  for  our  la- 
boring population  during  the  savage  year  of 
]8T(J,  or  at  furthest  1877,  but  also  relieve  our 
streets.  It  would  also  bring  here  an  immense 
cattle  business  and  lay  down  a  great  taxable 
property.  As  I  looked  over  that  almost  desert- 
looking  river  bottom,  the  outlook  for  moving 
in  the  matter  to  furnish  bread  to  hungry  peo- 
])le  a  year  or  two  anyway  was  gloomy,  but  1 
then  and  there  determined  that  this  w-as  the 
only  project  that  could  accomplish  the  result, 
and  resolved  to  make  the  effort,  and  see  what 
will  and  a  good  purpose  could  do.  Having  got 
.somewhat  dried  out  I  put  on  my  boots  and 
started  home,  and  commenced  an  investigation 
of  the  subject  of  bread  riots,  and  what  had 
made  great  cities.  I  examined  a  great  deal  of 
history  on  the  subject  of  what  had  made  other 
cities — locati(ui,  natural  advantages,  accidents, 
minerals,  manufactures,  and  what  enter])rise 
and  capital  had  done,  and  then  trieil  to  apply 
tlu^se  principles  to  the  city  of  Indianapolis. 
What  were  our  natural  advantages,  and  how 
might  capital  and  entery)rise  develop  them  :  ami 
what  could  be  done  to  make  Indianapolis  a 
great  citv,  and  during  the  winter  of  187.")  T 
composed  the  Belt  Hoad  Message,  and  read  it  in 
cnumil  .lulv  17.   ISTii."- 


-Sniliiicl.  Mav   IS,   ISSl 


.'(iO 


HISTORY  OF  GREATEE  TNDIAXAPOLIS. 


This  mest;age  was  a  notable  docunieiit.  The 
demand  for  employment  was  already  Ijecoming 
urgent,  and  on  June  1,  1876,  Mayor  Caven 
had  called  attention  to  the  want  and  suffering 
in  the  city,  and  the  fact  that  "a  few  bad  men 
are  advising  violence  and  robbery".''  In  his 
July  message  he  pointed  out  the  near  location 
of  the  coal  mines,  and  the  importance  of  con- 
nection flith  them.  He  then  took  up  the  Belt 
Road  proposition  and  urged  its  great  value, 
and  the  propriety  of  the  city's  promoting  the 
work.  He  said:  ''Supposing  Indianapolis  were 
surrounded  by  a  navigable  water,  into  which 
poured  eleven  navigable  rivers,  navigable  to 
every  county  in  the  state,  and  to  every  state 
in  the  Union,  to  every  fertile  valley,  to  every 
hillside  with  its  exhaustless  mines,  to  every 
quarry  of  stone  and  forest  of  timber,  and,  in 
addition,  this  water  was  especially  adapted  for 
the  location  of  innumerable  manufactories, 
would  it  be  deemed  an  improper  expense  for 
the  city  to  improve  such  harbor?  What  that 
harbor  would  be  to  the  city  in  the  water,  that 
road  might  be  to  us.  The  stock  yards  would 
come  before  the  road  was  finished,  and  grain 
elevators  would  be  built.  Its  peculiar  advan- 
tages would  invite  the  location  of  manufac- 
tories and  these  would  furnish  a  demand  and  a 
market  for  fuel  and  farm  products,  thus  build- 
ing up  state  industries  to  aid  us  further  in  fur- 
nishing a  market  in  turn  for  the  manufac- 
tured wares.  The  Sullivan  coal  road  would 
soon  be  built,  perhaps  finished  first."''  flavor 
Caven  suggested  the  reference  of  the  nuitter 
to  a  special  committee,  his  own  somewhat  in- 
definite proposal  being  for  a  loan  to  build  the 
road;  but  the  Council  at  the  time  simply 
ordered  the  message  printed  for  circulation. 
Mayor  Caven's  story  of  its  effect  continues  as 
follows : 

"It  was  published  in  Tuesday's  morning 
papers,  and  on  T'hursday  I  was  holding  court 
and  noticed  two  men  sitting  back  among  the  au- 
dience for  some  time.  After  a  while  they  came 
forward  and  asked  if  they  could  speak  with  me 
a  few  minutes.  I  suspended  hearing  a  cause 
to  hear  what  they  had  to  say.  One  of  them 
said  ho  was  president  of  the  stock  yeards  at 
Louisville  and  had  read  the  Belt  Road  message 
and  at  once  started  for  Indianapolis ;  as  he  re- 


•''Council  rroceedings,  18T(i,  pp.   i:i2-4. 
^Council   Proceedings,   18~6-7,    pp.    4n.")-4i;. 


garded  it  t-he  best  location  for  stock  yards  in 
the  country,  and  he  wished  to  come  here  and 
engage  in  the  business.  I  told  them  we  wanted 
the  enterprise  very  much,  and  asked  them  if 
they  had  the  means  to  build,  and  they  said 
they  had  not,  but  thought  perhaps  the  city 
would  aid  them.  I  told  them  the  city  would 
not  aid  in  money,  but  suggested  the  idea  of  the 
exchange  of  bonds,  the  plan  which  was  adopt-ed 
and  carried  out.  One  of  these  men  was  Hor- 
ace Scott  and  the  other  Mr.  Downing,  the 
present  Superintendent  of  the  stock  yards.  A 
company  was  formed,  and  the  necessary  steps 
taken  to  carry  out  the  enterprise,  but  met  with 
great  opposition.  A  number  of  times  it  was 
supposed  to  be  defeated,  but  it  finally  triumphed 
over  every  obstacle  and  work  was  commenced. 
Aboitt  the  1st  of  June,  1877,  the  work  was 
stopped  because  the  right  of  way  could  not  be 
had  by  agreement  through  the  land  of  the 
Beatty  heirs  south,  and  several  hundred  men 
were  thrown  out  of  employment."" 

The  only  financial  aid  by  the  city  was  the 
loan  of  its  credit  to  the  amount  of  $500,000, 
through  an  issue  of  bonds,  repayment  being  se- 
cured by  Belt  Road  bonds ;  but  this  was  all 
that  was  needed  to  secure  the  money,  and  the 
work  was  pushed  forward  vigorously.  The 
stop  was  due  to  a  ditlerence  of  optnion  as  to 
the  value  of  the  land  wanted  for  right  of  way, 
and  John  C.  Xew,  guardian  of  the  heirs,  very 
properly  refused  to  let  it  go  for  less  than  he 
thought  it  was  worth,  without  a  decision  by  the 
court.  Caven  got  an  agreement  of  the  parties 
that  the  work  should  go  on,  and  the  question  of 
price  be  left  to  the  court  to  decide  later :  ali^o 
that  the  work  should  go  on  in  the  morning  if 
men  were  on  hand.  This  was  important  for 
the  labor  situation  had  become  critical.  On 
June  1,  a  delegation  of  1.50  workingmen  had 
come  to  the  coimcil  chamber  and  presented  a 
petition  f(n'  work,  signed  by  080  unem|)loyed 
men.  The  newspapers  were  full  of  suggestions 
as  to  what  should  be  done,  and  committees 
were  appointed  to  consider  the  matter.  On 
June  5,  Hon.  W.  H.  English  and  Mr.  Sullivan 
addressed  a  workingmcn"s  uK'eting  at  the  coun- 
cil chamber  and  urged  patience  and  orderly 
conduct.  ^Ir.  English  then  made  a  donation 
of  $100  and  ilr.  Sullivan  $10  to  relieve  im- 
mediate needs.  But  this  was  only  a  drop  in 
the  bucket,  and  on  the  evening  of  June  6. 
some  400   or  50(1   men   aathered   at   the  State 


TTlSTOnV  OV  OTlEATF.n    IXDI  \\  \rOTJS. 


261 


Hoii.-i'  yartl.  "ThrL-at:;  of  violence  if  assist- 
aiK-e  were  not  I'ortliconiing  at  onco  were  made, 
and  after  resolving  to  call  upon  the  Governor 
in  the  morning  it  was  determined  to  unite 
in  a  grand  'bread  or  blood"  street  parade  in 
the  afternoon,  in  which  the  wives  and  childi-en 
of  the  unemployed  workiugmen  should  partici- 
pate. It  was  hoped  in  this  way  to  bring  the 
public  to  a  realization  of  the  dire  exigencies 
of  the  case.  The  demoustralion  w;is  to  be  re- 
garded in  the  light  of  'a  last  appeal'." 

About  this  time  Caveu  appeared  on  the  scene, 
armed  with  his  agreements  for  work  to  be  re- 
sumed on  the  Belt  in  the  morning.  He  pro- 
ceeded to  address  the  meeting,  telling  the  men 
lie  was  there  to  talk  reason  to  tliem.  and  if 
they  were  not  ready  for  that  they  wcrr  un- 
worthy of  assistance.  He  told  them  that  lUO 
men  would  be  j)ut  to  work  in  the  morning,  and 
that  the  force  w(nild  be  increased  to  .")0U  within 
a  week  or  two.  He  then  rebuked  the  disorderly 
elenu'nt.  and  warned  the  men  of  the  folly  of 
any  outbreak.  Mayor  Caven  continues  his  ac- 
count thus:  "At  the  close  L  re{iuested  those  who 
were  willing  to  pledge  themselves  to  ])resei-ve 
the  peace,  and  obey  my  orders  in  ])utting  down 
any  disturbance,  to  hold  up  the  right  hand,  and 
every  hand  went  uj).  There  were  men  there 
who,  together  with  their  families,  had  not 
tasted  food  for  two  days,  and  I  told  them  they 
flinuld  not  go  to  bed  hungry  that  night :  and 
invited  the  crowd  to  go  with  me;  and  we  went 
first  to  Sampson's  bakery,  south  from  the  Stale 
House.  He  ha])])ene(l  to  have  a  large  ijuaiitity 
of  bread  on  hand.  I  commenced  handing  out 
six  loaves  to  each  one  as  the  hungry  crowd 
passed  by;  and  the  supply  was  sooia  all  gone. 
We  then  went  to  Taggart's  on  South  ^leridian 
street,  Init  could  not  obtain  admission;  anil 
from  there  to  Hryce's  bakery  on  South  street, 
the  huTigry  crowd  following.  Mr.  Bryce  was 
in  bed,  but  got  up  when  I  told  him  what  I 
wante(l,  and  I  directed  the  crowd  to  pass  the 
door.  Mr.  P.ryce  handed  nii'  the  loaves  and 
1  liamied  them  to  the  men — giving  si.\  loaves 
to  each,  but  as  the  pile  became  smaller  we 
reduced  the  nund)er  tfl  five  and  then  to  four 
and  three,  and  then  to  two;  and  I  invited  those 
who  iinly  received  two  and  three  to  wait,  and 
if  we  could  give  them  more  we  woidd ;  and 
tiiey  came  again,  and  wo  gave  them  all  the 
bread  in  the  bakery  and  succeedcfl  in  su|)ply- 
iug  tbciii  all.     .\s  sociii  a-  1  had  paid  Mr.  Hryce 


his  bill  1  went  out  m  the  street,  and  where  a 
few  minutes  before  was  that  hungry  crowd  was 
as  still  as  the  grave,  not  a  human  being  in 
sight.  They  had  left  for  home  as  rapidly 
as  su^jplied,  and  the  only  persons  left  vrere  Mr. 
Dannis  (ireene  and  myself.    At  the  State  Jlouse 

1  had  told  the  men  to  go  to  the  Beatty  farm 
in  the  morning  and  they  would  find  work.  About 

2  p.  m.  next  day  1  went  there,  and  about  3U0 
men  were  at  work,  many  of  them  the  hungry 
men  of  the  night  before,  and  it  seemed  as  if 
the  Belt  Eoad,  for  which  we  had  so  labored  to 
furnish  work  to  the  hungry,  had  thus  provi- 
dentially come  to  the  rescue  to  the  very  day, 
almost  to  the  Very  hour,  of  our  dire  necessity. 
.\  day  later,  atid  doors  wotild  have  been  broken 
lor  food." 

It  certainly  came  in  good  lime  from  several 
points  of  view,  for  the  public  relief  agencies 
were  almost  swamped.  Says  Caven:  "The 
Township  Trustee  jjaid  out  for  groceries  alone 
for  the  needy,  for  the  first  six  months  of  1877, 
$-iU,S8(i.:U),  an  average  of  $;5,l:81.()j  ])er  month. 
The  Belt  got  fairly  to  work  in  July,  and  for 
tiuit  month  the  Trustee  paid  out  for  groceries 
only  $01;  and  for  the  last  six  months  of 
the  year  $1,1G7  or  about  one-third  of  the  aver- 
age of  any  previous  month ;  and  the  work  saved 
the  Towiishij)  fund  not  less  than  $200,000  that 
summer  and  fall."'  And  it  was  a  good  thing 
for  those  who  invested  in  it,  as  Caven  well 
shows  in  defending  his  owu  motives,  as  fol- 
lows: "Tlie  stock  of  the  Belt  Road  was  $.'jO0,- 
000,  and  the  stockholders  paid  thirty  cents  on 
the  dollar  and  received  certificates  of  full  paid- 
up  stock.  The  company  requested  me  to  take 
some  stock,  and  1  could  have  had  $.")0,000  or 
$(i(),()00  by  paying  thirty  cents  im  the  dollar, 
just  what  tlu'  otlu-rs  paid,  and  could  no  doubt 
have  made  even  better  terms,  as  willmul  my 
aid  it  must  have  failed,  as  the  company  well 
knew,  and  I  could  have  borrowed  the  money  to 
buy  stock,  giving  the  stock  as  collateral.  I  re- 
fused to  take  auy  stock  under  any  circum- 
stances, giving  as  my  reason  tluit  what  1  was 
doing  was  placing  a  debt  on  the  city  of  $.")00,- 
(tOO  for  the  benefit  of  the  city,  aiul  to  give 
work  to  idle  men.  1  could  do  this  and  bear 
all  the  censure  1  was  recei\ing,  and  await  the 
verdict  of  time  and  results ;  but  could  not  for 
any  benefit  to  myself,  use  my  oHicial  intluence 
to  ])lace  a  delit  on  the  ])eople  who  had  trusU'd 
me.     For  ]S]'.\  Mill]  'so  the  ciiinpany  paid  cash 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


dividends  ol'  10  per  cent  on  the  face  of  the 
stock,  being  eqnal  to  33  1/3  per  cent  on  the 
money  actually  paid  in  by  the  stockholders,  and 
the  stock  has"  recently  (1881)  sold  for  $1..50 
cash.  One  gentlemen  in  the  summer  of  1877 
paid  $15,000  for  $50,000.  and  has  received  in 
the  last  two  years  $10,000  in  dividends,  and  sold 
a  short  time  ago  for  $75,000  cash.  Thomas  A. 
Scott,  of  the  Pennsvlvania  railroad,  in  the 
summer  of  1877,  took"  $60,000  stock,  for  which 
he  paid  $18,000  and  has  received  in  the  last 
two  years  $12,000  in  dividends,  and  could  sell 
today  for  $90,000.  Had  I  taken  $60,000  in 
1877  at  $18,000  I  could  now  have  had  out  of 
it  $102,000  cash.  I  never  received  a  cent  from 
anybody  of  stock,  money  or  anything  else; 
but  instead  was  at  some  expense." 

On  October  17,  1882,  the  Belt  railroad  proper 
was  leased  to  the  Indianapolis  Union  Railway 
Company  for  a  term  of  999  years  from  October 
1,  1882.  The  lessor  operates  the  stock  yards, 
receiving  an  annual  rental  of  $45,000  a  year 
for  the  road,  while  the  lessee  pays  all  ta.xes, 
pays  or  refunds  the  mortgage  debt,  and  per- 
forms numerous  services.  The  most  important 
of  these  are  to  protect  and  stimulate  the  stock 
yards  business ;  to  deliver  free  of  charge  all 
live  stock  shipped  to  or  from  the  stock  yards 
by  other  railroads;  to  maintain  reasonable 
charges  to  all  live  stock  shippers — subject  to 
arbitration :  to  pay  50  cents  a  deck  to  the  lessor 
for  every  car  of  live  stock  loaded  or  unloaded, 
except  hogs  shipped  under  a  special  contract 
of  Xovember  8,  1877;  to  put  in  side  tracks 
when  needed  ;  to  do  all  switching  free  of  charge ; 
to  deliver  free  of  charge  all  merchandise,  coal 
and  other  supplies  consigned  to  les.sor  for  its 
own  use.  It  may  be  inferred  that  this  is  a  verv 
[)r(>titahle  lease,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that 
the  State  Tax  Board  has  finally  got  the  valua- 
tion of  the  Belt  property  up  to  $4,500,000. 
Very  urgent  argument,  on  behalf  of  Clarion 
County,  has  been  made  to  the  State  Board  of 
Tax  Commissioners  that  both  the  Belt  and  the 
Union  are  worth  much  more  than  they  are  as- 
sessed for;  perhaps  the  most  forcible  presenta- 
tion being  that  of  F.  J.  Van  Torhis  on  .\u- 
gust  IS,  1891,  which  was  i)rinted  in  pamphlet 
form,  for  circulation,  by  tlie  County  Commis- 
sioners.'' In  18S3  a  project  was  formed  to 
liuild   a    line   across,    north    of    the   city,    from 


Piriglitwiiod  to  North  Indianajiolis.  and  the 
Belt  Railroad  Company  of  Indianapolis  was 
organized  for  this  purpose  ilay  14,  1883.  It 
built  only  as  far  as  the  L.  E.  &  W.  tracks,  and 
on  September  4,  1883,  was  consolidated  with 
the  old  Belt  as  a  continuous  line.  On  August 
10.  1895,  the  McCarty  heirs  sold  to  the  Farm- 
ers and  Drovers  Stock  Yards  Company  291/2 
acres  of  land  adjoining  the  old  stock  yards. 
This  new  company  was  formed  as  a  rival  of  the 
old  one,  Init  after  brief  competition  the  two 
were  consolidated,  putting  a  total  of  1541/2 
acres  in  the  stock  yards  at  present. 

It  seems  strange  that  there  should  have  been 
such  decided  opposition  to  a  measure  that  re- 
sulted so  well  as  the  aid  to  the  Belt  road,  but 
there  was  at  the  time  a  decji-seated  conviction 
among  the  people  of  Indianapolis  that  rail- 
road companies  were  not  to  be  trusted,  and 
that  their  promises  would  fail  of  performance. 
And  there  was  also  a  feeling  that  Indianapolis 
liad  been  mistreated  and  discriminated  against 
— that  it  had  been  made  a  sort  of  way-station 
between  Cincinnati  and  Chicago,  and  between 
Cleveland  and  St.  Louis.  Most  of  the  roads 
of  which  it  had  originally  been  a  terminus  had 
been  ccmsolidated  in  a  way  to  make  Indian- 
apolis a  mere  point  on  through  lines.  It  had 
been  expected  that  the  companies  would  locate 
their  principal  shops  here,  but  the  only  ones 
that  did  so  were  the  Bellefontaine  and  the  Cin- 
cinnati and  after  the  consolidation  of  the  for- 
mer its  main  .shops  were  located  in  Ohio.  The 
old  Cincinnati  road  located  its  shops  here  in 
1853,  southeast  of  the  city.  They  were  burned 
in  1855,  but  soon  rebuilt,  and  kept  here  until 
1865,  when  they  were  removed  to  Cincinnati. 
There  was  apparently  a  common  understand- 
ing that  there  was  some  sort  of  agreement  to 
locate  shojis  here  in  some  cases,  for  both  Brown 
and  Ilolloway  make  that  statement  as  to  the 
Vinccnnes  i-oa<l."  If  there  was  any  such  asirce- 
ment  it  was  not  embodied  in  tlie  laws  or  or- 
dinances relating  to  the  road.  In  addition  to 
the  city's  grievances,  it  was  felt  that  the  state 
had  fared  badly.  It  had  lost  all  it  put  in  the 
^fadison  road,  and  Bro«Ti  says:  "The  state 
lield  stock  in  the  road  valued'  at  $1,200,000, 
l)ut  was  ultimately  cheated  out  of  it.  receiving 


■•An  .\rgunient.  etc..  p]>.  21-30.  39-4-1. 


"liiyiicii's     I  iiduniii  jKilix 
I ii(li(Uiiijioli!).  p.   332. 


P- 


llullowiuj'i 


TTTSTOIIV  OF  GREATER  IXDTAXAPOLTS. 


•2fi3 


scarcely  iinytliing  for  it.'"'  This  i;!,  perha])s, 
too  harsh,  but  the  state  certaiuly  realized  noth- 
ing that  the  jx'ople  had  hoped  for  from  the 
road. 

The  Uiiinn  Railway  Company,  which  i-: 
purely  local,  rc]jrcscntin<>-  the  most  important 
terminal  facilities  of  all  the  companies,  is 
owned  practically  by  the  Pennsylvania  and 
Xew  York  Central  systems.  It  is  maintained 
as    a    distinct    organization,    operating    nearly 


.NKW    CNIOX    DEPOT. 

a  mile  {.'.)■>)  of  track  of  it>  nwn.  and  the  Kelt 
Road,  it  also  owns  and  manages  the  Union 
Railway  I'assenger  Station.  This  structure  re- 
places the  old  I'nion  Depot,  but  covers  twice 
as  much  territory,  or  n)ore.  To  make  the 
needed  extensions,  the  council  on  June  1.5, 
ISSC.  jiassed  ordinances  vacating  .McXabh  and 
a  ])art  id'  Louisiana  streets,  and  closing  Illi- 
nois street  and  providing  for  a  tunnel  under  it. 
The  new  building  was  erected  in  188.S,  and  is 
one  of  the  finest  stations  in  the  country.  It  is 
a  handsome  brick  structure,  three  stories  high, 
with   rain   sheds   adjoining,   300  .\  650   feet   in 


'  II  isl.    I llilidllflpdlis 


dimensions.  All  of  the  railroad  lines  ent(;ring 
the  city  receive  and  discharge  passengers  at 
this  point,  there  being  a  total  of  nearly  200 
|)asscuger  trains  daily.  The  ability  to  change 
to  any  line  under  one  roof,  with  no  trouble  or 
cx])ense  of  transferring  baggage,  is  a  great  ae- 
conimodation  to  the  traveling  public.  Freight 
l)usiness  is  done  over  the  Belt  as  far  as  possible, 
over  a  million  freight  cars  being  handled  on  it 
annually.  Jluch  of  this  is  through  freight; 
and  much  of  it  business  of  the  stock  vards, 
whose  shipments  in  1907  included  .378.8;'0  cat- 
tle, 1,955,38-3  hogs,  r2,fiT4  sheep,  and  24,81G 
horses.  The  accounts  of  the  Belt  Railroad  and 
Stock  Yard  Company  for  that  year  sli(iw(>d, 
receipts  $266,0.")«.39  ;  interest  on  bonds  .$(j(l.()00  ; 
dividend  on  preferred  stock  $30,000;  dividend 
on  common  stock  $60.000 :  extra  dividend  on 
common  stock  $60,000;  surplus  $56,056.39. 

The  most  notable  case  of  the  state's  failure 
III  receive  a  contemplated  benefit  from  the 
((instruction  of  a  railroad  was  that  of  the  Van- 
(lalia.  or  TeiTc  Haute  &  ]ndiana|)olis  Raili'oad 
Companv.  which  was  originallv  chartered  on 
.lanuary  26.  1847  as  the  Terre'Haute  &  Rich- 
mond Railroad  Com|)any,  and  allowed  by  an  act 
in  1851  to  abandon  the  portion  of  its  proposed 
line  east  of  Indianapolis.  The  charter  was  a 
\cry  liberal  one,  providing  among  other  things 
ihat  the  company  might  charge  such  tolls  "as 
shall  be  for  the  interest  of  said  companv,  and 
to  change,  lower  or  raise  at  pleasure".  But  by 
Section  23,  immediately  following  this,  it  was 
|irovided,  "that  when  the  aggregate  amount 
111'  dividends  declared  shall  amount  to  the  full 
sum  invested  and  fen  |)er  centum  per  annum 
thereon,  the  legislature  may  so  regulate  the 
lolls  and  freights  that  not  more  than  fifteen 
per  centum  per  annum  shall  be  divided  on  the 
capital  em]doyed,  and  the  surjjlus  profits,  if 
any,  after  paying  the  expenses  and  receiving 
such  proportion  as  may  be  necessary  for  futui'e 
contingencies,  shall  be  ))aid  over  to  the  treas- 
urer of  state  for  the  use  of  the  connnon 
schools".  Presumably  on  account  of  the  favoi-- 
able  terms  of  this  charter,  the  com])any  did 
not  reoT-ganize  und(>r  the  general  law  of  1852; 
and  the  condition  above  sjiecitied,  which,  on 
its  face,  looks  like  one  that  nobody  could  ever 
have  expected  to  be  reached,  was  actually 
reached — the  company  liad  made  such  profits 
that  it  returned  all  of  the  original  investment, 
with   ten   per   cent    interest    thereon,   and    was 


2C4 


IllS'lOliV   OF  (JltKATKi;    IXDIAXAI'OLIS. 


making  over  1.")  per  cent  pur  aHiium — bv  the 
year  1868. 

The  matter  was  liroiight  l)efore  the  legisla- 
ture of  1807.  whieh  ajiiwinteil  a  committee  to 
investigate,  and  the  state  in  its  subsequent 
action  against  the  company  charged  that  the 
oflieials  and  employes  of  the  company  pre- 
vented this  committee  from  getting  any  in- 
formation in  time  for  action.  In  1809  the 
matter  was  again  brought  \\\)  and  a  sjiecial 
committee  consisting  of  John  K.  C'offroth,  ilij- 
ton  A.  Osborn  and  George  A.  Buskirk  w^as  ap- 
pointed to  investigate  the  matter.  The  state 
charged  that  this  committee  and  Senator  J. 
Hughes  were  bribed  by  the  company  to  make  no 
report  and  prevent  any  legislative  action,  the 
sum  of  .$10,000  lieing  paid  for  this  purpose.  The 
state  further  charged  that  the  company  by  is- 
suing stock  dividends,  buying  and  holding  its 
own  stock,  investing  in  stock  and  securities, 
and  other  devices,  made  it  falsely  appear  that 
the  actual  investment  of  the  stockholders  was 
$1,088,1.50,  whereas  in  fact  it  was  onlv 
$1,210,090. 

In  1ST2  a  quo  warranto  suit  was  brought  by 
the  prosecuting  attorney  of  Putnam  County  to 
forfeit  the  charter  of  the  company  for  failure 
to  pay  the  state.  The  state  was  s])eeially  rep- 
resented in  the  case  by  W.  R.  Harrison  and 
Solomon  Claypool.  In  18T-1  the  case  was  tried, 
on  change  of  venue,  in  Owen  County.  After 
the  jury  had  retired.  Judge  Hester  recalled  it 
in  the  middle  of  the  night,  in  the  absence  of 
the  attorneys,  and  discharged  it  for  inability 
to  agree.  Pending  further  proceedings  Attor- 
ney-General J.  C.  Denny  made  an  agreement 
with  the  company  and  its  attorneys  to  suspend 
the  action  and  bring  a  suit  in  ilarion  County 
to  recover  the  amount  due  the  state.  To  this 
agreement  is  ajqiended :  "This  agreement  made 
by  the  attorney -general  (with  the  concurrence 
of  his  associate  counsel  as  we  understand)  we 
approve.  October  5,  1874.  Thomas  A.  Hen- 
dricks, Governor;  Leonidas  Se.xton,  Lieuten- 
ant-Governor." And  yet  it  appears  from  the 
statement  of  Denny  himself,  and  from  the  tes- 
timony in  the  later  case,  that  Judge  Claypool 
knew  nothing  of  the  agreement  till  after  it 
was  made,  and  denounced   it  bitterlv.''      In  the 


Marion  County  case,  a  demurrer  to  the  com- 
plaint was  sustained  on  the  ground  that  the 
legislature  had  not  made  or  authorized  a  de- 
mand on  the  road,  and  this  was  sustained  by 
tiie  Supreme  Court.'' 

For  several  years  the  matter  rested  without 
action^  but  the  ghost  would  not  down.  After 
Samuel  E.  Morss  came  into  control  of  the 
Sentinel  he  became  familiar  with  the  facts  in 
the  case,  and  gave  considerable  effort  to  secur- 
ing the  rights  of  the  state,  for  which,  under 
the  court  decisions,  a  demand  was  essential. 
In  the  session  of  1889  a  resolution  was  intro- 
duced in  the  House  for  this  purpose.'"  It 
{)assed,  and  also  passed  the  Senate  on  March 
9,  but  mysteriously  disappeared  from  the  files, 
and  was  never  presented  to  the  Secretarv'  of 
State.  In  1891  the  matter  came  up  again,  and 
a  bill  for  investigation  and  action  passed  the 
House  and  was  referred  to  the  Committee  on 
Education  in  the  Senate."  Action  was  with- 
held till  the  end  of  the  session,  and  then  a 
report  was  made  making  no  recommendation  as 
to  the  bill,  followed  by  the  passage  of  a  harm- 
less resolution  for  an  investigation  and  re- 
jjort  by  the  Attorney-General.  One  of  the  Sen- 
ators on  this  committee,  who  joined  in  the  ac- 
tion, had  been  elected  on  this  special  issue  of 
enforcing  the  Yandalia  claim,  and  secured  his 
place  on  the  committee  by  aid  of  the  friends  of 
the  measure.  He  shortly  afterwards  left  the 
county  from  which  he  had  been  elected  and 
]iurchascd  a  .lOO-acre  farm  elsewhere,  iforss 
expressed  his  disgust  in  an  editorial  which 
concludes  as  follows :  ''Then  a  member  of  the 
committee  proposed  a  concurrent  resolution,  in- 
structing the  Attorney-General  to  make  an  in- 
vestigation of  the  matter  and  report  the  re- 
sults to  the  next  general  assembly.  The  resolu- 
tion passed  the  Senate  unanimously,  but  care 
was  taken  to  see  that  it  never  reached  the 
House.  The  resolution  amounted  to  nothing, 
of  course,  but  it  appears  that  the  railway  com- 
pany was  unwilling  to  allow  it  to  be  published 
with  the  session  acts  of  1891,  and  hence  caused 
it  to  be  withheld  from  the  House.  It  was  a 
dirty  piece  of  business,  but  entirely  in  keeping 
with  tlie  methods  which  this  railroad  company 


'~Re])ort  of  Attv.  Genl.,  Xovember  0.  ISM: 
Record  in  T.  H.  &  I.  vs.  State  of  Indiana,  yy. 
625.  620. 


'(i4  Indiann,  p.  297. 

'"House  Concurrent  Resolution  No.   127. 
"House   Bill    No.    626;   Senate   Joiirnnl.    p. 
880. 


1IIS|-()1,'V    (<!■■  CIMlATF.i;    IVDl.WAI'oMS. 


2G5 


has  always  eniijloycd  in  its  (lealinjrs  with  the 
Ptati'.  It  is  inortityiiig  in  the  extrcino  to  i<iio\v 
that  Democrats  could  be  foimd  to  lend  them- 
selves to  this  sort  of  ju>;j;lin<r  with  lei;islali(iii  in 
the  interest  of  a  railroad  eor)ioration.''- 

There  was  also  another  editorial,  the  same 
day.  whieli  said:  "The  Senate  committee  on 
education  consisted  of  Senators  Grimes,  Fulk, 
McHxigh,  Chandler,  Smith,  Shockuey  and  Gar- 
van.  An  eti'ort  was  made  to  secure  a  unani- 
mous report  from  the  committee  in  favor  of  in- 
definitely post])oninji  tlie  Cidloj)  iiill,  hut  Sena- 
tor Smitli,  to  his  j^reat  credit  ])revented  such 
action.  So  'indefinite  postj)oneinent"  was  not 
Tecommeiided.  *  *  *  The  com[)any  has 
carried  its  point  liy  i)reventino;  the  passage  of 
the  (,'uUo])  l)ill.  which  embodied  the  Icfjisla- 
tivc  demand  without  which  no  legal  proceed- 
iiiirs  can  he  sustained.  We  congratulate  the 
clever  and  ]io|iular  ilr.  Eiley  JfcKcen  ujion 
this  fresh  evidence  that  his  railroad  company 
is  a  i)igger  thing  than  the  State  of  Indiana."' 
In  18!!.'?  another  liill  was  introduced  which  was 
referred  to  the  railroad  committer  ami  died 
there.'-' 

The  Sciiliiirl  paid  no  altenticni  to  it.  .\ftcr 
several  days  a  prominent  nu-mher  t>\'  the  rail- 
road lohhy  mentioned  the  matti'r  to  'Sir.  Morss, 
and  aske(l  if  the  Si'iiliiicl  was  not  going  to 
make  a  tight  for  investigation  of  tlie  Vandal ia 
claim.  ^Ir.  .Morss  replied,  "Xo.  I  don't  ])ro- 
po.se  to  shake  the  bushes  for  you  fellows  at 
this  .«ession".  And  .so  the  matter  dropped  into 
an  inactive  state  for  several  years  longer,  but 
public  sentiment  bail  been  arou.sed,  and  it  did 
not  die  out  as  the  years  passed. 

In  1S9T,  .\ttorncy-(ieneral  KelcbaiM.  former 
Jiartner  of  Judge  Claypool,  took  the  nuitter  u|), 
and,  with  the  ajiproval  and  aid  of  the  press, 
an  act  was  secured  authorizing  a  demand  on 
the  company  for  the  amount  due  the  state  on 
.ranunr\  17,  1ST:i,  on  which  date  it  had  aban- 
doned its  charter  and  organized  under  the  gen- 
eral law.  Denianil  was  inadc  and  suit  liniuglit 
in  the  .Superior  Court  of  .Mari(Hi  Count  v.  On 
the  hearing  before,  and  re|)ort  by.  Master  Coin- 
inissioner  Xoble  C.  Butler,  Judge  \'inson  Car- 
ter rendered  judgment  for  the  slate  for  $ni;i,- 
'M)r,.n\  ,,n  October  Ti .  r.Hlii.  The  case  was 
then   taken    to  the   Su|iri'Mie   Court   i>f    Indiana, 


which  attirmed  the  judgment  in  a  very  strong 
opinion  by  Chief  Justice  Iladley."  The  case 
then  went  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States  on  writ  of  error,  and  it  rever.sod  the  de- 
cision, holding  that  the  legislation  of  189T  vio- 
lated the  constitution  of  the  L'nited  States  by 
impairing  the  oldigation  of  a  violated  contract.'"' 
The  cause  bciug  remanded  for  further  proceed- 
ings, Mr.  Ketcham  tiled  an  amended  complaint 
based  in  an  outspoken  way  on  the  ground  that 
the  railroad  company  had  produced  the  legisla- 
tive situation  by  its  corrupt  action,  and  that  it 
could  not  be  permitted  to  take  advantage  of 
its  own  wrong.  This,  however,  was  not  sus- 
tained, the  courts  holding  that  the  decision 
of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court  concluded 
the  matter.  The  court  said  that  the  charge  of 
corrupt  action  by  the  company  was  "abundantly 
sutficient",  but  it  involved  corruption  of  the 
legislature,  and  the  courts  "have  invariably  de- 
clined to  inquire  into  the  motives  which 
promjjted  the  official  acts  of  the  legislature  or 
executive,  from  constitutioiud  considerations 
ami  on  grounds  of  public  poli,cy.""' 

It  would  bo  presumptuous  and  )nterniiiuible 
to  discuss  the  law  in  this  case,  but  it  is  the 
duty  of  the  historiair  to  note  the  verdict  of 
posterity  on  judicial  act  inn.  Here  were  plainly 
two  lines  of  reasoning  that  a  court  nuglit  fol- 
low, for  the  Supreme  Court  of  Ituliana  fol- 
lowed one,  and  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States  followed  aiujther,  diametrically 
o])posite.  The  former  gave  to  the  public  its 
long-deferred  rights.  The  latter  confirmed  to 
the  railroad  corporation  the  money  it  had  with- 
held from  the  school  children  of  Indiana,  in 
violation  of  its  e-vjiress  contract,  and  bv  methods 
whose  odor  is  imperishable.  And  yet  there 
are  federal  judges,  and  others,  who  whine  over 
the  growing  lack  of  respect  of  the  masses  for 
the  courts,  and  especially  for  life-term  courts, 
responsible  oidy  to  their  own  conceptions  of 
a  just  God.  Ah,  well  I  One  can  almost  com- 
prehend that  distinguished  jurist.  Justice  .lef- 
fries,  lamenting  tli,-it  lii-  arduous  efforts  to 
support  the  King,  aiul  make  treason  odious, 
were  not  a|)preciated  by  the  English  ])eo|)le. 

In  reality  Indiamipolis  had  l)eeTi  liberal  to 
railroads  fnnn   the  beginning.      Its  people  snb- 


■Si'iitiiirl.    March    Id.    1S!)1. 

MFouse  Kill  'ri  :  llonsf  .hmninl.  p.   C: 


"l.V.i    hid.,   p.    i:is. 

'■•lit I  r.  s.,  .Mi). 

'■'liiC    hid,.   .-)S(). 


•266 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDIANAI'OLIS. 


scribed  generously  to  the  stock  of  the  earliest 
roads,  and  lost  most  of  it  in  subsequent  fore- 
closure proceedings.  After  the  Civil  War  they 
gave  ])ublic  aid.  On  May  21.  1866,  there  was 
presented  to  the  city  council  the  petition  of 
6,81)6  tax-payers,  asking  the  issue  of  $150,000 
of  bonds  in  aid  of  railroads.  The  state  law 
provided  for  a  petition  of  a  majority  of  the 
resident  freeholders,  and  the  committee  re- 
ported that  here  were  three-fourths  of  tiiem. 
Of  this  amount  $60,000  was  to  go  to  the  In- 
dianapolis &  Vincennes,  and  $4.").000  each  to 
the  Indianapolis,  Crawfordsville  &  Danville  and 
Indiana  &  Illinois  Central,  when  they  should 
have  built  their  roads  forty  miles  from  the  city, 
provided  this  were  done  within  three  years. 
On  December  29,  1866,  another  petition,  with 
the  requisite  number  of  signers  was  presented 
for  an  issue  of  $50,000  for  the  Junction  road. 
Ordinances  for  both  were  passed,  the  former 
on  May  28,  1866  and  the  latter  on  February 
4,  1867.  On  December  28, 1868,  the  Vincennes 
and  Junction  roads  having  complied  with 
the  terms  of  the  agreement,  an  ordinance  was 
passed  directing  the  issue  of  their  l)onds ;  a 
jirovision  being  added,  however,  as  to  the  Junc- 
tion road  that  it  should  locate,  erect  and  main- 
tain within  two  miles  of  the  corporate  limits  of 
the  city  the  "principal  works  or  machine  shops 
of  said  road",  and  carry  "to  Indianapolis  tim- 
ber, stone,  lime  and  stone,  coal  or  coke  at  a 
rate  not  exceeding  ten  cents  per  car  load  per 
mile." 

There  was  another  instance  of  this  liljerality 
that  was  having  an  effect  on  the  public  mind 
at  the  time  the  Belt  Road  project  was  up.  In 
18T0,  in  March,  the  Board  of  Commissioners, 
on  petition,  submitted  to  the  voters  of  Center 
Town.?hip  the  question  of  donating  $65,000  to 
the  Indiana  &  Illinois  Central,  the  condition 
being  attached  that  it  should  within  three  years 
locate  its  machine  shops  in  the  townshi)).  Late' 
the  Board  of  Commissioners  extended  the  time 
to  June,  1874,  but  the  shops  were  not  built 
until  1880,  and  then  by  the  Indianapolis  De- 
catur &  Springfield  Company,  the  successor  of 
the  Indiana  &  Illinois  Central :  and  when  they 
were  built,  they  were  put  just  over  the  line 
in  Wayne  Township,  ileanwhile  the  money 
had  been  raised  by  taxation,  and  was  lying  in 
the  county  treasury,  everybody  taking  it  for 
granted  that  the  company  had  forfeited  the 
donation.    This  was  the  situation  in  1876,  and 


naturally  the  people  were  di.sgusted  with  it, 
and  with  railroad  promises.  The  money  was 
a  white  elephant.  The  township  demanded  it 
of  the  county,  and  the  county  at  first  agreed 
to  turn  it  over,  and  did  pay  $17,112.50.  Then 
it  reconsidered,  and  the  township  brought  suit 
and  recovered  judgment  for  $74,102.48.  The 
case  went  to  the  Supreme  Court  which  discov- 
ered that  the  time  limit  forfeiture  had  been 
removed  by  a  change  in  the  state  law,  and  de- 
cided that  the  money  belonged  to  neither  the 
county  nor  the  township,  but  to  the  railroad 
company.''  Then  the  railroad  company  ijrouglit 
suit,  and  the  case  went  back  to  the  Supreme 
Court  twice.'*  The  fact  that  the  shops  were 
not  in  the  township  was  raised,  but  in  the 
original  agreed  statement  of  facts,  when  no- 
body was  thinking  of  the  railroad  company,  it 
had  been  erroneously  stated  that  they  were  in 
the  township,  and  the  court  held  that  this 
bound  everybody  forever  after.  In  consequence 
the  matter  wound  up,  oxer  twenty  years  after 
the  donation  had  been  voted,  witli  a  judg- 
ment against  the  county  for  $85,000.  In- 
cidentally it  may  be  noted  that,  long  Ijcfore 
this,  the  Supreme  Court  had  decided  that  a 
stipulation  for  machine  shops  added  to  a  dona- 
tion for  a  railroad  was  wholly  void,  and  also 
made  void  the  donation:'"  but  both  the  ciuii-t 
and  the  lawyers  appear  to  have  forgotten  that 
interesting  decision. 

Aside  from  the  C.  H.  &  D.  shops,  at  "Moor- 
field"  near  the  Insane  Hospital,  the  only  shops 
established  at  this  point  have  been  put  here 
voluntarily  by  the  railroad  companies.  Some 
are  of  little  importance.  The  iFonon,  L.  E. 
&  W'..  and  Indianapolis  Southern  maintain 
small  shops  for  what  are  called  "running  re- 
pairs" in  connection  with  their  round-houses. 
The  Panhandle  has  extensive  shops,  for  re- 
building and  repairing  cars  and  engines,  east 
of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum,  in  which  about 
700  men  are  employed.  The  Big  Four  system 
has  done  the  most  for  the  city  in  this  line.  It 
now  has  foxir  shops  here,  that  at  Moorfield  em- 
ploying 110  men;  the  Shelbv  street,  or  Indian- 
apolis, shops  employing  140  men ;  the  Bright- 
wood  shops  employing  450  men  :  and  the  new 
Beecli   Crove  shops   em]iloying  6()0   men.    The 


'"105  Ind..   ]).   422. 

'MIO  Ind..  |i.  5:9:   i:!0  In, I..  |i.  89. 

'^Rwv.  Co.  vs.  Citv  of  .Vtticn.  5ii  Ind 


\:(<. 


HISTORY  OF  GREATEK  INDIANAPOLIS. 


207 


Brightwood  shops  are  for  rebixilding  and  re- 
pairing ears.  The  Beech  Grove  shops  are  for 
rebuilding  and  repairing  locomotives,  and  the 
building  of  locomotives  is  contemplated  ulti- 
mately. But  Indianapolis  has  these  shops 
merely  because  the  railrond  rdmjjanies  found  it 


advantageous  to  themselves  to  put  them  here. 
Indianapolis  undoubtedly  owes  much  of  her 
growth  and  prosperity  to  railroads,  but  those 
lienefits  are  purely  incidental.  The  city  is  un- 
iler  no  oldigations  to  any  railroad  companv  for 
anv  bcMiefits  intentioiiallv  conferred. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS. 


In  the  Annual  Report  of  the  Public  Schools 
for  1866,  Dr.  Thomas  B.  Elliott,  then  presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  gave  an  his- 
torical sketch  of  their  origin,  which  was  copied 
by  Sulgrove/  and  has  served  as  histor)-  for 
nearly  half  a  century.  It  reads  as  follows : 
"Private  day  schools  of  good  reputation  were 
established,  so  soon  as  the  necessity  for  them 
arose,  and  several  of  these  are  still  fresh  in  the 
recollections  of  our  adult  citizens.  There  was, 
however,  no  approach  toward  a  system  of  free 
schools  until  the  winter  of  1846-7.  During 
the  legislative  session  of  that  winter,  the  first 
city  charter,  prepared  by  the  late  Hon.  Oliver 
H.  Smith,  for  the  town  of  Indianapolis  was 
introduced  into  the  General  Assembly.  It 
would  have  passed  without  opposition,  as  a 
matter  of  course  and  coui-tesy,  had  not  a  radi- 
cal member  from  this  town,  Mr.  S.  Y.  B.  Xoel, 
presented  as  an  amendment  Section  29,  which 
provided  that  the  City  Council  should  be  in- 
structed to  lay  off  the  city  into  suitable  dis- 
tricts, provide  by  ordinance  for  school  build- 
ings, and  the  a]>pointnient  of  teachers  and 
su|)('rintendents;  and,  further,  that  the  Coun- 
cil should  be  authorized  to  levy  a  tax  for  school 
purposes,  of  not  e.xceeding  one-eighth  of  one 
per  centum  of  the  assessment.  The  amend- 
ment met  with  vigorous  and  determined  appo- 
sition from  several  influential  members.  The 
new  motion,  imported,  it  was  feared,  from  the 
Atlantc  seaboard,  that  the  property  of  the 
community  .should  educate  its  children,  was 
denounced  as  an  experiment  and  a  heresy,  un- 
just, unequitai)lc,  and  worthy  of  its  Puritan 
origin.  The  inexpediency  of  any  taxation,  ex- 
ce])t  for  roads  and  the  support  of  government, 
including  the  General  Assembly,  was  resolutely 
urged  in  opposition. 


'//i.v/.  IiifliiiiiiijXjJ'ts.  p.  423. 


"Certain  rough,  and,  in  a  robust  way,  [lopu- 
lar  members  from  the  unterritied  districts,  were 
earnest  in  condemning  common  schools  on  gen- 
eral principles.  They  and  their  fathers  never 
had  an  education,  and  they  had  achieved  legis- 
lative honors  without  such  aid;  likewise  their 
children  might  attain  the  same  dignity,  if  not 
spoiled  by  learning.  .Schooling  led  to  extrava- 
gance and  folly,  law  and  ruin.  .V  man  could 
keep  store,  chop  wood,  physic,  plow,  plead,  and 
preach  without  an  education,  and  what  more 
was  needed?  The  fleetest,  long-nosed,  deep- 
rooting  hogs,  and  most  flexible  hoop-poles 
spring  spontaneously  from  the  soil.  Without 
the  aid  of  science,  Nature  had  enriched  U8 
with  the  fruitfuUest  ])owers  of  mud.  The  wil- 
derness of  Indiana  had  been  subdued  and  teem- 
ing crops  grew  luxuriant  over  the  graves  of 
dead  savages — all  done  by  unlearned  men.  Be- 
sides it  would  be  a  precedent  full  of  evil  to  set 
this  young  city,  the  seat  of  the  state  govern- 
ment, agoing  with  reckless  expenditure  foisted 
into  its  charter.  It  might  react  on  the  legis- 
lature, by  the  influence  of  example,  and  mil- 
lions be  squandered  in  internal  improvements 
more  mischievous  than  those  they  were  then 
staggering  under.  For  their  |)art,  sink  <ir 
swim,  etc.,  they  were  opposed  to  any  such  fa- 
naticism. These  arguments  carried  weight, 
and  the  amendment  was  in  peril,  when  a  pru- 
dent and  useful  member,  who  advocated  all 
sides  on  vexed  questions,  moved  to  still  fur- 
ther amend  by  jiroviding  that  no  tax  should 
be  levied  unless  so  ordered  by  a  vote  of  a  major- 
ity of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town,  at  the  en- 
suing April  election,  when  the  ballots  should 
be  endorsed  'Free  Schools"  and  'Xo  Free 
Schools*.  This  sealed  the  lips  of  a  ])ortion  of 
the  op])osition.  They  wavered.  If  they  voted 
against  tlie  anumdment,  they  would  deny  the 
right  and  ability  of  the  peoj)le  to  rule;  if  for 


2(iS 


IIIS'I'ORV   ()|-  CRKATKi;   1 XDIA  N'APnT.TS. 


2C9 


it,  they  would  at  least  acquiesce  in  a  tlagrant, 
and,  they  fondly  hoped,  unconstitutional  her- 
esy. So  they  divided;  and  the  cliarter  as 
amended,  became  a  law. 

"An  animated  contest  ensued  in  the  town, 
and  at  the  first  charter  election  the  school 
question  became  the  overshadowinj;  issue.  The 
o])i)osition  was  thin  and  noisy.  The  friends 
of  free  schools  were  quiet  but  resolute :  but  on 
the  day  of  the  election  were  by  no  means  san- 
guine of  the  result.  A  citizen  who  was  to  a 
considerable  degree  a  representative  of  the 
learning,  jurisprudence  and  capital  of  the  town, 
tiie  late  venerable  and  eminent  Judge  Black- 
ford, was  earnestly  cheered  as  he  openly  voted 
a  ballot  endorsed  'Free  Schools".  The  cause 
of  impartial  education  ti'iuiuphed  by  an  over- 
whelming nuijority.'" 

Dr.  Elliott  evidently  got  his  ideas  from  the 
reminiscences  of  someone  who  had  been  a  par- 
tisan in  the  scliool  controversy,  and  his  ac- 
count is  an  injustice,  of  the  "Hoosier  School- 
master" class,  to  that  generation.  There  is  no 
reason  to  doubt  that  Oliver  H.  Smith  drew  the 
bill,  or  that  "Vance"  Noel,  who  was  theii-  pro- 
prietor and  publisher  of  the  Journal,  procured 
the  insertion  of  the  school  section,  but  the  lat- 
ter was  not  by  amendment.  The  charter  bill 
was  introduced  in  the  House  by  the  committee, 
to  which  were  referred  petitions  for  and  against 
the  advance  to  city  government,'-  and  went 
through  the  House  without  any  amendment, 
by  a  vote  of  48  to  27.  The  amendment  re- 
ferred to  was  made  in  the  Senate,  and  is  added 
as  the  last  -section  of  the  bill.  It  was  the 
recognition  of  the  right  of  local  self-govern- 
I  ment,  which  the  bill  already  gave  as  to  the 
adoption  of  the  charter  itself.  Local  taxation 
for  schools  had  been  the  custom  in  Indiana  for 
years,  but  always  optional;  and  in  the  law  of 
1S.31,  there  was  exemption  from  the  local  tax 
of  any  person  "who  does  not,  or  does  not  wish 
to  participate  in  the  benefit  of  the  school  fund". 
It  was  the  inadequate  result  of  local  taxation 
that  the  school  reform  of  1851  aimed  to  rem- 
edy, and  the  lirst  open  steps  for  that  reform 
had  lieen  taken  in  i,S4(),  by  the  begitining  of 
the  publication  of  l^f^^7'.v  Cummon  School  A<1- 
rocaln  on  October  ],  and  by  the  ajipearance  on 
December  S  of  the  first  "message"  of  Caleb 
-Mills  in  the  Journal.    There  wa.s  very  great  at- 

=  House  Bill,  Xo.  .Ilfi. 


tention  paid  to  school  matters  by  this  legisla- 
ture, but  there  were  then  numerous  ve.xed  ques- 
tions that  now  seem  very  simple.  There  were 
at  this  session  numerous  jietitions  from  Ger- 
nuuis  asking  the  teaching  of  their  language  in 
the  schools.  There  were  one  or  t\vo  from  ne- 
groes, asking  for  some  part  of  the  public  funds 
for  their  schools,  which  were  then  absolutely 
separate  and  wholly  private.  Strangest  of  all, 
a  resolution  was  offered  for  a  committee  to 
inquire  into  the  expediency  of  permitting  fe- 
nuile  teachers  to  be  employed  in  the  public 
.schools,  if  they  passed  as  good  examinations 
as   men.^ 

The  spirit  of  progress  was  awake,  but  the 
road  for  advance  was  not  clearly  defined.  In 
his  message  at  the  opening  of  the  session.  Gov- 
ernor Whitcomb  recommended  "a  careful  re- 
vision of  the  entire  school  system",  or  at  least 
an  inquiry  preliminary  to  it.*  On  January  8, 
the  House  disposed  of  the  matter  by  recom- 
mending "to  the  friends  of  education  the  hold- 
ing of  a  State  Common  School  Convention  at 
Indianapolis  on  the  fourth  Wednesday  of  Mav 
next,  for  the  purpose  of  consulting  and  devising 
the  best  course  to  be  pursued  to  promote  com- 
mon school  education  in  our  state" :  ^  and  on 
January  26  it  granted  the  use  of  the  hall  of 
the  House  for  this  purpose."  This  convention 
was  duly  held  on  -May  25,  2G,  27,  with  Judge 
Blackford  as  president,  Uev.  A.  Wvlie.  Kev. 
1).  -Monfort,  J.  R.  Edgerton,  Prof.  E.  0.  llovey, 
and  Charles  Test  as  vice-presidents,  and  J.  11. 
Taylor  and  N.  Bolton  as  secretaries,  'i'he 
brains  and  progress  of  the  state  were  in  at- 
tendance. The  committee  on  resolutions  was 
composed  of  Ovid  Butler,  -\.  Kinney,  Caleb 
Mills,  John  A.  Matson,  Samuel  C.  Wilson, 
I'rnf.  S.  il.  ThomjJSOTi,  Eev.  E.  K.  Ames,  and 
Richard  W.  Thompson.  They  brought  in 
-^weeping  resolutions,  covering  the  reforms  later 
.idoptcd,  and  a  committee  compo.sed  of  ().  11. 
Smith,  Calvin  .Fletcher  and.  A.  Kinney  was 
appointed  to  prepare  a  law  for  submission  to 
the  next  legislature.  A  committee  composed  of 
Kcv.  E.  K.  Ames,  Jeremiah  Sullivan,  T.  R. 
Crcssy,  R.  W.  Thoiniison,  James  II.  Henry, 
Solomon    C.    Mereclitli    and   James   Blake   was 


■JIousc  Journal,  \^.   ();i. 
^Senate  Journal,  p.  23. 
■'House  Journal,  p.  387. 
"House  Journal,  p.  708. 


;7o 


HlS'l'OIJY  OF  liKEATER  INDlAXAl'ol.lS. 


appointed  to  draw  up  ;ui  address  to  the  people 
of  the  state  in  tlie  interest  of  free  schools, 
which  was  duly  done,  and  has  become  a  part 
of  the  histor}'  of  the  state.' 

Meanwhile  the  election  had  come  on  in  In- 
dianapolis on  April  24,  and  if  there  had  been 
auv  doubt  as  to  puljlic  sentiincnt  it  was  vrrv 
thoroughly  dispelled.  All  of  the  newspapers 
favored  the  school  tax.  Out  of  500  votes  cast 
for  cit}'  officers  under  the  new  charter,  there 
were  406  east  for  free  schools,  and  only  28 
against;  and  the  Locomotive  averred  that  most 
of  the  opposition  votes  were  indorsed,  "Xo  fre 
sculs".*  The  Journul  bubbled  over  with  pleas- 
ure at  the  result,  and  observed,  "Give  the  citi- 
zens of  our  state  a  chance  at  the  ballot  box  in 
this  matter,  and  they  will  soon  say  whether 
they  prefer  to  raise  tlieir  children  in  the  midst 
of  ignorance  or  intelligence."  "  The  Sentinel, 
with  the  fitting  modesty  of  an  interested  party, 
said,  "The  free  school  proposition  passed  by 
an  almost  unanimous  vote.  This  we  are  par- 
ticularly pleased  with  on  account  of  our  own 
"herd"  of  little  ones."' '"  The  occasion  for  the 
general  satisfaction  will  be  better  understood 
from  a  consideration  of  the  school  condition 
of  Indianapolis,  as  presented  by  H.  F.  West, 
editor  of  the  Common  School  Advocate,  at  the 
time :  "There  are  eleven  schools  in  this  city. 
Four  district  schools,  four  subscription  do. 
one  County  and  two  Female  Seminaries.  The 
three  last  are  of  high  order,  and  may  be  num- 
bered among  the  best,  if  not  the  best  in  our 
state.  The  others  are  far  above  the  average  of 
our  district  and  subscription  schools.  Our 
object  in  this  article  is  not  to  advertise  the 
merits  of  our  scliools,  but  to  present  some 
facts  for  the  consideration  of  our  citizens. 
There  are  in  this  city  1,928  children  between 
the  ages  of  .')  and  21  years.  In  all  the  schools 
of  our  city  there  are  less  than  550  names  upon 
the  registers,  and  the  average  daily  attend- 
ance is  only  462.  So  we  see  that  here  at  the 
Capital,  a  place  so  renowned  for  its  intelli- 
gence, that  out  of  1,928  children  we  have 
1,466  receiving  no  instruction  at  our  schools. 
This  tells  a  tale  u|)oii  our  zeal  in  the  cause  of 
education,    and    our    well     directed     charities  I 


'Journal,  June  8,  1847. 
^Locomotive.  Mav  29.  1847. 
''Journal.  Mav  4,  1847. 
^"Sentinel.  April  28.  1847. 


.Many  nt  our  litizens  feel  deeply  in  regard  to 
the  deplorable  condition  of  the  schools  of  our 
state ;  while  50  per  cent  more  of  the  entire 
number  of  the  children  in  the  state  attend 
school,  than  there  do  from  the  city  of  In- 
dianapolis." '^ 

The  new  law  was  promptly  put  in  effect. 
Each  ward  was  made  a  school  district,  under  au 
independent  trustee;  teachers  were  employed, 
and  schools  were  opened  in  rented  houses. 
Donations  of  money  and  lots  were  asked  for, 
and  in  December  the  council  returned  thanks 
to  Tliomas  D.  Gregg  for  a  gift  of  $100.  Lots 
■were  bought  in  the  seven  wards  in  1848-9  at 
from  $300  to  $500,  and  buildings  were  erected 
in  five  of  the  wards  in  1851-2.  They  were 
plain,  one-story  brick  buildings,  arranged  so 
that  a  second  story  could  be  added ;  those  in 
the  second,  fourth  and  sixth  wards  had  two 
rooms,  and  the  others  one.  A  two-story  house 
was  built  in  the  seventh  ward  in  1857,  and 
the  houses  in  the  first,  second  and  fifth  wards 
were  made  two  stories  in  1854-6.  Unfortun- 
ately these  expenses  consumed  most  of  the 
funds  at  first,  and  tuition  had  to  be  paid  to 
compensate  the  teachers.  The  first  tax  lew, 
in  1847,  produced  $1,981  ;  that  of  1848,  $3,385  ; 
that  of  1849,  $2,851.  In  1850  the  income  was 
$6,160,  of  whicli  $5,938  was  expended  for  lots 
and  buildings  in  that  and  the  ensuing  year. 
As  the  city  grew  the  product  of  the  tax  became 
larger,  reaching  $20,239  in  1857.  Tlie  sys- 
tem of  independent  trustees  for  the  several 
wards  continued  until  1853,  when  the  new 
state  school  law  went  into  effect,  and  then 
the  city  council  elected  Henry  P.  Coburn,  Cal- 
vin Fletcher  and  Henry  F.  West,  trustees,  the 
law  conferring  sole  authority  over  the  schools 
on  this  board.  A  code  of  rules  was  drawn  up 
by  Calvin  Fletcher,  and  on  April  25,  1853,  the 
schools  were  opened  for  the  first  time  on  an 
actual  free  basis,  with  two  male  and  twelve 
female  teachers.  The  average  attendance 
jumped  from  340  in  April  to  700  in  May, 
this  first  free  session  being  for  two  months 
only.  Until  this  time  there  was  no  common 
system  of  instruction  or  of  text-books,  but 
the  new  board  requested  the  principals  of  the 
leading  private  schools  to  prepare  a  list  of 
text-books  and  course  of  instruction,  which 
were  adopted  and  used  thereafter.     In  August, 


"Scniliii'l.  .lanuarv  12.  1847. 


||l>'l-()i;V   ol'  CUl'.A'IKi;    lM)lA.\Ai'()l,lS. 


2n 


^ir.    //.    Ilitxs    I'holo    Companij.) 

MAP   OF    INDIANAPOLIS,   1855. 


272 


HISTORY  OF  GREATEK  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


18.j3,  the  graded  system  was  adopted,  and  a 
high  school  was  opened  on  September  1,  with 
E.  P.  Cole  as  principal  and  one  assistant.  It 
was  held  in  the  old  seminary  building,  \vhich 
had  been  repaired  and  refitted  for  the  pur- 
pose; and  it  remained  there  until  the  closing 
of  the  schools  in  1858. 

From  1853  to  February,  1855,  the  only  su- 
pervision of  the  schools  was  by  the  trustees, 
who  generously  gave  much  of  their  time  to 
the  work.  But  the  burden  was  too  great,  and 
at  the  rec^uest  of  the  council  elected  Silas  T. 
Bowen  superintendent  at  a  salary  of  $400  per 
annum,  requiring  him  to  give  most  of  his  time 
to  the  (hities  of  the  office.  ^Ir.  Bowen  was  at 
that  time  junior  member  of  the  book  and  sta- 
tionery firm  of  Stewart  &  Bowen — later  Bowen 
&  Merrill.  He  was  a  graduate  of  the  Albany 
Xormai  school,  then  the  leading  institution 
of  its  kind  in  the  country,  and  had  come  here 
to  take  a  position  in  the  McLean  Female  Sem- 
inary, where  he  taught  for  several  years  be- 
fore going  into  business.  Mr.  Bowen  achieved 
some  improvement,  but  the  work  took  too  much 
of  his  time,  and  in  ^Maixh,  ISoO,  the  council 
appointed  George  B.  Stone,  who  had  succeeded 
E.  P.  Cole  as  principal  of  the  high  .school, 
as  superintendent  at  a  salary  of  $1,000,  re- 
quiring him  to  give  his  entire  time  to  the  work. 
Mr.  Stone  was  a  New  England  man,  thoroughly 
equipped  for  his  office,  and  administered  it  ef- 
fectively. He  perfected  the  system  in  use, 
held  teachers'  meetings,  and  broiight  the  schools 
to  a  state  of  efficiency  that  made  them  popu- 
lar. In  1857  there  were  35  teachers  employed, 
mostly  female,  and  tlie  average  attendance  was 
1,800.  This  was  only  about  one-third  of  the 
enumeration,  but  it  was  more  than  there  were 
good,  accommodation  for,  the  seating  capacity 
of  the  schools  being  only  1,210.  5lr.  Stone 
condemned  the  old  seminary  building,  in  which 
the  high  school  liad  been  carried  on  by  W.  B. 
Henkle,  since  1856,  as  unfit  and  wanting  in 
almost  every  particular,  and  recommended  tliat 
a  new  one  be  erected  adequate  to  the  needs  of 
the  city. 

But  there  was  worse  in  store  for  t])e  scliools 
than  inadequate  buihlings.  The  Supreme 
Court  had  held  that  the  law  of  1852,  giving 
townships  power  to  tax  themselves,  to  maintain 
schools  after  the  state  school  funds  for  tui- 
tion were  exhausted,  was  unconstitutional.  This 


was  in  December,  1854,'-  and  the  legislature 
of  1855  undertook  to  help  the  situation  by  a 
law  authorizing  cities  and  towns  to  levy  taxes 
in  support  of  public  schools,  w-hich  might  be 
paid  to  any  existing  schools  performing  public 
service,  but  such  schools  were  "not  to  super- 
sede the  common  schools."  The  cities  and 
towns  were  proceeding  under  this  act,  when  in 
January,  1858,  Judge  Perkins  of  the  Supreme 
Court  handed  down  a  decision  that  this  law 
was  unconstitutional.  The  theory  adopted  by 
the  Supreme  Court  was  that  the  constitution, 
by  its  provision  for  "a  general  and  uniform 
system  of  common  schools",  had  estaljlished  a 
Procrustean  educational  bed,  to  which  every 
locality  must  be  fitted;  and  every  child  in 
the  state  must  have  an  equal  opportunity  for 
education,  no  less  and  no  more.'^  The  deci- , 
sion  practically  meant,  as  the  Indiana  :<cliOol 
■Journal  said:  "The  constitution  of  Indiana,  or 
the  interpretation  of  it  by  her  highest  judi- 
lirtl  tribunal,  forbids  the  people  of  any  city 
or  corporate  place  in  the  state  to  tax  them- 
selves to  support  free  schools,  till  tlie  whole  of 
the  stat<3  will  also  consent  to  tax  itself  for  the 
same  pur[rose."" 

The  people  of  Indianapolis  realized  that  they 
were  in  a  bad  situation.  The  council  was  con- 
vened on  January  2G,  to  consider  the  situation, 
and  recommended  meetings  in  tlie  se\eral 
wards  to  raise. money  to  continue  the  schools. 
The  board  of  trustees,  then  composed  of  D.  V. 
Cullev,  Gen.  John  Love,  and  D.  S.  Beatty, 
callerl  meetings  for  the  29th,  and  submitted 
propositions  to  the  people  to  take  scholarships 
for  one  term,  on  the  basis  of  $4.50  for  the 
liigh  school,  $3.50  for  the  grammar  schools, 
$3  for  the  intermediate  schools,  and  $2  for  the 
[)rimary  schools — it  being  estimated  that  at 
these  rates  the  several  grades  of  schools  could 
lie  maintained,  respectively,  with  80,  50,  57 
and  54  scholars  each.  On  February  1,  they 
reported  the  result  to  the  council,  showing 
that  1,105  .scholarships  had  been  taken,  with  a 
total  aggregate  of  $3,057,  It  was  then  de- 
cided to  go  ahead  for  the  next  term,  at  least, 
and  the  schools  were  reopened  on  Feiiruary  2. 


^-  Greencastle  Tp.,  etc.  vs.  Black  5  Ind..  p. 
557. 

"Citv  of  Lafavette  vs.  Jenners— 10  Ind., 
p.    70. 

'*  February,   1858,  p.  G8. 


HISTOIJY   or  (MfKA'I'Rll  INDJ AXAPOLIS. 


It  was  hoped  tliat  efl'orts  to  raise  aiUlitional 
funds  would  be  successful,  but  they  were  not, 
and  on  April  IT  the  schools  closed  for  the 
year.  Superintendent  Stone  was  at  once 
called  to  Minneapolis  to  take  charge  of  the 
schools  there,  and  went.  On  May  28  tlie  teach- 
ers of  the  public  schools  met  and  adopted  re- 
solutions regretting  Iiis  departure,  and  con- 
gratulating ilinneapolis  on  her  acquisition.  In 
printing  them,  the  Journal  casually  observed, 
"We  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  we  could 
very  much  better  atford  to  lose  all  four  of  the 
Judges  who  assassinated  the  schools  than  the 
one  faithful  superintendent  wdio  made  them  the 
pride  of  the  city  and  the  state."  '^  And  there 
were  a  number  of  otlier  good  teachers  who  left 
the  .state  at  that  time,  for  as  Mr.  Henkle  ob- 
served, they  had  been  studying  the  constitution 
and  had  found,  at  least,  one  clause  in  their 
favor — "Art.  1,  Sec.  3G,  Emigration  from  the 
state  shall  not  be  prohibited.'""  The  council 
turned  the  control  of  the  builduigs  over  to 
the  trustees,  and  they  encouraged  their  use  for 
private  schools.  h\  June  the  School  Journal 
said:  '"'More  than  two-thirds  of  the  children  of 
this  city  are  out  of  school  at  present,  although 
each  one  of  the  ward  houses  is  ociujjied  by 
some  of  the  former  teachers.  A  gi-eat  num- 
ber of  poor  private  schools  have  sprung  up 
since  the  ruin  of  the  public  schools"'. 

Says  Dr.  Elliott,  speaking  of  this  Supreme 
Court  decision :  "Then  commenced  the  dark 
age  of  the  pidilic  schools.  The  school  houses 
Were  rented  to  such  teachers  as  were  willing 
or  able,  from  limited  patronage  to  pay  a 
small  pittance  for  Iheir  use.  The  state  fund 
was  only  sullicicnt  to  keep  the  schools  open 
one  feeble  'free  quartei-'  each  year;  and  in  18.59 
even  this  was  altogether  omitted  for  watit  of 
money.  During  this  gloomy  period  in  the 
history  of  the  schools,  the  public  wer(>  largely 
indebted  to  D.  \'.  C'ulley,  E.sq.,  wdio,  as  school 
trustee  for  a  number  of  years,  with  his  asso- 
ciates gathered  reverently  together  all  the  de- 
bris of  the  ruined  system,  carefully  assorted 
and  economized  all  that  was  left,  and  the  sal- 
vage of  the  old  system,  thus  prudently  i)re- 
served,  became  the  strong  foundation  of  the 
new.  At  length  the  legislature  made  provi- 
sion for  more  efficient  and  ]iros]ierous  schrmls, 

^''Journal,  June  '.',  1858. 
'"/nrf.  School  Journal,  1S.")8,  p.  r,S. 
Vol.  r— 18 


and  fuller  taxation  for  their  support."  The 
free  schools  were  not  opened  in  1859,  but  in 
1860  and  1801  there  were  free  terms  of  IS 
weeks  each.  In  these  years  James  Green  acted 
as  director,  or  superintendent.  In  18G2-3  there 
was  a  term  of  23  weeks  with  Prof.  Geo.  W. 
Uoss  as  superintendent.  There  were  29  teach- 
ers employed  and  2,3T4  pupils  enrolled.  No 
attempt  was  made  to  reopen  the  high  school 
during   this  period. 

.\nd  now  opened  a  new  era.  Dr.  Elliott,  was 
not  strong  as  a  historian,  but  he  was  a  good 
school  trustee,  and  his  banner  achievement  was 
getting  Abraham  C.  Shortridge  into  the  pub- 
lic schools.  ]Mr.  Shortridge  had  studied  under 
-V.  E.  Benton  ten  years  earlier,  and  came  at 
his  call  to  teach  in  Xorthwesteru  Christian 
I'niversity.  Elliott  importuned  him  to  accept 
the  sTiperiiitendency  of  the  city  schools,  but 
in  vain.  Then  Elliott  had  him  elected,  whether 
or  no,  and  after  several  days  prevailed  on  him 
to  accept  the  position.  The  situation  at  the 
time  was  not  encouraging.  The  total  value  of 
the  school  property  in  the  city  was  $88,500, 
and  it  diil  not  afford  accommodations  for 
the  school  children.  There  were  in  all  22  rooms 
in  the  public  school  buildings,  but  by  the  use 
of  halls  and  cloak  rooms  29  teachers  were 
given  room  to  teach  in  1863.  The  state  school 
revenue  increased,  and  in  the  spring  of  18G3 
the  trustees  levied  a  tax  of  15  cents  on  $100 
for  buildings  and  other  expenses  excepting 
tuition.  There  were  some  enlargements  and 
alterations  of- existing  buildings:  but  in  1864 
visits  were  made  to  otlier  cities  to  inspect  their 
school  buildings,  and  the  John  Hancock  school 
of  Boston  was  taken  as  a  model  for  two  new 
three-story  buildings  that  were  put  up  in  the 
Fourth  and  Ninth  wards,  in  1865-6,  at  a  cost 
of  about  $32,000  each.  There  was  some  pro- 
test over  this  movement  towards  luxury,  but 
jiublic  sentiment  sustained  it,  and  the  move- 
ment for  adequate  and  convenient  buildings  has 
grown  in  force  as  the  years  progressed. 

Superintendent  Shortridge's  first  execution 
was  in  the  line  of  grading  the  schools  and 
organizing  and  drilling  his  teaching  force.  In 
this  he  was  sadly  handicajiped  by  the  fact  that 
one  week  after  he  entered  his  ofllcc  he  was 
stricken  with  blindness,  and  weeks  passed  be- 
fore he  recovered  partial  sight.  But  he  went 
right  on  with  the  work,  and  its  effects  were 
soon    manifest    in    more    ellicient    instruction. 


374 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


On  account  of  the  small  salaries  paid  he  urged 
that  female  teachers  be  employed  and  the  board 
agreed.  >  The  men  on  the  force  (there  were 
only  four)  were  dropped  with  the  exception  of 
Wm.  A.  Bell,  who  was  made  principal  of  the 
high  school.  Mr.  Bell  was  educated  at  Au- 
tioch,  under  Horace  Mann,  and  had  several 
years'  experience  in  teaching  before  he  came 
here  in  1863  to  attend  a  teachers'  meeting.  Dr. 
Elliott  met  him  and  persuaded  him  to  stay  as 
principal  of  the  Second  ward  school.  The 
high  school  was  opened  in  the  old  First  ward 
school  on  September  1,  1804,  with  28  pupils, 
but  none  of  them  were  sufficiently  advanced 
for  actual  high  school  work,  and  a  year  was  de- 
voted to  bringing  them  up  to  that  point.  The 
actual  high  school  work  began  in  September, 
186.5,  the  iirst  class  graduating  in  1869.  :\lean- 
while  the  old  Second  Presbyterian  Church 
(northwest  corner  of  ilarket  and  Circle  streets) 
was  purchased  by  the  school  board,  and  re- 
modeled. A  floor  was  thrown  across  the  church 
room,  making  a  three-story  building.  The 
ground  floor,  or  old  Sunday  school  rooms,  was 
occupied  by  part  of  the  A  grade.  The  second 
floor  was  occupied  by  the  school  offices  ami 
the  second,  third  and  fourth  years  of  the  high 
school,  as  they  developed.  The  third  floor  was 
occupied  by  the  first  year  pupils.  The  high 
school  remained  here  until  1870,  w'hen  the  old 
Baptist  Female  Seminary  property,  at  ]\Iichi- 
gan  and  Pennsylvania  streets  was  purchased 
for  $41,000,  and  occupied  after  some  enlarge- 
ment. It  was  renliiced  in  1884  by  the  pre-^ent 
south  building  of  the  present  Shortridge  High 
School  at  a  cost  of  $.56, .500,  the  north  building 
being  erected  in  1904-5  at  a  cost  of  $170,000, 
and  the  east  wing  in  1901-3  at  a  cost  of 
$26,000. 

The  system  of  three  trustees  elected  by  the 
council  was  continued  from  18,5.'?  to  1861,  when 
provision  was  made  for  a  school  board,  elected 
by  the  people,  of  as  many  members  as  there 
were  wards.  In  1865,  George  W.  Hoss,  then 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction.  wa< 
drafting  a  bill  for  the  revision  of  the  school 
law.  and  permitted  his  friend  Mr.  Shortridge 
fo  write  and  insert  Section  5,  which  provides 
for  trustees  elected  by  the  council.  The  num- 
ber was  left  blank  until  filled  by  t!ie  word 
"three"  on  motion  of  Judge  H.  C.  Xewcomb, 
then  a  representative  fi-oin  ^^arion  Countv,  whn 
was  in  chari^c  nf  tlic  hill.     Shortridge  desired 


Dr.  Elliott  and  Alexander  iletzger  on  his  board, 
but  Metzger  objected  and  said  he  would  get  a 
better  man,  in  fulfillment  of  which  he  brought 
forward  Clemens  Vonnegut.  The  council  was 
duly  assembled,  and  the  new  board  was  made 
up  of  Dr.  Thos.  B.  Elliott,  Clemens  Vonnegut 
and  W.  H.  L.  Noble.  This  board  continued 
until  1869,  when  James  C.  Yohn  and  John  R. 
Elder  replaced  Dr.  Elliott  and  Mr.  Vonnegut. 
The  system  was  very  satisfactory  so  far  as 
the  work  of  the  commissioners  was  concerned, 
but  it  was  hampered  by  the  fact  that  as  a 
part  of  the  common  school  system  the  board 
was  not  independent.  It  could  recommend 
taxes,  but  they  must  be  levied  by  the  city 
council,  and  it  was  not  well  informed  as  to 
school  needs.  It  employed  teachers  but  they 
had  to  be  examined  by  the  county  examiner, 
an  official  appointed  by  the  county  commis- 
sioners, who  was  later,  in  the  sixties,  replaced 
l)y  the  county  superintendent,  elected  by  the 
trustees.  The  school  work  was  also  impaired 
by  the  lack  of  any  public  library  facilities. 

To  remedy  these  and  other  evils,  Mr.  Short- 
ridge devised  a  scheme  of  independent  school 
government,  and  called  a  meeting  of  prominent 
friends  of  the  schools  to  consider  it.  Those 
))resent  were  E.  B.  ^[artindale.  John  Caven, 
.\.ddison  L.  Roache.  Austin  H.  P.rown,  Simon 
Yandes,  Thos.  B.  Elliott  and  H.  G.  Carey. 
Clemens  Vonnegut  and  W.  A.  Bell  were  in- 
vited but  could  not  attend.  Mr.  Shortridge 
submitted  his  statement  of  the  situation,  and 
his  remedy.  He  ])roposed  a  board  as  large 
as  the  city  council,  elected  at  special  elections 
where  politics  would  not  control,  and  vested 
with  full  powers  of  taxation  and  administra- 
tion of  the  school  law.  After  consideration 
all  agreed  to  this  and  Mr.  Shortridge,  Judge 
Roache  and  Austin  H.  Brown  were  appointed  to 
draw  up  the  law.  The  law  was  written  by  Mr. 
Brown,  approved  by  the  other  two,  and  re- 
])ortcd  to  a  meeting  of  the  original  counsellors 
and  the  members  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives from  Marion  County,  who  were  James  H. 
Ruddle,  Fielding  Beeler,  Edward  King  and 
Oliver  M.  Wilson.  Messrs.  Martindale  and 
Caven  were  the  senators,  and  all  the  delegation 
gave  assurance  of  support  for  the  measure, 
which  was  duly  passed  without  much  diffi- 
culty. It  made  at  the  time  a  board  of  nine 
members,  there  being  then  nine  wards  and 
nine  C(nmcilmen.     They  were  to  be  elected  on 


isToi;^'  (»!•'  (;i;i-;.\'n:i;  ixdi.wai'oi.is. 


27.- 


the  second  Monday  iu  June,  and  divide  ijy  lot 
in  three  classes,  for  one,  two  and  three  year 
terms,  one-third  being  elected  annually  there- 
after. This  law  continued  in  effect  for  eight- 
een years,  the  elections  being  held  on  the  sec- 
ond Saturday  in  June  of  each  year.  The  law 
gave  the  board  power  "to  levy  all  taxes  for  the 
support  of  the  schools  within  such  city  in- 
cluding such  taxes  as  may  he  required  for 
paying  teachers,  in  addition  to  the  taxes  now 
authorized  to  be  levied  1)V  tiie  (iciiiTal  Assem- 
bly".'' 

It  is  impossible  to  distinguish  this  law  in 
principle  from  the  law  which  had  been  held 
unconstitutional  in  185S,  but  there  had  been 
a  change.  The  constitution  was  the  same ; 
the  law  was  similar;  but  the  judges  were  dif- 
ferent, and  so  was  public  sentiment.  There 
were  efforts  to  amend  the  constitution  so  as 
to  permit  local  taxation  for  tuition  in  18()1, 
18()3  and  186."),  but  they  failed,  in  186:  State 
.Superintendent  Hoss  proposed  "to  consider 
heroic  treament — namely  the  reenactment  of 
the  law  decided  unconstitutional  in  185.5  and 
1858".  He  urged  that  public  sentiment  had 
go  changed  that  "no  one  would  have  the  hardi- 
hood to  bring  suit  against  the  law  in  the  next 
ten  years;  and  if  suit  should  be  brought,  the 
court  would,  in  all  ])rol)al»ility,  hold  the  law 
constitutional".'"  His  judgment  was  cori'ect. 
The  legislature  of  186T  passed  the  law,'"  and 
wa.-!  not  questioned  for  eighteen  years.  It 
came  to  the  Supreme  Court  then  in  the  case 
of  Robinson  vs.  Schenck,-"  and  in  a  most  elabor- 
ate opinion  the  court,  by  Judge  Elliott,  demon- 
strated that  the  makers  of  the  constitution 
never  had  the  slightest  idea  of  prohibiting 
loeal  taxation  for  tuition.  So  that  ghost  was 
[lermanently  laid. 

Owing  to  the  difficulty  of  getting  satisf  iitor\ 
teachers  for  the  salaries  that  coidd  be  paid,  Mr. 
Shortridge  planned  a  city  normal  school  which 
was  opened  ^[areh  1,  IStM,  under  charge  of 
Amanda  I'.  Funnel le.  a  graduate  of  the  Albany 
Xornial  School.  ft  was  continued  under  her 
and  other  teachers  until  ISS.").  ulien  Miss 
Marv  I'].  XichoUon  lieeanie  pi'ineipal  and  re- 
mained in  charge  of  it  until  June.   lOOlt,  wlu'U 


".\ct,s  ISri.  p.  20. 

"Ifist.  of  KiJucalion  in  Iiid. 

'".Vets.  18(;r.  p.  .10. 

-"i()->  ind..  p.  ;!o:. 


.':?1. 


she  resigned.  She  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  school  board  in  the  fall  following.  Mr. 
H.  ]{.  Ray  has  been  principal  of  the  Normal 
Scjiool  since  then.  Writing  of  this  school  in 
1!IUS,  Mr.  Shortridge  said:  "Of  the  nine  hun- 
dred and  ninety  young  women  who  have  al- 
ready completed  the  training  school  course  of 
study,  practically  all  have  been  emjjloyed  in  the 
.•-cbools  and  it  is  safe  to  say  nine  hundred  were 
residents  of  Indianapolis;  and  it  may  also  be 
~ai(l  that  three-fourths  of  them  would  never  have 
taught  a  day  in  this  city  but  for  this  special 
training.  *  *  *  Last  year  there  were  .'i^O  of  tbem 
ii\  the  schools,  of  which  twelve  are  in  the  list 
of  supervising  principals,  eight  are  directors 
of  i)ractice,  six  are  German  teachers,  and  three 
are  high  school  teachers.  What  was  qitite  as 
important,  they  earned  and  s])ent  their  money 
in  and  aboiU  tlu'ir  own  homes  and  tbereliy 
l)i'onght  help  in  a  thousand  ways  to  dependent 
cbildi'en,  and  often  helpless  fathers  and  moth- 
ers."-' Nothing  just  like  this  school  was  in 
existence  anywhere  when  it  was  started,  but  its 
success  soon  caused  similar  schools  to  be  started 
in  Cincinnati.  Evansville  and  Ft.  Wayne:  and 
other  cities  have  -^ince  folloucil. 

A  probl(!m  conTronting  the  school  boanl  af- 
ter the  Civil  War  was  the  colored  j)opulation. 
In  the  report  of  18(i6,  Dr.  Elliott  said:  "For 
rea.sons  which  cannot  be  consistently  stat(>d  or 
e\|)lained  hv  anv  who  approve  ol'  taxation  foi' 
the  sup])ort  of  schools,  tlu'  colored  people  of 
the  state  and  city  have,  from  the  lieginniiig  to 
this  time,  been  deprixed  ol'  adxantage  I'roni 
tile  school  fund,  or  an\  pri\  ileges  of  the  schools. 
*  *  *  Accoriling  to  the  late  census  of  the 
eitv.  taken  last  summer,  there  are  1,()5;{  coloreil 
inhabitants.  Of  these  nearly  three  bnndred  are 
attending  [)rivate  colored  pay  schools,  conducle(l 
and  supported  by  themselves,  and  to  a  verv 
limited  extent,  if  at  all,  dependent  on  llie 
charities  of  the  ])ublic.  The  large  proportion 
of  e(dored  children  attending  |)ay  schools  is 
very  creditable  to  this  people,  and  indicates  un 
eai'iiest  desire  for  iin])rovenient.  The  latin 
of  school  attendance  to  tlie  total  colored  |)o|i\i- 
lation  is  almost  without  ]ireccdi'nt.  Their 
schools  arc  sustained  under  great  di-iadvantages 
— without  the  generous  sympathy  of  the  ])ub- 
lic  geiuTally,  with  very  moderati^  rniids,  with 
buildings    unsuiteil     to    school     pniposes,    with 


='.Vp»v«.  Ajiril    I,    llios. 


276 


HISTOKY  OF  G HEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


liiiiitL'il  or  no  .<cliool  apjjaratus,  with  uiicom- 
lorlablu  school  furniture,  with  iusuttieient  text- 
hoolcs,  witliout  classification,  and  with  teach- 
ers unskilled  in  the  art  of  imparting  instruc- 
tion. In  our  judgment,  humanity,  Justice,  and 
sound  public  policy  demand  that  this  class  of 
our  citizens  shall  receive  the  benefit  of  our 
common  school  system".  At  that  time  the  state 
law  jirovidcd  that  school  taxes  "'shall  not  be 
levied  and  •  collected  from  negroes  nor  mulat- 
toes,  nor  shall  their  cliildren  be  included  in 
any  enumeration  required  by  |this  act.  nor 
entitled  to  the  benefits  thereof"'.--  The  fixed 
policy  of  the  state,  and  of  nearly  everybody  in 
it,  prior  to  tlie  Civil  War,  was  to  keep  negroes 
out  of  Jndiana.  Article  eleven  of  the  consti- 
tution of  1851  proliibited  their  coming  into 
the  state,  made  any  contract  with  them  void, 
and  their  employment  a  penal  offense;  and 
tliis  was  enforced  even  to  holding  a  marriage 
contract  void.-*  Colored  children  could  not  at- 
tend a  public  school  even  on  the  payment  of 
tuition,  if  any  white  ])arent  objected.-* 

\n  efl'ort  to  change  the  law  failed  in  18(57, 
and  again  at  the  regular  session  of  1869 ;  this 
second  time  it  did  not  come  up  until  the  last 
night  of  the  session,  and  a  constitutional  ma- 
jority could  not  be  had  because  part  of  the 
members  were  celebrating.  Shortridge  says: 
''A  truthful  description  of  what  took  place 
on  this  particular  night  would  not  look  well 
in  a  newspaper."-^  At  the  special  session  the 
law  passed,  and  was  approved  on  May  13, 
ISfin,  putting  negroes  on  the  same  footing  as 
whites  under  the  school  law.  Preparations 
were  at  once  made  for  this  accessio!i  to  the 
school  attendance.  As  the  law  required  sep- 
arate schools,  old  buildings  were  repaired  and 
rooms  rented.  Colored  teachers  were  employed 
so  far  as  competent  ones  could  be  found,  and 
white  teachers  for  the  rest  of  the  force.  ^Meet- 
ings  were  held  in  the  summer  for  the  instruc- 
tion of  parents  as  to  the  new  condition,  and  in 
the  fall  the  colored  schools  opened.  8ays 
Shortridge,  "When  the  day  came,  the  buildings 
were  crowdeil  early  with  a  herd  of  rowdy  and 
undisciplined  blacks,  and  with  a  strong  teaching 
force  in  numlier  about  equally  divided  between 


--School  Law  of  March  .i.  1S.5.'). 
=•'  7  Ind.,  3Si». 
-*  2  Ind..  33-2 :  .->  Ind..  2-11. 
-'^News,  April  4.  1908. 


the  two  races.  Order  was  at  once  restored, 
and  the  work  of  classifying  and  grading  was 
begun.  Five  years  after  they  were  first  ad- 
mitted to  the  schools,  there  were  in  attendance 
at  Ijotli  day  and  night  schools  over  8UU  colored 
pupils."  This  attendance  has  steadily  in- 
creased, aiul  in  January,  1909,  in  addition  to 
the  Colored  Orphan  .Vsylum,  to  which  the  city 
assign>  one  teacher,  tliere  are  eight  school 
buildings  devoted  exclusively  to  colored  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  No.  19  (Frederick  Douglass 
Scbiiol).  Xo.  "^'i  (Cliarles  Sumner).  No.  "^l 
(. McCoy j,  No.  2{i,  No.  37,  No.  40  (Robert 
(Jouid  Shaw),  No.  42,  and  No.  62.  The  en- 
i-ollniiMit  in  these  eight  schools  is  2,330;  and 
ill  a(blitioii  there  are  about  .50  colored  pupils 
in  other  schools  too  far  from  any  of  the  eight 
to  attend  them:  80  in  Shortridge  High  School, 
and  about  the  same  number  in  the  ilanual 
Training  ILgh  School. 

Manual  training  was  introduced  in  Indian- 
apolis by  the  Germans  in  their  Gewerbeschule, 
which  was  held  in  the  German-English  Scliool 
liniiding  on  East  Maryland  street.  It  was  origi- 
nated and  sup])orted  by  the  Gewerbescbul- 
verein,  among  whose  members  were  D.  A.  lloli- 
leii.  the  architect,  IL  Lauter,  Otto  Stechhan, 
Clciiieiis  Vonnegut,  antl  other  business  men. 
Tile  traclicrs  were  Bernard  Vonnegut  and  .\r- 
tliui-  Rolin.  who  taught  descriptive  geometry, 
architectural  drawing,  and  design  work:  T.  R. 
Bell,  who  taught  machine  draughting:  and 
.v.  Lindenberg,  who  taught  free  hand  and  or- 
namental drawing  and  ornamental  modeling. 
The  school  jierformed  a  valuable  service  in 
helping  young  workmen  to  higher  service  and 
fitting  boys  for  intelligent  work.  Among  its 
jiroducts  was  Ernest  Werner,  a  poor  boy.  who 
was  inspired  liy  his  schooling  there  with  a  de- 
sire for  more  education,  became  an  architect, 
and  later  was  assistant  building-inspector  of 
the  city;  from  which  position  he  went  to  West 
Point  as  superintendent  of  construction.  The 
school  had  about  75  pupils  but  grew  so  that 
the  quarters  were  inadequate  and  the  teaching 
force  also.  The  schulverein  a]iplied  to  the 
school  board  for  an  a|ipro])riation  I'm'  the  school, 
whicli  could  not  legally  lie  inaile.  but  the  board 
assigned  Wm.  II.  Bass  as  a  teacher  then'  for 
a  y(>ar. 

Then  the  school  board  decided  to  take  up 
manual  training,  and  o])ened  a  department  in 
Shortridge    High    School,    in    charirc    of    ^Ir. 


HISTORY  or  GRKATKK  INDIANAPOLIS. 


Bas.«,  ill  l.s,s.S.  It  was  coiitimied  tliero  till 
]>s!i-i.  and  then  removed  to  Iligli  Stliool  Xo.  2 
(wliieh  wa.^  niaintaincil  at  Virginia  avenue 
and  Ihivon  street  from  1884  to  18!)1),  and 
after  one  year  there,  went  back  t(j  Short  ridge 
till  18!)4.  ileanwhilc  the  lack  of  money  ami 
room  for  the  work  had  become  apparent,  and 
in  18!)1  an  act  of  tlie  legislature  was  obtained 
authorizing  a  tax  of  5  cents  on  $100  for  the 
erection  and  maintenance  of  a  manual  training 
school.  As  it  would  be  slow  work  waiting  for 
money  to  come  in.  a  scheme  was  devised  of 
antici]iating  the  revenue  by  notes,  and  the 
site  was  bought  and  Iniilding  erected  in  that 
way.    being    opened    in    1S9-I.    with    ('has.    K. 


taking  the  schools  out  of  oi'dmary  parlv  poli- 
tics, but  as  the  .system  developed,  and  the 
school  funds  became  large,  there  grew  up  a 
.system  of  public  school  politics,  which  was 
at  bottom  a  contest  of  banks  for  the  custody  of 
the  school  funds,  and  which  was  as  objec- 
tionable as  party  politics.  It  became  a  prom- 
inent feature  of  controversy  in  the  nineties, 
and  the  Seniincl  made  a  protracted  fight  for 
the  payment  of  all  interest  on  the  school  funds 
into  the  school  treasury,  as  a  rented}'.  In 
1807  the  matter  of  sehool-hiw  reform  was 
lirought  before  the  Commercial  Club,  at  a 
dinner  on  February  28,  when  there  was  an  ad- 
dress by  President  .-Vndrew  S.  Draper,  and  re- 


BEECHER'S  CHURCH,  1893. 
(As  remodeleil    for   High   School.) 


Emmerich  as  principal,  lie  was  the  right  man 
in  the  right  ])lace.  and  has  been  there  ever 
since.  The  school  was  unlike  any  other  in 
the  country  at  the  start.  There  were  a  num- 
ber oC  persons  interested  in  the  nuivemeut 
who  wanted  to  make  it  a  trade  school,  but  it 
was  held  to  the  plan  of  joint  academic  and 
manual  training,  and  has  become  very  popular. 
When  started,  people  derided  the  idea  that 
tiOO  pupils  would  be  found  who  wanted  that 
sort  of  education :  the  average  attendance  in 
l!10r-8  was  1,399.  The  i)opularity  of  its  work 
has  caused  an  extension  of  most  branches  of  it 
into  the  graded  schools. 

The    school    law    of    ISTl    was    elVectivc    for 


nuirks  by  others.  The  board  of  directors  de- 
cided to  appoint  a  committee  to  investigate 
and  suggest  amendments,  and  the  annual  re- 
]iort  of  the  club  recites:  '•The  President  ap- 
jiointed  as  such  committee  Charles  W.  Smith, 
Chairman;  President  J.  II.  Smart,  President 
A.  S.  Draper,  8.  0.  Pickens,  William  Scott. 
J.  P.  Frenzel,  George  ilerritt,  F.  II.  Black- 
ledge,  A.  II.  Brown,  J.  B.  Connor,  Franklin 
Vonnegut  and  Charles  Martindale.  Presi- 
dents Draper  and  Smart  did  not  meet  with 
the  committee.  The  committee  reported  that 
it  did  not  think  it  wise  to  projjose  any  legis- 
lation intended  to  change  the  character  of 
the  j)reseut  Board  of  School  Commissioners  or 


•2rs 


HISTORY  OP  GREATER  IXDIANAPOLIS. 


tne  iiKUiiiiT  of  their  clcrtioi) :  that  the  float- 
ing debt  of  the  Board  shouhl  be  funded,  and 
a  .iinUing  fund  provided:  and  that  not  to  ex- 
ceed .$00,000  annually  for  five  years  .should 
be  borrowed  for  the  construotion  of  new  build- 
ings. The  reporr  was  concurred  in  and  the 
l)ill  submitted  therewith  was  approved  by 
the  Board ;  a  substitute  bill  embodying  tlie 
so-called  "t'leveland  ))lan"  of  school  adminis- 
tration which  was  submitted  by  one  of  the 
directors,  Mr.  Dunn,  being  rejected.  The  com- 
mittee was  instrncted  to  present  its  bill  to 
the  General  Assembly  which  it  has  done." 
The  proposed  bill  did  not  become  a  law. 
The  Sentinel  kept  up  its  fight  for  reform,  and 
in  189S  all  of  the  candidates  for  school  com- 
missioner opposed  to  it  were  defeated.'-"  In 
1897  a  new  factor  in  school  affairs  had  come 
into  existence.  Thomas  C.  Day  became  im- 
pressed with  the  desirability  of  improvement 
'in  the  school  situation,  especially  of  a  ehisev 
tonch  between  the  teachers  and  the  peo])le, 
and  organized  the  Citizens'  Education  So- 
cictv.  The  society  was  first  attracted  to  the 
neglect  of  many  parents  to  give  their  children 
opportunity  for  education,  and  secured  the 
enactment  by  the  legislature  of  1897  of  a  com- 
pulsory education  law.  It  requires  parents  and 
guardians  of  children  between  the  ages  of  8 
and  14  to  send  them  for  at  least  12  consecu- 
tive weeks  in  each  year  to  a  public,  private  or 
parochial  school.  Children  mentally  or  physi- 
cally incapacitated  are  exempt,  as  also  those 
who  have  completed  the  first  eight  years  of 
work  of  the  common  schools.  Children  wliose 
parents  are  unable  to  supply  them  with  the 
necessary  books  and  clothing  are  supplied  bv 
the  school  trustees  or  commissioners;  ami 
these  also  appoint  truant  officers  to  enforce  at- 
tendance. The  wide  interest  in  this  move- 
ment may  be  judged  from  the  personnel  of  the 
executive  committee  of  the  societv,  which  was 
composed  of  Thomas  C.  Day.  Chairman,  Her- 
mann Lieber,  Miss  Xebraska  E.  Cropsey.  Benja- 
min Harrison.  J.  K.  Lilly,  D.  K.  Goss,  G.  .\. 
Schnull,  Edgar  \.  Brown,  J.  L.  McMasters. 
]\riss  Margaret  Hamilton.  Mrs.  Frances  M. 
Brunton,  Wm.  A.  Guthrie  \Vm.  Scott,  B.  ('. 
Kelsey,  treasurer,  and  Dr.  I!.  (».  Me.Mexandi'r, 
secretary. 


■"Srntinrl.  June  9-1-.'.  1908. 


In  1S99  the  society  investigated  the  school 
law  and  decided  that  amendment  was  desirable. 
A  committee  was  appointed  to  prepare  a  bill. 
c-om])osed  of  Thos.  C.  Dav,  Chairman,  and 
Judge  John  E.  Scott,  Judge  L.  C.  Walker. 
and  Wm.  A.  Bell.  Other  organizations  de- 
sii'eil  to  unite  in  the  work,  and  the  committee 
was  enlarged  by  adfling  Judge  Frank  E.  Gavin. 
Henry  W.  Bennett  and  Albert  E.  Metzger 
from  the  Commercial  Club,  and  Dr.  P.  H. 
.Jameson,  Charles  S.  Lewis  and  Judge  Thomas 
L.  Sullivan,  from  the  Board  of  Trade.  The 
bill  was  drawn  up  by  Judge  Gavin,  and  revised 
by  the  committee,  and  the  'Cleveland  plan" 
which  the  Commercial  Club  had  rejected,  was 
made  the  basis  of  the  bill.  The  liill  became  a 
law  on  March  4,  1899,  and  the  new  board 
created  i)y  it  took  office  January  1,  1900.  The 
law  established  a  board  of  five  members, 
elected  by  a  general  vote  of  the  city,  and 
not  taken  from  any  districts.  They  served  four 
years,  divided  in  two  classes  which  are  elected 
every  second  and  fourth  vear.  At  the  city 
election,  October  10,  1899,  Charles  W.  Moores, 
(ieorge  W.  Sloan,  Andrew  M.  Sweeney,  John 
H.  Emrich  and  Henry  C.  Sickels  were  elected 
members  of  the  board.  ^lessrs.  Moores, 
Sweeney  and  Sickels  drew  short  terms,  ami 
were  reelected  in  1901  and  again  in  190.5 — 
Mr.  Sloan  died  February  1.5,  1903,  and  Wm. 
JI.  Taylor  was  elected  by  the  board  to  fill  the 
vacancy.  He  and  Mr.  Emrich  were  reelected 
at  the  city  elections  of  1903  and  1907.  At  the 
election  of  1909.  ^fessrs.  ^[oores,  Sickels  and 
Sweeney  were  rejilaced  by  Miss  Mary  E.  Nichol- 
son, Dr.  Frank  A.  ilorrison.  and  James  P.  Mc- 
(iowan. 

'ilie  law  makes  the  City  Controller  auditor  of 
ilie  board,  and  the  City  Treasurer  its  treas- 
urer, thus  taking  from  it  any  custody  of  its 
tiiiuls  beyond  their  expenditure.  It  provides 
for  a  Superintendent  of  Schools,  who  has 
cliarge  of  all  the  school  work  proper,  and  a 
Business  Director  who  has  control  of  all  busi- 
ness and  financial  administration.  It  provides 
also  for  a  librarian  and  Secretary,  having 
the  duties  usually  pertaining  to  those  offices. 
The  importance  of  an  adequate  business  ad- 
ministration will  be  seen  from  the  following 
statement  of  the  administrative  expenses  of 
ibe  board,  exclusive  of  teachers'  salaries,  from 
•  lulv   1.  19(10  to  July  1.  1908: 


lllS'l'oK'V  OF  (iUKATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


27!) 


Xew  buildings    !(!!)53,,()48.!1.") 

Xew  sites  and  additional  griuinds.  .    1  il,0."")S.!H) 

I'ennani'nt  improvcniunt^ 251,815.14 

Struct  iniindvi'inents 45,987.54 

'l'(.t;ll        $l.:i!ll.'.)l(l.5!» 

Thiti  was  the  small  end  of  the  exjjenditun.s, 
the  teachers'  salaries  being  $441,090.87  in 
1900-1.  and  $687,885.74  in  1907-8,  over  $4,- 
000,000  in  the  eight  years.  The  total  ex- 
penditures in  190(1-1  we're  $ 790.:21.9: .  the  re- 
ceipts .$8(i2.242.42.  The  total  expenditures 
in  190';-8  were  $l.:317,8i;J.(iS.  the  receipts 
$1,229,51:5.27  ;  there  being  a  balance  of  .$278.- 
6;il.70  over  from  the  preceding  year.  Anyone 
ought  to  .see  the  absurdity  of  carrying  on  such 
a  business  through  a  board  of  unsalaried  trus- 
tees, with  no  business  manager,  who  could  give 
only  their  surplus  time  lo  the  business.  The 
only  wonder  is  that  school  affairs  were  man- 
aged so  well  under  the  old  system,  for  the 
business  was  large  even  then.  In  1871-2  the 
total  expenilitures  were  $149,112.54,  and  they 
."Steadily  and  necessarily  increased  to  $365,908.- 
83  in  1891-2;  the  total  expenditures  for  these 
21  years  being  $5,375,337.33.  The  explan- 
ation of  it  is  the  generous  service  given  by 
some  of  the  best  business  men  of  the  city, 
(several  of  whom  served  on  the  board  for  years, 
especially  Hcniy  1'.  Coburn,  Calvin  Fletcher. 
H.  V.  West  and  D.  \'.  Culley,  in  the  period 
prior  to  1871  ;  .James  C.  Yohn",  John  R.  Elder, 
Clemens  V(mnegut,  Thos.  B.  Elliott,  and  Cy- 
ru<  ('.  nines,  both  before  and  after  1871  ;  and 
Austin  II.  Br<iwn,  (ieorge  Merritt,  H.  G.  Carev, 
J.  .1.  Bingham,  Charles  W.  Smith,  Wm.  .\. 
Hell,  J.  II.  (ireenstreet.  .1.  15.  Conner,  and  J. 
r.  I-'renzel  after  1871.  As  t(i  Mr.  Frenzel  it 
I-  iiid\-  iu>t  to  say,  that  notwithstanding  the 
criticism  cit  him  in  the  heated  period  of  the 
nineties  (and  \hc  writer,  as  editorial  writer  of 
the  Sfliiiiiirl  contributed  a  large  share  of  it), 
no  one  can  fairly  study  the  school  conditions 
of  the  long  yieriod  of  his  service,  from  1882 
up,  and  not  lie  imj)ressed  that  his  sen'icc  was 
of  very  great  value  to  the  public  in  the  tinaii- 
cial    management. 

The  truth  is,  that  in  the  development  of 
Indianajiolis  from  n  town  to  a  city,  and  the 
dcvelopmcitt  (if  public  demand  for  the  latest 
and  best  school  accomniodations,  the  school  ex- 
|iiMiditnres    have   grown    out    of    proportion    to 


mere  population.  In  the  last  eight  year.s, 
during  whit-h  the  business  management  has 
been  under  the  new  system,  the  increase  of  ex- 
penditures has  been  (>(!  jier  cent,  and  the  in- 
crease of  enrollment  has  been  only  19  per 
cent.  But  teachers  are  getting  fairer  jiay,  and 
children  are  getting  better  school  accomnio- 
dations. It  would  be  impossible  to  get  i<Mn- 
petent  teachers  now  for  the  salaries  that  were 
paid  in  1871-2;  and  the  ))ublic  would  revolt 
against  a  return  to  the  kind  of  school  lionses 
in  use  then,  just  as  they  would  iigainst  a  re- 
turn to  the  kind  of  streets  we  had  then.  The 
standard  of  living  has  been  raised,  ami  it  has 
jirobablv  been  raised  more  in  public  af- 
fairs than  in  private  affairs,  on  the  average. 

After  the  resignation  of  Jlr.  Shortridge  in 
1874y  George  P.  Brown  liecanu'  Supi'rintcndent 
until  1879,  when  lie  ic-igncd.  lie  artrrwards 
became  known  as  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
I'ducators  of  the  country.  He  was  followed  by 
Horace  Sumner  Tarbell.  who  served  a<-ceptablv 
till  1884.  .Mr.  Tarbell  and  his  daughter  Martha 
ha\e  since  been  known  as  autliors  of  school 
books.  In  1884  Lewis  Henry  .loncs  ln'raine 
Superintendent,  and  served  till  1S!)|  when  lie 
left  here  to  serve  as  Superintendent  of  the 
Cleveland  schools;  he  served  there  until  1902, 
and  then  became  president  of  the  Michigan 
State  Xormal  College,  where  he  has  siiii-e  lieen. 
From  1895  to  1900  David  K.  Goss  was  Super- 
intendent. He  was  a  well-equipped  and  forci>- 
ful  man,  but  he  was  not  popular  in  Indian- 
apolis, and  he  had  the  misfortune  to  serve 
during  a  storm  period,  when  he  caught  part  of 
the  blast.  .Mr.  (Joss  died  at  .Strasburg,  (ier- 
rnany,  where  he  was  conducting  a  school  for 
.\merican  boys,  Se])teinlHr  20,  1901.-''  Jn  1900 
Calvin  N.  Kendall,  the  present  Superinten- 
dent, came  to  Indianajiolis  al'tci-  li\('  years' 
service  as  Superintendent  of  the  .New  Haven, 
Connecticut  schools.  Although  Indianapolis 
has  been  extremely  fortunate  in  the  high  grade 
of  her  school  superintendents,  the  excellence  of 
her  schools  is  chiefly  due  to  the  devotion  and 
self-sacrifice  of  the  public  school  teachers, 
many  of  them  Indianapolis  women,  who  have 
simply  built  their  lives  into  this  great  school 
fabric.  It  would  require  more  than  human 
|)ower  to  list  those  deserving  special  prai.se, 
where  practically  all  lia\e  done  so  nobly.    They 


''News,  Seiitember  27.   1901. 


iSO 


IILSTOEY  or  GIJEATER  I.NDIAXAI'OLIS. 


have  thtir  common  inouument  in  the  school 
system  they  have  helijed  to  make.  But  all 
will  concede  that  special  credit  is  due  to  Miss 
Nebraska  E.  C'ropse^-,  who  as  assistant  superin- 
tendent is  conceded  to  have  largely  made  the 
primary  departments  of  the  schools  what  they 
are. 

In  January,  1909,  there  were  62  graded 
schools  in  Indianapolis,  with  G19  rooms. 
Shortridge  High  Scliool  has  70  rooms,  and 
^fanual  Training  High  School  over  80.  To 
maintain  the  schools,  in  addition  to  the  state 
tax,  there  is  a  local  tax  of  58  cents  on  $100. 
Of  this  5  cents  is  for  buildings  and  grounds, 
5  cents  for  manual  training,  4  cents  foi-  City 
Library,  1  cent  for  teachers'  pensions,  and  1 
cent  for  free  kindergartens,  though  the  kinder- 
gartens are  not  imder  the  control  of  the  School 
Board.  There  are  873  persons  in  the  teach- 
ing force,  including  superintendents  and  super- 
visors. Of  these  633  are  teachers  in  the  graded 
school — 65  colored.  IThese  are  the  regular 
teachers,  and  there  are  also  40  special  teach- 
ers, who  visit  various  schools,  including  16 
manual  training  teachers,  5  sewing  teachers,  6 
cooking  teachers,  4  mvisic  teachers,  5  art  teach- 
ers, 3  physical  training  teachers,  and  1  pen- 
manship teacher.  There  are  also  43  German 
teachers  in  the  graded  schools.  Shortridge 
High  School  has  47  teachers  and  Manual 
Training  High  School  69.  The  remaining 
members  of  tlie  teaching  force  are  supervisors 
and  superintendents. 

The  Indianapolis  public  schools  have  re- 
ceived many  compliments,-^  and  certainly  none 
more  frank  and  sincere  than  those  of  Dr.  Jos. 
M.  Rice,  the  editor  of  the  Forum.     He  says: 


■"The  Indianapolis  schools,  though  upon  a 
rather  high  level,  and,  in  my  opinion,  among 
our  best,  are  not  perfect.  A  perfect  school 
means  a  perfect  teacher,  a  teacher  who  pos- 
sesses a  beautiful  character,  education,  cul- 
ture, and  great  professional  strength.  The  In- 
dianapolis teacher  is  not  perfect.  Her  spirit 
is  beautiful,  but  her  professional  strength, 
though  it  compares  favorably  with  the  strength 
of  the  best  of  our  teachers,  is  not  yet  great. 
The  first  steps  toward  the  ideal  have  been 
made.  *  *  *  When  our  teachers  combine 
the  beautiful  spirit  of  the  Indianapolis  teach- 
ers with  the  technique  of  the  German  school- 
master, America  will  have  the  best  schools  in 
the  world.  To  exchange  our  spirit  for  the 
German's  technique  would,  1  think,  be  taking 
a  backward  step.  We  must  not  be  content  unt'd 
we  have  both."'  "'•'  And  in  his  summing  up  he 
adds:  "Although  Indianapolis  was  the  twenty- 
third  city  that  I  visited  in  my  tour,  I  discovered 
in  the  first  class-room  entered  that  the  schools 
of  that  city  had  reached  a  higher  stage  of 
development  than  any  that  I  had  previously 
investigated.  Before  visiting  the  schools  of 
Indianapolis,  my  attention  had  never  been 
called  to  their  excellence,  and  the  first  school 
that  I  saw  was  one  to  which  I  had  been  di- 
rected by  the  porter  as  being  the  most  conven- 
ient to  reach  from  the  hotel.  In  nearly  every 
city  later  visits  served  simply  to  confirm  the 
judgment  I  had  formed  on  investigating  the 
first  school."  ■"> 


-^News.  :March  8,  1905 ;  December  18,  1905 ; 
Star,  May  5.  1907. 


-U^rum,  Vol.  14,  pp.  442-3. 

^"Forum,  Vol.  15,  p.  516.  These  articles 
were  published  in  book  form  in  1893,  under 
the  title.  The  Public  School  System  of  the 
United  States. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


TllK    I'AIK    KIKE    DEPARTMEXT. 


The  paid  liiv  de|j:irtiiiciit  ui  ludiauapulis 
began  opeiatioii.s  on  quite  a  modest  scale.  One 
ordinance  of  November  14,  1859,  disbanded  the 
volunteer  comjianies  and  another  provided  for 
a  paid  department  consisting  of  one  steam 
and  two  hand  engines  and  a  hook  and  ladder 
company,  'riie  lirst  company  was  to  take  The 
Conqueror  and  use  the  old  Invincible  house  on 
North  Xovv  Jersey  street,  with  Charles  Kich- 
mann  ag  captain.  The  second  was  to  take  the 
Indiana  (No.  4)  and  the  house  of  the  Wes- 
terns on  West  Washington  street,  with  W.  O. 
Sherwood  as  captain.  The  Hook  and  Ladder 
Company  was  to  kee])  the  a])paratus  in  their 
house  on  the  west  end  of  the  East  .Market 
I  Square,  with  W.  W.  Darnall  as  captain.  The 
!  members  of  the  companies  were  to  serve  only 
'  at  fires,  and  to  receive  $25  a  year,  except  that 
two  members  of  each  of  the  engine  companies 
were  to  remain  at  the  houses  all  the'  time, 
and  they  were  each  to  receive  ^'Mio  a  year. 
The  steam  engine  did  not  arrive  until  Marcli, 
1860,  and  it  was  then  located  at  the  house 
of  the  Westerns  on  West  Washington  street, 
and  the  Indiana  was  placed  at  the  house  of 
the  Unions  on  South  street.  The  new  engine 
was  a  Leo  &  Earned  rotary,  which  puffed  and 
shook  so  tremendously  tliat  the  timid  expected 
it  to  go  to  pieces  at  any  moment,  but  it  was 
efficient  and  soon  won  public  I'avor  for  the  new 
system.  In  August,  ISdd.  a  third-class  Latta 
was  bought,  which  arrived  in  October  and  was 
located  at  the  house  of  the  Marions,  at  New 
York  street  and  Massachusetts  avenue.  On 
October  22,  18G0,  a  Seneca  Falls  engine  was 
exhibited  at  the  State  Fair,  before  a  com- 
mittee of  the  council,  in  competition  with 
other  engines,  and  the  council  purchased  it 
for  S.S.odo.  turning  in  the  old  Fnion  at  ^dnd 
in    part    pay.      It    was    ])laeed    at    the    Union 


house  on  South  street,  and  these  three  en- 
gines, known  as  Nos.  1,  2,  and  3,  in  the  order 
of  purchase,  with  the  Hook  and  Ladder  Com- 
pany constituted  the  equipment  for  the  next 
seven  years.  Frank  Glazier  was  appointed  en- 
gineer of  No.  1,  Charles  Curtis  of  No.  2,  and 
Daniel  Glazier  of  No.  3. 

Until  the  steam  engines  came,  the  old  liand 
engines  were  hauled  to  fires  by  horses,  and  there 
manned  by  the  members  of  the  paid  companies 
and  such  volunteers  as  were  willing  to  aid. 
The  latter  were  usually  plentiful,  for  there  was 
little  of  the  bitterness  of  opposition  to  the 
change  that  appeared  in  some  cities,  and  it  was 
naturally  hard  for  an  old  fireman  not  to  lend 
a  hand  if  he  was  present  at  a  fire.  The  paid 
system  went  into  effect  with  little  friction, 
and  witliin  a  year  the  war  was  absorbing  every- 
body's attention,  and  the  old  fire  e(nn])any 
troubles  had  practically  dropped  mil  nf  sight. 
The  first  step  of  improvement  after  l>S(ii)  was 
the  jjrovision  of  a  central  alarm  system.  The 
council  made  arrangements  to  place  a  wateh- 
tower  on  the  Glenn's  Block — on  the  old  hotel 
site  now  occupied  by  the  New  York  store — 
which  was  about  the  highest  building  in  the 
city,,  of  central  location.  Here  Charles  Rhodes 
was  stationed  with  a  field  glass,  during  the 
hours  of  the  night  to  look  out  for  fires.  When 
one  was  detected  the  alarm  was  given  on  a 
bell  that  was  niotmted  on  an  open  framework 
tower  in  the  rear  of  the  building,  '{'here  were 
nine  wards  at  the  time,  and  the  bell  struck  the 
number  of  the  ward  in  which  the  fire  appeared 
to  be  located,  whereiqwn  tin-  firemen  went  in 
that  direction  and  hunted  it  up  as  best  they 
could.  During  the  war  the  watchmen  had  in- 
sfructions  to  keep  s|)ecial  watch  on  (.'amp  Mor- 
ton, where  the  rebel  prisoners  were  confined, 
and   give   an   alarm    if   any   trouble   appeared. 


281 


282 


HISTORY  OF  GK'HATEll  INDIANAPOLIS. 


■I 

i 


It  was  one  of  the  popular  fancies  of  the  time 
that  if  the  prisoners  escaped  their  first  act 
would  be  to  tire  the  city  and  destroy  the  fire 
apparatus,  but  fortunately  this  dire  condition 
was  never  reached. 

In  1867  a  second  Seneca  Falls  engine  was 
bought  and  put  in  service  in  December,  but 
no  comjiany  was  organized  for  it  for  several 
years.  It  replaced  first  Xo.  3,  then  No.  2,  and 
then  Xo.  1  while  they  were  sent  off  for  over- 
hauling and  repairs,  and  then  was  stored  as 
an  extra  at  the  Massachusetts  avenue  house 
until  1872,  when  a  readjustment  was  made, 
in  connection  with  the  new  water  works  sy>- 
tem.  Steamer  Xo.  1  was  put  at  Indiana  ave- 
nue and  .Michigan  street,  with  G.  ^I.  Bishop 
as  engineer.  Steamer  Xo.  2 — the  "William 
Henderson'" — was  put  at  Massachusetts  avenue 
and  Xoble  street,  with  Andrew  0.  Cherry  a< 
engineer.  Steamer  Xo.  3  was  located  on  \\v- 
ginia  avenue  between  Huron  and  South,  « itli 
John  R.  Bellis  as  engineer.  Steamer  Xo.  4 — 
the  "John  ^larsee'' — was  put  at  the  cornei'  of 
Illinois  and  ^lerrill  streets,  with  Cicero  Sei- 
bert  as  engineer.  The  Hook  and  Ladder  Com- 
pany, with  a  hose  reel,  was  located  at  Massa- 
chiisetts  avenue  and  Xew  York  street;  and 
three  other  hose  reels  were  placed,  one  at  the 
old  Xorth  Xew  Jersev  house,  one  on  Washing- 
ton, west  of  Mississip])i,  and  one  on  St.  Joseph 
street  between  Meridian  and  Illinois.  The  com- 
ing of  the  waterworks,  the  first  fifteen  miles 
of  mains  being  laid  in  the  mile  square  in 
1870,  made  a  change  in  fire  protection  en- 
ergies, for  it  was  on  the  Holly  system,  and 
largely  did  away  with  the  necessity  for  en- 
gines. The  number  of  ho.se  companies  wa< 
increased  until  in  1874  there  were  ten  of 
them  in  operation. 

Prior  to  1874  there  had  been  only  three  fire- 
in  Indianapolis  that  would  now  be  considered 
large,  the  Kingan  pork  house,  ilorrison's  Opera 
House,  and  the  Woodburn-Sarven  Wheel  Co. 
The  Kingan  fire  occurred  on  Jlay  22,  I860, 
and  was  one  of  the  most  spectacular  fires  ever 
seen  here.  The  building  was  a  new  one,  fiv(i 
stories  high,  and  was  full  of  pork  and  lard. 
The  flames  lighted  up  the  country  for  miles 
and  tlie  heat  was  so  intense  that  the  firemen 
could  hardly  get  in  reach  of  the  fire.  But  thev 
kept  at  it  and  at  least  saved  some  of  th'^ 
stock  in  the  cellar  bv  flooding.  The  loss  at  this 
fire    was    about    $200,000,    largclv    covered    bv 


insurance.  On  January  17,  1870,  the  night 
of  (Jough's  lecture,  ilorrison's  Opera  House, 
at  the  northeast  corner  of  .Maryland  and  iler- 
idian  streets,  was  burned.  The  fire  started 
during  the  lecture,  but  the  audience  passed  out 
without  any  accident.  The  fire  spread  to  ad- 
joining buildings,  and  caused  a  loss  estinuited 
at  .$2oO,000,  about  four-fifths  insured,  making 
the  most  destructive  fire  known,  to  that  date. 
'J'he  ^\'oodbu^n-Sarven  Wheel  Company's  jilant 
was  originally  built  in  1847  and  enlarged  by 
an  addition  on  the  west  in  186G.  The  fire,  on 
March  11,  1873,  began  in  this  addition  which 
was  filled  with  inflammable  material,  and 
which  was  higher  than  the  old  building.  In 
an  effort  to  get  at  the  fire  Chief  Daniel  Glaz- 
ier led  a  party  of  hose  nu'n  into  the  second 
story  of  the  old  building,  and  while  thert'  the 
lire  wall  of  the  addition  fell,  crashing  thiougli 
ihr  roof,  killing  (ilazier,  and  woundiuij  sov- 
c  lal  of  tlie  men.  The  money  loss  of  this 
fire  was  n(>t  reported,  but  the  death  of  the 
chief — the  first  death  of  an  Indiana])olis  fire- 
man in  the  perfornuinee  of  duty — overshadowed 
<ither  considerations.  The  extent  and  fury  of 
these  fires  was  chiefiy  due  to  the  contents  of 
the  buildings,  but  the  city  was  coming  to  a 
])eriod  when  its  worst  fires  were  due  to  light 
and  cheap  construction  of  high  buildings.  Un- 
til 18"4  no  fire  ever  crossed  a  street  in  In- 
di.-inapolis,  and  it  was  generally  supposed  none 
ever  would,  on  account  of  their  width,  but 
now  it  was  demonstrated  that  high  buildings 
of  infiammable  structure  presented  a  situation 
differing  from  low  buildings  of  solid  construc- 
tion. 

On  the  exening  of  March  22,  1814  a  fire 
started  in  an  unfinished  building  known  as 
Wrighfs  E.xchange  Block,  on  the  west  side  of  . 
Pennsylvania  street  north  of  Market.  It  was 
a  four-story,  ii-on-front  building,  nearly  com- 
pleted. The  open  studding  and  large  ipian- 
tities  of  lumber  ready  for  placing  made  it  a 
veritable  furnace.  The  water  company  was 
slow  in  getting  jiressnre,  and  the  fire  was  so 
well  started  before  any  effective  streams  were 
had  that  tlie  building  was  doomed.  Burnini'- 
brands  were  whirled  up  in  the  air  and  carrii'd 
for  more  than  a  lilock.  .\s  the  heat  increased 
fiames  ajijieared  in  the  ^[artindale  block  and 
the  unfinished  Sheets  Hotel  (now  the  N'ew- 
Denison)  across  the  street,  and  before  the  com- 
))an'es  could  get  at  them,  bi'tli   were  fully   in 


isroi.'v  or  (u;i:.\ii:it  lndianapous. 


28.-? 


flame.  H\it  li\'  tliis  limc  tlic  uatcr  jUTssuri' 
had  Ix'CoiiR'  satisfactory  ami  the  tiiiMiicii  man- 
aged to  kee])  the  tire  within  these  limits.  liv 
midnight  the  ')iiil(lins;s  were  snmkinj;'  niiii> — 
the  wall:-  still  standing — and  a  loss  of  over 
$200,000  had  been  incurred,  not  more  tiian  one- 
fourth  insured.  There  was  criticism  i)f  the 
fire  department,  partly  ])olitieal,  of  the  water 
company,  and  of  the  tire  apparatus.  Undoui)t- 
edly  the  huildings  on  the  east  side  of  the  street 
could  have  been  saved  if  the  department  had 
abandoned  the  original  fire  and  given  its  at- 
tention to  them,  but  nobody  dreamed  of  the 
fire  crossing  the  street.  It  w-as  unprecedented. 
A  high  wind  from  the  w'est  and  a  lack  of  water 
pressure  when  it  was  most  needed,  coujded 
with  rotten  hose  and  engines  not  in  the  best 
condition,  were  the  principal  factors  in  the  re- 
.sult.  It  convinced  everybody  that  it  wniild 
not  do  to  rely  on  the  water  works  alone.  Said 
the  Ncvs:  "Although  it  was  claimed  i)y  tlie 
Holly  Company  that  their  system  answered  ;ill 
the  pur])0ses  of  a  fire  department,  experii'nee 
has  shown  that  it  does  nothing  of  the  kind. 
and  that  we  shall  have  to  rely  mainly  upon 
engines.  We  need  at  least  two  more  here,  and 
better  ones  if  possible  than  those  now  in 
use."  This  was  the  general  sentiment,  and 
three  new  engines  were  ordered,  with  a  supply 
of  new  hose.  Steamer  Xo.  1  was  placed  at 
Indiana  avenue  near  Michigan  :  Steamer  Xo.  2, 
on  Massachusetts  avenue  north  of  Walnut; 
Steamer  Xo.  3,  on  "\' irginia  avenue  below  South 
-treet:  Steamer  Xo.  I.  at  Hussell  avenue  and 
.Merrill  street:  Steamer  Xo.  .■) — calliMl  "Snacks"', 
in  honor  of  Gid.  B.  Thompson  of  the  News — 
on  Sixth  street  (now  Fifteenth)  ea«t  of  Ten- 
nessee: Steamer  Xo.  li,  the  Thomas  D.  Tvingan, 
was  on  Washington  street  west  of  West  street; 
Steamer  Xo.  7,  at  2(5  K.  :\raryland.  There 
was  also  a  hose  wagon  stationed  at  each  of  the 
seven  engine  houses.  The  three  remaining 
hose  wagons  were  at  20  X*.  Xew  Jersey  street. 
31  W.  St.  Joseph,  and  12.5  East  South  street. 
One  of  the  new  engines  was  a  Seneca  Falls, 
one  a  Lee  &  Lamed  rotarv,  and  one  a  Latta — 
the  last  named  being  held  in  special  esteem 
bv  the  firemen,  as  the  old  T.atta  bad  been 
also. 

There  were  some  fair  sized  tires  in  the  next 
fourteen  years,  but  nothinsr  startlinir.  .\mong 
the  more  notable  were  Kle\atnr  H  'n  .Tune, 
1S7.5:    the    stv<'et     car    staliles    atid    Toii-ev    I't 


Wiggins  meat-storage  bouse  in  1876  ;  the  .\ead- 
emy  of  .Music  on  January  27,  1877;  the  Cen- ■ 
tennial  Block  in  the  winter  of  1878:  Ferguson's 
])oik  house  on  February  ■; ,  1881;  the  Hominy 
Milks,  October  8,  1881;  Failey's  Wheel  Works, 
October  .30,  1883;  the  street  car  barns,  Janu- 
ary 1,  1884;  the  Indianapolis  Stove  Co.,  on 
.May  9,  1883;  the  Love  Bros,  cotton  mill,  De- 
cember 27,  1884;  the  Evans  Linseed  Oil  .Mill, 
December  (i,  188.J;  the  Wasson  fire,  ilay  2(), 
and  Tucker  &  Dorsey  fire,  Xovember  4,  18S7. 
In  1888  came  two  fires  that  were  fairly  beyond 
the  powers  of  the  department,  and  it  did  well 
to  confine  them  as  it  <lid.  The  first,  long 
known  as  "the  South  ileridian  Street  Fire" 
occurred  on  the  night  of  January  13.  It  was 
discovered  in  the  dry  goods  house  of  D.  P. 
Erwin  &  Co.,  on  the  cast  side  of  the  street  l)e- 
low  (ieorgia.  soon  after  11  o'clock,  and  gained 
such  headway  that  it  could  not  be  extinguished. 
The  night  w-as  bitter  cold,  and  at  first  the 
firemen  were  hardly  able  to  handle  the  hose 
on  that  account.  In  spite  of  their  efforts  it 
took  the  wholesale  grocei-y  house  of  Geroge  W. 
Stout,  on  the  north,  and  they  would  not  have 
beiMi  aiile  to  save  the  ilry  goods  house  of  Bvram, 
Cornelius  I'lt  Co..  on  tlie  cornel',  if  it  had  not 
been  jirotected  by  a  heavy  fire  wall — a  de- 
fense which  saved  the  buiJding  from  another 
next-door  fire  some  year.s'  later.  From  StouCs 
the  fire  jumped  the  street  to  an  unfinished 
building,  and  thence  spread  to  and  consumed 
Pearson  &  WetzelTs  (|ueensware  house,  ^Ic- 
Kee  Ik  Branham's  boot  and  shoe  house,  C.  B. 
Cones  &  Co.'s  overall  factory.  Tanner  &  Sul- 
livan's tinners'  suonbes  house,  David  Kahn's 
trunk  house,  and  damaged  some  other  estab- 
lislinients.  .'Vfter  the  fire  was  well  started  the 
cold  <if  the  night  was  forgotten.  It  was  so 
hot  on  Meridian  street  that  clothing  was 
scorched,  and  some  of  the  hose  was  so  badl\' 
bui'iied  as  to  be  unserviceable.  The  men  could 
not  get  to  windows  on  lailders  on  account  o( 
the  heat,  and  tlu'rc  was  not  a  ladder  in  the 
dejiartmcnt  that  would  i-cacb  to  the  roof  of  a 
four-story  building.  .\  hard  night's  work 
sei'\ed  only  to  hold  the  lire  within  these  bounds. 
On  June  13.  a  fire  started  in  Stone  &  Co.'s 
laliinet  shop  which  formed  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  a  group  of  factories,  sheds  and  lumber 
piles  on  the  block  at  the  southeast  corner 
of  Clifford  (now  Tenth  street)  and  Massa- 
chusetts   avenues.      The    wind    was    from    th(» 


•2tii 


HISTOIJY  01'  GKEATER  I^DIA.XAI'ULIS. 


soiilli,  and  the  iiiatirial  was  like  tinder.  It 
.stopped  ouly  for  lack  of  material  after  eou- 
.■^luniug  Adams  &  \Villiamsou"s  veneer  works, 
and  ;M.  J.  Osgood's  lumber  yard.  The  heat  was 
so  intense  that  the  boots  of  the  firemen  who 
got  in  close  to  it  ''cracked  and  fell  otf  their 
feet."  While  the  whole  force  was  fighting  this 
fire,  commonly  known  as  "the  Veneer  Works 
Fire",  an  alarm  came  in  from  Deloss  Eoofs 
foundry  at  the  corner  of  Kentucky  avenue 
and  Sharpe  street,  and  part  of  the  force  was 
sent  there.  Between  the  two  the  firemen  had 
a  night  that  will  long  be  remembered. 

But  mere  work,  or  even  hardship  becomes  in- 
significant in  comparison  with  the  tragedy  of 
the  Bowen-Merrill  fire  on  March  17,  18911. 
The  fire  began  at  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
in  their  establishment  which  was  then  on  the 
north  side  of  Washington  street  on  ground 
now  cohered  by  H.  P.  Wasson  &  Co.  It  soon 
became  evident  that  to  prevent  the  fire  spread- 
ing to  other  buildings  a  determined  fight 
would  have  to  be  made,  and  a  party  of  firemen 
went  to  the  roof,  while  others  entered  the  win- 
dows. Without  a  moment's  warning  the  floors 
from  bottom  to  top  of  the  building,  and  the 
roof  fell  in.  In  the  face  of  this  appalling 
disaster  the  remaining  firemen  redoubled  their 
efforts  and  volunteers  aided  both  in  extinguish- 
ing the  fire  and  in  rescuing  the  victims.  Twelve 
dead  firemen  wei-e  taken  from  the  ruins : 
Thos.  A.  Black.  John  Burkhart.  Andrew  0. 
(^lierry,  George  S.  Falkner,  Ulysses  G.  Glazier, 
Albert  Huffman,  David  0.  R.  LowTy,  Espy 
Stormer,  Anthony  Voltz,  Wm.  L.  Jones,  George 
W.  Glenn  and  Henry  D.  Woodruff.  There 
were  also  wounded:  Thomas  Barrett,  Fred 
Bloomer,  Geo.  W.  Diller.  Wm.  A.  Hinesley, 
Charles  Jenkins,  Eb.  R.  Leach,  Wm.  C.  Long, 
Albert  ]\Ieurer,  Wm.  McGinnis,  Samuel  Xeall, 
Samuel  Null,  Wm.  C.  Partee,  Louis  F.  Rafert, 
Wm.  Reasner,  Webb  Robinson  and  Wm.  Tal- 
lentire.  Wm.  McGinnis  afterwards  died  of 
his  injuries,  and  several  of  the  others  were 
permanently  incapacitated  for  bard  work.  The 
tragedy  sent  a  thrill  of  horror  through  the  com- 
munity, which  quickly  gave  place  to  desire  to 
help  the  living.  On  the  next  day,  ilay  18, 
flavor  Sullivan  issued  the  following: 

"Proclamation : 
"The   discharge   of  their   duty  has   brought 
death,  sudden  and  terrible,  to  a  large  number 


of  our  liremeii.  Many  others  are  confined  to 
their  beils  from  injuries  which  will  bring  weeks 
(if  liclpless  suffering.  These  men  have  families 
dependent  upon  them.  It  is  the  duty  and 
pleasure  of  our  citizens  to  see  to  it  that  want 
is  not  added  to  the  grief  of  those  so  bereaved. 
In  order  that  there  may  be  no  delay  in  this 
matter,  and  that  all  generous  givers  may  have 
an  opportunity  to  contribute  to  the  discharge 
(if  this  most  pressing  obligation  that  has  C(Hne 
upon  us,  1  hereby  appoint  Geo.  G.  Tanner, 
Kli  Lilly.  Theodore  P.  Haughey,  John  W. 
Murphy,  Caleb  S.  Denny,  A.  Kiefer  and  Mich- 
ael O'Connor  a  committee  to  receive  all  funds 
donated,  and  to  take  charge  of  the  disburse- 
ment of  the  same;  and  1  request  that  the 
above-named  gentlcnii^n  meet  at  the  ilayor's 
ottice  in  the  Court  House,  at  10  :'.W  a.  m..  to- 
day. 

■■Thomas  L.   Sullivan,  Mayor." 

The  committee  met.  elected  ilayor  Sulli- 
van chairman,  Theodore  P.  Haughey  treasurer, 
and  Caleli  S.  Denny  secretary  and  went  to 
work  at  once,  tlie  subscriptions  the  first  day 
amounting  to  $1,725.  Everybody  wanted  to 
help.  Collections  were  made  not  only  in  busi- 
ness houses  and  organizations  of  all  sorts, 
but  also  by  the  children  in  the  public  schools 
and  the  Suudav  schools.  Soon  contributions 
began  coming  in  from  the  outside,  especially 
from  fire  departments,  not  only  in  Indiana, 
iiul  far  outside.  Louisville,  Cincinnati,  Dayton, 
Akron,  Cleveland,  Toledo,  Chicago,  Pittsburg. 
Atlanta,  Brooklyn,  and  Xew  York  added  gen- 
erously to  the  fund ;  and  from  London  came 
a  check  for  $1,000  from  the  representatives 
of  the  foreign  insurance  companies  doing  busi- 
ness in  Indiaiui.  By  August  23,  1900,  the 
fund  was  completed,  with  a  total  of  $.12, 443. 49. 
The  committee  wisely  distributed  this  fund 
on  the  basis  of  needs,  instead  of  dividing  it 
equally.  They  paid  $35,207.38  for  annuities, 
providing  $15  a  month  for  each  of  the  nine 
widows  and  one  denendent  mother  left  by  the 
casualty,  $5  a  month  for  each  of  nineteen  or- 
jihans  and  $10  a  month  for  each  of  three  in- 
fant ori)hans  till  they  reach  the  age  of  six- 
teen. Homes  were  bought  for  the  widows  of 
Glazier,  Woodruff,  Voltz  and  Glenn,  who  had 
none,  and  mortgages  paid  on  the  homes  of 
Hoffman  and  Stormer.  All  fimeral  and  medical 
bills  were  ]nr<\.  and  $11,804.37  was  paid  out  to 


HISTOEY  OF  GREATER  I^'DIANAPOLIS. 


285 


"._,^'^-v 


OLD  FIRE   AT-ARM   TOWER. 
(From  an   old  cut.) 


'2S(; 


lllSTOHV   OF  GltKATHU   IXDIAXAI'OI.IS. 


tlic  families  of  llu-  dead,  and  ^I.'JIH.-.H)  tu  the 
injured.  The  annuities  were  bought  in  tlic 
Equitable  Life  Assurance  Company,  the  In- 
dianapolis manager.  1).  B.  Shideler  contributing 
his  commissions,  which  amounted   to  .$().3T.5"2. 

In  less  than  two  years  there  came  another 
tire  horror  with  the  greatest  loss  of  life  ever 
known  here,  but  not  to  the  fire  department. 
This  was  the  burning  of  the  Surgical  Insti- 
tute, at  the  northeast  corner  of  Georgia  and 
Illinois  streets.  It  was  a  veritable  tire  trap 
for  sound  people,  let  alone  helpless  cripples, 
including  the  upper  poi'tions  of  several  old 
l)uildings  connected  bv  narrow  and  intricate 
passages,  and  insiitficiently  furnished  with  fire 
escapes.  The  alarm  came  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
before  midnight  on  January  21.  1892.  By 
the  time  the  de])artment  reached  the  scene  the 
building  was  filled  with  «tifiing  smoke,  but  not- 
withstanding this,  and  the  warning  of  tbe 
Bowen-^Ierrill  fire,  firemen  and  a  number  of 
outsiders  who  were  earlv'  on  the  scene  entered 
the  building  and  succeeded  in  rescuing  a  num- 
ber of  the  dazed  and  almost  helpless  patients. 
In  spite  of  their  efforts  nineteen  lives  were  lost 
in  surroundings  so  a])]ialling  as  to  beggar  de- 
scrijition.  This  tire  probably  did  more  to 
awaken  the  community  to  the  moral  responsi- 
bility for  dangerous  buildings  than  all  the 
rest  of  their  experience.  The  Democratic  cor- 
oner returned  a  verdict  exonerating  the  owners 
of  the  Institute,  and  the  Sentinel  vigorously 
denounced  his  action  and  demanded  his  defeat 
for  renomination.  which  duly  resulted,  not- 
withstanding the  efforts  of  the  local  Democratic 
machine  to  save  hini.^  Since  then  there  has 
been  a  steady  trend  of  sentiment  in  favor  of 
fire  protection  by  prevention  that  has  borne 
good  fruit,  and  though  the  enforcement  of 
the  law  outside  of  mere  construction  of  build- 
ings is  not  perfect,  it  is  an  improvement  on 
former  conditions. 

With  the  inauguration  of  government  iiinlei' 
thi'  new  city  charter,  in  1891.  came  an  im- 
provement in  tlu>  fire  department.  In  1891 
the  Chief  reported  "six  engines,  three  ahnost 
worthless",  but  in  that  year  three  new  engines 
were  bought,  one  first-class  and  two  second- 
class:  two  of  the  old  engines  being  given  in 
exchange  and   one  repaired.      A   new  cheinieal 


'Senfinel.  .lannarv  '2'^  :  Februaiv   2:!  :   ,\pril 
0.   1892. 


was  bought,  at  a  cost  of  -iio.oOO.  a  new  hook 
and  ladder  truck,  and  two  hose  wagons.  The 
city  entered  on  1S92  with  seven  serviceable  en- 
gines, three  chemicals,  three  general  purpose 
trucks,  one  aerial  truck  and  eleven  hose  wagons. 
The  one  thing  lacking,  which  was  asked  for 
and  was  not  provided,  was  a  water  tower, 
and  this  request  was  repeated  in  1893.  The 
need  of  it  was  demonstrated  in  several  tires 
that  could  not  be  reached  by  ordinary  appara- 
tus. There  were  several  bad  fires  in  189.'), 
involving  heavy  loss — tlie  Corde  fire.  Febnuiiy 
5;  the  Denison,  Februarv  7;  Geo.  W.  Stout. 
February  10;  Eastman.  Schleicher  it  Lee.  Sep- 
tember 18,  and  Schnull  &  Co.,  December  3 — 
and  the  insurance  companies  raised  insurance 
rates,  with  a  broad  intimation  that  they  migiit 
be  reduced  if  the  fire  department  were  im- 
proved. The  justice  of  the  demand  was  gen- 
erally conceded,  and  the  Sentinel  made  a 
s|iecial  tight  for  a  water  tower.  Two  new  en- 
gines were  purchased,  with  two  hose  wagons 
and  a  Champion  water  tower,  the  latter  i)eing 
put  in  service  ^lay  30,  189(>.  The  water  tower 
had  a  disastrous  experience,  owing  to  the  fact 
that  nobody  seemed  to  know  how  to  handle  it. 
It  was  designed  to  be  liacked  up  to  a  tire,  so 
that  the  recoil  of  the  tower  would  come  length- 
wise of  the  truck,  but  this  required  that  the 
truck  should  set  across  the  street,  which  block- 
aded it.  At  the  Denison  house  fire  im  Janu- 
ary 29,  1897,  it  was  undertaken  to  operate 
it  sidewise.  and  the  result  was  that  when  the 
pressure  was  put  on,  the  recoil  upset  the  truck 
and  the  tower  was  badly  smashed.  Chief  Coots 
has  obviated  this  troulde.  by  providing  a  pair 
of  heavy  iron  braces,  which  are  clamped  on 
the  tops  of  the  wheels  at  one  end.  and  se- 
curely spiked  to  the  pavem,ent  at  the  other 
when  the  tower  is  in  operation,  thus  making  an 
upset  impossible.  The  repaired  tower  is  now 
a  valuable  feature  of  the  fire-fighting  equip- 
ment, and  has  rendered  great  service  by  get- 
ting a  heavy  stream  of  water  to  points  which 
nu'n  could  not  approach  on  account  of  the 
heat.  This  fact  is  recognized  by  all  who  give 
attention  to  such  matters,  and  has  been  dem- 
onstrated repeatedly;  for  example,  at  the 
Badger  fire,  on  Xovember  22.  190.-).  the  water 
tower  un(|uestional)ly  prevented  a  disastrous 
conflagration. 

In    189()   the   worst    fires   were   tbe    Balke  & 
Krauss  fire  on  Februarv  21  :  the  Atkins  fire  on 


II!ST()i;V  OF  r.UKATF.i;   IXniAXAPOIJS. 


•,'s: 


Jl.iv  111;  tlu'  iVarson  A  Wi'tzell  on  Uctolu'i 
1">:  and  llie  Laurie  &  Kobson,  on  XovenilxT 
7.  In  tliat  year  two  additional  engines  were 
purcliai-pd.  There  was  then  nothing  serious 
until  189!),  when  the  Stedihaii  Lounge  factory 
burned  on  February  'i'i  ;  and  the  Atkins  plant 
had  another  Ijail  lire  on  December  29.  In 
IDOO  the  bail  tires  were  luni|)e<l  in  February 
and  March,  beginning  with  the  disastrous  Stout 
and  Kiefer  tire  on  February  1  ;  aiul  followed 
by  the  C'lune  mattress  factory  on  February  17. 
tiic  Star  store,  on  March  il.  Cones  Overall 
factory  on  March  11.  and  Mussman's  planing 
mill,  on  ^larch  is.  The  year  1J)04  was  sig- 
nalized by  two  bad  church  fires,  the  First  Ra]!- 
tist  on  January  ;!.  and  Meridian  Street  Method- 
ist Church,  on  November  IT.  both  being  total 
losses.  During  this  period  there  luid  been  a 
steady  improvement  in  (ire  e(iui]iment.  In 
isni  two  new  engines  witc  bought;  and  in 
190"^  two  more  engines,  three  hose  wagons,  a 
combination  truck  and  chemical,  two  general 
piirjiose  trucks,  one  aerial  truck,  and  one  uni- 
versal wagon  iu)zzle.  N'evertheless.  the  year 
190.i  witnessed  the  worst  tire  tliat  Indianapolis 
ever  had. 

On  the  evening  of  February  19.  a  (ire  started 
in  Fahnley  &  ^McCrea's  wholesale  millinery 
house  on  South  Meridian  street.  It  stood  in 
a  quarter  of  a  scpiare  bcumded  by  Meridian, 
r.ouisiana  and  McCrea  streets,  with  an  alley 
on  the  north,  which  was  almost  solidly  built 
up,  with  a  large  amouiit  of  frame  construc- 
tion liack  from  the  street  fronts.  The  Fahnley 
&  AfcCrea  establishment  ran  through  Iroiii  Mer- 
idi.i.n  to  ^IcCrca  street,  with  an  1-  running 
Fouth  to  T.ouisiana  street  between  the  Savoy 
TTotel  and  the  .Sherman  FTouse.  The  origin 
of  the  fire  was  a  invstery  and  its  rapidity  of 
spread  was  phenomenal.  It  may  have  started 
from  electric  wires  or  from  esca|iing  gas.  The 
firm  had  several  machines  for  curling  feath- 
ers (hat  were  heated  by  gas.  conducted  through 
rubber  tubes.  If  the  gas  did  not  start  the  fire. 
there  is  no  doubt  that  the  tubes  quicklv  burned. 
and  the  gas  fed  the  flames.  Nearly  the  wb(de 
deiiartniciit  was  on  haml  within  fifteen  minutes 
and  the  fire  was  so  liot  that  the  first  water 
was  thrown  on  buildings  across  the  street  to 
prevent  its  spread.  Jn  a  very  short  time  it 
was  evident  that  the  Fahnley  &  McCrea  es- 
tablishment and  the  buildings  south  of  it  were 
doomed.      North    of   it    was   the   dru^'   house  of 


\.  Kiefer  I'v:  Co..  which  was  considered  lire- 
l)ii>(if  on  account  of  heavy  walls  and  an  auto- 
matic sprinkler — the  only  one  in  the  square. 
In  .'^ome  mysterious  way  the  fire  "jumped" 
this  building,  and  started  in  the  secoiul  floor 
of  GrilKths  Bros,  millinery  house,  north  of  it. 
Possibly  this  was  due  to  sonu'  effect  of  the  fire 
on  the  electric  wires,  for  another  buihlin<T  far- 
ther north — Muellerschoen's  saloon — took  fire 
twice  from  electric  wires  during  the  conttagra- 
tion.  but  was  put  out  both  times.  (Jritfiths" 
wa>  ipiickly  a  niass  of  flame.  Kiefer's  withstood 
ilie  heat  on  both  sides  until  the  water  supply  of 
it>  automatic  sprinkler  was  exhausted — more 
than  half  an  hour.  Then  it  took  fire  at  the 
lop.  and  soon  the  large  water  tank  crashed 
down  through  the  roof  and  floors.  l'\irtunately, 
the  bas(Mnent  was  by  this  time  pretty  well 
flooded,  and  the  fire  did  not  reach  the  stocks 
of  whiskv,  ammonia  and  nitro-glycerin.  that 
were  stored   there. 

Meanwhile  the  fire  had  progressccl  to  tlie 
north  and  taken  the  druggists"  sundries  and 
holiday  goods  house  of  the  E.  C.  Dolmetsch 
Co.,  in  the  upper  story  of  which  was  a  tpian- 
tity  of  fireworks.  The  explosions  of  these  and 
the  drugs  in  Kiefer's  resembled  cannonading, 
and  the  pyrotechnic  effects  were  startling.  The 
wind  was  blowing  steadily  from  the  south,  and 
<parks  and  burning  l)rands  were  carried  for 
Idocks.  A  chemical  engine  was  detailed  to 
p.atrol  the  streets  of  the  business  district  and 
look  for  fires.  A  cupola  elevator-shaft  of  the 
Crand  Hotel,  a  block  away,  took  fire,  but  luckily 
was  soon  discovered  and  extinguished  with  a 
loss  of  not  over  *-2,()00.  Tt  is  probable  that 
what  saved  the  ci(v  was  the  fact  that  there 
had  been  s(>veral  recent  snows,  and  roofs  were 
nut  in  condition  to  ignite  readily.  The  de- 
partment devoted  its  efforts  to  preventing  the 
furtb"r  spread  of  the  fire,  and  by  great  exer- 
tion prevented  its  passing  the  alley  at  the 
north,  or  any  of  the  streets,  though  buildings 
op|)osite  were  scorched  and  their  windows 
cracked  to  pieces.  Evervhody  conceded  the  <ino(\ 
work  of  the  department,  and  the  spread  of  the 
fire  was  due  to  its  peculiar  character,  and  the 
lack  of  wnter  nressure  in  its  earlier  stau'cs. 
Since  thi<  fire  the  notable  ones  have  been  that 
of  Brinkmt'vcr.  Kuhn  &  Co..  on  Juni'  '.'0. 
1005,  and  the  Daniel  .Steward  Drug  House,  on 
July  7.  1907.  There  have  also  been  warnings 
in    ihi    three    Presto-Tiite   fires  on    October   17, 


288 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIA]S\\POLIS. 


1907;  Deuciiibcr  '.'0.  1907:  and  .7une  6,  190S. 
The  record  of  alarms  aud  adjusted  losses  by 
3'ears,  as  far  back  as  available,  is  as  follows: 


a 

1882 

c:: 

< 

213 

o 
$  52,160 

1896 

371 

VJ 

C 

337,974 

1883 

214 

110,579 

1897 

696 

$221,540 

1884 

2C2 

83.723 

1898 

704 

174.298 

1885 

293 

199,901 

1899 

957 

207.394 

188G 

1900 

1.052 

695.244 

1887 

408 

139.702 

1901 

1,099 

225,872 

1888 

327 

749.399 

1902 

1,098 

297,448 

1889 

302 

241,902 

1903 

1,109 

286,798 

1890 

324 

259.501 

1904 

1.092 

480,029 

1S91 

3^0 

358,714 

1 905 

1.148 

1,013,012 

1892 

435 

304.308 

1  i)06 

1.293 

370.886 

1893 

53G 

lfi2.105 

1907 

1.171 

181,756 

1894 

473 

234.566 

1908 

1.414 

633.418 

1895 

fi78 

712.090 

1909 

1,326 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  these  are  the  figures 
for  the  adjusted  losses  as  taken  from  the  oth- 
cial  reports  of  the  companies  to  the  Auditor 
of  State — down  to  1894  by  the  Fire  Depart- 
ment, and  since  that  date  bv  the  Indianapolis 
Fire  Inspection  Bureau.  There  is  no  record 
of  uninsured  losses.  The  vear  1905  is  the  only 
one  in  the  history  of  the  city  in  which  the 
losses  exceeded  the  insurance  premium  ])ay- 
mcnts  for  the  year  from  the  city.  In  that 
year  the  premium  payments  were  $1,000,058. 
Tlie  loss  for  the  year  is  due  to  the  great  fire  of 
February  19,  on  South  Meridian  strcrt,  tlic 
aggregate  loss  in  which  was  $825,000. 

The  fire  force  of  Indiana]iolis,  on  Janua'" 
1.  1909.  consisted  of  264  men.  of  wIkuu  23 
were  substitutes  and  241  regular  em]iloyes. 
with  an  annual  pay  roll  of  $227,000  to  which 
is  added  $45,000  for  current  expenses.  The 
equipment  consists  of  eleven  engines  in  acti\i' 
use  and  one  held  in  reserve.  Three  of  these 
are  Metropolitans:  five  Ahre7is;  one  Continen- 
tal: one  La  France:  one  Xott,  and  one  Clapp 
&  .Tones  Five  are  first  class — two  extra  :  three 
second-class,  and  four  third-class.  There  are 
twenty-six  hose  wagons  in  active  service  and 
one  in  reserve.  Five  of  these  are  furnished 
with  the  Glazier  turret  nozzle  and  two  with 
the  Maltese  cross.  There  are  three  chemical 
engines  in  active  service,  and  one  in  reserve. 
The    city   has   one   water   tower,    a    ('iinnipinn. 


whicli  is  also  furnisbetl  with  a  dcek  nozzle. 
There  are  nine  hook  and  ladder  trucks  in  ac- 
tive use  and  one  in  reserve,  of  which  two  are 
aerials,  and  three  combination  chemicals.  There 
are  sixty-eight  portable  Babcock  extinguishers, 
each  hose  wagon  and  ladder  truck  being 
equipped  with  two  of  them,  except  the  five  wag- 
ons that  have  the  Glazier  wagon  nozzles.  The 
city  is  chiefly  dependent  on  the  water-works 
system  for  fire  protection,  aud  there  are  2.371 
fire  hydrants  scattered  through  the  city.  There 
are  also  177  fire  cisterns  scattered  through  the 
citj'',  located  chiefly  in  neighborhoods  where 
large  fires  are  possiljle.  Xinety  of  these  are 
connected  with  the  water  mains,  so  that  they 
can  1)0  replenished  while  the  engines  draw  from 
them.  They  are  usually  filled  from  the  water 
mains  unless  convenient  to  the  canal  or  river. 
Two  of  these  cisterns  are  of  only  300  barrels 
capacity,  but  they  run  from  that  up  to  2,000 
barrels,  the  average  being  800  to  1,000  barrels. 
The  custom  now  is  to  make  new  cisterns  of 
aliout  500  barrels  capacity,  and  connect  with 
the  water  mains. 

The  old  watcli  tower  system  was  the  only 
source  of  fire  alarms  until  1868,  when,  in  Feb- 
ruary, the  city  put  in  an  automatic  electric 
alarm  svsteni.  at  a  cost  of  $6,000.  This  was 
gradually  extended  as  the  city  grew,  and  con- 
tinued in  use  until  1901.  It  was  vei-y  satis- 
factory except  in  rare  cases  when  two  alarms 
were  sent  in  at  the  same  time,  in  which  rase 
it  confused  them,  and  indicated  Udthina'.  'i'his 
system  repeated  the  alai'm  by  sounding  the 
box  number,  five  times.  On  ^farch  4,  1901,  a 
I'ontract  was  made  with  the  Gamewell  Com])anv 
for  a  new  equipment,  including  a  complete 
exchange,  for  $62,500.  It  called  for  120  new 
boxes,  and  the  remodeling  of  104  old  oiks. 
This  equipment  is  now  in  use.  the  number  of 
boxes  being  increased  from  time  to  time  until 
now  there  are  in  all  289  boxes.  Of  these  160 
are  fitted  with  the  "Smith  glass  front";  i.  e.. 
they  have  the  key  in  the  box  under  a  glass 
cover  which  is  to  he  broken  in  case  it  is  de- 
sired to  send  in  an  alarm.  For  the  others 
the  keys  are  kept  in  the  most  convenient 
neighboring  houses.  It  is  astonishing  how 
many  people  are  unable  to  send  in  a  fire  alarm, 
and  in  their  excitetnent  fail  to  notice  the  direc- 
tions which  are  printed  in  hirae  letters  in  the 
box.  There  have  been  repeated  cases  m-Ium-o 
pcojile  thought   thev  had   <i'\)\    in   the  alnnn   liv 


HISTORY   OF  GIJHATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


289 


opening  tlic  door  of  the  box.  without  pullin;; 
down  the  hook.  The  new  signals  are  non- 
interfering,  i.  e.,  if  a  second  signal  is  sent 
in  wliile  one  is  still  coming,  the  second  is 
held  back  until  the  first  is  conLj)lete(l.  .\ 
second  alarm  is  sent  in  by  sounding  two  strokes, 
with  the  box  number.  A  second  two  strokes 
with  the  box  number,  is  the  third  alarm.  The 
citv  is  divided  into  districts,  and  only  the  com- 
panies in  a  district  run  to  a  first  alarm  from 
that  district.  Additional  ones  come  at  the 
second  and  third  alarms,  and  three  successive 
two-strokes  call  out  the  reserve.  At  a  second 
alarm  the  assistant  chief  goes  to  headquarters 
and  takes  charge  of  the  reserve  force,  which 
is  directed  by  telephone,  and  is  brought  from 
the  suburbs  to  more  central  houses,  where  it 
will  be  available  for  the  protection  of  larger 
territory  in  case  of  another  fire. 

In  addition  to  the  electric  alarm  sys- 
tem, the  watch  tower  system  has  been 
maintained,  but  in  April,  1882,  the 
tower  of  the  Court  House  was  secured 
as  a  ))lace  for  observation  instead  of  the 
old  one.  The  fii'st  watchnum  there  was  on  duty 
only  at  night,  but  his  work  was  found  so 
valuable  that  a  da\  watch  was  instituted,  with 
three  shifts  of  I'ight  hours  each.  The  watch- 
men are  supplied  with  strong  field-glasses  with 
which  they  scan  the  city,  and  usually  locate 
fires  and  send  in  the  alarm  ))efore  it  is  sent 
in  from  a  box.  Repeatedly  the  firemen  have 
appeared  on  premises  to  fight  a  fire  before  the 
inmates  knew  there  was  oiU'.  The  ]irivate 
watchman  at  the  Van  Camp  Packing  Ifousr 
was  on  duty  when  the  fire  occurred  there,  but 
admitted  that  he  did  not  know  of  it  till  the 
tower  man  sent  in  the  alarm.  On  one  occasion 
the  attention  of  the  tower  man  was  called  to 
a  bright  light  issuing  from  a  ])artly  curtained 
windoAv  on  the  fourth  floor  of  a  idock  on 
Delaware  street,  nortli  of  Washington.  Closrr 
inspection  revealed  some  men  |iouring  nirial 
into  molds.  Hi'  (elephoned  his  suspicion  of 
counterfeiters  to  iiolice  head(|uarters,  but  a 
raid  was  not  made  promptly,  and  when  the  po- 
lice arrived  the  birds  had  flown;  but  they  left 
ample  evidences  of  their  nefarious  work'. 

In  addition  to  the  fire  signals,  the  alarm 
pongs  siriki'  12  strokes  at  noon,  and  oiu'  at 
7  p.  m.  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  the  de- 
partment horses  learn  to  distinguish  these 
froTii  ahii-iii~.  They  usually  give  evideiu-e  of 
Vol.  I— i!i 


anticipation  as  the  noon  hour  approaches,  and 
when  ilie  gong  sounds  run  out  wan  none  of  the 
excitement  displayed  when  an  alarm  comes  in. 
'J'hey  are  hitclied,  and  after  standing  quietly 
for  five  minutes  are  returued  to  their  stalls. 
When  an  alarm  conies  they  are  all  alive.  The 
harness  is  hung  above  the  places  where  they 
stand  for  hitching.  At  the  first  tai)  of  the 
bell  the  doors  of  their  stalls  open  automatically; 
they  hasten  to  their  places ;  the  harness  drops 
on  their  back;  the  men  snap  their  collars,  and 
the  lines  to  the  bits;  the  driver  mounts  his 
scat;  the  doors  swing  open,  and  away  they  go 
in  less  than  twenty  seconds.  'I'hc  training 
makes  the  horses  almost  as  much  firemen  as 
the  men.  There  are  now  121  horses  in  the 
department.  They  are  purchased  at  about  five 
years  old  and  are  given  close  caie  from  the 
first.  Large  horses  are  used  for  the  engines 
and  trucks,  some  weighing  as  much  as  l.fidO 
pounds,  but  for  the  hose  wagons  and  lighter 
work  ],300  pounds  is  near  the  maximum. 

.\s  stated,  Joseph  W.  Davis  was  made 
Chief  Fire  Engineer  at  the  organization 
of  the  paid  dej)artment.  and  he  con- 
liiiued  in  ottiee  until  18(vi,  when  Charles 
IJichmann  succeeded  him.  Rich  maim  served 
until  1867,  when  (ieorge  W.  Buclianau 
took  the  office  for  a  year,  giving  |)lace  to 
]{ichmann  again  in  1868.  Richmann  then  held 
till  1870,  when  Daniel  Glazier  was  elected, 
and  after  his  death  on  March  11,  187;?,  Rich- 
mann was  again  made  chief  until  1874.  In 
that  year  the  Democrats  elected  the  city  coun- 
cil, and,  the  office  being  then  a  political  one, 
.Michael  (J.  Fitchey  was  made  chief.  Two 
years  later  the  political  whirligig  ])ut  W.  O. 
Sherwood  in  his  place.  Sherwood  held  for  two 
years,  and  was  followed  by  John  G.  Pender- 
gast.  the  first  chief  who  had  not  seen  service 
in  either  volunteer  or  paid  department.  How- 
ever, be  made  a  very  good  chief,  and  held  the 
position  for  four  years,  when  he  was  suect'cded 
iiy  Joseph  Webster.  Webster  served  from  1882 
to  1888,  and  after  an  interim  of  two  years  in 
which  Frank  \j.  Daugherty  was  chief,  he  was 
recalled  in  1891.  On  the  adoption  of  the  new 
charter  the  head  of  the  de])artiuent  became 
known  as  Chief  of  the  Fire  Force,  and  Webster 
was  installed  in  this  office  on  March  6.  1891. 
He  continued  until  Xovember  18.  1896.  when 
Thomas  F.  Barn'tt  took  his  |)lace.  under  tlie 
administration  of  Ma\(U'  Tai;i::irt.     There  were 


iW) 


HISTORY  OF  GREA'I'Ki;    INDIANAPOLIS. 


o 


z 

S 
E- 
« 
< 

a 

Q 

a 


IIISTOKY  OF  GEEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


ayi 


^■liargc;  tliat  tliu  changL'  was  politiial.  hut  Mavur 
Ta;ji;art  insisted  that  it  was  t'ssciitial  to  tho 
disfipline  of  the  departiiicnt.  aiM  t.i 
generally  concetled.-  Barrett  held  the  otlice 
until  November  14.  1!K)1,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded hy  Charles  K.  Coots,  the  |)re3ent  etfi- 
cient  ehief.  Under  the  charter  the  department 
is  retpiired  to  be  non-partisan,  or  rather  bi- 
partisan, the  men  being  equally  divided  be- 
tween the  Re]nd)lican  and  Democratic  parties. 
The  Bowen- Merrill  lire  disaster  was  largely 
the  cause  of  a  jjublic  sentiment  for  a  firemen's 
pension  fund,  and  the  legislature  of  1S91 
passed  a  law  taxing  foreign  insurance  com- 
panies one  per  cent  on  gross  receijjts  in  In- 
diana foi-  the  benefit  of  paid  fire  departments. 
This  law  was  contested,  and  held  unconstitu- 
tional l)V  the  Supri'nie  Court,  but  before  the 
decision  one  assessment  had  been  paitl.  and 
it  was  allowed  to  remain  in  the  Indianapolis 
fund,  the  amount  being  .$1,33.5.1.5.  The  first 
board  of  trustees  of  the  fund  organized  on 
June  1,  1891,  composed  of  Sterling  R.  Holt, 
W.  A.  Sullivan  and  R.  F.  Cattersen,  then 
members  of  tlie  Board  of  Safety,  and  Thomas 
Barrett,  A\'illiam  Tobin.  William  Ilinesley.  and 
Eb.  Leach  of  the  fire  force.  Voluntary  sub- 
scrijitions  and  a  fireman's  ball,  brought  the 
fund  np  to  $3..5.53..59  on  January  1,  18i)2.  and 
it  has  been  growing  steadily  ever  since.  Jn 
1S0«  a  tax  of  one-half  cent  on  $100  on  city 
|ii'o|)ertv  was  added,  and  has  since  been  levied. 


-Xiirs.   November  IG,   1896. 


The  jiroceeds,  aside  from  benefits  paid,  have 
been  invested  in  interest  Ijcaring  bonds.  On 
Januarv  1,  1909,  the  fund  was  composed  of 
cash  .$3,256.5;  and  bonds  $84,295.88,  a  total 
of  $87,352.45.  At  that  date  there  were  62 
beneficiaries,  widows,  orphans  and  disabled  and 
and  retired  firemen,  who  were  receiving 
$1.5o6  monthly  in  benefits  from  this  fund. 

There  has  been  a  steady  growth  in  the  rec- 
ognition of  the  fact  that  "an  ounce  of  ])reven- 
tion  is  worth  a  pound  of  cure''  in  fire  pro- 
tection, though  the  city  is  still  neglecting  pre- 
cautions that  are  called  for  by  prudence.  In 
1904  a  quite  elaborate  and  rigid  building  or- 
dinance was  adopted,  with  general  approval. 
It  fixed  the  fire  limits,  loo.sely  speaking,  be- 
tween St.  Clair  street  on  the  north,  McCarty 
street  oit  the  south ;  Shelby  street  and  the 
tracks  on  the  east,  and  Blake  street  and  the 
river  on  the  west.  Within  these  limits  no  new 
frame  structures  were  to  be  allowed.  Four 
months  later,  however,  this  requirement  was 
quietly  changed,  and  on  October  18,  1904,  an 
ordinance  was  passed  permitting  frame  dwell- 
ings outside  of  tlie  mile  square.  In  a  gen- 
eral wav  till'  provisions  for  buililing  inspecticni 
are  fairly  good,  and  are  |>retty  well  enforced. 
Not  so  much  can  be  said  about  the  require- 
ments for  the  removal  of  rubbish,  and  combust- 
ible and  explosive  matei'ials.  In  this,  how- 
ever, there  comes  aid  from  the  inspection  l)u- 
reau  maintained  by  the  insurance  companies, 
for  it  promptly  raises  insurance  rates  on  risks 
pronounced    dangerous. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


A  POLITICAL  EPOCH. 


There  was  never  a  political  event  that 
caused  a  greater  sensation  in  Indianapolis 
than  the  tally-sheet  forgeries  in  November, 
1886 ;  not  that  political  fraud,  even  of  so  ag- 
srravated  a  character  as  that,  had  been  un- 
known, but  because  of  the  boldness  of  the 
performance  and  the  still  more  unusual  de- 
termination that  was  shown  to  punish  it. 
The  truth  is  that  Indiana  had  been  reduced 
to  a  pitiable  condition  of  political  corruption 
by  the  fact  that  it  was  ""a  pivotal  state,'"  and 
both  the  great  parties  had  been  exhausting 
the  resources  of  political  depravity  to  carry 
it.  In  I\Iay,  1886,  just  six  mouths  before 
this  event,  Wm.  P.  Fishbaek  delivered  "A 
Plea  for  Honest  Elections"  before  the  stu- 
dents of  Indiana  University  in  which  he 
dealt  very  plainly  with  the  situation.  It 
caused  much  comment  then  and  afterwards, 
but,  as  was  well  known  by  everybody  con- 
nected intimately  with  politics,  it  did  not 
exaggerate  the  evil  in  the  slightest.  He  re- 
ferred to  the  campaign  of  1876,  when  a  dis- 
patch, from  the  Democratic  National  Chair- 
man, ]\rr.  Barnum,  was  intercepted,  authoriz- 
ing the  purchase  of  "seven  more  mules"  on 
account  of  the  Democratic  National  Com- 
mittee; and  added:  "While  the  mule  busi- 
ness was  active,  the  telegraph  wires  were  kejjt 
warm  with  messages  from  Republicans  in 
the  East  to  Republicans  in  Indianapolis  con- 
cerning certain  mythical  Indian  agents, 
which  agents,  whatever  else  they  may  have 
done,  iTDJenished  the  Republican  excheq- 
uer." 

He  th(>n  passed  to  the  campaign  of  1880, 
when  Chairman  Barnum.  of  the  Democratic 
National  Committee,  and  Chaii'man  Dorsey, 
of  the  b'l'publican  National  Committee,  came 
to    Indiana    in    person    to   supervise   "the  or- 


ganization of  the  state."  and  spent  "■snnu'- 
thiug  over  a  half  million  dollars"  in  the  ef- 
fort. They  were  business  partners  outside  of 
])olitics,  Barniun  being  president  and  Dorsey 
secretary  of  the  Bull-Domingo  Mining  Com- 
panj',  and  were  familiar  with  underground 
workings.  Says  Fishbaek:  "What  was  ^Ir. 
Barnum,  the  representative  of  the  great 
Democratic  Reform  party,  what  was  ilr. 
Dorsey,  representing  the  party  of  reminis- 
cences and  great  moral  ideas,  doing  in  In- 
diana, with  their  money  bags  >  *  *  *  j^et 
us  not  blink  matters.  l)ut  speak  the  truth. 
We  Imow  to  a  moral  certainty  that  these 
gentlemen,  Barnum  and  Doreey,  were  the 
custodians  and  distribut(U's  of  large  sums  of 
money,  which  were  used,  and  intended  to  be 
used,  to  promote  illegal  voting,  the  bribery  of 
electors,  and  other  election  frauds.  And  it 
is  a  matter  of  indift'erence  whether  the  money 
u.sed  was  the  'cri.sp,  uncut  bank  bills  fresh 
from  the  treasury'  described  by  Mr.  English, 
or  the  greasy,  ragged  currency  contributed 
by  the  hungry  otfiee-seekers  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  No  reputable  Democrat  or 
Republican  pretends  that  these  vast  sums  of 
money  v>ere  necessary  to  be  used,  or  were 
in  fact  used,  for  the  purposes  of  legitimate 
political  warfare.  It  was  an  organized  as- 
sault upon  the  riglit  of  suffrage,  counte- 
nanced, I  am  sorry  to  believe,  if  not  ap- 
proved, by  party  leaders  of  both  parties,  who, 
in  the  midst  of  excitement,  connived  at  trans- 
actions from  which,  in  (juieter  times,  an 
honorable  man  instinctively  recoils.  From 
Barnum  and  Dorsey,  down  through  the  wliole 
gamut  of  lesser  scoundrels,  to  the  poor  devil 
who  sat  on  the  fence  till  five  miinites  before 
six  o'clock  p.  m..  and  then  sold  his  vote  for 
a  dciHai'  oi'  a  drink  of  whiskv  —  all  who  were 


292 


HISTORY  OF  GRKATKi;    I  \'T)[A\.\  I'ol.lS. 


29S 


'ii'.'a.i.'ed  in  the  disgraceful  business  deserved 
tlif  penitentiary. 

"If  Nathaniel  Hawthorne's  magic  bugle 
were  to  suninioii  into  line  — clothed  in  proper 
raiment  of  horizontal  stripes— all  the  rascals 
who  bribed  votei's.  or  who  took  bribes  for 
their  votes,  who  corini)ted  election  officers. 
or  falsified  election  i-eturns,  who  swore  in 
illegal  votes,  who  colonized  votei-s,  who  voted 
twiee.  or  voted  double  tickets,  who  tampered 
with  ballots  after  they  were  east,  who  con- 
sorted with  or  encouraged  repeaters  and  bal- 
lot-bo.\  stuffeis.  oi-  who  were  accessory  to 
thcii-  escape  fi-oni  tiie  just  penalties  of  the 
violated  law,  it  would  be,  I  fear,  a  large  pro- 
cession, in  which  we  should  sec  both  parties 
represented,  and  in  which  we  might  discover 
men  of  good  iM^pute.  as  the  phrase  goes,  and 
some  who  ha\c  had  miuI  now  have  official 
preferment  mainly  because  they  had  earned 
a  place  in  that  pi'ocession.""  This  is  a  some- 
what repulsive  picture,  but  it  has  the  essen- 
tial  f-^-atures  of  a  photograph. 

The  year  liSSd  was  an  ■"off  year" — no 
presidential  election  — and  the  elections  of 
that  .vear  were  managed  by  local  talent,  edu- 
cated in  this  school.  The  Democi'atic  Chair- 
man of  Clarion  County  was  Sim  Coy.  lie 
was  a  i-eal  chaii-num- an  unilis|)utcd  boss—  > 
and  to  understand  the  events  of  the  .vear  it 
is  necessary  to  understand  Sim  Coy,  who 
was  one  of  the  most  unitpie  characters  known 
to  Indianapolis.  lie  was  conunonl.v  reputed 
to  be  the  natiu'al  son  of  a  rather  prominent 
man.  of  more  than  average  mental  ability. 
and  had  the  lack  of  moral  training  incident 
t«  such  a  condition.  In  his  book.  "The  (ii'cal 
Conspirac.v,"  which  is  well  worth  reading 
by  every  student  of  social  science,  will  bi> 
found  uinri'  punyent  philosophic  and  even 
nioi'al  obsiTvations  than  in  the  proihK-lioiis  of 
the  averau'f  Indiana  author:  and  among  them 
nothing  more  striking  than  this  comment  on 
a  convict  ac(iuaiiitance  in  the  penitentiary: 
"I  ask  myself  if  tin-  law  does  not  deal 
harshly  man.v  times  with  those  who  go  astray. 
Wliat  do  any  of  us  know  of  the  temptations 
that  must  bes(>t  sncli  a  man,  and  how  can 
any  of  us  gauge  or  undeistand  the  iiiHuences 
that  drive  him  into  the  tribe  of  Ishnuiel  ?  Is 
tliiM-e.  lifter  all.  a  Fate  that  marks  out  the 
path   iMch    human   soul    iiinsi    travel  and   out 


of  which  no  human  pnwer  nr  mortal  will  can 
turn  him?"' 

Do   not   mistake   this   for  an    apology   for 
himself.     Sim  Coy  was  not  an  apologist,  and 
it  is  not  probable  that  he  ever  contem()lated 
himself  for  a  moment  as  a  ci'iminal.     He  de- 
rived  his  moral   standard  from   his  observa- 
tion of  the  doings  of  his  fellow  men,  and  con- 
sequently it  was  not  high ;  but  he  had  a  moral 
standard,  and  he  lived  up  to  it  with  a  firhi- 
ness  that  might  put  many  men  of  better  op- 
poi'tunities   to   the   blush.     For  example,   he 
says:     "I  was  never  addicted  to  driidiing  to 
an  extent  calculated  to  alarm  either  myself 
or  my  friends;  but  fi-om  the  time  I  became 
closely    identified    with    political    matters    I 
have  never  permitted  a  drop  of  intoxicating 
lit) nor  to  pass  my  lips.  This  may  seem  strange 
to   many   of   my    readers   who   know   of    ni.v 
connection  with  the  liquor  business.     But  as 
I  have  said  in  the  introductory  pages  of  tliis 
book.  I  generally  had  a  policy  to  guide  me. 
and  always  hewed   to  the   line.      Jly  reasons 
for  not  drinking  intoxicating  liquors  nuiy  be 
summed  up  as  follows:     In  the  various  offi- 
cial positions  I  have  held,  I  necessaril.v  came 
in    contact    with    men   of   various   avocations 
and   callings,   and   I   doubt  if  it  is  an  over- 
estinuite   to   say   that    there   have   been    occa- 
si(^ns  when,  during  a  da.v,  I  have  been  invited 
to  drink  a  huntlred  times.     To  have  complied 
with  sucli  requests  would  have  soon  and   in- 
evitably   i-educed    me    to    a    physical    wreck. 
Had  I  accepted  of  one  invitation,  I  could  not 
have  declined  others  without  giving  offense, 
and  I  therefore  refused  all.     I  belong  to  that 
class  of  nu'n  who  concede  to  others  the  right 
to  act  as  their  .indunicnt  dictates,  as  long  as 
they  keep  within  the  bounds  of  decency,  and 
do  not  interfere  with  the  riiihts  nf  dthers.     A 
jx'i-son  may  be  a  glutton,  anil  by  over-eating 
make  himself  the  victim  of  ills  .scarcely  less 
repulsive  than  those  which  result  from  di'iidv- 
ing:  and  hence   my   motto   is:    R«>  temperate 
in  all  things,  in  (wdcr  to  be  healthy  and  h'ad 
a  successful  life. '"  - 

Coy  entei-ed  the  enq)loy  of  the  Shaw  Car- 
riaue  AVorks  in  IStiti,  as  an  apprentice  in  the 
painter's  trade.  ;it  the  age  of  fifteen.  .\t  the 
age  of  twenty-four  he  left  it  and  went   into 


'77(c  Great  Couspiracy.  p.  188. 
"The  Great  Couxpinn  i/.  \i.  '2'iO. 


294 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAP0LT8. 


the  saloon  business,  in  partnership  witli  T.  C. 
Redding,  superintendent  of  the  Shaw  plant, 
remainintr  in  it  thi-ouyh  the  rest  of  his  life. 
He  says;  "A  man  ou»-ht  always  to  be  ready 
to  give  a  reason  foi'  his  choice  of  callings. 
Some  say  selling  liquor  is  disreputable  :  if  that 
is  true,  the  laws  of  Indiana  are  disreputable, 
and  consequently,  the  men  who  made  the 
laws  are  disreputable.  If  the  man  who  sells 
liquor  is  disreputable,  the  man  who  makes 
liquor  must  also  be  dishonorable,  and  the 
man  who  drinks  li(|uor  belongs  to  the  same 
class.  There  is  no  way  that  I'  know  of  for 
the  people  of  the  state,  their  representatives 
the  law-makers,  the  men  who  distill  and 
brew,  make  wine  and  cider,  those  who  sell  — 
wholesale  and  retail,  and  the  men  who  drink, 
to  escape  the  same  verdict,  unless  the  court 
that  tries  the  case  is  so  warped  and  pre.ju- 
diced,  so  mean  and  contemptible,  as  to  punish 
a  foe  and  let  a  friend  escape,"  ^ 

Coy  went  into  politics  early,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  Democratic  County  Commit- 
tee at  twenty-one.  In  1881  he  was  nominalcl 
for  the  city  council  from  the  EighteiM'tii 
ward,  then  normally  over  200  Republicai'. 
He  was  elected  and  repeatedly  re-elected,  in 
spite  of  all  etT'oits  to  defeat  him.  The  reason 
was  that  he  looked  after  the  interests  of  his 
constituents.  Xo  matter  whether  the  city 
had  a  Republican  or  a  Democratic  adminis- 
tration, no  ward  fared  better  than  the  Eight- 
eenth in  the  cai'e  of  streets  and  other  public 
work.  Moreover  he  was  wise.  He  says : 
"There  are  many  men  who  ruin  themselves 
politically  by  making  promises  which  they 
find  themselves  unable  to  fulfill :  while  others 
make  promises  which  they  never  intend  to 
comply  with:  in  either  case  such  men  ruin 
themselves  and  in.jure  their  party.  A  man 
should  never  make  a  promise  to  one  of  his 
constituents,  no  matter  how  humble  he  may 
be,  unless  he  intends  to  faithfully  carry  it 
out.  and  my  expeiience  is  there  are  few  men 
who  can  hold  tlie  party  workers  in  line  who 
violate  their  pledges.  The  political  field  is 
no  place  for  a  timid  man,  and  the  person  who 
is  thin-skinned  had  better  never  enter  the 
arena  of  politics."  To  these  extracts  I  would 
add  an  observation  he  once  made  to  me: 
■'Xev^r  Tnake   a   jxilitical   enemy  if  you   can 


■77/f  Grrnt  Cons!>iriicif.  ]i.  10. 


help  it.  You  will  have  all  you  can  take  can- 
of  without  trying.  If  I  hear  of  a  man  that 
is  sore  on  me,  I  always  look  around  and  see 
if  I  can  do  him  a  favor,  and  get  him  right." 

My  knowledge  of  the  man  leads  me  to  pio- 
nounce  the.se  extracts  frank  and  truthful 
expressions  of  his  real  views,  polished  gram- 
matically and  rhetorically  by  some  friendly 
hand.  And  they  give  the  key  to  his  char- 
acter. He  had  no  scruples  about  political 
crookedness.  That  was  a  part  of  "the  game." 
as  played  by  nine-tenths  of  those  in  it:  and 
the  man  who  did  not  take  any  kind  of  politi- 
cal advantage  when  he  had  opportunity  was 
not  only  a  "chump,"  but  was  not  "playing 
the  game."  Coy  ditt'ered  from  most  of  the 
othei-s  in  his  frankness.  He  did  not  thiidj  it 
was  worth  lying  about.  And  frankness  was 
more  common  then.  It  was  not  luiusual  to 
hear  a  party  worker  offer  as  the  supreme 
proof  of  his  party  loyalty  that  he  had  "'I'lsked 
the  penitentiary"  for  his  jiarty.  And  theiv 
was  a  fellowship  between  the  rascals  of  op- 
posite parties,  outside  of  politics.  They 
hunted  together  between  times,  and  they 
helped  each  otlier  out  in  case  of  little  trou- 
bles like  indictments.  T'sually  after  a  warm 
camjiaign  thei-e  were  several  arrests,  and 
sometimes  indictments,  but  there  was  always 
an  "exchange  of  prisoners,"  except  in  one 
ca.se  where  a  colored  man  was  by  some  mis- 
chance convicted  and  punished  for  violating 
the  election  law.  But  with  his  loose  i  leas  in 
this  respect  and  others.  Sim  Coy  was  straight 
in  some  things.  It  was  imiversally  conceded 
that  if  he  wei-e  given  money  to  ""buy  a 
crowd,"  he  either  accomidished  the  result  or 
i-eturned  the  money.  If  he  said  he  would 
do  a  thing  you  could  count  on  him.  His  most 
supreme  contempt  was  for  the  man  '"who 
wouldn't  stay  bought  when  he  was  Iwught." 

In  the  election  of  1884  the  Democrats  for 
the  first  time  in  thirtv  years  elected  a  ma- 
joi'ity  of  the  county  commissioners,  and  this 
boai'd,  composed  of  Albei't  Sahn  and  AV.  O. 
Reveal,  Democrats,  and  AV,  R,  Clinton,  Re- 
publican, institnted  a  reform  in  the  conduct 
of  the  county  business  that  was  highly  satis- 
factory to  tax-payers  generally.  In  1886 
there  was  a  hotly  contested  campaign,  and  it 
was  ap]iarent  from  the  informal  returns  that 
the  Democrats  had  elected  all  the  county 
officers  except  the  judge  of  the  ci'iuiinal  court 


iiisi-(m;v  of  (;i;i-:a'1'i:i!  lxdia.xai'olis. 


2!).> 


ami  the  coroner.  That  year  the  Democrats 
had  the  ai)pointineiit  of  the  eh'ctiou  inspec- 
tors, tlie  election  hoard  in  each  |)i-cciiict  lic- 
inf:  composed  of  the  inspector  with  one  judjie 
and  one  clerk  from  each  of  the  two  leadintr 
parties.  The  eaiivassinp  hoard  was  composed 
of  the  inspectors  from  all  the  precincts,  a 
jiidtre  acting'  in  the  ahsence  of  the  inspectoi-. 
Eaeh  election  board  was  required  to  make  out 
two  poll  books  and  two  tally  sheets,  certified 
by  the  members.  One  of  these  was  re(|uinMl 
to  be  securely  sealed  in  a  bap-  and  returned  to 
the  clerk's  office  by  the  inspector,  not  later 
than  the  sueceedintj  Thursday.  The  other 
set  of  papers,  commonly  called  "the  (Uitside 
papers."  was  to  be  taken  by  the  inspector,  or. 
if  he  could  not  serve,  by  one  of  the  .iudires 
"selected  by  the  board  of  .judiics. "'  and 
brou;:ht  to  the  canvassini;'  board  on  the  suc- 
ceeding Thurstlay  for  the  canvass  of  the 
votes.  Considerable  excitement  was  caused 
by  a  circulai-  letter  sent  out  by  General  Cai-- 
nahan,  the  Republican  chairman,  on  the  nisrlit 
befor?  the  election,  instructing  the  Kepubli- 
ean  .iudpres  to  demand  the  custody  of  "the 
outside  papers.'"  They  had  no  riiilit  to  tlicm. 
but  in  six  cases  they  succeeded  in  yvttini: 
possession.  The  Denioci'ats  naturally  as- 
sumed that  this  was  a  scheme  to  fret  control 
of  the  canvassing  board,  and  promptly  took 
steps  to  head  it  oif,  which  were  successful. 

The  canva.ssinir  boai'd  met  on  November  4. 
am]  was  oi'sanized  by  the  Democrats,  \V.  V. 
A.  Hernhamei-.  an  inspector  of  the  Twenty- 
seeond  ward,  beinir  elected  (diairnuiu.  The 
canvass  proceeded  with  the  usiud  minor 
squabblinir  until  the  Second  precinct  of  the 
Thirte(>ntli  ward.  Allen  Hisey  inspector,  was 
reached.  The  tally-sheet  showed  Iti  votes 
less  for  Irwin,  the  Republican  candidate  for 
criminal  jiidfie,  than  the  informal  returns. 
and  the  tally-sheet  showed  thiit  Ifi  votes  hail 
been  erased  and  a  like  number  added  to  the 
vote  of  Albert  F.  Ayei's,  the  Democratic  can- 
didate. Protests  were  made,  and  a  demand 
that  the  duplicate  returns  in  the  clerk's  office 
he  sent  for.  but  this  was  ruled  out  of  order, 
on  the  firound  that  the  canvass  had  to  be 
made  from  "the  outside  |)a|)ers. "  As  the 
count  proceeded,  siiidlar  chani;es  were  found, 
and  some  in  which  acids  had  eviih'utly  been 
Used  to  i-emove  the  oi-iudnal  fiirui-es.  in  tln' 
S nd    ])recinet    oT   the    l-'(inrtli    wmi-iI.    .biliii 


Counselman  inspector;  Fii-st  precinct  of  the 
Seventeenth  ward,  Anili-ew  Odder  inspector; 
S<'cond  precinct  of  the  Eijjhteenth  ward, 
.John  Edwards  inspector;  First  precinct  of 
the  Twenty-third  ward,  Lorenz  Schnndt  in- 
spector; Third  precinct  of  the  Thirteenth 
ward,  Stephen  Mattler  inspector;  jirecinct  6 
i  lielmont)  Center  township,  Joel  H.  Baker 
inspector.  The  total  of  the  changes  was 
iiiough  to  elect  Albert  F.  Ayers  criminal 
judge,  and  Fraidv  A.  Morrison  coroner.  As 
the  canvass  proceeded  the  excitement  grew 
moi-e  intense,  and  the  protests  more  vehe- 
ment. Mr.  Lorenz  Schmidt,  Democratic  in- 
spector of  the  Fii'st  precinct  of  the  Twenty- 
Ihii'd  waid.  .joined  in  the  protest  and  de- 
mand for  the  duplicate  papers,  saying  that 
the  returns  fi'om  his  j)recinct  had  been 
<dianged  while  out  of  his  hands,  but  no  lieed 
was  paid,  and.  early  on  Friday  morning  the 
returns  were  made  up  and  certitied  as  shown 
by  the  mutilated  tally-sheets. 

There  was  a  general  rise  of  tempei-ature 
in  the  local  political  atmosphere  on  that  No- 
veudier  5.  In  the  afternoon  the  Democrats 
held  a  meetini;-  at  the  Supreme  Court  room, 
;in(l  appointed  a  conuiiittee  of  safety,  to  pre- 
vent the  Republicans  from  stealing  the  ne.\t 
legislature;  and  the  action  was  timel.v.  In 
the  evening  a  citizens'  meeting  was  held  in 
Superior  Coui't  room  \o.  2,  to  consider  the 
more  pressing  tally-sheet  fraiids.  It  ap- 
pointed a  sub-committee  composed  of  (ien. 
•  lolin  Coburn,  (!eo.  B.  Wright  and  W,  P. 
l''ishback'.  Rei)\ddicans.  and  William  IltMider- 
son  and  A.  li.  Conduitt.  Democrats,  to  name 
a  committee  of  one  hundred,  who  .should  take 
the  mattei'  in  charge.  The  list  of  appointees 
was  announced  on  November  8,  nearly  one- 
half  of  them  being  at  least  noiinnal  Demo- 
crats, but  not  all  of  v.hom  served.  But  more 
to  the  point.  Judge  W.  A.  Woods,  of  the 
r.  S.  District  Court,  called  in  the  grand  .jury 
on  the  afternoon  of  Novendier  o,  and  in- 
structed them  to  investigate  the  violation  of 
law  "at  an  election  at  which  a  representa- 
tive in  congi-ess  is  to  he  voted  foi-. '"  On  No- 
vember 8  this  was  followed  b.y  a  subpa?na  to 
County  Clei-k  ^IcI^ain  to  appear  before  the 
urand  .jni'v  and  to  l)i-ing  with  him  all  the 
ballots,  poll-books,  tally-sheets  and  other  elec- 
tion ])apei-s  involved,  which  w<'re  Ihencet'orth 
placed   in  eustody  of  the   federal  court. 


296 


UlSTdKY  OF  GREATER  IXDIANAPOLIS. 


Tliis  ste|>  raise<l  liiiili  hupcs  aiiioni;  tln^ 
friends  of  prosecution,  and  on  November  8, 
1886,  the  Journal  published  its  "When  I  am 
done  I  am  did"  cartoon  t)f  Coy,  which  was 
probalily  tlie  most  hnnidrous  effort  of  its  U)nK 
existence.  Tliese  words  liad  lieen  used  by 
Coy  in  response  to  a  leqiiest  for  an  inter- 
view  on    an    election    in    whicli    his   side   liad 


"j=A: 


•WHEN    I    AM    DONE    1    AM    DID." 
(Journal   cartoon   of  November  8,   18S6.) 

been  beaten,  indicatinj;-  that  he  had  no  time 
for  post  mortem  contests.  But  the  federal 
grand  .jury  after  three  weeks'  investi^^ation 
of  tlie  case,  reported  on  Decembei'  4  that  the 
evidence  did  not  warrant  an  indictment; 
whercui)on  Jndue  Woods  reprimanded  ;ind 
discharged  them.  <  >ii  December  7  Dr.  'i'heo- 
dore  A.  Watrner.  the  i^epubliean  candidate 
for  coroner,  filed  an  infoi-mation  before  U.  S. 
Commi.ssioner  \'an  Hnren.  charwini;-  election 
fran<ls  ))y  Simeon  Coy.  \Vm.  V.  A.  Bern- 
hamer,  TIenrv  Spaan   and   .lolni   II.   Coniisel- 


man.  The  parties  i;ave  bond  antl  the  exam- 
ination began  December  \A.  On  December 
IS  Samuel  E.  Perkins  was  subpcenaed  to 
testify,  but  refu.sed  to  do  so,  The  matter 
was  brought  before  Judge  Woods,  who  ruled 
that  he  must  testify.  On  December  21  he 
Muain  refused,  and  was  conunitted  to  jail  for 
three  months  for  contemjit.  On  December  21 
a  petition  for  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus  was 
made  to  Judge  Woods,  who  refused  it.  Ap- 
peal was  then  taken  to  Judge  Gresham,  of 
the  Circuit  Court,  who  on  February  28,  1887, 
decided  that  Perkins  was  not  in  contempt  be- 
ran.se  the  United  States  courts  had  no  juris- 
diction of  the  case. 

The  active  prosecution  of  the  cases  was  by 
( 'ol.  Eli  F.  Ritter,  who  had  been  employed  by 
the  Committee  of  One  Hundred.  The  U.  S. 
District  Attorney  was  David  Turpie,  and  he 
uave  Ritter  full  swing,  tendering  assistance 
if  desired:  and  saying  that  "in  case  of  viola- 
tion of  the  law  he  knew  no  politics;  a  crim- 
inal was  a  criminal."  On  ]\Iarch  9,  1887,  the 
<  'ommittee  of  One  Hundred  had  another 
Mieeting  and  decided  to  go  on  with  the  cases 
in  the  state  courts.  On  December  1,  1886, 
Wm.  Irvin  had  brought  suit  against  Albert 
V.  Ayers,  for  possession  of  the  office  of  crim- 
inal judge,  before  Judge  D.  W.  Howe  of  the 
Superior  Court.  A  recount  was  agreed  on 
and  it  resulted  in  the  election  of  Irvin  for 
judge,  and  Wagner  for  coroner,  by  small  ma- 
jorities. Judge  Irvin  was  on  the  bench  at 
the  March  term,  1887,  and  Major  James  L. 
Mitchell,  the  Democratic  prosecuting  attor- 
ney, gave  ]\Ir.  Ritter  the  same  opportunity 
lor  piLshing  the  cases  that  Judge  Turpie  had. 
The  grand  jury  examined  the  case  through 
the  March  term,  but  found  no  indictment. 

But  now  came  a  change.  Perkins  became 
alarmed,  and  on  ]\Iarch  29  entered  into  a 
wi'itten  agreement  with  the  prosecution  that 
he  would  testify  that  he  altered  the  tally- 
sheets  from  the  Second  precinct  of  the  Thir- 
teenth ward,  at  the  recpiest  of  Coy;  and  ^Fa- 
ior  ^litchell  and  ^Ir.  Ritter  agreed  that  if  he 
did  so  he  should  not  be  prosecuted.  The 
reason  of  this  change  was  that  Allen  Hisey, 
inspector  in  Perkins'  precinct,  had  testified 
to  the  grand  jury  that  he  let  Perkins  have 
I'is  returns  and  that  they  were  in  good  order 
.■it  the  time  but  nuitilatcd  when  they  were 
ii'turned.       Kittei'.    who    considered    Perkins 


llIS'I'()i;v    OF  ClIKATEll  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


297 


simply  :i  tool,  uot  pcniiission  to  ott'ci-  him  iiii- 
I'.itiiiity  if  he  woiihl  talk,  aud  t'oufronted  him 
with  Hi.sey's  testimony  and  the  ap])areut  fact 
that  he  was  j;etting  into  tlie  position  of  a 
scapeiToat:  also  sii^irestini;-  that  they  did  not 
want  him,  but  Coy.  After  eonsultation  witli 
friends,  e.speeially  with  his  relative.  Osear  B. 
Iloi-d,  Perkins  atireetl  to  testify.  'I'he  agree- 
ment was  put  in  writini;',  aud  is  eorreetly 
given  by  Coy  in  liis  book.*  It  sets  out  the 
evidence  to  be  i;iven,  and  that  evidence  im- 
plicates no  one  but  Coy.  The  county  grand 
jury  met  again  on  April  4,  and  took  up  the 
ease.  This  time  I'ei'kins  t.'stified  that  he  al- 
tered the  tally-siieet  for  the  Second  precinct 
of  the  Tiiirt<'iMitii  ward  (liisey's  precinct) 
at  Coy's  reipiest.  and  that  this  was  all  he 
knew  about  tiie  uiattei'.  The  grand  .jury  re- 
turned no  indictment,  and  the  same  expe- 
rience was  had  with  the  iii'antl  juries  in  ]\Iay. 
June  and  July,  ladi  of  which  examined  the 
case    under   special    instructions. 

]Meanwhilc  another  chanire  of  base  occurred. 
Ju<lire  AVoods  had  leai'ucd  tiiat  Justice  Har- 
lan did  not  agi'ce  with  Juilge  (iresiiam  on  the 
question  of  jurisdiction,  and  on  JNlay  '■'>.  1SS7. 
another  federal  grand  jury  was  impaneled 
and  instructed  l)y  Judge  Woods  to  take  up 
the  tally-sheet  cases.  Perkins  was  now  in 
woi'.se  shape  than  ever,  for  he  had  inculitated 
himself  liopi'h^ssly,  and  he  had  no  |)romise  of 
immunity  from  the  federal  authoi'ities.  The 
prosecution  had  some  suspicion  that  the 
county  grand  juries  hail  been  "fixed,'"  but  it 
was  also  eviilent  that  Perkins'  testimony  was 
not  convincinL^  It  was  simply  incredible 
that  he  should  l;niiw  as  much  as  he  testified 
to.  and  not  know  more.  An  ai-rangement  was 
made  with  the  federal  authorities  foi-  nom- 
inal punishment-  practical  immunity— he 
was  fined  $.")0  -if  he  would  tell  thi'  full  story, 
lie  went  befoi-c  thi^  federal  urand  jui'y  and 
then'  eidarged  his  testimony  t(j  inculpate 
nine  oth(M-s  besides  himself  ami  Coy.  .\t  this 
time  he  also  testified  that  he  altered  the  tally- 
sheet  for  the  Third  |)i-ecinct  of  the  Thir- 
tcetith  ward.  On  May  '_'().  1SS7,  indictments 
Were  returned  aiiiiist  Simi'on  Coy,  William 
F.  .\.  Hernhairier,  John  E.  Sullivan.  Jului 
If.  Counselmaii,  d'co.  AV.  Budd.  Strphen  .Mat- 
tlrr.   Clmrlrs   \.    Mctcalf,  John    L.   Reardon, 


Henry  X.  Spaan,  Alljert  T.  Beck  and  Samuel 
E.  Perkins.  They  all  gave  bond,  but  on  July 
7  ('oy  surrendered  and  went  to  jail  so  that  a 
writ  of  habeas  C(n-pus  could  be  asked  of 
•liidge  (iresham.  Justice  Gresham  referred 
I  he  matter  to  Justice  Hai'lan.  of  the  Su- 
preme Court,  who  refused  the  application, 
and  whose  ruling  was  subsei|ucntly  confirmed 
by  the  Supreme  Court.'' 

The    ease    came    on    for    hearing   J\ily    lit. 

1887,  and  after  a  trial  lasting  ovei-  a  week 
the  jury  disagreed,  standing,  it  was  said, 
eia'ht  for  acquittal  and  foui-  for  conviction. 
The  prosecution  obtained  new  indictments. 
and  on  Janur\'  Ifi,  1888,  the  cases  were  calli'd 
of  Coy,  Bernhamer,  JIattler  and  Sjjaan. 
S]iaan  asked  for  a  separate  trial,  which  was 
gi'anted.  The  trial  of  the  other  three  was 
taken  up,  and  it  was  sinqily  a  cpiestion 
whether  the  jury  would  accept  the  testimony 
of  Perkins,  and  the  lawyers  for  the  defense 
had  little  room  to  do  more  than  revile  him. 
A  bystander  was  asked  what  sort  of  speech 
John  AV.  Kc>rn,  of  the  defense,  had  made,  and 
replied:  "Oh,  it  was  gi'cat.  He  called  Pcr- 
Icins  evci'ything  I  evei-  heard  of  except  an 
ornithorhynchus. '"  On  January  28  the  jury 
returned  a  verdict  of  guilty  as  to  Coy  and 
Bernhamer,  and  not  guilty  as  to  Alattler.  On 
February  3  (^oy  was  fined  $100  and  sen- 
tenced to  18  months  in  the  penitentiai'y,  and 
Bernhamer  was  sentenced  to  one  year  in  the 
I)eiiitentiary   and    fined   ,$1,000.      On    Alay   1, 

1888,  Sullivan,  Tveardon,  Counselman,  Met- 
calf  and  Budd  were  brought  to  trial.  A 
verdict  of  not  guilty  was  rcturncnl  as  to 
Kearilon,  CounselniaTi  and  .Mcti'alf,  and  a 
(lisagi-eemcnt  as  to  Sullivan  and  Budd.  The 
cases  aii'ainst  them.  Beck  and  Sjiaan  were  aft- 
erwards nolled  or  lismisse<l.  An  etf(U't  was 
made  to  ex|)el  Coy  from  tiie  City  Council 
after  conviction,  but  failed  for  want  of  a 
two-thirds  majority,  the  body  dividing  politi- 
cally, fifteen  Republicans  for  expulsion  and 
nine  Democi-ats  against.  At  the  end  of  his 
tei'm,  June  1,  1889,  he  returned  to  Indian- 
apolis iind  resumed  his  seat  as  eouMcilman; 
and  on  Octobi'r  8,  1889,  was  re-elected  to 
the  council  by  an  increased  majority. 

This  I'csult  was  partly  due  to  sympathy  for 
Cov.      I    think    no    on(>    of    anv    intelligence 


*//i(    (Iriiil  Ciitisiiinitii .  p.  41. 


In  re  i\^.\.  1-J7  F.  S.  Sup.  Ct. 


r.-ii. 


208 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


doubted  that  he  was  'jriiilty.  but  there  were 
many  who  felt  that  his  ott'ense  was  one  that 
had  been  comiimn  without  punishment,  and 
there  was.  a.s  usual,  a  widespread  aversion 
to  punishing  a  man  on  the  testimony  of  an 
accomplice.  The  otfense  it.self  was  the  most 
glaring  piece  of  political  idiocy  that  was  ever 
Icnown  in  this  region  —  in  fact,  it  was  not 
really  political.  The  (udy  office  that  was 
wanted  was  that  of  criminal  judge,  and  Per- 
kins furnished  the  key  to  the  desire  for  that 
in  his  statement  that  "Coy  said  there  was 
$500  in  it  to  the  liipior  league,  and  we  might 
as  well  have  it."  The  other  changes  were 
"merely  incidental,  and  in  part  as  a  cover  to 
the  main  purpose.  Di-.  ilorriscn  declined  to 
accept  his  counnisison  as  coroner  when  it  was 
issued,  ainl  never  served.  Coy  was  never  un- 
mindful of  the  liquor  interest.  The  audaeit\' 
of  the  performance  was  obviously  due  to  the 
knowledge  that  a  Democratic  clerk  had  been 
elected,  who  would  have  charge  of  the  elec- 
tion papers,  and  the  assumption  that  they 
would  readily  disappear,  as  embarrassinir 
papers  had  disappeared  before.  In  fact,  it 
seemed  to  be  assumed  all  along  that  any 
Democrat  would  be  pleased  to  aid  in  stealing 
an  office,  or  assisting  those  who  did,  and  this 
is  the  one  almost  incomprehensible  thing 
about  it  all,  in  view  of  Coy's  well-known 
maxim  that  "the  fewer  fellers  you  have  in 
these  polities  the  better."  An  experienced 
Democratic  i>olitician  who  was  jocidarly  asked 
if  he  wei'e  mixed  up  in  the  affair,  dryly  an- 
swered, "No;  and  if  I  should  have  occasion 
to  change  any  election  returns  I  woidd  m  t 
call  a  town  meeting  to  do  it." 

But  there  was  another  potent  ctiuse  of 
Coy's  election  wholly  indejx'ndent  of  his 
merits,  atid  that  was  the  revulsion  of  feelim: 
caused  by  the  Dudley  case.  The  cauioaiirn  nl' 
1SS8  was  unusually  wai-m,  even  for  Indiana, 
for  Benjamin  Harrison  was  the  Reouhlican 
candidate,  and  local  feeling  was  at  its  high- 
est pitch.  On  October  .SI  the  Snitin(l  pub- 
lished a  fac-simile  of  the  celebrated  Dudley 
let+er,  dated  Xew  York,  October  24.  It  was 
a  letter  of  instruction  to  Republican  man- 
agers in  Indiana  and  in  jiai-f  was  the  usual 
style  of  campaign  instruction.  The  signifi- 
cant portion  was  as  follows: 

"I  hope  you  have  ki'pf  the  conies  if  tlic 
lists  sent  me.     Such  information  is  Vfi-v  val- 


uable and  can  be  used  to  great  advantage. 
It  has  enabled  me  to  demonstrate  to  friends 
that  with  proper  assistance  Indiana  is  sui-ely 
Republican  for  Governor  and  President,  and 
has  resulted  as  I  hoped  it  would,  in  securing 
for  Indiana  the  aid  necessary.  Your  eom- 
inittee  will  certainly  receive  from  Chairman 
Huston  the  assistance  necessary  to  hold  our 
floaters  and  doubtful  voters,  and  gain  enough 
of  the  other  kind  to  give  Harrison  and" Mor- 
ton 10.000  plurality.  *  *  *  4th.  Divide 
the  floaters  into  blocks  of  fives,  and  jnit  a 
trusted  man  with  necessary  funds  in  charge 
of  these  five,  and  make  him  responsible  that 
none  get  away  and  that  all  vote  our  ticket. 
5th.  Make  a  personal  appeal  to  your  best 
business  men  to  pledge  themselves  to  tlevote 
the  entire  day,  November  (i,  to  work  at  the 
polls,  i.  e.  to  be  present  at  the  polls  with 
tickets.  They  will  be  astonished  to  see  how 
utterly  dubfounded  the  ordinary  Democratic 
election  bummer  will  be  and  how  quickly  he 
will  disappear.  The  result  will  fully  justify 
the  sacrifice  of  time  and  comfort,  and  will  be 
a  source  of  satisfaction  afterwards  to  those 
who  help  in  this  way.  Lay  great  stress  on 
this  last  matter.  It  will  pay.  There  will  be 
no  doubt  of  your  receiving  the  neces.sary 
assistance  through  the  National,  State  and 
County  Committees— only  see  that  it  is  hus- 
banded and  made  to  produce  results." 

The  publication  of  the  letter  caused  a  tre- 
mendous sensation,  but  the  Republicans 
promi>tly  rallied  to  oti'set  its  effects.  The 
letter  had  been  telegraphed  to  New  York, 
and  appeared  on  the  same  ila\-  in  the  Sun  and 
the  Times:  but  some  Eastern  ass,  evidently 
tecalling  the  effect  of  "rum,  Romanism  and 
rebellion"  in  1884,  had  struck  out  the  woi'ds 
""the  ordinary  Democratic  election  bunuiier" 
in  the  passage  quoted  altove.  and  substituted 
for  them  tln'  words  "the  luituralized  Demo- 
cratic voter."  The  chauL'e  was  obviously 
made  with  the  idea  of  incensing  foreign-born 
voters,  and  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  cor- 
I'uption  scheme  of  the  letter.  })ut  it  enabled 
Dudley  to  say:  "The  alletretl  letter,  as  pub- 
lished here  in  the  Sun  and  Times,  is  a  case 
I  if  fiiruery."  On  beiiiir  asked  what  he  meant 
by  this  he  replied.  "T  mean  to  say  that  they 
iittribute  to  me  words  T  never  used."  .V-^ked 
to  point  out  these  woi-ds.  he  underscored  "the 
naturalized  Demoeratie   voters,"  and   adileil : 


HISTORY   OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOTJS.  299 


HEADQUARTERS. 
31   DFTH  AVENUE. 

Hew  York.  Oct.  Z4t7i,   JB8B. 


Dear    Sir.. 


I  hope  you  have  kept  copies  of  the  lists 
tent  me       Such   Inforxatlcn   is  very  valuable  and  can  te  used 
to  great   advantage.     It  has  enabled  rne    to  demonstrate   to 
friends  here  that  with  proper  assistance  Indiana   is   surely 
hcpublican  ''or  Governor  and  president, and  has   ^suited, as  I- 
hoped  it  would, in  securing  for  Indiana  thiJ  aid  necessary. 
Your  Coimittae  will    certainly  receive  from  CHalntnn  Huston  thjt 
assistar.ca  necessary  to   hold  our  floaters  and  doubtful   voters/ 
and  gain  enough  of   the   other*  kind  eo  give  Harrison  and  Morton 
10,000  plurality.     Haw  York   is  now  safe  beyond  peradventwe 
for   the  Rapubllcari  Presidential   t  lcket;Connecticut  likewise. 
In  short  every  Northern  State ,  except  possibly  Haw  Jersey, 
though  we   still  hope    to   cari-y  that  State.     Harrison'  ^  majority 
in    the  Electoral   Colic^aMiil  1  not  be  less  timn  100.     Make 
cur  friends   in  each  "precinct  wake  up   to   the  fact   that  only 
toodle  and  fraudulent  votes   and  false  counting  of  returns 
can  boat  us   in    the  State.  Write  each  of  our  precinct 

correspo'-dents ,  1st  .To  find  our  uiio  has  Demcratlc  toodle , and 
steer   the  Democratic  workers  to    them, and  make  them  pay  big 
prices  fen  the  ir  own  nen.     2nd, Sean   the  elac':lon  officers 
closely, and  nake  swe  to  have  no  nan'vn  the  Board  whose   in- 
tegrity  is   evm  quest  icnable, and  insist  on  Republicans  Hatch- 
ing every  novemont  of  the  election  officers.     3rd,    See    that 
our  workers  know  every  voter  entitled   to  a  vote, and  let  no 
one  -el  se   e^>en  offer  to  vote.     4th. Divide   the  floaters    Into 
blocks   of  fti:e,md  put  a    trusted  man  uitth  necessary  finds   in 
c>iarc^   of   these  f  Ive .and  make  hi'i  respoyjs  ible  that  none  getr 
away  and   that  all  vote  -our  ticket.     Sth.Mak.^  c  pei'sonal  ap- 
peal  to.  your  best  business , men   to  pledge   themselves    to  de- 
lete  the   oitlre  day ,No'j.6th,to  work  at    the  polls,i.e.  to  be 
present  at   the  polls   with  tickets.     Thay  will  be  astonished 
to  see  how  utterly  dubfoimded   the  ordinary  Democratic 
election  burner  will  be  and  how  quickly  he  will  disappear. 
77ie    result  will  fully  Justify    the  sacrifice  of   time  arkl  con- 
fort, ar.d  will  be  a  source  of  satisfaction  afterwards  to  those 
wha  hi^lp   in   this  way.         Lay  great  stress  on  this  last 
matter.        It  will  pay. 

Tliere  will  be   no  doubt  of  your  receiving  'the  necessary 
assistance   through   the  national  .State  and  County  Commit  t.-es, 

071.;^  see    that   it   is   husbanded  and  mada   to  pnoduce  results. 

1  rely  on  you    to  advise   your  pr»clnct  correspon^ients.and 
urge    tlirrm    to   unremitting  and  constant  efforts  from  now  till 
tite  polls   close, and   the  result   Is  announced  officially.      Wg 
will  fight  for  a  fair  election  here   if  necessary.     The  Hebat 
crew  can't  steal    this  election  from  us  as    they  did   in   liiS4, 
without  s  cmeone  u;ett  ing  hurt.     Let  eviry  Republ  lean  do  his 
iimole  duty  and    the  country  wHl  pass    Into  Republ  lean  hands, 
never    to   leave    It, I  trust.        Thariting  you  again  for   your 
efforts  to  assist  me  In  my  work. I  remain 

Yours  Stneargly. 

Please  wire  me  result   in  principal  precincts  artl  coimty.    ^ 

THE   DUDLEY   LETTER. 
(Reducel   one-half.) 


300 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIAXAPOLIS. 


"Understand  uie  now;  I  don't  say  I  wrote 
any  such  letter,  or  that  any  letter  of  instruc- 
tion has  been  written  from  these  headquar- 
ters, but  if  the  words  'average  Democratic 
bummer'  had  appeared  in  the  place  of  those 
I  have  underscored  I  should  not  have  found 
fault,  for  otherwise  I  think  the  letter  is  a 
sti'ong  one."  The  local  Republican  papers 
used  the  simple  statement  of  Dudley  that  the 
letter  a.s  published  in  New  York  was  a  for- 
gery and  fought  out  the  last  week  of  the  cam- 
paign on  that  liasis.  The  Journal  also  devel- 
oped a  counter-irritant  in  an  alleged  Demo- 
cratic scheme  to  carry  the  election  by  voting 
double  ballots,  and,  on  the  whole,  it  is  doubt- 
ful that  any  material  number  of  voters  were 
afl'eeted  by  the  exposure. 

AVhen  Mr.  Dudley  first  saw  the  publication 
of  the  letter  he  said:  "Somebody  has  been 
robbing  the  mails;"'  and  he  was  quite  right. 
The  letter  was  in  fact  "held  out"  by  a  pos- 
tal clerk  whose  attention  was  attracted  to  a 
number  of  similar  envelopes  going  through 
the  mails.  There  were  two  slight  typograph- 
ical errors  in  the  Sentinel's  publication  of  it 
on  October  31,  which  were  promptly  cor- 
rected. The  Scniinel  also  tried  to  meet  Dud- 
ley's statement  as  to  the  New  York  publica- 
tion by  offering  him  $1,U00  to  come  to  In- 
dianapolis and  swear  that  the  letter  as  pub- 
lished in  the  Sentinel  was  a  forgery,  which 
offer  was  of  course  ignored ;  but  it  was  re- 
peated at  intervals  for  months.  On  Novem- 
ber 13  the  federal  orand  jury  met,  and  Judge 
AVoods.  of  the  District  Court,  charged  it 
especially  in  regard  to  the  reported  election 
frauds,  the  following  passage  referring  to  the 
Dudley  letter,  in  connection  with  Sec.  5511, 
IT.  S.  Revised  Statutes : 

"Considerable  (juestion  has  been  raised 
since  the  last  election  as  to  whether  an  at- 
tempt to  bribe  a  voter  constitutes  an  offense. 
I  instruct  you  that  it  does  not  under  this 
statute.  The  latter  clause  of  the  section  does 
make  it  an  oft'en.se  to  bribe  a  voter,  and  also 
makes  an  offense  to  counsel,  aid  or  assist  in 
bribing  a  voter,  or  in  conunittin'j  any  other 
oft'en.se  named  in  the  section,  but  an  unsuc- 
cessful attempt  to  bribe  a  voter  is  not  an  of- 
fense, under  this  statute.  The  last  clause  of 
the  section  eont.rins  th(>  word  'attempt,'  but 
in  order  to  understand  the  value  of  the  word 
as  there  ii.sed.  it  is  necessary  as  I  interpret 


the  clause,  to  insert  or  supply  the  word  'to' 
before  the  word  attempt.  So  that  the  clause 
will  read  in  this  use.  'aids,  counsels,  procures 
or  advises  any  such  voter,  person,  or  officer 
to  do  any,'  etc.,  or  'to  omit  to  do'  any  duty, 
etc.,  or  'to  attempt  to'  do  so;  and,  so  read, 
the  clause  makes  it  an  offense  to  advise  an- 
other to  commit  any  of  the  offenses  named  in 
this  section.  So  that  while  it  is  not  a  crime 
to  make  the  attempt,  it  is  a  crime  to  advise 
anyone  to  make  it.-  If  A  attempts  to  bril)e 
B,  that  is  no  ofl'ense  under  this  statute;  l)ut 
if  A  advi.ses  B  to  attempt  to  bribe  C,  then 
the  one  giving  this  advice  is  an  ott'ender,  and 
there  is  some  wisdom  in  that  provision."''' 

The  Journal  report  was  taken  by  a  short- 
hand man.  It  did  not  use  the  charge  in  full, 
but  ]irinted  the  passage  above,  in  quotation 
marks.  'Slv.  Leon  Bailey,  the  assistant  dis- 
trict attorney,  then  had  full  copies  made  by 
the  stenographer,  and  verified,  for  future  use. 
The  passage  above  is  the  same  in  both  except 
some  slight  verbal  changes,  not  aft'eeting  the 
sense,  such  as  a  stenogi-apher  might  naturally 
make  in  translating  his  notes  at  different 
times.  And  here  a  word  as  to  attorneys. 
AVhen  the  tally-sheet  cases  arose,  David  Tur- 
pie  was  district  attorney,  having  been  ap- 
pointed August  2.  1886,  for  a  term  of  four 
years.  Being  elected  to  the  national  senate 
in  1887  he  resigned,  and  on  March  5,  1887, 
Judge  "Wooils  appointed  John  G.  ^IcXutt,  the 
a.ssistant  district  attorney,  to  fill  his  place 
till   an   appointment    was   made.      On    Alarch 

22,  Emory  B.  Sellers,  of  IMonticello,  was  com- 
missioned for  the  vacancy,  and  on  January 

23.  1888.  he  was  again  connnissioned  for  four 
years.  He  served  through  the  prosecution 
of  the  tally-sheet  cases,  and  then  resigned. 
All  of  the  preliminary  work  of  the  prosecu- 
tion of  these  cases  was  done  by  Col.  Eli  F. 
Ritter,  who  was  employed  by  the  Citizens' 
Committee  of  One  Hundred.  He  felt  that 
the  prosecution  at  the  trial  should  be  con- 
ducted by  a  Democratic  lawyer,  and  on  Jan- 
uary 10,  1888,  .Judge  Solomon  Claypool  was 
appointed  assistant  district  attoi'uey  by  At- 
toi'ney-General  Garland  for  that  purpose. 
On  Novemlier  23.  1888.  Judge  Claypool  was 
specially  appointed  to  aid  in  the  defense  of 
TT.  S.  Marshal   llawl^ins  in  eertain  civil  cases 


Mounnil.  Xov.  14.  1888. 


IlISTOiiY   Ui'  UliEATEit  i.NDlA.X Al'UlJS. 


301 


lirougrht  on  aci-omit  of  arrests  in  the  election 
nf  1888:  and  (in  Deeeniher  1"),  1888.  he  was 
^IH'cially  appointed  to  proseeute  the  eases 
iLMinst  Dniih'v  and  others,  trrowinii'  out  of 
that  election.  On  January  U,  1889,  .Mr.  Sell- 
ers havinjj  resi<_nie(l,  Judge  Harlan  ai)pointed 
•  ludge  Claypool  ilistriet  attorney,  and  he  re- 
mained until  his  resiunation  on  March  10. 
1889.  On  .March  13.  1889,  Smiley  N.  Cham- 
bers was  appointed  district  attorney,  and 
John  B.  Cockruia  assistant. 

The  Dudley  invest ijration  drai;^e<l.  It  was 
dela.ved  by  ati.journnients  of  the  jirantl  jur.v. 
and  impeded  by  the  unexpected  resignation 
of  Mr.  S"llers,  which  was  announced  here  on 
December  13.  On  December  17  the  nomina- 
tion of  Leon  Haile.v  foi-  the  place  was  sent 
to  the  senate,  but  it  was  "held  up,"  and 
meanwhile  the  |)oint  was  raised  that  indid- 
ments  sii^ned  by  Bailey  would  not  be  valid 
until  his  iiomiiuition  was  confirmed  bv  the 
Senate.  Also,  it  was  suggested  that  Judgi' 
Harlan  had  the  right  of  appointment  ad  in- 
terim, and  the  interim  would  last  until  the 
Senate  chose  to  couHi-in  sond)od.v.  I'nder 
these  circumstances,  by  agreement  of  all  con- 
cerned. Baile.v's  name  was  withdr;iwn  by  the 
president  on  Januar.v  3.  1889,  and  .ludge 
Claypool  "s  sent  in."  As  the  Senate  was  sbiw 
about  confirmation  Judge  Harlan  appointed 
Cla.\i)Ool  to  the  vacancy  on  Jainiai-.v  11.  It 
is  notewoithy  that  at  this  time  Judges  Har- 
lan and  Woods  had  come  to  an  iigreement  as 
t(i  a  new  construction  of  the  law. 

On  January  1.")  JudL'c  Woods  suniuKined 
the  grand  .iui-.v  fm-  supplemental  instruetioii. 
Just  before  their  adjournment  for  the  holi- 
da.vs  the.v  had  asked  for  instruction  as  to 
whether  they  should  indict  for  advice  to  bribe 
if  they  could  not  learn  the  name  of  the  pei'- 
soii  1o  wlioiii  the  advice  was  given.  T'nder 
the  cover  of  an  answer  to  this  Judge  AVoods 
delivered  a  long  argument  to  the  efl'ect  that 
Ihe  law  made  it  an  offense  to  "aid.  coun'^el. 
priicui'e  oi-  advise"  bribery,  and  as  one  eoulil 
not  "aid"  or  "})roenre"  briber.v  if  no  brib- 
ery were  committed  it  must  be  that  one  could 
not  "counsel"  or  "advise"  bribery  unles.s 
bribery  was  actually  connnitted.  It  concluded 
with  the  words:  "But  in  any  ease  besides  the 
mere  fact  of  the  advice  or  counsel,  it  must  be 


shown  that  the  crinie  contemplated  was  com- 
mitted, or  an  atteni])!  made  to  commit  it. 
It  results  of  course  that  the  mere  sending  b.v 
one  to  another  of  a  letter  or  document  con- 
taining advice  to  bribe  a  voter  or  setting 
forth  a  .scheme  for  such  bribery,  however 
bold  and  reprehensible,  is  not  indictable. 
There  nuist  be  shown  in  addition  an  attempt 
by  the  receiver  of  the  letter,  or  of  some  other 
instigated  bv  him  to  execute  the  scheme,  by 
bribing  or  attemjjting  to  bribe  some  voter  in 
i-espect  to  the  election  of  congressmen,  or  in 
such  a  wa.v  as  to  elifect  such  election." 

This  change  of  front,  which  made  the  in- 
dictment of  Dudley  impossible,  though  even 
with  it  the  grand  .jury  voted  10  to  6  for  in- 
iictment,*  roused  a  storm  of  indignation. 
That  night  ^forss  wrote  a  leader  for  the  S(  n- 
liiifl  that  wa.s  a  classic  in  indictment  and  ex- 
eoriation.  Judge  Claypool  said  there  was  not 
another  man  in  Indiana  that  could  have  done 
it,  and  he  was  right.  It  was  really  remark- 
able that  a  man  without  legal  training  should 
have  taken  a  position  in  such  a  case  that 
nevei'  needed  to  be  changed  or  amended,  and 
did  it  while  in  passion,  at  that.  It  concluded 
with  these  words:  "Weighing  our  words 
earefull.v.  and  fully  prepai-ed  to  accept  all 
Ihe  co!ise(|uences,  we  ])i'onounee  the  course  of 
Judge  AVoods  in  this  matter  a  monstrous 
abuse  of  his  .iudieial  opportunities  and  a 
flagrant,  scandalous,  dishonorable  and  utterlv 
unprecedented  pei-vei'sion  of  the  machiner.v 
if  .justice  to  the  |iur]>oses  of  knaverv;  'and 
■.ve  believe  that  it  should  leatl  to  his  impeach- 
ment instead  of.  as  it  jirobabl.v  will,  to  bis 
promotion  to  the  supreme  bench  nf  the 
I'nited  States,  as  soon  as  it  is  in  the  power  of 
Benjamin  Harrison  to  reward  him  in  this 
manner  foi-  dragging  his  judicial  robes  in 
the  filth  of  Dudleyism."  " 

Indeed,  if  ever  a  man  was  "scourged  with 
a  \\lii]i  of  scorpions."  William  A.  Woods  was 
lliat  man.  ]\Iorss  did  not  giv(>  him  an.v  rest 
I'lir  months.  Kver.v  ed'ort  of  the  X(irs  and 
■luurnal  to  defend  liiin  was  jiromptl.v  an- 
swered, and  usuall.v  by  parallel  columns  show- 
in  ;,•■  their  statements  to  be  false.  The  iiar- 
allel  column  nevei-  had  so  extensive  a  use  in 
Indiana  as  in  this  ease,  and  the  Scntiiid  was 


'SfnfiiKl.  J.- 


4.  1889. 


"fientincl.  I-'eb.  K;.  1889. 
"Slenfind.  Januarv  1(1.  1889. 


:!()■? 


lllsToh'V  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


in)t  ;iloue.  Tlie  whole  Deinofi-iitiu  press  and 
independent  press  of  the  country  united  in 
the  condemnation.  It  was  rather  risky  for 
lawyers  to  criticise  the  court,  but  several  of 
them  spoke  out  emphatically.  Senator  ^Ic- 
])onald  condemned  the  second  instruction  as 
erroneous,  but  disclaimed  any  reflection  on 
the  motives  of  Judge  Woods.  Judge  Glay- 
j>ool  was  indignant,  and  condemned  the  in- 
struction,'" but  went  on  with  his  work  until 
I\Iareh  10,  when  he  resigned  in  disgust, 
charging  that  his  efforts  to  secure  the  pun- 
ishment of  Dudley  and  other  offenders  were 
being  thwarted  by  Woods."  When  ("liambers 
came  in  as  district  attorney  the  work  of  clear- 
ing the  docket  of  nearly  two  hundred  in- 
dictments for  election  frauds  that  had  been 
returned  was  begun  in  earnest.  On  IMareh 
28  Judge  Woods  qua.shed  the  indictments  in 
twenty-five  cases  on  the  ground  tliat  they  did 
not  charge  that  a  congressman  was  voted  for 
illeually,  though  he  had  held  in  the  Coy  cases 
■ind  others  that  it  was  necessary  only  that 
the  offense  be  committed  "at  an  election  at 
which  a  congressnuin  was  voted  for."  This 
change  practically,  disposed  of  most  of  the 
cases,  and  they  went  off  the  docket  in  batches 
on  the  29th,  :50th  and  April  1st  and  2n(l. 

By  this  time  Claypool  was  furious,  and  he 
had  cause  to  be,  for  the  action  of  Judge 
Woods  placed  him  in  the  attitude  of  being 
"confideneed. "  As  a  Demociat  he  had  gom' 
into  the  tally-sheet  cases  in  good  faith,  and 
prosecuted  them  to  a  finish  in  spite  of  criti- 
cism from  his  own  party.  And  Woods  had 
co-operated,  to  such  an  extent  that  Claypool 
said:  "Wood's  rulings  were  so  outrageously 
biased  in  the  Coy-Bernhamei-  cases  that  I 
often  protested  with  him,  though  at  the  same 
time  I  was  representing  the  government. ""'- 
His  interest  in  ccmviction  was  shown  not  only 
in  court  but  out,  and  frequently  he  would 
rail  at  Claypool's  house  two  or  three  even- 
ings in  a  week,  dui'ing  the  trial,  and  talk 
over  j)lans  for  the  prosecution.  But  when 
the  defendants  were  Rei)ul)licans  all  this  was 
changed,  and  all  of  Claypool's  earnest  work 
for  indicting  Dudley  was  broiight  to  naught 


^"Sentinel,  Januarv  l(i,  Febniarv  16,  1889. 
"Sentinel.  March  11,  1889. 
'-Sentinel.  :\r.ai-cb  11.  1889. 


I)y  the  si'i'(  ml  insti'uction.  while  the  indict- 
ments .secured  were  tossed  out  of  court.  On 
-April  i,  Claypool  gave  a  long  interview  to 
the  Sentinel  in  which  he  condemned  the  ac- 
lion  of  Judge  Woods  throughout,  showed  that 
the  forms  of  indictment  qua.shed  had  been 
used  for  years  in  this  court,  and  demanded 
that  the  grand  jury  be  recalled  to  amend 
them  to  conform  to  the  new  ruling,  as  had 
been  done  in  the  Coy  cases. 

In  fact,  the  propriety  of  this  last  sugges- 
tion was  so  obvious  that  everybody  saw  it, 
and  on  March  30  the  Xen-x.  which  had  stood 
by  Woods  as  long  as  it  could,  in  comment  on 
the  alleged  defect  in  the  indictments,  said: 
"Grant  it  for  ai-i<ument.  Why  doesn't  the 
court  remedy  the  defect?  It  is  retorted  that 
it  is  not  the  court's  business  to  remedy  such 
defects.  The  court  made  it  its  business  in 
the  Coy  ease.  Everv  avenue  of  approach  was 
tried  and  every  defect  of  process  corrected 
to  reach  Coy;  but  when  scores  of  Republicans 
are  indicted  an  alleged  'defect'  opens  the 
door  for  their  escape.  These  men  were  in- 
dicted by  a  mixed  .iury  of  Republicans  and 
Democrats.  That  jui-y  thought  the  evidence 
of  their  guilt  sufficient  to  hold  them:  but  now 
they  go;  the  court  does  nothing;  the  CJovern- 
ment  attorney  declares  he  will  do  nothing. 
This  thing  is  a  shame,  an  outrage,  a  disgrace, 
and  public  opinion  should  rebuke  it  and  see 
that  the  nerveless  hands  of  justice  are 
strengthened."  But  nothing  was  done,  and 
the  docket  was  practically  cleared  and  kept 
clear  without  the  trouble  of  trials. 

It  is  possible  that  I  am  not  fitted  to  discuss 
the  merits  of  this  affair  hi.storieally,  for  I 
was  in  the  melee  at  the  time  and  the  action  of 
Judge  Woods  seemed  to  me  the  most  shame- 
ful abuse  of  judicial  jiower  I  had  ever 
known.  It  was  widely  discussed  in  the  press 
at  the  time  and  later,  and  able  lawyers  gave 
their  views  concerning  it.  It  went  into  Con- 
gress. On  December  11,  1889,  Dudley  made 
his  first  visit  to  Indianapolis  after  the  elec- 
tion of  1888.  A  warrant  wa.s  sworn  out  for 
his  arrest  before  V.  S.  Conuiiissioner  Van 
Bureu,  but  according  to  his  statement  further 
proceedings  were  stopped  by  direction  of  Dis- 
trict Attorney  Chand)ers.  Senator  Voorhees 
introduced  a  resolution  of  incpiiry  in  the  Sen- 
ate conci'rnim;-  this  and   made  an  exhaustive 


liiSTOiJi'   Ui'  UKHATKU  IXDIAXAI'OLIS. 


:io;! 


speech  coveriii-,'  tlie  entire  subject.'^  Finally, 
stiinjr  by  the  extensive  criticism  of  his  course. 
Judge  Woods  j)reparetl  a  defense  of  himself. 
which  appeared  in  the  Jounial  of  Seiitember 
22,  18t)0,  and  later  in  iiamiililcl.  It  was  kept 
very  secret  before  publication,  but  the  !Sen- 
tinel  got  wind  of  it,  and  ou  September  20  an- 
nounced the  forthcoming  publication  in  a 
"telegram  from  Washington,""  wliicli  ile- 
olared  that  it  was  ""to  be  nominally  a  de- 
fense of  his  own  action,  but  is  to  be  written 
on  so  broad  a  ])lan  that  it  will  relieve  the 
Colonel  from  any  criminal  or  moral  responsi- 
bility for  his  famous  ' blocks-of-five '  letter;" 
and  that  the  object  was  to  aid  in  carrying  out 
a  scheme  of  vote-buying  in  the  then  pending 
election.  Tiiis  (l(>fense,  to  which  was  aj)- 
pended  Judge  Woods'  correspondence  with 
Judges  Harlan  antl  Xiblack,  and  Senator  Mc- 
Donald, but  not  his  correspondence  with 
Judges  Gresham  and  Ciaypool,  called  forth 
renewed  discussion,  in  which  ^loi-ss  added  an- 
other masterpiece  on  September  25,  iu  a  two- 
column  parallel  on  the  editorial  page  of  the 
Sentinel,  giving  the  contlicting  statements  of 
Woods  at  various  times,  with  no  comment  but 
the  heading:  "Oh  what  a  tangled  web  we 
weave,  when  first  we  practice  to  deceive." 

I  leave  the  discussion  of  the  merits  of  the 
ease  where  the  above  mentioned  arguments 
and  statements  put  it,  but  a  few  words  of 
explanation  may  aid  those  who  care  to  in- 
vestigate it  further.  The  common  defense  of 
the  two  instructions  in  the  Dudley  case,  and 
the  one  used  by  Judge  Woods,  is  that  the  first 
instruction  was  merely  "a  statement  of  the 
law"  and  the  second  was  ■"an  interi)reta- 
tion."  The  quotation  from  it  above,  how- 
ever, is  plainly  '"interjjrctation."  and  was 
plainly  so  intended,  fni-  it  was  inti'oduced  by 
the  statement:  "1  will  now  instr'uct  you 
fully  upon  the  woi-d  'attempt'  as  it  is  used  in 
this  clause,  in  order  tljat  you  may  under- 
stand its  force  in  relation  to  the  specifica- 
tions iiiaile  regarding  'counseling'  to  bribe 
and  iictiial  bribery;"  and  it  is  follnwc-d  li\' 
the  words:  "I  think,  gentlemen,  that 
those  statutes  I  have  interpreted  cover  all  the 
charges  that  have  been  brought  against  any- 
body or  that  are  likely  to  be  brought  against 
anvbodv. " 


In  his  third  letter  to  Senator  .McDonald, 
February  8,  1889,  Judge  Woods  announces 
that  he  had  by  tiiyt  time  reached  the  conclu- 
sion that  the  Dudley  letter  was  not  neces- 
sarily corrupt,  in  these  words:  "I  shall  not 
attempt  to  extennite  the  oiTense  of  the  writer 
of  the  Dudley  letter,  but  I  have  carefully  re- 
read the  copy  in  tfie  ,Scntind  and  do  not  find 
in  it  the  expression  you  use,  'to  buy  up  tiie 
floating  vote  in  Mocks  of  five,'  or  any  ex- 
pression which  a  .judge  could  say  clearly  and 
necessai-i!y  means  that  voters  should  be 
bribed."  All  that  Senator  McDonald  cpioted 
as  from  the  Dudley  letter  was  "in  blocks  of 
five."  The  rest  was  his  own.  and  was  the 
universal  interpi'ctation  of  Dudley  "s  letter. 
If  there  were  any  doubt  as  to  its  meaning,  it 
would  be  cleared  by  the  Whittaker  letter  call- 
ing for  the  "lists  of  voters.""  to  which  Dmlley 
refers  in  his  letter— both  ari>  published  with 
Judge  W^oods'  tlefense— in  which  he  says: 
"^lake  the  doubtful  list  as  small  as  iJossible, 
and  mark  everyone  who  has  to  have  money 
as  a  'float.'  Those  who  have  to  be  bought 
are  not  'doubtful.'  but  air  "floats."  Look 
closely  aftei'  every  one.     Let  no  one  escape." 

Judge  Woods  and  his  defenders  at  times 
intimate  or  charge  that  the  Sentinel  report 
of  the  first  instruction  was  not  accurate.  As 
above  .shown  it  is  practically  identical  with 
the  Journal  report  made  at  the  time.  It  is 
also  practically  identical  with  the  instruction 
as  furnished  bv  Judge  Woods  himself  to  the 


Cliicafio    Lefial   Xeirs.   of    February 


1889. 


''■'Se^itind.  Janiiarv  IS.  1890. 


A\u\  in  the  letter  of  Judge  Woods  to  Senator 
McDonald  of  January  27.  1889.  he  says:  "In 
respect  to  this  (luestion  of  inconsistency  I  will 
only  add  that  while  the  i-eport  which  the 
Sentinel  contains  is  not  full  and  accurate,  in 
respect  to  the  main  points  in  dispute,  it  is  in 
substantial  accord  with  what  I  intended  to 
say,  and  am  (|uite  sure  I  did  say.  and  I  am 
willing  to  have  it  so  treated.'"  This  leaves 
the  only  questions  in  the  Dudley  case  wheth- 
er the  two  instructions  can  be  reconciled,  and 
if  not,  which  is  right.  The  first  insti'uction 
was  given  aftei-  considerable  investigation 
and  consultation.  Judge  Harlan  concurred 
in  it.  and  Senator  ^IcDonald.  who  had  been 
asked  i'or  an  opinion  by  Judge  Woods,  gave 

a  written  opinion  iu  ; ordauce  with  the  first 

instruction,  in  wliieli  his  partner,  John  ^I. 
Butler.    cnii'MirnMi.      .Ml    of    these    gentlemen 


:i04 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANA I'OLIS. 


resrarded  the  two  iiisti'iictions  as  iu  eouflict. 
Judge  Harlau,  who  concurred  iu  both,  says 
in  his  letter  to  Woods,  of  September  12,  1890, 
that  his  further  investigation  of  the  question 
resulted  in  "an  entire  change  of  opinion;" 
that  his  first  opinion  "was  wrong;"  and  that 
he  had  at  the  time  advised  Judge  Woods  "of 
my  change  of  opinion  and  of  the  reasons  for 
such  change."  Senator  jMcDonald,  in  his  let- 
ter to  the  Journal  of  September  23,  1890, 
says  of  the  two  instructions:  "I  cannot  rec- 
oncile them,  and  must  leave  the  task  to  one 
more  apt  in  casuistry  than  I  am." 

As  to  the  "defective  indictments,"  the 
form  had  not  only  long  been  in  use  in  the 
federal  court,  but  Judge  Woods  had  ex- 
pressly decided  that  it  was  not  necessaiy  that 
the  offenses  specified  should  affect  the  vote 
for  congressman,  both  in  the  ]MeBosley,  or 
Orange  County,  eases,'^  and  in  the  Coy  case; 
and  in  the  latter  had  been  sustained  by  Judge 
Harlan  and  by  the  Supreme  Court. '^  The 
quashing  of  the  indictments  was  tlie  "last 
.straw"  with  Claypool.  and  it  resulted  in  a 
stormy  interview  in  Judge  Woods'  chambers, 
in  consequence  of  which  AVoods  threatened  to 
proceed  against  Claypool  for  contempt  of 
court.  No  proceedings  were  instituted,  but 
a  rather  savage  correspondence  ensued,  which 
did  not  get  into  print.  Claj-pool's  view  of 
the  whole  proceeding  will  be  seen  from  the 
following  extract  from  his  letter  to  Wootls 
of  August  27,  1889 : 

"Finally,  you  ask  in  your  'notes,'  'Do  you 
think  the  court  ought  to  have  helped  obtain 
an  indictment  on  false  grounds,  as  he  be- 
lieved?' First.  I  answer  such  grounds  would 
not  have  been  false.  Second,  if  false  and  be- 
lieved to  be  so  by  you  in  the  beginning,  you 
have  proved  your  willingness  to  allow  an  in- 
dictment on  false  grounds.  There  may  be 
some  difference  in  morals  between  a  court 
'helping'  and  'allowing'— between  helping 
and  allowing  wrong— but  the  difference  is  not 
striking  to  me.  This,  however,  may  result 
from  a  dullness  of  my  moral  sense,  in  your 
opinion,  as  at  one  place  you  pronounce  views 
expressed  by  me  not  good  morals. 

"In  a  letter  to  Justice  Harlan  written  Jan- 


uary 26,  1889,  about  six  weeks  after  your  first 
instructions,  you  use  this  language,  "I  avoid- 
ed the  point  involved  in  your  second  propo- 
sition in  mj'  original  charge  to  the  grand 
.jury,  being  willing  to  give  the  district  attor- 
ney lee  way  to  obtain  an  indictment  if  ho 
could,  and  if  raised  to  decide  these  questions 
only  upon  argument".  You  were  giving  "lee 
way.'  This  'lee  way'  is  good.  Before  the 
grand  .jui-y  came  together  the  first  time  there 
was  a  pretty  general  impression,  as  I  under- 
stood— such  was  my  own  impression  until 
after  I  came  to  look  into  the  evidence— that 
the  'so-called  Dudley  letter'  could  not  be 
proved  to  be  the  letter  of  Dudley.  If  the 
,iury  had  come  anil  gone  through  their  in- 
vestigations without  asking  "that  question,'"' 
and  returned  no  indictment  against  Dudley, 
the  public  mind  would  have  settled  down 
upon  the  conviction  that  the  'so-called  Dud- 
ley letter"  was  a  forgery.  Such  result  from 
"lee  way"  to  some  persons  for  some  reason.s 
would  have  been  delightful.  When  'that 
(luestion'  came  'lee  way'  got  away.  Then  six 
weeks  after  your  first  instructions  you  beuan 
to  correspond  with  Harlan,  and  labored  with 
him,  and  on  such  citations  as  you  made  to 
him  finally  induced  him  to  reluctantly  change 
his  views.  Under  the  circumstances  then 
existing.  concediuL;-  that  you  had  doubts  aboiii 
the  views  which  I  luulerstood  to  be  expressed 
in  your  first  instructions,  if  the  'lee  way' 
had  continued  longer  and  an  indictment  had 
been  obtained  there  would  have  been  no 
moral  wrong  in  it.  as  the  conduct  of  the  per- 
son indicted  involved  so  much  moral  terpi- 
tude.  Had  this  been  done  the  questions 
could,  as  you  suggested  in  your  letter  to  Har- 
lan, have  been  discussed  on  motion  to  quasli. 
Believing  this  I  have  the  right  to  say  so  with- 
out being  considered  in  contempt  of  court. 

"Your  correspondence  with  Justice  Har- 
lan demonstrates  how  reluctant  you  were  tf> 
follow  the  first  expressed  opinion  of  Harlan, 
which  was  in  accord  with  your  first  instruc- 
tions as  understood  by  everybody,  and  sup- 
ported by  the  opinion  of  a  lawyer  as  distin- 
sruished  for  ability  and  honesty  as  ex-Senator 
AIcDonald.     To  have  followed  the  opinion  of 


^*Federal  Rf porter.  Vol.  29.  p.  897. 
"31  Federal  Remrter,  p.  794:  127   V 
Supreme  Ct..  p.  731. 


.9. 


'"  i.e.  the  question  whother  they  could  in- 
dict without  kiiowinij  the  jutsoii  to  whom 
ilic  letter  was  sent. 


iii.sT(ji;v  oi"  (;i;i:a  TKi;  i.\i»ia\.\1'oi.is. 


305 


a: 

H 
O 


300 


HISTORY  OF  CIREATEK  INDIAXAl'OLLS. 


Justice  Harlan  iiiiiilit  liave.  to  say  the  least, 
lead  to  ail  indietmeut  afiainst  Dudley.  Wheu 
it  came  to  quashing  indictments  after  a  form 
long  in  use  in  your  own  court  you  could  fol- 
low the  opinion  of  a  judge  not  your  superior 
in  position  and  whose  ruling  you  were  not 
bound  to  follow.  So  this  matter  seems  to  me : 
'Hesitancy  to  follow  the  opinion  of  a  supe- 
rior in  the  one  case  antl  willingness  to  fol- 
low the  opinion  of  one  not  your  superior  in 
the  other  case.'  When  'that  question'  came 
from  the  .iury  you  began  to  labor  with  the 
Justice,  then  six  weeks  aftei-  your  tirst  in- 
structions, on  such  presentation  and  citation 
of  authorities  as  you  made.  Justice  Harlan 
gave  his  I'eluctant  assent  to  youi'  views.  The 
prosecution  had  no  chance  to  make  a  presen- 
tation of  the  other  side  of  the  question.  Jus- 
tice Harlan's  'reluctant  assent'  to  your  views 
was  in  a  sense  the  result  of  an  ex  parte  pres- 
entation. Under  other  circumstances  he 
might  not  have  given  even  a  reluctant  assent. 
Mr.  ]\IcDonald  made  a  most  complete  and  un- 
answerable review  of  the  authorities  cited  by 
you. 

"I  care  nothing  about  your  letter  to  Judge 
Gresham  calling  him  to  your  assistance  after 
you  had  qua.shed  the  numerous  indictments; 
to  me  this  seems  curious,  to  say  the  least.  If 
he  had  been  called  sooner,  and  come  in  an- 
swer to  the  call,  I  have  an  impression  the  out- 
come would  have  been  dilVerent.  Whatever 
may  be  said  of  him,  he  has  views  of  his  own 
and  follows  them,  and  under  the  same  cir- 
cumstances -he  would  not  have  labored  so 
much  with  Justice  Harlan.  If  Dudley  wrote 
that  letter,  so  much  caution  lest  he  might 
have  been  indicted  illegally  for  that  act  I 
think  strikes  the  average  inind  as  undue  cau- 
tion in  a  wrong  direction,  and  especially  so 
in  view  of  the  fact  that  there  was  no  other 
probable  way  of  getting  a  legal  question  in- 
volving .so  much  of  public  interest  before  the 
courts,  and  in  view  of  the  further  fact  that 
if  you  were  w-rojig  the  iruilty  would  go  un- 
punished. " 

The  guilty  went  unpunished  so  far  as  the 
courts  were  concerned,  though  they  did  not 
escape  the  tribunal  of  public  sentiment :  but 
a  more  important  result  came  of  it  all  in  the 
movement  for  honest  elections  in  Indiana.  In 
the  campaign  of  1SS8  T  had  lieen  in  charge  of 
the  literar^-   wiork   of  the  State  Centi-al   Coiii- 


mittee.  and  at  its  close  Mr.  ^lorss,  being 
called  away  from  the  city  for  a  week  or  so, 
asked  me  to  take  editorial  charge  of  the 
Sentinel  during  his  absence.  I  had  long  been 
disgusted  with  corruption  in  politics,  and  the 
knowledge  that  the  state  had  been  bought 
by  the  Republicans  roused  a  determination 
to  try  for  reform.  Out  of  the  wreck  the 
Democrats  had  saved  nothing  but  the  legisla- 
ture, thanks  to  an  eti'ective  gerrymander,  and 
this  presented  the  chance  for  reform.  I  had 
a  smattering  knowledge  of  the  Australian 
ballot  system,  and  after  search  the  only  man 
I  could  find  in  Indianapolis  who  was  com- 
petent to  write  intelligently  about  it  was 
Lafayette  P.  Custer,  <f  telegraph  ojierator, 
and  prominent  figure  in  labor  circles.  He 
prepared  an  ai'ticle  which  I  printed  on  No- 
vember 19,  with  editorial  indorsement,  and 
so  the  movement  was  formally  launched. 
Readers  were  invited  to  send  in  suggestions, 
and  did  so  very  freely.  When  Morss  re- 
tuined  he  took  an  earnest  interest  in  the 
movement,  and  printed  columns  of  corre- 
spondence and  comment  on  the  proposed  re- 
form, the  strong  tendency  of  which  kept  on 
<leveloping  for  the  Australian  system. 

Meanwhile  work  had  begun  on  a  practical 
form  for  the  proposed  legislation.  The  fir.st 
meeting  to  consider  it  was  at  Morss'  resi- 
dence, those  pi-esent-  being  Governor  Gray, 
John  R.  Wilson,  ]\Iorss  and  myself.  We  agreed 
on  a  plan  for  an  Australian  ballot  law,  based 
on  the  New  York  law  but  modified  to  meet 
our  established  customs  as  far  as  possible: 
and  also  on  provision  for  small  precincts. 
The  latter  was  urged  by  Senator  McDonald, 
who  had  been  unable  to  attend  the  meeting 
but  favored  the  movement.  He  thought  that 
as  near  an  approach  to  the  old  English  "hun- 
dred'" as  possible  was  the  best  precaution 
against  election  frauds,  as  it  came  nearest 
insuring  mutual  acquaintance  of  the  voters 
and  knowledge  of  each  other's  legal  status. 
T  was  appointed  clei-k,  and  directed  to  pre- 
pare a  tentative  foiiu  for  the  law,  which  was 
considered  and  modified  from  time  to  time, 
the  numbers  called  into  the  consideration  be- 
ing gradually  increased  until  at  last  thirty 
or  forty  were  present,  including  a  number  of 
members  of  the  legislature.  Several  of  the 
newcomers  made  valuable  suggestions,  not- 
ablv  :\lr.  W.   .\.  Pickens,  who  added  th.-  "de- 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


..(»; 


vice"  systt'iii.  liy  wliicli  an  illitcratt'  voti-r 
could  vote  a  straisrht  ticUot.  in  i)lafe  of  tin' 
Belgian  color  system  of  distinyuishin<;'  the 
several  tickets  on  the  haljot.  which  had  been 
oritrinally  adopted.  The  bill  was  ])nt  in  tin' 
hands  of  Senator  James  ^I.  Andrews  for  in- 
troduction, because  his  name  came  first  on 
the  roll,  and  went  through  as  Senate  Bill 
No.  1.  Its  management  was  in  charge  of 
Senator  James  M.  Barrett,  and  it  was  a  very 
clever  piece  of  work.  Most  of  the  members 
had  come  with  some  scheme  of  election  re- 
form, and  the  only  way  to  bring  them  into 
harmony  was  to  let  them  convince  themselves. 
The  bill  was  discussed  and  amended  for 
nearly  a  month  in  the  Senate,  and  th<'n  the 
amendments  were  repealed  and  the  bill 
passed  almost  as  introduced. 

In  addition  to  the  Australian  ballot  law.  a 
very  imf)ortant  bribeiy  act  was  passed  by 
this  legislature.  It  was  an  entirely  original 
measure  devised  by  Judge  iEcCabe,  later  of 
the  Supreme  Court.  It  made  the  purchase 
of  votes  penal,  but  not  the  sale,  and  also  gave 
the  seller  a  right  of  action  against  the  buyer 
for  .$:^00,  as  also  the  pei-son  who  fui-nished 
the  money.  .M'ter  judgment  the  defendants 
went  to  jail  until  the  .iudgment  was  paid,  .just 
as  in  a  bastardy  case.  It  was  effective,  and 
the  elections  of  1890,  1892  and  1894  weie 
the  cleanest  that  had  been  known  in  Indiana 
for  years.  In  1897  a  Kepubliean  legislature 
destroyed  the  eft'eet  of  the  law  l)y  a  law  i)nn- 
ishing  the  seller  of  his  vote  by  a  fine  of  .t.")<)n. 
imprisonment  from  1  to  f)  years,  and  dis- 
franchisement. Not  .satisfied  with  this,  the 
legislature  of  1899  repealed  the  law  of  1889, 
and  made  the  vote  seller  punishable  by  dis- 
franchisement, with  a  reward  of  ."islOO  for  his 
conviction.  The  Supreme  Coui't  held  that 
the  vote  buyer  could  not  recover  this  rewjird. 
and  of  course  usually  no  one  else  would  be 
able  to  convict.  Under  this  legislation  tin- 
vote  buyer  was  inunune  to  punishment,  and 
so  continued  until  190."),  when  the  .same  prii- 
alty  was  i)rovide(I  for  both  buyer  antl  seller. 
Th!s  of  course  ended  jirosecutions  by  eitliri'. 
and  in  eonsi'i(iience  of  this  legislation  vote 
buying  is  now  almost  as  conuiion  as  it  was  in 
188(i:  and  that  was  the  object  <>{'  the  Iciiisla- 
tion.  The  Australian  ballot  law  insures  more 
unlcrly  elections,  and  i)revents  to  a  large  ex- 


tent the  intimitlation  ui  voters,  but  it  does 
not  prevent   vote  buying. 

These  remedial  measures  of  1889  received 
almost  unanimous  sn])port  from  the  Demo- 
cratic members,  but  there  was  considerable 
opjjosition  at  first.  I  recall  in  particular  one 
old  representative  who  wanted  no  change — 
who  wanted  it  "so  that  he  could  take  a 
floater  back  of  the  school-house  and  mark 
his  ticket  for  him."  But  on  January  16, 
1889,  the  day  on  which  the  Soitiiid  first  pub- 
lished the  Australian  liallot  law,  it  also  pub- 
lished the  second  iu.structiou  of  Judge  Woods 
in  the  Dutlley  ease.  On  Jantiary  17  the  Scn- 
finrl  made  its  first  editorial  plea  for  election 
reform  in  which  it  was  put  flatly  on  the 
ground  that  the  Democratic  party  could  not 
compete  with  the  Republican  party  in  ras- 
cality—  its  only  hope  was  to  be  honest  and 
insist  on  honesty.  There  was  no  assiuuption 
of  sii|)eri(H-  virtiu'  in  this.  The  reason  offered 
was  that,  "The  moneyed  power  of  the  coun- 
try is  arrayed  on  the  side  of  the  Republican 
I)arty.  In  every  national  campaign  it  has 
a  corruption  fund  of  untold  millions  at  its 
disposal."  And  this  was  the  argument  that 
convinced  hesitating  Democratic  legislators, 
wlicn  to  it  was  added  the  consideration  that 
this  must  be  so  as  long  as  the  Democratic 
I)arty  maintained  its  opposition  to  a  protec- 
tive tarifi'  and  to  trusts:  and  also  the  con- 
sideration that  the  Repidilicans  had  the  fed- 
eral courts,  whose  disposition  to  punish 
Democratic  scoundrels  and  relea.se  Repub- 
lican scoundrels  had  been  demonstrated. 

The  argiunent  won  then,  but  it  is  a.stound- 
ing  how  diffictdt  it  has  been  for  Democrats 
to  keep  it  in  practical  i-emcndu-ance  since.  It 
is  so  simple  in  its  logic  that  it  is  almost 
mathematical.  .\nd  it  was  not  new  in  1889. 
It  had  been  realized  by  thinking  men  long 
before.  Seven  .vears  earlier  lion.  W'm.  11. 
Enulish  had  pointed  it  out  in  telling  how 
the  Republicans  had  bouulit  the  state  in  1880. 
altlioiurh  he  frard\ly  admitted  that.  "More 
tiioncy  was  used  tiy  the  Democrats  in  the 
Indiana  campaign  of  1880  than  was  ever  used 
in  any  previous  camijaiuri ; "  and  "My  own 
.jiulgment  is  that  it  was  largely  in  excess  of 
what  was  needed,  and  five  times  more  than 
T  should  recoiiuncnd  tlic  Democrats  to  raise 
in  any  campaign  hereafter."  He  said:  "The 
idea  tVat   we  could  eompc>te  with  the  Keiuib- 


.308 


niSTOltV  (U'  liJJEATKU  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


lieans  either  in  raising;  money  or  usinsj:  it  for 
corrupt  jjiirposes.  was  an  ntter  absurdity. 
*  *  *  The  Denioeratie  ])arty,  to  sueeeed, 
iimst  stand  on  the  etei'nal  principles  of  right, 
and  if  they  should  in  future  contests  en- 
deavor to  carry  elections  by  the  corrupt  use 
of  money  or  other  rascalities,  they  will  de- 
serve to  be  beaten.  *  *  *  Wp  hacj  ^ot 
the  influence  and  salaries  of  a  hundred  thon- 
.sand  federal  otticers  to  help  us  in  that 
October  fight :  nor  Star  Route  and  treasury 
thieves  to  pour  corruption  funds  into  onr 
borders,  and  chnckle  with  the  beneficiaries 
over  the  beautiful  supply  of  'soap';  nor  a 
great  system  of  banks,  nor  great  manufac- 
tories nor  moneyed  corporations  to  look  to  for 
aid ;  nor  cart-loads  of  crisp  and  unworn 
greenbacks  apparently  fresh  from  the  treas- 
ury of  the  United  States,  the  histoi-y  of 
which  may  yet  startle  the  country  if  the  sub- 
.ieet  is  ever  properly  investigated.  Even  if 
there  had  been  no  principle  involved,  success- 
ful competition  with  the  Republicans  in  mon- 
ey and  corrujit  practices  was  absni'd  :md  iiii- 
po.ssible. "'" 


There  is  nothing  in  this  peeuliai'  to  the 
Democratic  party.  It  is  necessarily  true  of 
any  party,  in  any  country,  that  opposes  a 
lirivileged  jjlutocracy.  The  direct  cause  of 
1h(  jirinciple's  being  recognized  and  acted 
t)n  in  1S89  was  the  Dudley  att'air,  to  which 
the  election  reform  legislation  of  that  year 
is  a  monument.  That  the  improved  condi- 
tions of  the  next  few  years  have  not  lasteil  is 
primarily  due  to  Republican  assaults  on  that 
leuislation,  but  scarcely  less  to  Democratic 
failure  to  keep  always  at  the  front  the  stand- 
ard of  honest  elections.  If  Indiana  could  re- 
turn to  the  bribery  law  of  1889,  and  add  to 
it  a  constitutional  provision  for  the  registra- 
tion of  all  present  voters,  with  future  ad- 
mission to  reaistration  based  on  an  education- 
al ([ualitication,  and  all  sntfrage  conditioned 
on  payment  of  taxes,  it  might  again  be  in 
])osition  to  boast  of  advancement  in  political 
honesty  and  political  sanity.  At  pre.sent  it 
has  no  room  for  hoastins. 


'"  Cinciiiitati  Enquirer.  February  9.  1882; 
Fishback's  "Plea  for  Honest  Elections. ""  j).  9. 


CHAPTER   XXVll 


THE  CITY  CHARTER. 


Out  of  the  iiiiul  of  Indiaiiapdlis  strcrls 
pivw  its  present  city  cliarter.  TIk'  Icxi'l  sur- 
face and  rich  soil,  which  had  iiidiicrd  tlic  in- 
cation  of  the  cai)ital  at  tliis  point,  were  de- 
sirable for  agi'icnltural  jnu'poses.  Init  tht'v 
were  serious  di'awhaeUs  in  the  drainafii'  and 
istrect  construction  of  a  city.  It  is  dillicult 
even  for  those  wlio  lived  here  at  the  time  to 
realize  now  the  wretched  eonilition  of  the 
streets  up  to  1891.  As  a  geueral  rule  the 
business  streets  were  paved  with  "bowlders'' 
or  cobhK'-stones,  iiresentiny'  an  uneven  sur- 
face over  which  vehicles  rattled  and  jolted, 
with  interstices  in  which  i-aiu  aiul  s])riid<lini; 
water  stcjod  uutd  splashed  out  by  wheels, 
'file  only  iniprovenient  of  other  .streets  was 
L'radiuii  aiul  jrravelini;-.  In  wet  weather  tlu-y 
were  nniddy,  and  in  dry  wi'atber  i)eo]ile  could 
realize  the  force  of  '.lie  old  minstrel  .ioUe  that 
"dust  is  nothin"  but  nuid  wid  de  juice 
M|ucczcd  out."  There  bad  been  only  two 
oi-  three  attempts  at  substantial  i)a\ini;'.  and 
they  had  not  been  very  eiU'oui'ai;inu'.  In  the 
spriny  of  187ii.  mi  pdition  of  Iwo-thii'ds  of 
the  I'i'sideut  |)i'opei't\ -owiU'rs.  the  council  or- 
dcn  il  Delaware  street  paved  with  "Nicholson 
lilocU  pavement."  from  Washiufrton  to  St. 
Clair  streets.  It  was  a  sand  foundation. 
<'ovi'red  with  pine  boai'ds.  on  which  ])iue 
blocivs  were  set.  Tin-  work'  was  done  by 
•bibn  .\ndci-son  i.^  Coiiipany.  nl'  ('hieaeci.  at 
a  <'ost  of  .$.")L>.(i:5!).22.' 

It  was  a  i)erfect  dream  to  Indiaiuipolis 
peeple  while  it  lasted,  aud  tliei-e  weiv  numer- 
ous proposals  fur  other  pavenu-nts  of  the 
same  kind,  but  the  city  autbiu'ities  concluded 
to  eivi'  the  fii'st   one  a   lest   bef(U'e  |)avitie'  e.\- 


'Coiuicil    I'meei'diii'/s.    18(j9-7n.     j.p.     8:W. 


teu.sively,  and  the  only  other  improvement 
of  the  boom  times  of  the  early  seventies  was 
the  continuation  of  the  Delaware  street  im- 
provement from  St.  Clair  to  Tinker  (Six- 
teenth street),  in  1878.  It  was  just  as  well 
that  they  proceeded  slowly,  for  the  impi'ove- 
ment  soon  went  to  i)ieces,  and  on  ilay  2!), 
187(5.  Andrew  Wallace,  oni'  of  the  Delawai'e 
stivet  i)roperty-owiu'rs.  jietitioned  the  coun- 
cil, reeitinu'  how  a  good  siravel  and  bowldei' 
sti'eet  had  been  toi'u  up.  and  an  "experimen- 
tal im|)rovement "  forci-d  mi  the  property- 
ownei's,  and  asking  the  council  "to  take  up 
those  rotten  blocks  and  |)lace  our  street  in  as 
good  condition  as  it  was  when  you  removed 
it."-  The  city  attorney  however,  advised  that 
this  could  be  doiu-  only  at  the  expense  of  the 
jM-operty-owners.  'J'he  panic  of  1873  put  an 
end  to  street  impi-ovenu'uts  for  some  years,  but 
the  need  of  passable  streets  was  a  pressing 
one,  and  tlu'  .Meridian  street  jieople  next 
desired  improvenu'nt.  Aftei-  two  yeai's  of 
wrangling  abcnit  it,  .Meridian  sti-eet  was 
paved,  in  1882,  with  cedai'  blocks,  from  .\ew 
York  to  Seventh  (Sixteenth)  street.  This, 
too,  was  not  lasting,  and  it  was  repaired  by 
the  city  in  1887,  on  the  urgent  recouunenda- 
tion  of  Mayor  Denny-."  aud  again  in  1891.  by 
the  first  lioard  of  Pnblie  Works  under  the 
new  charter. 

The  next  experiment  was  on  Washington 
street,  in  1888.  from  Mississippi  (Senate  ave- 
nue), to  .MabaiiKi.  The  pro|)erty-owiiers 
ther-e  did  not  want  a  liloek  |iav(Mneut.  aud 
tbei-e  was  a  contest  lietween  advocates  of  as- 
phalt and  .-1  ]iateiited  mati'fial  eallecl  Yul- 
canite.       Till'    .Idiiniiil    warmly    espeused    the 


S79:    and    1S7(I-71. 


.'.1: 


-Council   rroeeedinvs.  p 

■'■('ouileil     I'l-oeeedinus.    I 


1 27. 
2:!4. 


309 


:!li) 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


Vulcanite  cause,  and  a  Republican  eouncIL 
adopted  it.  There  were  some  insinuations 
of  interested  motives  at  the  time,  and  more, 
a  few  weeks  later,  when  the  contract  was  as- 
signed by  the  Nation:,!  Vulcanite  Company 
to  the  Indianapolis  Paving  Company— a  new 
corporation.  Tlie  cost  of  the  pavement  was 
$74,488.68,  of  which  tlie  Street  Railway  Com- 
pany was  assessed  with  $15.:i63.28.*  It  diil 
not  pay  it.  however,  the  Snjjremc  Court  hold- 
ing that  it  Was  under  iu>  obligation  tn  pay  foi' 
new  paving.^ 

This  pavement  was  very  satisfactory  in 
cold  weather,  but  in  warm  weather  it  at- 
tained a  chewing-gum  consistency  that  causetl 
it  to  be  popularly  known  as  "the  Yucatan 
pavement."  The  chief  value  of  these  ex- 
periments was  in  educating  intelligent  people 
to  the  importance  of  some  adequate  authorit\- 
to  take  charge  of  public  improvements.  At 
that  time  the  work  of  investigation  and 
supervision  was  done  by  a  "board  of  publii- 
improvements" — a  committee  of  three  elec- 
tecl  by  the  Common  Council,  —  and  all  final 
action  was  by  the  Council  and  Board  of  Al- 
dermen. The  opportunit.v  for  obstruction 
was  so  great  that  practically  nothing  was 
done,  except  on  a  compromise  basis,  in  case 
any  serious  objection  was  made  to  any  pro- 
posed im])rovement.  And  when  improve- 
ments were  made,  there  was  a  general  feel- 
ing that  the  public  was  not  getting  wliat  it 
was  entitled  to,  or  what  it  might  have  under 
a  more  rational  method  of  procedure. 

The  nmtter  was  brought  before  the  legis- 
lature of  1889,  and  it  passed  a  bill  establish- 
ing a  "Board  of  Public  AVorks  and  Affairs." 
in  Indianapolis  ("cities  of  fifty  thousand  oi' 
moi'c  inhabitants"),  wliich  was  an  excellent 
measure,  objectionable  in  only  oiu'  respect.  It 
provided  that  the  members  of  the  first  Ixiai'd 
should  be  elected  by  the  (jeneral  Assembly, 
and  their  successors  should  be  appointed  bv 
the  Mayor.  The  General  Assembly  was 
Democratic,  and  the  Alayoi-  a  I\epul)lican. 
On  this  account  the  bill  was  vetoed  by  Gov- 
ernor Hovey,  but  it  was  passed  over  his  veto." 


At  the  same  session  a  bill  was  passed,  provid- 
ing for  a  "Board  of  Metroitolitan  Police  and 
Eire  Department,"  of  the  same  character, 
which  was  likewise  vetoed,  and  pas.sed  over 
the  veto.'  ^Members  of  these  boards  were 
duly  elected,  and  presented  their  bonds, 
whii-h  ;\Iayor  Denny  declined  to  approve. 
Mandamus  proceedings  were  then  instituted 
in  the  Superior  Court,  and  the  three  judges, 
in  banc,  held  both  acts  unconstitutional. 
The  cases  were  then  appealed  to  the  Supreme 
Court,  which  likewise  held  both  laws  uncon- 
stitutional. Judge  Jlitchell  alone  dissenting.* 
This  left  matters,  at  the  close  of  1889,  where 
they  were  at  the  beginning,  except  that  uni- 
versal attention  had  been  drawn  to  the  sub- 
ject, and  the  need  of  better  control  of  public 
w(u-ks  was  universally  recognized.  Its  im- 
|)ortauce  was  also  much  increased  by  what  is 
known  as  "the  Barrett  law,"  which  was 
pa.ssed  at  the  session  of  1889. 

The  Barrett  law  is  rightly  named,  for  it 
was  wholly  original  with  Senator  James  "SI. 
Barrett,  of  Allen  County,  and  it  has  seldom 
fallen  to  the  lot  of  nuui  to  originate  a  meas- 
ure of  more  profound  effect.  Shortly  before 
the  session  of  1889,  Mr,  Henry  Williams,  a 
prominent  citizen  of  P"'t.  Wayne,  easuall.v 
suggested  to  ^Mi-.  Barrett  the  propriety  of  a 
law  giving  ]u-operty-owners  time  in  which  to 
pay  for  sti'cet  assi^ssments.  The  idea  ap- 
[)ealed  to  ]\lr.  Barrett,  and  he  endeav(u-ed  to 
find  some  ]irecedent  or  model  for  such  legis- 
lation. Being  unable  to  find  anything  of  the 
sort  in  the  statutes  of  any  state  he  devised 
the  simple  but  ingenious  plali  of  a  bond  issue 
covering  the  assessment  liens,  which  should 
he  met  at  maturity  by  the  payment  of  the 
assessments  in  installinents  with  6  per  cent, 
interest.  He  preinired  the  (u-iginal  act  of 
1889  unaided,  brought  it  here,  and  got  it 
passed,  in  addition  to  nnich  other  valuable 
legislative  work,  notable  among  which  was 
engineering  the  Australian  ballot  law 
through  the  Smiate.  'i'he  law  of  1889  was 
practically  a  compilation  of  existing  laws 
as  to  ordering  inu)rovements  and  assessiiur 
benefits,  the  essential  new  feature  beinu'  the 


••Council  Proceedinus,  p.  :?42:  X(ics.  De- 
cember 18,  1888, 

•■Supply  Co.,  vs.  Stivct  Railwav  Co.,  128 
Ind.,  p.  525. 

«Aets  1889,  pp.  247-254. 


'Acts  1899,  pp.  222-280, 

'State  ex  rel.  Jameson  vs.  Dennv,  IIS  io'l., 
p.  ■182;  State  ex  rel.  Holt  vs.  Denny,  118  Ind., 
p.  44!r 


lIlsroK'V    OK  CKKA'I'Hl!    IMHAXAPOl.IS. 


311 


riirht  ^'iveii  tlie  propei-ty-owner  to  call  t'of 
li)  years"  credit,  followed  hv  the  issue  of 
lionds  and  the  i)i'oee(hii'e  in  relation  thereto. 
It  is  sometimes  called  "a  loan  of  the  city's 
<  redit,"  hut  it  is  not.  It  is  virtually  a  moi"t- 
isuge  by  the  city  of  the  property  on  wliich 
i-redit  is  desired,  and  all  the  city  loans  is  its 
Miiiervision  of  tlie  l)ond  issues  and  collection 
I'  the  money.  The  debt  is  not  a  city  debt. 
I)ut  is  securi-d  by  the  lien  on  the  property  of 
the  indixiduals  affected.  It  has  become 
oonnnon  to  call  all  subse(|uent  laws  contain- 
insr  this  principle  "Barrett  laws,"  and  it 
should  perhaps  be  borne  in  mind  that  Mr. 
Barrett  had  nothinjr  to  do  with  any  of  them 
but  the  first,  as  some  of  them  have  added 
other  j)i'ovisinns  for  which  lie  niiylit  not  care 
to  be  held   I'esiinnsible. 

This  law— this  priviletre  of  payint;-  for  pub- 
lic im])rovements  in  installments,  has  not  only 
had  an  enormous  etfect  in  promoting'  public 
improvements  in  Indiana  cities  and  towns, 
but  also  has  been  copied  widely  in  other 
states.  It  came  to  the  aid  of  Indianapolis  ;il 
the  most  oppoitnne  moment,  wlien  slie  was 
.iust  "nteriuL'  on  hei-  era  of  public  improve- 
ment, and  reconciled  hundreds  of  men  to  the 
policy  of  public  improvemcnl  on  an  extensive 
scale — a  scale  that  would  liavi'  created  in- 
tolerable burdens  if  the  expen.se  had  been 
obliged  to  be  met  in  full  on  the  completion 
of  the  work,  as  it  was  before.  It  not  only 
foi'warded  the  aduption  of  the  |)olicy.  but  it 
nni|Ui'stiotud)ly  made  it  possible  foi-  many 
people  to  j);iy  foi'  iiii|)rovenients  who  could 
not  have  done  so  on  the  old  basis.  In  the 
city  of  Tndian«polis.  up  to  .Tannai-y  1.  1009. 
there  were  issued  a  total  of  $.').r)4().n(;i.Sfl  of 
these  bonds:  and  of  that  total  .$8,(i9f).91f!.8G 
had  been  redeemed.  leavin<r  outstandini:' 
!fl.^!-l9.14.").(i:i.  This,  of  course,  does  not  show 
the  entire  amount  of  sti-eet  and  sewer  ex- 
penditure fi-om  1890.  but  it  shows  ajiproxi- 
mately  tlie  extent  to  wliicli  propei'ty-owners 
would  have  been  i-inbari-issed  if  they  bad 
been  i-efpiin^d  to  meet  their  assessments  at 
once,  and  in  full. 

There  was  another  influence  that  was  most 
I>otent  in  turniriL''  public  attenticm  to  the 
nec'd  of  improved  sti-eets.  The  puiilie  sei'\iee 
c(irporati<ins  of  Indianapolis  had  never  lieen 
tu'oinpt  in  puttini:  sti-eets  in  re|);iir.  This 
hail  1 n  the  subject  of  nuniernu.s  complaints. 


a.s,  for  example,  on  March  21,  1881,  when,  on 
motion  of  an  irate  councilman,  the  City 
.Marshal  was  '•directed  to  notify  the  Water 
Works  Company  to  at  once  pull  up  cordwood 
and  rails  on  youth  Meridian  sti-eet,  and  to 
fill  up  chuck  holes  made  by  them  with  good 
irravel  or  cinders.""  But  in  1890  the  condi- 
tion of  the  streets  was  appalling  on  account 
of  the  race  of  the  two  natural  gas  companies 
to  get  in  their  mains.  They  had  toi'n  up  a 
nm.jority  of  the  stieets  of  the  city,  and  filled 
the  excavations  without  settling  the  earth, 
lu  consequence  there  were  miniature  moun- 
tain ranges  along  most  of  the  streets,  cutting 
ott'  drainage  and  impeding  passage.  There 
wei'c  hundreds  of  citizens  who  could  not 
lu-ing  a  vehicle  to  the  curb  in  fixint  of  their 
residences.  As  the  comjjanies  failed  to  put 
the  sti-eets  in  order,  the  city  began  to  do  it, 
and  sentl  the  bills  to  the  companies,  A  re- 
port to  the  council  showed  that  the  Indian- 
apolis Compan.y  had  paid  one  of  these  bills 
of  over  .t:?00,  while  the  Consumers'  Trust 
had  refused  to  pay  one  of  over  .$1,000.  '" 
The  City  Attorney  was  instructed  to  sue,  but. 
public  sentiment  was  with  the  Consumers' 
Trust,  and  this  was  treated  as  an  attempt  to 
embarrass  It  financially,  and  nothing  was 
finally  done.  In  the  meantime  the  streets 
remained  in  their  torn-up  condition  until 
permanently  imi)roved. 

Early  in  1S9()  the  Conniiercial  Club  was 
oi-ganized,  the  chief  atti'action  to  most  of  its 
iiienibers  being  the  improvement  of  the 
streets.  On  H'ehruary  27.  ""in  view  of  the 
I)roposed  rebuilding  of  over  a  thousand 
S(|uares  of  streets,"  it  adopted  its  plan  for  a 
paving  exposition  which  was  held  that  sum- 
mer. Interest  in  the  matter  was  geneial. 
The  newspapers  were  discussing  it  and  iieo- 
ple  were  talking  about  it.  On  Jlarch  '■].  on 
motion  of  J.  V.  AVildmaii.  the  Bctard  of  Ti-ade 
adopted  a  resolution,  "that  a  connnittee  of 
three  be  ajipointed  from  the  Board  of  Trad" 
I  the  [>resi(h'tit  of  the  board  to  be  chairman) 
and  request  that  a  like  connnittee  be  apjioint- 
ed  from  the  Conniiercial  Club,  and  also  that 
the  ]\Iayor  of  the  eit\-.  the  president  of  the 
Board  of  Aldermen,  and  the  chairman  of  the 
Finance    Committee   of   the   Citv   Council    be 


"ConncU  l'r<ic(  cdiiKis.  p.  980. 

^"Ciiuiicil   I'nici  ( tliiii/s.   1S9I).   pp.   74.   7."). 


31-.' 


llIsroltY  OF  CiKKATER  IXDIAKAPOLIS. 


requt'stt'il  to  scivi'  ;is  meiubeis  oi  saul  cmn- 
raittee.  It  shall  he  the  duty  of  these  ji.iiit 
committees  to  organize  as  die,  and  fully  ui- 
vestiirate  and  carefully  [irepare  a  bill  to  he 
presented  at  the  next  iiieetinL;-  of  the  tieneral 
Assembly,  for  establishinu'  a  Board  of  Pulilie 
"Works  for  this  city,  and  such  other  bills  on 
such  other  subjects  as  the  interest  of  the  city 
may  demand ;  and  use  all  proper  efforts  to 
have  the  same  become  laws.""  In  addition 
to  the  president  (Mr.  (ieo.  (j.  Tanner)  Jas. 
A.  AYildman  and  S.  '!'.  Bowen  were  appoint- 
ed meiiil)ers  of  this  coiiimiltee. 

On  ^lareh  10  the  Oouimereial  Club  heUl  a 
large  meeting  at  the  Board  of  Trade  Hall, 
which  had  been  tendered  for  the  club's  use 
till  it  got  a  home.  The  announced  subject 
was  "The  City  Charter:  What  Is  It;  What 
Ought  It  to  Be?"  The  discussion  was  led  by 
Dr.  Henry  Jameson,  who  advocated  refonn 
legislation,  and  offered  this  resolution:  "Re- 
solved, That  .we  reconnnend  to  the  board  of 
directors  the  appointment  of  a  committee  to 
consider  the  matter  of  revising  the  laws  gov- 
erning the  city,  the  fcn'mulation  of  new  laws 
believed  to  be  needed,  and  the  embodiment 
of  the  same  in  a  bill  covering  the  entire  sub- 
ject of  city  government.  The  report  of  the 
conunittee  shall  be  ]n'esented  to  the  club  in 
regular  session,  thrmmh  the  board  of  direc- 
tors, for  final  consideration  and  action."  This 
resolution  is  broader  than  it  was  in  its  orig- 
inal form,  and  was  nuide  so  at  the  suggestion 
of,  and  with  the  assistance  of  A.  L.  ]\Iason, 
who  urged  that  when  the  conunittee  came  tn 
examine  the  cround  it  would  probably  find  it 
necessary  to  |)repaie  a  new  charter.  After 
discussion,  all  favorable  to  the  movement,  in 
which  numerous  evils  were  pointed  out  and 
remedies  suggested,  this  resolution  was 
adopted.  Another  resolution  was  introduced 
by  Charles  B.  Fletcher,  reciting  that 
""Whereas,  the  connnunity  has  awakened  t" 
the  deploraI)le  condition  of  our  streets  "  and 
"Whei'cas  the  sewei'age  of  the  city  is  very 
limited."  a  committee  of  three  should  \<r  a|>- 
pointed  to  devise  nieans  for  obtaiiiinu  the 
preparation  of  a  compi-ehensive  sewer  system 
by  reliable  engineerinu-  talent,  so  that  tlie 
sewers  could  be  consti-ueted  befiu'C  the  streets 
wei'e    improved.      This    was    referred    to    the 


directoi's.  in  reuular  course,  and  later  adopt- 
ed.'- 

On  ilarch  11  the  dii-ectors  of  the  Com- 
)nercial  Club  met.  "A  conniiunication  from 
the  Board  of  Trade  reporting  the  ap])iiint- 
ment  of  a  committee  to  secure  the  etuu-tnient 
of  a  bill  establishing  a  Boai-d  of  Public 
Works  in  Indianapolis  and  asking  the  ap- 
I)ointment  of  a  like  committee  by  the  Com- 
mercial Club,  the  two  to  work  together,  was 
read.  The  president  was  authorized  to  ap- 
])oint,  in  accordance  with  the  resolution  of 
.March  10th  at  a  meeting  of  the  club,  a  com- 
mittee of  three  to  considei-  the  matter  of  re- 
vising the  laws  governing  the  city,  this  com- 
mittee to  act  with  the  Board  of  Trade  com- 
nnttee  on  Public  Works,  in  accordance  with 
the  provisions  of  1he  resolution  reported.'" 
■|  he  president  apiminted  Augustus  L.  IMasou. 
Samuel  K.  ^lorss.  and  <iranville  S.  Wright 
as  mendiei-s  of  this  conunittee.  They  were  all 
outspoken  advocates  of  thorough  revision. 
-Mr.  ^lason  had  urged  that  practically  a  new 
charter  was  needed:  and  Mr.  Wright  had 
spoken  for  radical  changes,  at  the  meeting 
of  March  10.  and  especially  for  a  centraliza- 
tion of  powei'  in  the  mayor.'*  The  members 
of  the  city  government  who  had  been  invited 
to  join  in  the  conunittee  work — the  nuiyor, 
Thonuis  L.  Sullivan;  the  president  of  the 
Board  of  Aldermen.  Isaac  J.  Thalman:  and 
the  chairman  of  the  Finance  Conunittee  of 
the  Council.  AVilliam  Wesley  Woollen  — all 
;u'ce|ited.  The  joint  conunittee  of  nine  nieni- 
liers.  thus  formed,  met  jiromptly,  and  almost 
at  the  start  resolved  to  undertake  the  draft 
of  an  entirely  new  charter.  George  O.  Tan- 
ner was  made  chaii'nuui.  and  A.  L.  ]Mason  sec- 
retary of  the  conunittee,  and  it  proceeded  at 
once  to  utilize  the  ten  months  that  interveuetl 
bd'oir  the  next  session  of  the  legislature.  On 
Mari'li  l,")  the  Board  of  Trade  held  a  public 
nieetiui;-  to  discuss  "Our  ^Municipal  Affairs. 
Is  there  a  Necessity  for  a  New  City  Char- 
ti'f,'"  The  affirmative  was  ably  presented 
liy  the  City  Attorney.  W.  L.  Taylor  and 
others,  and  a  resolution  indoi'sing  revision 
was  adopted.'^ 


'Miiiiitis.  p.   l?;it:  .hiiniKil.  M.uvh  4.   1S!)0. 


-Joiinnil.  :\Iarch  11.  1890. 
''■C(jiinii(  rciiil  Club  Minutes. 
KJourunl.  :\Iarch  11.  1800. 
'■Joiinnil.  ^\■.\Vi■h  Ki.   1890. 


iiisToK'v  oi'-  (;i;k.\'I'I-;i;  i.\i»iA.\.\r(ii.i.s. 


•  »  1  o 


Nil  coiniiiitti't'  ever  did  more  .systcinjitic, 
ratitinal  and  foiisciciitioiis  work  tliaii  this 
joint  CMinnnitti'e  to  wiiicli  the  ri't'onn  had  Ix'cn 
rpfi'iTi'd.  After  it  lia;l  resolved  to  (uulertake 
the  draft  of  au  entirely  new  charter  tlie  next 
(|uestion  considered  was  the  ^enei'al  plan  of 
the  new  ehartei-.  S.  Iv  Mmss  ealled  atten- 
tion to  a  ]iublication  by  the  Jolnis  IlopUius 
I'liivei'sity,  shiiwiiii;  the  worUiivu'  of  the  Hul- 
litt  I>a\v  in  the  City  of  IMiiladelphia.  iti  \vhi<'h 
the  mayor  was  aiithoiized  to  ap|)oint  a  Hoard 
of  Pnblie  Works  and  some  other  otTieers. 
Aujiiistus  L.  ^lason  ealled  attention  to  tlie  re- 
cent charter  of  Brooklyn,  New  York,  eon- 
strncted  on  the  so-callecl  federal  i)lan  with  a 
division  of  the  city  ,<;overum"nt  into  leiiisJa- 
tive.  exeeiitive.  and  .iudicial  branches,  the 
mayor  heiiifr  tlie  sole  head  of  the  executive 
branch,  with  jxiwei  to  a|)piiint  siibordinafes. 
After  careful  consi<leration  it  was  resolveil 
to  atlopt  the  ideas  of  the  Bullitt  Law  and  of 
the  Brooklyn  charter,  as  a  irenernl  jilan  tf) 
wliich  the  committee  should  wcn-k.  It  was 
recognized  that  the  I'eal  problem  would  be  to 
adapt  the  lieiu.'ral  theory  to  the  j)articular 
necessiti'^s  of  Indianapolis,  havinu'  in  mind 
the  institutions  to  which  our  ])eo|)le  had  been 
accustomeil.  l-'oi'  the  ensuing'  ten  months 
sevral  meetinjis  a  week  were  held  in  the 
evenintr.  either  of  the  Avliole  committee  or  of 
siib-committoes.  at  the  office  of  Mr.  Masim. 
901  ^,   Ka.st  :\Iarket  street. 

The  introduction  to  tlie  law.  the  part  I'c- 
latinir  to  tli(>  legislative  branch  of  the  city 
povernnient  and  the  pai't  relating'  In  the 
executive  branch,  were  drafted  by  Jlr.  ^Mason. 
The  sources  of  matei'ial  were,  in  the  main, 
the  old  laws  L'ovei'iiinir  the  city  of  Indian- 
apolis, the  new  Brooklyn  charter,  the  Bullitt 
Tiaw  of  Philadelphia,  and  the  somewhat  old- 
fashioned  but  the  ve^'y  carefully  drawn  char- 
ter of  the  City  of  Cliicai,'!).  When  the  roimli 
draft  of  any  ])ai't  was  wi'itten  it  was  submit- 
ted line  by  line  to  a.  sub-committee  and  care- 
fully considered,  modified  or  appi'oved.  The 
snb-comiiiitte(>  cliarLred  with  the  preparation 
of  that  portion  of  the  charter  re^'ulatini;-  the 
Icirislative  branch  n)'  ihe  city  uovernment.  had 
fleori;!'  li.  Tanner  for  chairman:  the  siib- 
coiiniiiltee  charged  with  preparation  of  thai 
Itoriien  of  the  charter  reiruliitini;-  the  execu- 
tive branch  of  the  city  iiovernment.  had  for 
its   cliiiiniian    TluiiriMs    L.    Sullivan,      liater    i1 


was  jiresented  to  the  committee  of  the  whole, 
which  met  at  regular  intervals,  ami  again 
gone  over  line  by  line.  The  part  of  the  cliar- 
ter  relating  to  the  .judicial  branch  of  city 
government  was  drafted  by  Thomas  L.  Sul- 
livan and  (iranville  Wi'ight. 

Every  member  of  the  committee  contribut- 
ed important  ideas  and  a.ssisted  in  the  phras- 
inir  of  the  law.  .Mr.  Tanner,  showing  great 
lirecision  in  the  use  of  words,  in  iiointing  out 
ambiguities  and  in  testing  proposed  provi- 
sions, by  the  common  working  of  business 
and  public  attains  as  transacteil  from  day  to 
day.  gave  particular  attention  to  the  powers 
fpf  the  city  council.  Jlr.  Woollen  and  "Sir. 
'I'haliiuui  were  extremely  valuable  in  sha[)ing 
those  parts  of  the  bill  touching  city  finance, 
the  making  of  approi>riatioiis.  the  issue  and 
sale  of  bonds,  the  making  of  street  improve- 
ments, and  the  granting  of  franchises  to  pub- 
lic eori)orations. 

In  the  work  of  the  einiimittee,  ]\Ir.  ]\rorss 
and  ilayor  Sullivan  kei)t  in  touch  with  the 
views  of  the  Democratic  organization  in  the 
city  and  carried  on  ilijilomatie  negotiations 
so  as  to  avoid  obstruction  when  the  charter 
should  go  before  the  legislature.  Colonel 
AVildman.  ^[r.  Thaliiian  and  .Mr.  Wright 
kept  in  touch  with  the  Uei)ublican  organiza- 
tion for  a  like  purpose.  ^Ir.  Bowen  acted 
as  a  committee  on  style  and  polished  oH:' 
many  rough  places  in  the  English  of  the 
(locnmcnt.  .Mr.  'I'anner  furnished  that  kind 
of  enthusiasm  and  untiring  energy,  as  chair- 
man of  the  committee,  which  kept  the  com- 
mittee constantl}'  at  work  and  tolerated  no 
unnecessary  delay  and  no  carelessness  on  the 
part  of  any  member.  Through  the  hot  nights 
of  the  snniim  r  id'  ISilll  the  committee  met 
with  tireless  reuulai'ity  and  this  without 
stimulants,  for  when  late  in  the  evening  they 
left  the  liot  little  oflice  on  Hast  .Market  street 
they  would  repair  to  the  drug  store  in  the 
Halcyon  block  at  Delawiirc  and  Xew  'S'ork 
streets  and  refresh  with  soft  drinks  only. 

The  great  central  I'latiire  of  the  charter 
revision  was  the  entire  s(  |)aration  of  the 
executive,  legislative  and  judicial  fnnctioiis. 
all  administrative  functions  being  trans- 
ferred to  th(>  executive  deiiartnieiit.  Tliis 
iiieant  a  ureat  coiieeiil ration  (d"  [xiwer  in  the 
mayor,  and  witli  the  powei  was  i)lac(>d  the 
full    ri'sponsibilitx'    wliii'li    slionid    aeeoinpaiiy 


314 


HISTORY   OF   GHEATEK   INDIANAPOLIS. 


jtower.  Thcrt'  are  many  fine  points  in  the 
charter  which  even  to  this  day  the  jjublic  is 
not  familiar  with.  For  instance,  usually 
where  the  mayor  or  some  other  executive 
officer  has  the  veto  power,  the  failure  of  such 
an  officer  to  sign  a  bill  within  a  certain  limit- 
ed time,  permits  such  a  bill  or  ordinance  tii 
become  a  law  by  the  lapse  of  time  without  his 
signature.  In  the  city  charter  this  is  ail 
changed,  and  the  shoe,  as  it  were,  is  put  on 
the  other  foot.  The  mayor  is  compelled  to 
take  his  full  share  of  responsibility  in  every 
iii-dinaiice  that  is  passed",  by  signing  every 
(ii'dinance  which  he  approves.  In  case,  with- 
in the  limit  named  in  the  charter,  he  does  not 
sign  an  ordinance,  his  failure  to  sign  consti- 
tutes a  veto.  Thus  it  is  incumbent  upon  tl 
mayor  to  thoroughly  study  every  ordinanc-c 
that  is  passed,  and  to  take  his  full  responsi- 
bility for  all  laws.  The  mayor  is  really  made 
the  key-stone  to  the  arch.  It  was  the  desii-e 
of  the  gentlemen  who  drafted  the  city  char- 
ter to  fix  the  responsibilit.v  \ipon  some  one 
for  ever.v  act,  and  the  mayor  is  the  responsi- 
ble head,  and  it  is  im]ioi-tant  tiiercfore  undi^r 
our  city  charter  that  the  peojile  should  selecl 
the  very  best  material  in  electing  a  mayor. 
The  mavor  appoints  the  various  boards,  the 
Board  of  Public  Works,  the  Board  of  Public 
Safety  and  the  Board  of  Health,  and  the 
Cit.v  Engineer,  and  in  order  not  to  have  a 
lot  of  political  dickering,  and  to  avoid  tyintr 
the  hands  of  the  ma.voi-  and  place  him  in  tlie 
attitude  of  making  deals  with  the  City  Coun- 
cil, his  appointments  do  not  have  to  be  ap- 
proved by  the  City  Council,  and  he  is  at  lib- 
erty to  at  anv  time  remove  any  one  of  his 
appointees;  and  in  order  that  he  may  do  no 
in.i'ustice  to  a  person  so  removed,  it  is  only 
incumbent  upon  him,  when  he  does  remove  a 
person,  that  he  stat*^  his  i-ea.son  for  so  remov- 
ing his  appointee.  Thus  if  a  person  removei' 
considered  himself  aggrieved,  the  fact  that 
the  ma.vor  is  compelled  to  state  his  reason 
gives  the  p-^rson  so  removed  an  opportunity 
to  come  before  the  people  and  give  his  sidi^ 
of  the  case,  if  there  is  a  dift'erence  of  opinion. 
During  the  prei)ai'ation  of  the  charter  the 
committee  i)riidentl.v  allowed  the  public  to 
know  some  of  the  ideas  which  were  being  con- 
sidered. The  plan  giving  the  ma.vor  power 
to  appoint  and  discharge  his  subordiiiates 
was    mui'h    debated    in    privab'    cdnvei'sation. 


in  the  jniblic  [U'ess,  and  elsewhere.  Even  the 
debating  class  at  the  Y.  JI.  C.  A.  argued  the 
(juestion  and  later  it  was  submitted  to  some 
classes  in  the  public  schools  for  essays  by  the 
[)upils.  It  was  argued  against  the  provision 
that  such  a  concentration  of  power  was  un- 
democratic and  un-American,  and  would  re- 
sult in  a  dangerous  political  nuichine.  It 
\vas  urged  in  favor  of  the  provision  that  a 
concentration  of  executive  power  in  the  hands 
of  the  mayor  was  neeessarv  for  efficient  ad- 
ministi-ation  and  followed  the  plan  of  the 
federal  government,  as  laid  down  in  the  Con- 
stitution and  T.iaws  of  the  United  States.  It 
was  pointed  out  that  the  proposed  charter 
instead  of  unduly  concenti'ating  power,  reall.v 
divided  it  li.v  separating  the  legislative  and 
executive  branches  of  the  government  instead 
lif  vesting  the  whole  in  the  Conunon  Council 
as  had  been  previously  done.  The  whole 
nature  of  the  office  of  mayor  was  to  be 
clianged.  Instead  of  being  merel.v  presiding 
officer  of  the  Council  and  Judge  of  the  Police 
Coui-t,  the  mayor  was  to  be  sti'ietl.v  the  heail 
cif  the  executive  branch  of  the  government. 
This  provision  met  with  general  approval. 
The  power  to  be  given  the  controller  to  recom- 
mend appropriations  and  tax  levies  to  the 
Council,  with  the  provision  that  the  Council 
might  reduce  but  could  never  increase  the 
'^anie.  was  regarded  with  seneral  favor.  A 
section  occui'rintr  in  the  introduction  to  the 
I'hai'ter  pi'ohibiting  city  officials  from  having 
:in.v  interest  in  contracts  with  the  cit.v,  and 
the  provision  authorizing  the  mayor  to  re- 
voke saloon  licenses  for  cause,  elicited  much 
approval.  Much  embarrassment  was  oeca- 
-ioned  by  the  pi-oblem  of  changing  from  the 
old  to  the  new  form  of  government.  Certain 
officials  holding  office  under  the  Ccmncil  felt 
♦  hat  the  ma.vor,  who  undei'  th(>  new  charter 
had  the  power  of  apjiointment,  would  deprive 
them  of  office.  This  difficulty  was  smoothed 
over  by  seeurine  their  positions  to  them  for 
the  terms  for  which  they  were  appointed. 

On  January  .">.  ISill.  the  Board  of  Trade's 
portion  of  the  conuiiittee  r'eported  to  it.  and 
on  Janmii'.v  t)  the  Commei-cial  Club's  I'cprc- 
sentatives  did  the  same,  the  two  i-eports  being 
practically  identical.  They  state  that  the 
committee  first  decided  "that  it  was  neces- 
sai'.v  to  undertake  a  revision  of  ;dl  the  laws 
uoverninu'    the    City    of    Tiidianapolis.    except 


JIISTOKY'  OF  (IKKATEl!   IXDIAXAPOIJS. 


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IlLSTOEY  OF  GKEATEIl  1M)1AXA1'0LIS. 


those  in  relation  to  tlie  public  sehools.  to  em- 
body the  revision  in  one  uniform  code  or 
charter  drafted  in  accordance  witli  the  most 
approved  modern  notions  of  municipal  gov- 
ernment. A  sub-eonnnittee  was  appointed  to 
jirepare  a  general  outline  of  the  work.  *  *  * 
One  member  of  the  committee  was  at  an  early 
date  designated  to  prepare  a  draft  of  the  new 
charter,  upon  each  topic  iu  its  proper  order, 
wliich  draft  would  be  gone  over  line  liy  line 
by  the  sub-committee  rewritten  and  reconsid- 
ered as  often  as  necessary,  and  afterwards 
presented  to  the  whole  connnittee,  by  whom 
the  entire  document  was  twice  revised  line 
by  line  and  twice  rewritten.""  In  the  course 
of  the  work  they  exivmined  and  digested  "all 
of  the  magazine  articles,  some  three  hundred 
in  innnber,  which  have  appeared  in  this  coun- 
try on  the  subject  in  the  last  twenty  years. 
Next  we  sent  for,  read  and  considered  a  num- 
ber of  volumes,  by  writers  of  eminence,  which 
have  appeared,  embracing  exhaustive  histo- 
ries of  the  charters  of  the  great  cities  of  this 
countiy,  with  the  progressive  changes,  and 
the  results  of  their  workings,  fi'om  the  ear- 
liest colonial  times  to  the  present  day."'  To 
this  was  added  an  examination  of  the  best 
American  and  foreign  city  charters. 

The  next  work  was  to  classify  and  index 
"rdl  of  the  statutes  now  in  force  governing 
the  City  of  Indianapolis.""  This  woi'k  "de- 
veloped the  fact  that  the  present  powers  of 
the  city  are  exceediimly  ilefective ;  that  many 
ordinances  which  have  been  passed  are  un- 
doubtedh^  invalid  for  want  of  corporate 
power;  and  that  in  many  particulars  the 
present  statutes  are  imperfect,  loesely  drawn, 
conflicting,  and  in  many  instances  wholly  in- 
opei'ative. '"  With  this  preparation  the  com- 
mittee had  prepared  the  new  charter,  which 
was  submitted  in  jirinted  form.  The  pro- 
posed charter  had  already  been  submitted  to 
the  Marion  County  delegation  and  to  the 
press.  The  thanks  of  both  organizations  were 
extended  to  the  members  of  the  connnittee 
for  their  public-spirited  and  faithful  labors: 
and  thi>se  labors  were  also  justly  made  thi' 
suli.jcct  of  eom|)limentary  connuent  in  the 
annual  I'cjiorts  next  following.  In  this  com- 
ment may  be  noted  the  statement  of  Presi- 
dent Lilly  in  his  annual  address  of  February 
9,  1891:  "The  ueneral  committee  further 
honored  the  rouniicn'ial  Club  by  plaeinii  the 


construction  ot  the  charter  in  the  hands  of 
^Ir.  ^lason,  a  trust  bringing  with  it  a  duty 
so  great  that  it  took  months  of  constant  labor 
to  bring  the  mass  of  ideas  into  legal  form."'" 

The  work  of  preparing  the  charter  was 
slow,  but  it  was  sure  as  compared  with  the 
work  of  passing  it,  for  there  were  obstacles 
of  various  sorts.  Perhaps  the  most  serious 
(  ne  was  that  the  charter  had  Iieen  prepared 
on  an  absolutely  non-partisan  basis,  and  was 
now  offered  to  a  Democratic  legislature  for 
passage,  it  being  a  certainty  that  there  was  a 
percentage  of  Democrats  who  had  conscien- 
tious scruples  against  a  failure  to  take  a  par- 
tisan advantage  when  opportunity  offered. 
Secondly,  all  of  the  public  service  corpora- 
tions—street railway,  gas  and  water  compa- 
nies—  were  against  it,  though  they  did  not 
venture  on  an  ojien  Hght.  Third,  some  of  the 
large  owners  of  real  estate  looked  with  ap- 
prehension on  the  great  power  lodged  in  the 
Board  of  Public  Works,  coupled  with  the 
prevalent  sentiment  for  extensive  and  es- 
|)ensive  street  imin-ovements.  The  most  in- 
fluential of  this  class  was  Wm.  H.  English, 
who  was  always  conservative,  and  whose  con- 
servatism had  been  a  blessing  to  all  Indiana 
municiiialities  by  securing  the  2  per  cent  debt 
limit.  ^Ir.  English  had  extensive  influence 
with  the  legislature,  and  had  been  for  years 
a  verv  close  personal  and  jiolitical  friend  of 
Dr.  AV.  C.  Thompson,  the  leading  senator 
from  ;\Iarion  County.  ^Ir.  English  made  no 
secret  of  his  opposition,  and  it  was  well 
known  that  when  he  went  into  a  legislative 
fiuht  he  went  in  to  win. 

It  being  evident  to  the  initiated  that  they 
had  a  fight  on  theii'  hands,  the  directors  of 
the  Commercial  Club,  on  December  9,  1890, 
authorized  the  president  to  ajipoint  "a  com- 
mittee of  twenty-one  meiidiers  or  more,  to  co- 
operate with  the  members  of  the  General  As- 
seiidily  representing  Indianapolis  in  urtring 
the  enactment  of  bills  in  the  interest  of  the 
city."  President  Lilly  thereujK)n  appointed 
a  connnittee  of  twenty-five  of  the  most  influ- 
ential members  of  the  club,  with  John  P. 
Frenzel  as  chaii'man.  The  .ioint  connnittee 
which  prepared  the  charter  co-operated  with 
this  committee,  and  all  the  friends  of  the 
charter   ranged   themselves  under  its  leader- 


'"Miini/fi  f'oHuiii  rr-ial  Cluh.  p.   1.58. 


inSToKV  or  CKKA' 


IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


!1T 


ship.  It  ])oi;;in  operations  by  lai^iuj.'  a  luiiul 
in  the  oriranizatioii  of  the  House  of  Kepre- 
sentatives.  and  secured  its  candidate  for 
speaker,  Hon.  ]Mas(in  J.  Xii)lack,  and  its  can- 
didate for  cliainnan  of  the  Committee  on  Af- 
fairs of  tlie  City  of  Indianapolis.  Tlon.  J.  E. 
JfcCuliouirh.  These  ]irecauti(Uis  were  timely 
for  the  Senate  deleuation— Di-.  \V.  C. 
Thomi)son  and  Heniy  Hudson  of  Marion, 
and  Daniel  Foley  of  Marion,  Shi'ihy  and 
Hancock,  were  a'jainst  the  charter;  and  all 
three  opposed  i1  till  a  test  vote  in  the  Senate 
showed  tliat  it  wctuld  pa.ss  that  body:  and 
then  Hudson  and  Foley  voted  for  it   . 

The  measure  was  introduced  on  .January  0 
by  Representative  ]\le('ullough,  as  House  Bill 
Xo.  44.  and  referred  to  tlie  Connnittee  on  Af- 
fairs of  the  City  of  Imlianapolis.  ()n  Jan- 
uary 22  a  '"heariui;""  was  had  by  the  House 
Comiiiitte''.  with  the  Senate  Committee  in- 
vited but  not  attendin"'.  Representative  ilc- 
Clilloutrli  presideil,  and  the  discussion  was 
opened  by  W.  P.  Fishbaek,  who  .spoke  briefly 
in  favor  of  the  chartei-.  \V.  H.  Euiilisli.  of 
the  opposition,  was  called  on  next,  but  de- 
elined  to  speak,  sayiuji'  that  there  had  not 
been  sufficient  notice,  noi-  snftieient  opportu- 
nity to  e.Kamine  tlu'  chartei-.  -I,  1'.  Fren/.el 
replied,  callinii  attention  to  the  fact  that  the 
ehai'ter  bill  lia<l  been  published  in  full  in  the 
Si  III  ill!  I  of  Decembei'  2S.  and  full  synopses 
iu  the  other  i)ai)ers.  den.  John  C'oburii  ne.xt 
spoke  afrainst  the  bill.  ui'Siinu:  that  it  created 
"an  absolute  monarchy."  an<l  was  antagonis- 
tic to  "local  self-gdvciiniiciit. "  Wliile  he 
was  speakini:.  ^Ir.  Fishbaek,  who  sat  next  to 
nie,  whis|)eretl,  "'.Just  wait  and  sec  (ius  skin 
him;"  and  sui'e  enough,  when  be  sal  down 
Augustus  I,.  .Mason  was  called  out.  and  he 
certainly  did  Hay  GeiKM'al  Coburn,  airiid 
laughter  and  ajiplause;  and  his  victim  could 
retaliate  onls'  by  declaring  that  .Mr.  .Mason's 
assault  was  "beneath  conteTupt."  The  truth 
is  that  in  this  discussion,  which  was  al! 
niapjieil  out  lieforehand  on  both  sides,  lln'  de- 
fenders of  the  ehai'ter  had  lln'  iniiiieiiM'  ad 
vantage  of  knowing  their  giDiiiid.  while  ihe 
assailants  <lid  not,  and  consci|iientl\'  fell  into 
errors  that  were  readily  ex|)osed.  The  char- 
ter peo])le  had  gone  over  their  work  so  thor- 
oughly that  they  knew  every  argument  for 
and  against   evei'y  provision    in   the  bill,  and 


were  like  an  entrenched  army  resisting  the 
attack  of  a  ]ioorly  armed  mob. 

There  were  about  a  dozen  speakers,  it  be- 
ing evident  that  the  charter  people  were 
meeting  attacks  .systematically— a  Democrat 
replying  to  a  Democratic  objector,  and  a  Re- 
publican to  a  Republican,  (ieo.  Tanner.  S. 
E.  Mor.ss  and  Isaac  Thalman,  of  the  commit- 
tee that  fr.-imed  the  bill,  were  heard;  also 
Otto  Stechhini.  II.  11.  ll.iniia.  C.  \V.  Fair- 
banks, Father  (J '1  )nnagliue.  A.  H.  (iates, 
Charles  Martindale,  Judge  A.  C.  Ayres  and  a 
few  others  spoke,  all  favoring  the  bill  or  sug- 
gesting minor  amendments.  1  had  atteiKled 
the  meeting  as  an  ■"innocent  bystander." 
with  no  intention  of  taking  pari,  but,  being 
calle<l  upon.  I  stated  frankly  that  wliile 
favoring  the  measure  iu  general  there  were 
two  things  that  T  thought  should  be  changed. 
The  bill  as  introduced  provided  for  a  council 
of  25  members  and  a  board  of  aldermen  of  '■> 
members,  both  bodies  elective  from  districts 
made  by  Ihemselves.  In  view  of  the  possibil- 
ity of  gerrymandering  I  urged  that  the  board 
of  aldermen  should  be  elected  on  the  general 
ticket,  by  the  whole  city.  The  other  point 
was  that  tlie  board  of  works  was  given  unre- 
stricted po\\ei-  in  till'  iii.-iller  nl'  street  im- 
provement, aiiil  I  iirgeil  that  if  a  decided 
majoiity  of  the  pr(i|)eit> -owners  on  a  stn'ct 
did  not  want  a  projiosed  improvement  tlii\v 
should     ]i;\\r    the     riuht     d'     remonstrance.'" 

.\fter    th eeling    Mr.    Morss   told     me     he 

would  like  to  do  away  with  th(^  board  of  al- 
dermen altogether  if  it  were  not  for  the  lia- 
bility of  a  eouueil  gerrymander.  In  fact,  the 
abolition  of  the  board  of  aldermen  had  been 
extensi^■ely  favored,  and  it  \\as  formally  dis- 
cussed al  a  uieetiug  of  thi'  Commercial  Club 
on  Jaiinary  12.  but  the  club  voted  to  retain 
it.  on  the  theory  that  a  check  on  legislation 
was  desir.'ible.  T  suggested  that  this  could  be 
avoided  by  electing  enough  <'ounciliiien-at- 
large  to  offset  any  possible  gerrymander  ad- 
vantage. He  at  once  indorsed  this  idea,  and 
if  was  put  into  the  bill  by  general  consent. 

1  may  add  bete  Ih.ii  al  this  time  I  was 
State  Librarian,  and  was  also  writing  exten- 
sively foi-  the  S(  iiliiK'l.  as  well  as  keei)iiig  an 
eve  on   legislative  movi'meiits  for   its  benefit. 


"Till*    .lounial    of    .lannary    2:!.    1s:n.    has 
the  best  account  of  the  meeling. 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


1  liad  notified  ilr.  ^lor.ss  several  times  that 
certain  people  wiioni  he  trusted  in  eonneetion 
with  legislation  were  betraying  him,  but  he 
doubted  the  accuracy  of  my  information.  On 
•January  26  I  informed  him  that  a  private 
meeting  had  been  arranged  for  that  night,  at 
Representative  McCullough's  office,  of  the  op- 
ponents of  the  charter  with  the  Clarion 
County  delegation,  giving  him  the  names  of 
some  of  his  friends  who  would  be  present, 
and  their  purpose.  They  had  adopted  the 
plan  of  letting  the  chartei'  go  through  but 
of  amending  it  by  making  the  board  of  pub- 
lie  works  elective,  from  three  districts,  one 
of  which  was  to  be  the  city  north  of  Ohio 
street,  and  the  other  two  south,  divided  by  a 
north  and  south  line.  It  was  supposed  that 
this  would  insure  two  Democratic  members, 
and  the  board  of  works  was  considered  the 
one  important  thing  in  the  whole  system. 
This  was  the  first  opportunity  that  had  been 
given  for  a  body  blow,  and  ]\[orss  at  once 
]irepared  a  scorching  editorial  denouncing  \h'- 
proposal.  It  was  held  until  repoi'ters  lirouglit 
in  word  that  the  meeting  was  actually  in 
progress,  and  of  who  Mere  present.  Fart  of 
their  names  were  published  but  a  few  were 
withhild  and  advised  with  privately. 

The  opponents  got  very  little  satisfaction 
at  the  meeting.  es])ecially  from  'Slv.  McCu'- 
lough.  who  notified  them  that  he  would  o[)- 
pose  any  such  amendment.  They  were  sim- 
ply overwhelmed  when  they  read  the  Sentinel 
in  the  mornintr,  and  found  their  private  meet- 
ing thoroughly  ventilated.  They  imagined  it 
liad  been  given  away  by  some  of  the  delega- 
tion, but  in  fact  the  editorial  was  written  b(>- 
fore  the  meeting  was  held.  And  it  produced 
efifecfs  ])esides  carrying  consternation  into 
their  camp.  Up  to  that  time  the  sujipoi-t  of 
the  Neics  had  been  very  perfunctory.  That 
afternoon  it  reproduced  the  Scnfiiirl's  edi- 
torial in  full,  with  hearty  indorsement,  and 
said:  "The  thing  to  do  is  to  pass  the  charter. 
We  had  in  mind  suggestiims  for  some  amend- 
nuMits  to  the  charter.  Rut  we  waive  these 
in  the  face  of  the  greater  necessities  of  the 
situation.  As  a  whole  we  believe  the  scheme 
to  be  the  soundest  and  best  that  has  ever 
been  devised,  and  an  imperative  requisite  for 
the  good  career  and  fair  progress  of  Indian- 
apolis. We  do  not  think  it  is  peifect,  and 
do  not  claim  that  it  i^.     Rut  its  iniix'rfcctions. 


we  believe,  are  of  the  surface,  the  root  of  the 
matter  sound,  and  its  deep  and  pure  plant- 
ing right  now  requisite  for  the  healthy 
growth  of  this  city.  We  can  test  it  by  ex- 
perience for  two  years.  Then  in  what  things 
time  shall  show  that  it  needs  amendment, 
can  come  to  the  next  legislature  for  such 
amendment.  The  thing  now  to  do,  and  to  do 
now,  is  to  pass  the  ehai'ter  as  it  stands."  In 
addition  to  bringing  more  allies  into  active 
service,  the  exposure  put  an  end  to  the  dou- 
ble-dealing with  the  Sentinel,  and  left  the 
friends  of  the  charter  with  an  open  field,  and 
their  enemies  all  in  front  of  them. 

On  February  6  the  bill  was  reported  with 
recommendation  for  extensive  hut  not  serious 
amendments,  all  of  which  had  been  agreed  to 
by  the  friends  of  the  charter.'"  The  most 
important  was  the  striking  out  of  the  board 
of  aldermen  and  making  the  council  of  21 
members,  of  whom  fi  were  to  be  elected  at 
large,  and  15  from  districts.  Aiuither  amend- 
ment gave  the  right  of  remonstrance  against 
a  street  improvement  by  two-thirds  of  the 
property-owners,  in  which  ease  the  impi-ove- 
ment  stopped  unless  the  council  ordered  it  by 
a  two-thirds  vote.  The  city  tax-limit  was 
reduced  from  $1  to  $.90  by  another  amend- 
ment. Others  reduced  certain  salarii>s,  bnr 
left  the  power  with  the  council  to  raise  them 
to  their  original  figure.  The  other  amend- 
ments were  formal  or  technical,  thei-e  being 
none  that  altered  the  real  principles  of  the 
original.  The  report  was  joined  in  by  all  the 
]\Iarion  County  members,  McCullough.  Cur- 
tis, ^lack,  Thienes,  ]\Iatthews  and  iNIcCloskey, 
all  Democrats.  The  three  outside  members, 
Hess,  Wells  and  Guthrie,  all  Republicans, 
made  M  minority  report  reconniietiding  the 
passage  of  the  bill  as  originally  intri)diieed, 
and  continued  to  play  politics  by  voting 
against  the  bill  on  its  passage.  It  pa.ssed 
the  House  easilv  on  Februarv  16,  by  a  vote 
of  65  to  13.'» 

The  Senate  was  the  danger  j)<)int.  The  bill 
being  a  local  matter,  with  the  three  local  Sen- 
atoi's  against  it.  and  they  all  Democrats,  in 
a  Democi-atic  Senate,  it  is  obvious  that  there 
was  a  tremendous  obstacle  to  be  overcome  in 
mere  "senatorial  courtesy."    ^loreover  it  en- 


^^House  Jmirnal.  pp.  570-581. 
^"Ifoiise  ./•iiiriml.  p.  fiS4. 


lllSTOlfV  OF  (;i!KATER  INDIAN APOLIS. 


319 


t'Oiinti'it'il  in  the  St-iiatc  i)r()l)al)ly  tlic  only 
inau  ill  tlie  (ieui'ral  Asseiiit)ly  wlio  opposed  it 
as  a  iiiarter  of  (lisiutercstcd  principle,  and 
that  was  Frank  B.  Burke.  Burke  was  a  bril- 
liant uenius,  but  somewhat  erratic  in  his  bril- 
liancy. He  was  so  devoted  to  abstract  prin- 
ciples that  it  dis(pialified  him  for  really  im- 
portant legislative  work,  in  which  abstract 
principles,  in  their  logical  exti-emes.  have 
usually  to  be  abandoned,  for  the  simple  lea- 
sou  that  human  beings  do  not  live  on  a  logi- 
cal basis.  It  has  been  said  that  all  really 
great  legislation  is  the  product  of  compro- 
mise. It  is  so  only  so  far  as  the  eompromi.se 
is  in  the  line  of  adapting  it  to  actual  human 
conditions,  as  against  theories.  Hut  when 
Burke  once  set  his  head  he  knew  no  com- 
promise. These  (pialities  had  given  him  in 
]8f^M  the  distinction  of  beinii-  the  only  Demo- 
crat in  the  General  Assembly  who  voted 
against  the  Australian  Ballot  Law.  On  this 
occasion  his  hrfc  noir  was  the  provision  of 
section  60,  autlio?-izing  the  board  of  jjublic 
works  to  i)urcliase  or  erect  and  operate 
water-works,  electric-light  works,  etc.,  i)ui- 
siiant  to  an  ordiiuiiice.  He  felt  that  true 
Deinocratic  ])rincipli's  called  for  a  vote  of 
the  peofjle  on  such  important  matters.  (let- 
ting info  the  opposition,  he  became  by  reason 
of  his  ability  the  leader  of  the  opposition  in 
the  .Senate.  The  friends  of  the  charter  were 
shut  out  of  home  (•bam[)ions  for  tlieii'  meas- 
ure, but  they  found  two  able  and  iiitluential 
ones  in  Kufus  Magee,  of  Cass,  and  Timothy 
E.  Howard,  of  St.  .losi'i)!!  and  Starke. 

The  opposition  had  their  troubles  als'i. 
They  could  not  flatly  refuse  any  charter  re- 
vision, and  .so  they  were  forced  to  show  by 
amendments  what  they  thought  would  be  de- 
sirable in  a  charter.  The  rejxu-t  submitted 
by  the  coiiiiiiittee  on  l''ebruary  "28  was  so  evi- 
dently framed  for  the  i)urp(^se  of  holding 
together  a  discoi'dant  opposition  that  it  was 
fairly  ludicrous,  and  it  no  doubt  had  the  ef- 
fect r)f  bringing  intellitrent  outside  support 
to  the  bill.  The  Sruliiirl  said:  "We  are 
charitable  enough  to  believe  and  to  say  that 
these  L'entlemen  (the  majority  of  the  com- 
inittee)  have  simply  been  imposed  upon.  The 
rejmrt  is  not  their  production.  It  was  not 
wtifteii  by  either  of  them.  Two.  at  least,  of 
these  L'entlemen  ha\'e  trday  cnlv  tl-e  vairuest 
ide;i   of   wlijit    the'i-   report    eoU t .M  i  IIS.   aiid    eiiuM 


not  explaiu,  to  save  their  immortal  souls,  in 
what  respect  their  i-ecommendations  differ 
from  the  bill  as  passed  by  the  House  of  Kep- 
rcsentatives.  They  have  lent  their  names  to 
a  document  of  the  uature  of  which  they  have 
no  intelligent  conception.  Incredible  as  it 
may  appear,  the  Senate  committee  on  the  af- 
fairs of  the  City  of  Indianapolis,  to  which 
this  bill  was  referred,  has  never  held  a  meet- 
ing to  consider  it.  This  committee  consists 
of  Senators  Kertli  and  Griffith,  Democrats, 
and  Senators  Yaryau  and  Hubbell,  Repub- 
licans, in  addition  to  the  three  Marion 
Count.v  senators.  The  bill  has  never  been  be- 
fore this  comiiiittee.  The  report  which  is 
presented  in  its  name  should  therefore  carry 
no  weight  with  the  Senate."-" 

The  minority  report,  signed  by  Yaryau  and 
Hubbell.  recommended  the  jjassage  of  the  bill 
with  two  unimpoi'taiit  ameudments.  The  ma- 
jority report,  without  restoring  the  board  of 
aldermen,  proposed  a  council  of  25  members, 
all  elected  from  districts.  It  made  the  ap- 
pointing power  of  the  mayor  subject  to  con- 
firmation by  the  council,  and  prohibited  the 
removal  of  an  appointee  without  the  consent 
of  two-thirds  of  the  council.  It  prohibited 
the  erection  or  purcha.se  of  water-works,  elec- 
tric-light works,  etc.,  except  by  a  new  coun- 
cil, after  six  months'  public  notice  of  the 
action  contemplated.  It  uave  the  majority  of 
nroperfy  owners,  "residing  in  such  city.'"  on 
the  line  of  any  proposed  street  imi)rovement, 
the  right  to  prevent  if,  even  if  the  council  as 
well  as  the  board  of  uoi'ks  favored  it.  But 
its  choicest  feature  was  the  amendment  of  thi« 
section  establishing  the  health  boaril,  which 
it  made,  "The  Department  of  Health,  Phniib- 
ing  and  Charity;"  and  this  it  put  "under 
the  control  of  one  health  commissioner  and 
one  inspector  of  plumbing  and  luuise  drain- 
aae,  who  shall  be  appointed  by  the  mayor," 
giving  them  autocratic  jiowers  which  might 
well  make  the  other  dejiartmeiits  green  with 
envy.-'  The  obvious  i)uri)ose  of  this  was  to 
hold  Senator  Hudson,  who  was  a  plumber, 
and  \<ho  rode  this  hobby  of  compulsory 
plumbiuir  for  years.  lie  got  an  ordinance  for 
it  throuuh  the  council  once,  but  Mayor  Tag- 
gart's  attention   was  calleil   to   the   fact   that 


-"S<,iIIihI.  Maivh  2.  1801, 
''S'ii(il<-  .1  iitirviil .  pp.  92.")-9'?.'-!. 


V2t) 


HISTORY  OF  OtREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


it  wiiuld  mst  thf  fitiz(_-ns  about  $2,0(HI.(HI()  tn 
[Hit  it  into  effect,  and  lie  vetced  it. 

But  with  all  their  advantage  of  reason, 
the  friends  of  the  charter  were  very  blue. 
They  had  been  unable  to  hold  a  single  Demo- 
crat on  the  Senate  coiiiiiiittee,  and  they  knew 
that  thei-e  were  some  Republicans  who 
thouuht  it  would  he  sjood  politics  to  have  the 
bill  defeated  in  a  Democratic  Senate.  Some 
of  them  thouiiht  it  would  be  advisable  to 
couipi'omise  to  some  extent  on  the  confirma- 
tion of  appointments,  and  remonstrance 
ag-ainst  street  improvements.  Right  there  the 
siMiuil  column  of  John  P.  Frenzel  became  an 
imjxirtant  factor.  He  refused  to  consider 
any  compromise— said  he  would  resign  from 
the  committee  iP  it  was  done— said  the  bill 
couhl  lie  )nit  through,  and  they  would  put  it 
thr(]Ui;h  as  it  was  (U-  lose  it  altogether.  The 
bill  had  been  made  a  special  order  for  ]\Ion- 
day,  ]\Iarch  2,  at  3  o'clock.  A't  that  time 
Senator  Hudson  moved  to  adopt  the  majority 
repoi't,  and  Senatoi-  ]\Iagee  to  substitute  the 
minority  report.  Senator  Burke  then  moved 
to  suspend  the  reading  of  the  report  and  con- 
sider the  hill  by  sections,  which  carried. 
IMagee  at  once  met  this  play  for  delay  by 
movins  that  when  the  Senate  adjourned  it 
lie  to  7:35,  for  an  evening  session.  After 
motions  to  table,  postpone  and  adjourn  had 
been  lost.  Burke  threw  down  the  gauntlet 
with  a  motion  to  remain  in  session  until  the 
adoption  or  rejection  of  the  minority  report, 
which  carried  without  division.  Magee  then 
demanded  the  previous  question  on  the  nio 
•  tion  l(-  sub.stitute  the  minority  report,  which 
was  seconded  by  the  Senate-,  and  the  minor- 
ity report  was  then  substituted  by  a  vote  of 
2!>  to  18.  Senator  Howard  at  once  moved  to 
suspend  the  rules,  consider  the  amendments 
engrossed,  and  the  bill  read  by  sections,  and 
put  on  its  passage:  and  ck>manded  the  pii'- 
vious  question.  The  Senate  seconded  the  de- 
mand, and  adopted  the  motion  by  the  same 
vote  of  29  to  18.  Ilavint!-  now  pnt  it  beyond 
aiiK'ndmetit.  the  Senate  adjourned  on  motion 
of  Si'iiator  Howard. 

On  the  followiuL''  morning  a  motion  to  sus- 
pend tlie  rules  and  pass  the  liijl  without  read- 
intr  failed  for  want  of  a  constitutional  major- 
ity, the  vote  being  27  to  20.  Burke  then  of- 
fered the  amendment  that  had  been  included 
in   the  majority   repoit    for  Voldini:-  baek   tile 


erection  or  jjurchase  of  water-works,  etc.,  uii- 
lil  after  an  election  in  which  it  was  an  issue; 
iiut  this  was  nded  out  of  order,  and  the  bill 
was  read  and  put  on  its  passage.  The  first 
business  of  the  afternoon  was  to  jiass  it, 
which  was  done  b>  42  votes,  the  only  nega- 
tives being  Burke,  Pawing  (of  Decatur  and 
Shelby),  and  Thompson,  of  ^Marion.  Uiirke 
then  filed  a  pi'otest  reciting  that  tlii-re  had 
lieen  bad  faith  in  shutting  ot}'  ameudiiieiits; 
that  his  amendment  of  the  power  of  the  board 
of  public  works  would  hnA'e  been  ado]ited  if 
submitted:  and  that  the  power  vested  in  tlie 
board  of  public  works  "if  exercised  in  a  care- 
less or  negligent  way,  or  abused,  will  result 
in  absolute  financial  ruin  to  the  interest  and 
jieople  of  such  city.'"--  The  enrolled  act 
was  filed  with  the  Governor  on  Man-li  (i.  and 
signed  by  Jiim  the  same  day.  In  cciineetion 
with  Senator  Burke's  protest,  it  may  be 
worth  while  to  rememlier  that  the  jiower 
lodgml  in  city  ofticials  by  the  charter  is  very 
larue,  and  that  the  welfare  of  the  city  de- 
])ends  ehiefiy  on  the  character  of  the  offieials 
selected.  Some  of  the  jieople  who  jiooh- 
poolied  Burke's  apprehensions  have  r<'cently 
been  nmch  concerned  over  an  analogous  exerr 
cise  of  power  in  the  erection  of  a  city  hall, 
and  are  now  awake  to  the  fact  that  we  have 
a  representative  government  in  which  the 
]>owers  are  delegated  to  officials,  and  dele- 
gated beyond  recall.  If  this  is  not  borne  in 
mind  on  election  days,  there  might  <'asily 
come  a  time  when  Burke's  jn-otest  woiiid  he 
vindicated. 

There  has  not  been  a  session  of  the  leni^la- 
ture  since  1891  in  which  there  has  not  lieeii 
some  amendment  of  the  city  charter,  Init 
none  of  them  can  be  considered  as  .•iffeetiii-r 
the  fiuidamental  principles  on  which  it  is 
based,  unless  it  1k^  the  leeislation  in  regard 
to  parks.  By  the  original  charter,  parks  were 
])nt  under  control  of  the  Board  of  Public 
AVorks:  but  in  1890  the  Department  of  Pub- 
lic Parks  was  created,  and  all  park  aff'airs 
were  pnt  into  its  custody,  it  beint;  one  of 
the  executive  departments  of  the  city  govern- 
ment. There  was  nothiiitr  in  this  ineeiisisteiit 
with  the  theory  of  the  original  charter,  for 
the  new  department  was  one  of  like  ])owers 
with    the   cither    departments.      The     law    of 


-•Snxih    Jiiitri'iil.  p.   9118. 


llISTOliV   or  (M.'KATEl!   IXDIAXAI'OLIS. 


:!•.'] 


I90!>.  however,  makes  a  larj^e  iiici-easc  of  tlie 
powers  of  the  board  of  park  eoinmis.sioiiers. 
and  estahlislies  a  fixed  revenue  by  requii'hiir 
the  council  to  le\'j'  "a  tax  of  not  less  than 
tlve  cents  nor  more  than  nine  cents  on  each 
one  hundred  dollars  of  taxable  property." 
for  the  de])arliiK'iit  and  also  giving;  to  it  all 
revenues  derived  fi-oiii  the  i)arks.  The  boartl 
can  also  establish  |)ai-ks  and  boulevards,  as- 
sessintr  benefits  and  daniaizes  to  pay  for  the 
same:  Init  the  amount  of  this  is  limited  to 
$200,00U  in  any  one  year,  and  to  .i;1.23(),00() 
within  ten  yeai-s.  This  power  is  in  addition 
to  assessments  for  sti'eet.  sewer  and  other  im- 
provements on  lioulevards  or  in  jiarks,  which 
are  the  same  as  those  of  the  Boai-d  of  Public 
Works  elsewhei-e.  In  addition,  by  the  act  of 
1909.  the  council  may,  on  recommendation  of 
the  park  board,  by  ordinance  divide  the  city 
into  pari;  districts,  and  the  property  in  each 
district  is  made  assessable  by  the  park  l)oai-d 
for  benefits  of  the  boulevai'd  and  parkway 
improvements  constructed  in  such  district  ; 
and  this  has  l)e(ii  done.  I'nder  this  law  the 
Departm-'ut  of  Public  Pai'ks  is  almost  inde- 
pendent of  the  city  ij-overnment  or  any  jiart 
of  it,  although  api)ointed  by  the  iiuiyor.  It 
is  an  ap]iroxinuition  to  jxnver  without  le- 
sponsibility  that  will  be  watched  with  much 
interest  by  students  of  economics  and  gov- 
erinniMital  science. 


Othei-  amendments  have  been  usually  oL" 
mattej-s  of  detail  as  to  salaries  of  offices, 
modes  of  a.ssessmeut  foi-  public  improve- 
ments, annexation  of  territory,  pensions  for 
firemen  and  i)olicenieu,  elections,  depositories 
of  funds,  etc.  In  1905  there  was  a  general 
i-evision  of  the  charter,  which  was  included 
in  the  "municipal  corpoi'ations"  law,-''  In- 
dianapolis tailing  under  the  division  of 
■'cities  of  the  first  class."  In  this  there  was 
no  material  change  of  the  chai-tei'.  The  same 
year  a  very  important  law  for  the  elevation 
of  railroad  tracks  was  enacted.  This  was 
l>repared  by  City  Attorney  Henry  Warnun, 
and  undei-  it  the  work  of  track  elevation  is 
now  under  headway.  In  1903  a  law  was 
passed  establishing  a  Juvenile  Court  in  .Mar- 
ion County,  which  is  ])ractically  a  city  insti- 
tution -*  and  modifies  the  judicial  department 
of  the  city  government.  On  the  whole, 
the  city  charter  as  it  now  exists  nu)y  be  con- 
sidered the  natural  dexcldpnicnt  and  jierfee- 
tion  of  the  "federal  plan'"  of  city  govei-n- 
ment,  which  was  instituted  in  1891.  and  the 
general  satisfaction  with  the  .systt'm  is  a 
ti-ibute  to  the  good  judgment  of  those  who 
originated  it. 


-Acts  1905.  p.  219. 
-^\cts  of  1908.  p.  51  (i. 


Vol.  1—21 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 


I'L'HLIC  UTILITIES. 


The  most  friendly  chroiiieler  eoukl  not  call 
early  Indianapolis  ]irogre.ssive  in  the  matter 
of  public  utilities.  Before  the  coming-  of  the 
railroads  it  moved  along  on  a  very  quiet 
country  town  basi.s,  and  after  their  coming 
it  'vas  slow  to  take  on  city  airs.  The  first 
l)robleni  confronted  was  that  of  public  light- 
ing, of  which  there  had  been  none  of  any 
kind  before  the  fifties.  Gas  had  been  in  use 
in  eastern  cities  for  a  number  of  years.  Balti- 
more began  experimenting  \\ith  it  in  ISlti, 
and  was  the  first  American  city  that  adopted 
it  for  street  lighting.  By  1825  most  of  the 
large  eastern  cities  had  followed  suit,  but 
there  wa.s  no  inducement  for  its  adoption  in 
smaller  places,  except  in  private  plants.  Its 
first  trial  in  Indiana  was  at  Lawrenceburg. 
in  the  winter  of  1826-7,  and  it  was  soon  after 
used  for  lighting  the  Methodist  Church  in 
that  place.'  I'he  first  use  of  gas  for  lighting 
in  Indianapolis  was  in  the  Masonic  building 
which  was  completed  in  1850-1.  and  the  first 
street  lamps  were  two  in  front  of  it  supjilied 
from  its  plant. 

On  February  12.  18.")1.  the  Indianapolis 
Gas  Light  and  Coke  Company  was  incorpo- 
rated by  the  legislature  with  the  "privilege 
of  supplying  the  City  of  Indianapolis  and 
its  inhabitants  with  gas  for  the  purpose  of 
affording  liuht  for  tin-  term  of  twenty 
years;"  but  it  was  to  secure  the  consent  of 
the  city  to  the  use  of  streets,  and  the  legis- 
lative trrant  was  not  to  be  exclusive.  The  in- 
corporators named  were  C.  Cox,  Wm.  Ilan- 
naman,  Alfred  Harrison.  A.  AV.  !\Iori'is  and 
N.  B.  Palmer;  but  the  originatoi-  and  chief 
promoter  was  John  J.  Lockwood.  Tiic  cap- 
ital was  .'|;20,OnO.  witli   pennission  to  iiici-ease 


Klo'iniiil.  Septcii;l)iM-  1><.  1887. 


to  .$50.(300,  but  to  be  used  exclusively  iu 
lighting  work.  On  ^lay  3  the  council  gave 
the  company  the  exclusive  right  of  furnish- 
ing gas  for  15  years,  prescribing  the  condi- 
tions of  use  of  streets,  and  stipulating  that 
gas  should  be  furnished  for  street  lamps  at 
the  price  then  prevailing  in  Cincinnati.  Stock 
books  were  opened  on  ;\Iareh  C,  and  on  ilardi 
2()  the  company  organizetl,  with  D.  V.  Culley 
as  president.  W.  \V.  Wright  secretary  and 
H.  V.  Barringer  sujjerintendent.  In  July  tlu- 
comiiany  bought  a  lot  on  Pennsylvania  street 
south  of  ]'ogue"s  Run.  and  built  a  retort- 
house  and  p-as-nolder  in  the  fall.  Plains  were 
laid  on  Wai^hington  and  Pennsylvania  streets 
and  gas  was  first  furnished  for  consiuiiption 
iii^  Jan'iary  10.  1852.  It  was  an  occasion  of 
public  interest.  W.  W.  Roberts,  druggist, 
adv'ci-tised  as  a  special  attraction  that  even- 
ing his  "gas  light  sign"  which  all  were  in- 
vited to  see  at  6  p.  ni.  — "admittance  free, 
children  half  price." 

With  the  pros|iective  coiiiiiiir  of  the  com- 
pany the  (|uestion  of  street  lighting  came  up. 
The  council  decided  that  the  city  could  not 
undertake  the  exjiense  without  additional 
i'evenue&,  and  refei-red  to  the  voters  at  a  spe- 
cial election  on  September  13,  1851,  the  ques- 
tion of  a  tax  of  8  cents  on  $100  for  street 
lighting.  At  the  same  time  they  submittc<l 
the  (piestion  of  a  tax  of  1  cent  fc!-  a  trnvn 
clock.  There  was  not  nuu^h  discussion  of  the 
clock  question,  but  that  of  the  gas  (piestion 
was  (|uite  warm.  Everybody  favored  gas, 
but  many  urged  that  the  iiiercliaiits  and 
clnirches  in  the  central  part  of  the  city,  which 
alone  was  propo.sed  to  be  liutited,  should  i)ay 
f(H-  their  own  lights  just  as  they  paid  for 
their  sidewalks.  The  Jfninml  unred  the  tax, 
and  pointed  out  tli;it  while  the  iiiuiiicipal  tax 


lllsruUY   OF  (iUHATEi;    IXDJANAPOLIS. 


323 


in  liKliaii;i|)(p|is  was  only  321/.  cents  on  .$100. 
that  of  Cincinnati  was  over  $1:  Lafayette  ti.') 
cents;  Madison  oO  cents,  New  Albany  t)4 
cents,  and  Lawi-euceliiirir  50  cents.  The  op- 
ponents rejilied  that  tliis  was  no  occasion  for 
lamentation.  Althouuh  943  votes  were  cast 
for  mayor  at  the  spring-  election,  only  401 
were  east  at  this  election ;  and  they  were  137 
for  the  Eras  tax,  and  264  against:  2ol  for  tlie 
clock  tax.  and  I'lO  airainst. 

The  result  called  forth  sarcastic  conuiieiit 
from  other  towns,  especially  ]\Iadison,  which 
was  fi'^'urintr  as  a  rival  of  Indianapolis,  and 
which  had  .just  voted  for  street  liglitiuo:.  The 
Madison  papers  jjleefnlly  announced  that  her 
streets  would  be  liirhted  by  jras  within  a 
month,  and  wanted  to  know  when  Indian- 
apolis and  New  .Albany  woidd  follow  her 
lead.  The  ta\Mit  brought  no  result.  The  tii-st 
street  lights  were  erected  on  Washington 
street  between  Meridian  and  Pennsylvania  in 
the  fall  of  1853,  and  the  e.\i)ense  was  borne 
by  the  propert,v-owner.s  on  the  block.  The 
first  contract  with  the  city  for  street  lamps 
was  in  December,  1,S.54,  and  parts  of  Wash- 
ington and  ad.joininu-  streets  were  lighted  in 
1855,  from  which  time  there  was  a  gradual 
increase.  In  .May,  ISfill.  there  were  SV::  miles 
of  street  lighted,  with  265  lamps.  For  sev- 
eral years  aftei-  the  start  the  company  was 
not  a  success,  owing  largely  to  defective  con- 
struction and  machinery  and  an  imxpc- 
rienced  supei-intendent.  The  works  were  w- 
Miii(leled  and  Christopher  Bi-o\vn  was  made 
su|)ei'intendent.  after  which  matters  im- 
proved. In  1863  the  company  consti-ucted  on 
Delaware  *street  a  new  ga.s-h'older  of  300. 000 
cubic  feet  ca()aci1y.  at  a  cost  of  about  $120,- 
000;  and  was  then  producing  abont  175,000 
cubic  feet  daily. 

When  the  compHii.v's  charter  e.xiiii'cd  in 
1866  it  pro|iosed  to  fui-nish  gas  at  $3.48  jjcr 
1.(100  feet  to  both  cit.v  and  private  consmn- 
ei-s.  and  clean  and  light  the  street  buops  for 
!l)5.48  each  per  vear— it  had  been  chai-ging 
$4.50  i>er  1.000  feet:  $20  per  year  for  each 
lamp:  and  $8.44  for  lighting  and  cleaning. 
It  also  claimed  the  right  of  sui^iilying  private 
'■oMsumers  fi\-e  years  lontrer  under  its  legis- 
bitive  charter.  The  council  refused  the  pro- 
I'lisal.  and  made  a  counter  |)i'oposal  of  $3  piM- 
1.000  feet  for  private  cons>imei-s  and  $28.80 
till-  street    lamps.    This  was  not  iieeeptcd  ;  iKir 


was  a  farther  projxisal  by  the  city  fci-  a  part- 
nership arrangement.  In  the  spring  of  1867. 
while  the  matter  wa.s  unsettled,  a  rival  com- 
pany, the  Citizens'  Gas  Light  and  Coke  Co.. 
was  formed  by  K.  B.  Catherwood  &  Co.  and 
offered  a  $3  rate,  the  city  to  contest  the 
monoi)oly  claim  of  the  other  company.  The 
Lnlianapolis  Company  then  offeree!  a  $3  rate, 
and  after  some  tiickei-ing  was  rechartered 
from  Jlarch  4,  1867.  for  20  years.  The  com- 
pany |)ut  in  meters  free  of  cliarge,  but  it  was 
soon  found  that  the  city  was  paying  more  for 
gas  than  before.  Tlu'  ofifice  of  gas  inspector 
was  then  created,  and  (ieoi-ge  M.  Fleming  np- 
pointed  to  it,  an<l  furnished  with  an  $800  set 
of  instruments.  The  council  idso  ordci-ecl 
that  streets  lanrps  shduld  be  used  only  at 
corner.s,  and  should  be  shut  off  at  midnight, 
and  by  these  measures  the  annual  expense 
was  reduced  from  about  $40,000  to  about 
$20,000. 

This  charter  was  nof  exclusive,  and  ou 
.\])ril  3,  187(),  ;i  ('barter  was  given  to  "'Kob- 
ert  Dickson  ami  bis  associates'"  to  install  gas 
works  and  nuiins  and  fin-nish  gas  at  not  over 
$2  |ier  1,000  feet.  The  moving  sjjirit  in  this 
eiiter|)rise  was  that  incarnation  of  energy, 
John  K.  Pearson,  and  the  tras  to  be  snjiplied 
was  "water  gas,'"  The  works  were  com- 
pleted, the  necessai'y  ten  miles  of  mains  laid, 
and  the  furnishing  of"  gas  beuan  on  Sepfem- 
bei-  1,  1877.  The  I'cceivi'r  of  the  new  com- 
pany w;is  located  at  Pratt  sfi-cet  and  the 
canal.  On  November  15,  1877,  there  was  a 
tei'rific  explosion  that  wrecked  the  receiver 
and  nut  the  company  out  of  Imsiness  for 
some  time.  In  the  meantime  the  Indianapolis 
conipan.y  had  taken  steps  to  meet  competition 
by  giving  notice  that  after  \ovend)er  1  its 
charge  for  gas  w-ould  not  exceed  $2  ])er  1,000 
feet,  and  "on  all  streets  whei'C  the  Citizens" 
Gas  Light  and  Coke  Company  have  nuiins  a 
discount  of  $1  per  1,000  feet  will  be  allowed. - 
The  charter  of  the  Citizens"  Compan.v  ex- 
pressly pi-ohibited  its  sslIc  to  the  Indianapolis 
com]iany  under  pcnall.x'  of  f'oi'feitiire,  but  on 
December  22,  Frost  &'  Son.  of  Philadelphia, 
who  financed  the  new  plant,  sold  the  conti'ol 
of  the  stock  to  R.  J.  Ri'igbf,  an<l  the  comiiany 
was    reorganized     with     Iv     !•".    Claypool    as 


•News.  October  30.  1877. 


:5'i-i 


HISTORY  OF  OHHATER  INDIAXAPOLTS. 


president."  It  \\as  niaiutained  as  a  separate 
company,  hut  it  was  an  open  seei-et  that  the 
real  owners  were  the  owners  of  the  Intlian- 
apolis  eonipany.  ]Mr.  Pearson  was  retained 
as  superintencK'iit,  and  he  testified  in  a  judi- 
cial hearinii  that  the  average  eost  of  making- 
gas  at  the  new  plant  had  averaged  from  461^- 
cents  to  60  cents  per  1,000  feet. 

Thei-e  was  no  material  change  in  the  gas 
situation  until  the  discovery  of  natural  gas 
hrought  about  a  revolution.  Natural  gas  was 
first  found  in  Indiana  at  Eaton,  in  1S76.  1)\ 
parties  boring  for  coal  with  a  diamond  di'ili. 
Its  value  was  not  known,  and  the  well  was 
abandoned  until  after  the  discoveries  at 
Findlay,  Ohio,  beginning  in  1884.  A  large 
well  was  then  sunk  and  a  good  flow  obtained. 
In  1886  gas  was  struck  at  Kokomo,  and  that 
city  began  to  be  supplied.  The  subject  at- 
tracted attention  at  Indianapolis,  and  re- 
quests for  natural  gas  franchises  were  m(n\>' 
in  i\Iarch  and  April,  J886.  No  definite  action 
was  taken  until  the  spring  of  1887.  ]\Iean- 
while  a  .special  coiinnittee  visited  Pittsburg, 
and  May  16,  1887,  made  a  very  full  report  on 
the  precautions  and  restrictions  that  should 
be  required  in  an  ordinance  for  the  use  of 
the  streets.  By  this  time  an  organization, 
understood  to  be  the  Standard  Oil  Oonqiany. 
had  representatives  in  the  city  trying  to  get 
a  franchise  ordinance  with  rates  that  were 
very  high,  and  various  companies  were  pro- 
posed, including  a  citizens'  company  for 
,vhich  a  public  meeting  was  held.*  Also  the 
ndianapolis  Natural  C4as  Company  was 
"ormed.  which  was  controlled  by  the  artificial 
ras  company.  All  forces  joined  hands  to 
lead  off  the  Standard  Oil  scheme,  and  on 
\Iay  23  an  ordinance  was  passed  by  the  coiui- 
;il  fixing  rates  at  about  one-fifth  those  pro- 
Dosed  by  the  Standard  Companj.^  This  was 
idopted  by  the  Board  of  Aldermen  on  June 
27,  and  the  Standard  Company  then  disap- 
peared from  the  field,  in  appearance  at  least. 

Then  matters  dragged.  Natural  gas  was 
being  found  daily,  and  getting  closer  to  In- 
dianapolis, but  it  was  not  here.  People  grew 
impatient.  In  September  Major  C.  T.  Doxey 
of  Anderson  appeared  on  the  scene  and  of- 


\TnuniaI.  December  25.  1877. 
Wfus.  'Slay  14.  19,  1887. 
''Ncv<<.  dune  7.  1887. 


fered  to  bring  in  unlimitetl  gas  if  he  could 
get  proper  support.  His  proposal  was  to 
take  three-years'  contracts  at  ordinance  rates, 
or  five-years'  contracts,  payable  in  advance, 
which  should  entitle  the  subscriber  to  paid- 
uji  gas  perpetually,  or  as  long  as  it  lasted.'' 
Everybody  was  interested  and  he  was  given 
much  aid  in  getting  subscribers,  but  on  Octo- 
ber 14  he  withdrew  from  the  field,  complain-  . 
ing  that  he  had  only  1.200  subscribers,  but  at 
the  same  time  giving  several  other  explana- 
tions that  did  not  exactly  consist.'  Folhiw- 
ing  this  came  the  announcement  on  October 
17  of  active  preparations  to  do  something  by 
the  Indianapolis  Natural  Gas  Company,  but 
that  it  would  want  a  small  increase  in  the 
I'ates  it  had  helped  to  make  to  keep  the 
Standard  Oil  Company  out.  Then  caiiie  a 
storm  of  I'euMinstrance,  with  charges  that 
Doxey  had  been  bought  off  and  that  the 
Standard  Oil  Co.,  the  Ouft'ey  syndicate 
(large  gas  operators),  and  the  Indianapoli.-^ 
company  were  in  alliance.  On  Octobi  r  ill' 
came  the  announcement  of  the  Indianaixilis 
company's  demand  for  an  increase  of  50  per 
cent  in  domestic  rates  and  an  exclusive  fran- 
chise for  five  years. 

But  by  this  time  a  way  of  escape  had  been 
found.  The  experience  of  the  past  few  weeks 
had  convinced  everybody  that  the  great  need 
was  for  some  form  of  a  citizens'  company 
that  could  not  be  sold  out,  and  such  a  plan 
was  brought  forward  by  Alfred  M.  Potts,  a 
young  attorney.  It  was  a  company  in  which 
the  voting  of  the  stock  was  ii'i-evocably  fixed 
in  a  board  of  self-perpetuating  trustees,  while 
its  earning  power  was  restricted  to  8  per  cent 
interest  and  the  repayment  of  the  face  value 
of  the  stock.  AVhen  this  repayment  was  made 
the  trust  remained,  for  the  public  benefit,  to 
furnish  gas  at  cost.  It  was  more  than  a  sulu- 
tion  of  the  existing  ])roblem:  it  was  a  solu- 
tion of  the  problem  of  controlling  all  jiublic 
utilities,  with  all  of  the  advantages  of  munici- 
]ial  ownership  and  none  of  its  disadvantages. 
It  was  at  once  met  by  claims  that  it  was  un- 
sound and  impracticable,  but  the  ablest  law- 
yers in  the  city  pronounced  it  perfectly 
sound.  C)ii  the  morning  of  October  29  a 
committee  appointed  by  the  Board  of  Trade 


■Xars.  September  15.  1887. 
'Xni-s.    October   15,    18S7, 


I 

5 
i 


TTTSTOUV  OF  HT^KATER  INDIA  VAPOLTS. 


325 


met  at  the  (irand  ll<it('l  and  adopted  artieles 
of  iiicorpdratioii  of  the  Coiismiiers'  (ias 
Trust,  on  the  plan  of  Mr.  Potts,  whieh  were 
formally  indoi-scd  hv  a  coiiuiiittec  of  lawyers, 
comp'ise<l  of  William  Wallaee.  John  M.  Hut- 
ler.  W.  P.  Fishbaek.  Ferdinand  Winter  and 
W.  H.  II.  .Miller.  The  eonnuittee  also  named 
as  trustees  (h'U.  T.  A.  ilorris.  John  W.  ;\lur- 
phy.  John  ^I.  Butler.  Henry  Sehdull  and 
Alhert  (J.  Poi'ter.  and  ;iuthoriy,ed  them  to 
ap|)oint  the  first  board  of  direetoi-s.  The 
ineetiiitr  then  started  business  by  sulxseribing 
70(5  shares  of  stoek— .$.S5.800. 

(In  November  1  the  trustees  seleeted  as 
directors  Jud^e  Kolx-i't  X.  Lamb.  Frederick 
Fahnlev,  Edward  C'laypool.  John  11.  Ilolli- 
day.  Julius  F.  Pratt.  John  P.  Frenzel.  Thom- 
a.s  Davis.  Eli  Lilly,  and  Henry  Coburn.  On 
November  2  the  directors  announced  the  elec- 
tion of  R.  \.  Tjandi.  president;  Henry  Co- 
burn,  vice-president :  E.  F.  Claypool,  treas- 
urer: and  A.  F.  Potts,  seci-etary.  The  arti- 
cles of  association  wei-e  filed  on  Xovend)er  '2. 
Or<raiii/ati()n  was  bcjun  at  onee  foi-  subseri])- 
tious  to  the  .t.")0(l.()0()  of  stock  which  had  been 
fixed  as  necessary  for  a  start,  ami  volunteer 
solicitors  appeared  on  every  hand.  It  was  a 
whirlwind  of  enthusia.sm.  Meetinirs  were 
held  in  all  the  wards,  and  mnnerous  extra 
ones.  By  November  f)  the  subscription  hail 
passed  $2;'i().()00:  on  November  14  it  was 
$410.(100:  on  N()vend)er  19  the  half  million 
was  made  wp  and  .^iT.OOO  to  spai-e.  Snbse- 
<|Uently  ^lO.l.OOO  moie  of  stock  was  issued,  in 
the  early  days  of  construction,  to  meet  ex- 
penses. On  Novembei-  '2'A  the  Consumers' 
Trust  accepted  tln'  provisions  of  the  ordi- 
nance without  ipialification  it  had  already 
announced  that  it  would  furnish  <,'-as  to  manu- 
facturers at  ()  cents  per  1.000  feet  instead  of 
7  cents,  the  ordinance  rate.  It  was  a  jrreat 
triumph,  and  thei-e  was  ueiieral  i-ejoieinj,'.  not 
only  over  the  immediate  result  but  over  the 
ii»a!ization  of  evei'vbody  that  the  people  had 
the  power  of  self-protection  if  tlii'v  wouhl 
exert    it. 

Two  small  companies  had  already  ai'ce|)ted 
the  ordinance  the  Capital  City  on  October 
22.  and  the  Broad  I{ipi)le  on  Oefol>er  24  — but 
they  wei'e  not  expeete(l  to  funiish  the  general 
public  with  the  ^as  that  would  be  called  foi'. 
''"he  Trust  had  an  enormous  tasl<  l>efore  it- 
to   secure    the    neccssjirv   sup])ly   of   Lias,    and 


establish  i)ipe  lines  to  the  city  limits  before 
beyinninii'  woi-k  inside  the  city.  The  Indian- 
apolis Company,  doubtinq;  its  rival's  abilitv 
to  do  this.  held"ofl'  till  February  20,  1888,  be- 
fore it  accepted  the  ordinance.  Then  began 
a  race  for  establishment  of  lines  and  patroii- 
atre.  The  Indiana|>olis  comjiany  liad  an  im- 
mense advantaiic  in  the  fact  that  it  had  al- 
I'cady  nearly  1.")  miles  of  available  mains  in 
duplicate,  which  it  had  control  of  through 
the  Citizens'  Gas  Company,  and  proposed  to 
use  for  natural  gas.  The  contest  for  patron- 
asre  waxed  warm.  The  Trust  and  its  sup- 
jiortei's  urged  that  it  had  been  the  means  of 
sectiring  the  adoption  of  the  ordinance  rates. 
and  the  [leople  shoukl  stand  by  it.  An  effort 
was  made  to  buy  the  Indianapolis  com|)ani(>s' 
interests,  but  it  was  claimed  that  it  failed 
because  the  company  wanted  reind)ursement 
of  the  expense  of  getting  Doxey  and  others 
out  of  the  way."  The  Sentinel  and  Nitrs 
advocated  pidJic  snpjxirt  of  the  Trust.  The 
Indianapolis  company  claimed  that  it  had 
been  unfairly  treated,  and  annoiuiced  a  cut 
of  .")0  per  cent  below  ordinance  rates."  The 
result  was  that  the  ])ati-onage  was  ])ret1y 
evenlv  divided,  lias  beuan  to  be  sujjplied  in 
the  fkll  of  1888. 

The  management  of  the  Ti-ust  very  wisely 
devoted  its  efforts  to  extending  its  service  and 
assuriuir  the  supply  of  uas  rather  than  l)ay- 
ing  subsci-ibers,  ami  it  paid  no  intei-esf  divi- 
dend for  four  years,  when,  on  January  1, 
180:5,  a  stock  divideml  covering  interest  to 
that  date  was  made,  brinuing  tlie  total  of 
stock  to  ii;789.000.  In  ISIW  the  receipts  from 
the  .sale  of  gas  were  .+:n."),857.38,  but  all  this 
went  back  into  the  y)lant.  except  running  ex- 
penses, and  the  total  investment  by  the  end 
of  1890  was  $1.21)7.11  LIT.  The  company 
thc'i  had  22.")  miles  of  mains  and  94  gas  wells 
in  operation.  It  was  sup|>lying  10.()79  con- 
sumers with  ;JO,:5(J9  tires  and  21,411  lights.'" 
The  supply  of  gas  gradually  decreased.  New 
teri'itoi-y  had  to  h{>  acquired,  and  immping 
stations  liad  to  be  erected,  and  the  total  in- 
vestment was  over  .'|;2..')00.00() ;  Imt  the  eai'U- 
intrs  of  the  Trust  paid  all  of  this,  with  8  [ter 
cent  intei'est  on   tin'  stoi'k  and  ;ill   but   .')  per 


"Senli,,,].  Mav  12,  1888. 
"Jniirn.il.  May  12.  1888. 
'".Voc.s-.  F«bi-uarv  (i.  1891. 


32G 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


cent  oi'  the  stoek  itself.  It  wa.s  a  great  suc- 
cess in  every  way.  It  has  been  e.stiniated,  and 
reasonably,  that  it  saved  the  people  of  the 
eity  .1^1, ()6(  1,000  a  year,"  and  in  addition  to 
that  it  gave  them  a  clean  and  convenient 
fuel  whose  final  Inss  was  a  cause  of  universal 
regret. 

One  weak  spot  in  the  plan  developed  later. 
There  was  no  explicit  provision  as  to  what 
should  become  of  the  property  in  case  of  the 
failure  of  natural  gas.  It  was  quite  gener- 
ally antici])ated  that  the  suppl.v  would  be  tem- 
porary, but  people  wanted  the  fuel  then,  and 
hundreds  subscribetl  with  no  expectation  of 
getting  the  money  back,  but  only  of  getting 
cheap  gas.  As  time  passed,  and  no  interest 
was  paid,  many  sold  their  stock  to  buyers 
who  took  it  as  a  mere  interest  investment. 
Some  of  it  sold  as  low  as  .$8.75  a  share  (.$251 
and  large  amounts  at  $10  a  share.  After 
payments  began  it  advanced  to  par  and  high- 
er. As  the  gas  began  to  fail  there  were  sus- 
picions that  the  lack  of  supply  wa.s  the  fault 
of  the  companies,  and  in  1899  suit  was 
brought  to  compel  the  Indianapolis  company 
to  drill  more  wells  and  comply  with  ordi- 
nance requirements.  This  dragged  along  in 
the  courts  till  :May  M.  1904,  when  the  Su- 
pi-eme  Court  dismissed  it,  taking  judicial 
notice  that  the  suppl.v  had  failed,  and  the 
relief  asked  was  impossible.'-  ^lean while  the 
gas  had  stopped.  Early  in  1902  the  theory 
was  advanced  that  waste  was  the  cause  of 
faihu'e  of  supply,  and  on  April  7.  both  com- 
panies joined  in  a  request  for  pi-ovision  for 
the  use  of  meters  with  gas  at  25  cents  per 
1.000  feet.  Before  any  definite  action  was 
taken  on  this,  the  Indianapolis  company  gave 
notice  that  it  would  discontinue  the  suppl.v 
of  gas  on  September  30,  and  relin((uish  the 
use  of  the  sti'cets  foi-  that  purpose.  On  Au- 
gust 20,  the  ^lanufncturers"  Coiiipan.v  gave 
notice  that  it  would  suspend  on  Scptendier  1. 

The  eit.v  ii])plied  f(^r  an  injunction  against 
the  Indianapolis  comjjan.y,  and  the  hopeless- 
ness of  the  situation  was  prett.v  full.v  devel- 
oped in  the  heai'ing.''.    The  Trust  maintained 


"A.  F.  I'otts,  in  .!/)(.  Ii(ruir  of  l\(viiics. 
November,  1S99. 

'-State  ex  I'el.  vs.  lndian:i|iiilis  Natural  <ias 
Co.,   ^6S  Ind.   p.  48. 

'''News.  October  9-11.  1!)02. 


a  feeble  suj)pl,v  in  the  winter  of  1902-:5,  but 
at  a  loss  to  itself.  It  was  evident  that  the 
end  wa.s  at  hand:  but  what  was  to  become  of 
the  Trust's  property?  It  had  nt)t  only  its 
jiipe  lines  but  large  land  holdings  in  the  oil 
i-egion,  the  whole  being  then  valued  at  about 
a  million  dollai's.  The  majoi'it.v  of  the  direc- 
tors desired  to  use  the  ])lant  for  supplying 
artificial  gas,  and  so  resolved  in  November, 
1903.  Rut  meanwhile  the  Eureka  Investment 
Companv  had  been  organized  to  get  control 
of  the  stock  and  wind  nj)  the  compan.v.  on 
the  theoiy  that  the  propei-ty  belonged  to  the 
stockholders.  The  competition  for  control  of 
tl*^  stock  became  so  warm  that  some  of  it 
"sold  for  2,000,"  i.  e.  a  share,  which  was  all 
paid  (uit  but  $1.25,  brought  its  face  value  of 
$2o.  On  February  19,  1904,  Byron  C. 
(^uiidtv  In-ought  suit  in  the  federal  court  to 
enjoin  the  proposed  action  of  the  directors, 
and  on  Ajpril  11,  1905,  it  was  decided  that 
the  Trust  had  no  power  to  make  artificial  gas, 
and  must  be  wound  up ;  and  that  the  prop- 
ert.v  belonged  to  the  stockholders.''' 

This  decision  brought  consternation  to  the 
advocates  of  cheap  gas  till  City  Engineer 
Jen)>  pointed  out  a  mode  of  escape  at  one  of 
their  meetings  at  the  Connnercial  Club.  The 
natural  gas  contracts  contained  a  pi'ovisiou 
that  the  cil.v  might  purchase  the  plant  on 
six  months'  notice,  and  an  ai-tificial  gas  com- 
pany might  obtain  this  right  from  the  city. 
This  plan  was  promptly  adopted.  On  ilay 
17,  1905,  the  Board  of  Works  gave  the  neces- 
sar.v  six  months"  notice  of  intention  to  i>nr- 
chase.  On  August  25  Alfred  F.  Potts.  Lor- 
enz  Schmidt  ami  Frank  D.  Stalnaker  as  rep- 
resentatives of  the  proposed  gas  company, 
were  given  a  franchise  conti-act  for  the  use 
of  the  streets  to  furnish  artificial  gas  at  60 
cents  ]ier  1.000  feet.  The  same  night  it  was 
ratified  bv  a  special  session  of  the  council. 
As  soon  as  the  enemy  learned  what  was  in 
contemplation,  Quinby  bi-(wn;ht  ancillarv  pi'o- 
ceedings  in  tlie  federal  coui-t  to  enjoin  the 
city's  action,  and  Judge  Baker  held  the  city's 
lMirchasi>  option  void.'-'  .\n  appeal  was  taken, 
liut  it  \v;is  not  derided  until  Februarv  6, 
1906:    and    this    was    a    si^-ious   complication. 


'M37    Federal   Reporter,   p.   882. 
'■'•Ouinbv   vs.   Gas   Co..   140  Fed.    Reporter. 
p.   302. 


lllSTUlii    (JF  CHEATER  IXDIAXAI'ULIS. 


327 


hccaiise  the  fity  rt(liiiinistrntii)ii  cliaiijix'd  on 
.liiiiiiiiry  1,  lilOti,  jmtl  the  clu'jii)  u;is  jiilvocates 
weiv  fearful  that  the  new  adiiiiiiisti-atioii 
would  he  hostile  to  them.  'I'his  was  avoided 
by  a  eontraet.  ou  Deeeniber  1],  19()o.  that  the 
city  would  deliver  its  option  if  .Judf^e  Baker's 
decision  were  overnded,  for  which  the  ful- 
filhnent  of  whieh  Messrs.  Potts,  Stalnaker 
and  Smith  made  a  jjayiiient  of  ^'Iri -.  and  this 
agreement  became  comiiioidy  known  as  "the 
option   on   tlie   option". 

'I'he  Cii-cnit  Court  of  Ajipeals  icversed 
Jud^re  Baker's  decision"'  and  on  February  11. 
1906,  tlie  tru-stees  named  asked  for  the  trans- 
fer of  the  option,  but  wei'e  i-efused  ni  the 
frround  that  (^uinby  miii'lit  yet  a  rehearing-. 
On  A|>ril  1(1  a  petition  fen-  reheai'inu-  was 
overruled;  and  on  April  21  the  i-e([Uest  for 
transfer  of  the  option  was  renewed.  It  was 
refused  ou  the  <iro\uul  that  yTiinby  mi<iht 
a])peal.  On  I\Ia.v  4,  Potts.  Stalnaker  and 
Schmidt  sent  an  open  letter  to  the  .Alavdi-. 
settiu"!-  out  all  the  details  of  the  atl'air.  ami 
askinsr  an  answer  by  May  8.  Xo  answer 
was  received,  and  ou  IMay  25.  19()tt.  they 
broutrht  action  for  specific  performance.'' 
The  ca.se  was  never  ti'ied.  but  was  dis])osed 
of  by  Judge  Carter's  ovei'ridins  the  city's 
demnri-ei-  to  the  complaint,  which  did  not 
occur  until  January  26,  1907.  Then  ^layor 
Bookwalter  announced  that  he  would  deliver 
the  option  under'  certain  "safefjuards",  the 
chief  of  which  was  that  the  co)n|)any  should 
atri-ee  to  "|)i-oceed  with  ex])edition"".  The 
company  promptly  aL'reed,  and  the  optiim 
was  delivei'cd  on  January  80,  1907.  All  this 
time  the  company  was  trying  to  comi)lete  its 
stock  subscription,  which  was  necessai'y  in 
order  to  pay  for  the  lines  of  the  Consumei's' 
Trust.  These  wei'e  appraised  at  .$409,0()1  ou 
May  1.  1907,  and  on  ]\ra.v  8  a  contract  was 
made  foi'  their  delivery  by  Xovembei-  1, 
19()7.  By  the  terms  of  the  stock  subsci'iption 
the  mains  were  1o  be  obtained  by  Xovember 
1,  01-  the  subscriptions  to  be  void.  In  spite  of 
all  obstacles  the  company  raised  the  neces- 
sary amount  and  paid  foi-  the  mains  on  Octo- 
ber :31,  1907,  receivintr  a  bill  of  sale  of  the 
Trust's  property  within  the  city.'"  * 

"■144  Federal   Kei)oiter,  p.  640. 
'■Citizens'  (jas  Co.  vs.  City  of  Indianapcilis. 
Xo.  71,o24,   Superior  Court. 
'"Xfirs.  October    U.   1907. 


The  com])any  ])nrchased  22  acres  of  land 
on  the  Belt  and  Bit;  Four  railroads,  north 
of  Prospect  sti'cel,  and  pi'oeecded  at  once  to 
erect  a  water  gas  plant,  in  order  to  conii)l\' 
with  its  fi'anchise  i'e(|uirement  of  beginning 
to  supply  g-as  within  IS  months  after  acquir- 
ing' the  Trust's  mains.  It  turned  on  the  first 
Lias  on  March  81,  1909,  a  month  inside  of  the 
time  limit.  It  also  erected  another  water  <;as 
|ilant  of  equal  capacity  — 1,000.000  cubic  fct 
a  (lay — and  in  these,  with  the  modern  iiii- 
provements,  it  has  been  able  to  put  uas  in 
the  holder  at  less  than  30  cents  per  1.000  feet. 
But  this  was  not  the  ultimate  aim.  The 
(lii'ectors  had  in  view  a  coke  jilant,  in  wliii-h 
t;'as  should  in  fact  be  a  by-product  ;  and  the 
company  proceeded  to  erect  two  batteries  of 
coke  ovens.  25  ovens  in  each,  with  a  toal  ca- 
pacit.v  of  2,500,(100  cubic  feel  of  gas  pei-  day. 
The  first  production  of  coke  was  drawn  on 
Xovember  19,  1909,  and  the  coke  gas  began 
to  be  used  the  next  da.v  in  con.junetion  with 
water  gas.  The  water  gas  jilants  were  shut 
down  in  two  weeks  and  ai'e  held  in  reserve 
for  emergencies,  as  the  ovens  supply  moi-e 
gas  than  needed  at  j)i'esent.  The  comjiany 
has  about  5.500  consumers,  the  nund)t'r  in- 
creasing dail.v  as  ra])i(lly  as  meters  can  be 
advantageously  installed.  It  has  136  miles 
■of  mains,  and  about  9,000  connection  ])ii)e.s 
not  yet  put  in  use.  The  gas  fui-nished  is 
well  above  contract  requirements  in  both  heat 
and  light.  It  is  produced  practically  with- 
out cost  —  the  other  products  paying  the  ex- 
penses. 

This  is  an  interesting  ri-sult,  especially  in 
view  of  the  confident  assertions  of  the  o|)po- 
sition  that  gas  could  not  be  profitably  sold 
for  60  cents  per  l.Odd.  .Vnd  tlic  entire  bene- 
fit is  for  the  public.  Those  who  havt'  in- 
vested in  the  stock  receix'e  their  money 
back,  with  ten  |icr  cent  interest,  and  when 
that  is  done  the  entire  jilant  becomes  the 
l)roperty  of  the  i-ity.  The  franchisi-  is  for 
twent.v-five  years,  ami  if  at  the  entl  of  that 
|)eriod  the  stock  is  not  full.v  paid  out  tln' 
city  can  pay  the  remainder  due  on  the  stock 
and  take  the  plant.  It  is  therefoi'c  to  the 
advantage  of  every  citizen  to  take  gas  of 
this  company,  and  promote  the  payment  of 
its  stock,  for  when  that  is  done  gas  can  he 
furnished  at  cost,  or  neai-  cost.  The  fran- 
chise of  the  company  cannot   be  ti-ansferred 


328 


HISTORY   OF   (n.'KATKi;    IMHAXAPOLIS. 


without  tlie  consent  of  tlic  city ;  and  one 
member  of  the  lioard  of  five  trustees  is  ap- 
pointed by  the  mayor.  A  vacancy  on  this 
board  is  filled  by  the  board,  except  in  the 
ease  of  the  mayor's  appointee,  who  is  re- 
placed by  another  appointment  by  the  mayor. 
The  present  officers  of  the  company  are 
Franklin  Vonnegut,  Pi-esident ;  A.  F.  Potts, 
Vice  Presid(nit ;  Lorenz  Sclmiidt,  Treasurer, 
and  J.  D.  Forrest.  Secretary.  The  trustees 
arc  Thomas  L.  Sullivan,  Thomas  H.  Spann, 
AY.  D.  Cooper,  Henry  Kahn,  and  Lucius  B. 
Swift.  The  mayor's  appointee  is  Judj;o 
'J'homas  L.  Sullivan. 

In  August.  1897,  an  (inliiiance  was  jiassed 
fixing  the  maximum  price  of  artificial  gas  at 
75  cents  per  1, ()()()  feet.  The  Indianapolis 
company  resisted  this  in  the  courts,  claiming 
that  ga.s  could  not  be  supplied  here  at  that 
rate.  In  1889  the  Board  of  Public  AYorks 
appointed  John  J.  Appel  and  Henry  AYetzel. 
experts,  to  examine  the  company's  books  iis 
to  the  cost  of  production,  and  they  repoi-ted 
that  they  showed  tlie  company's  contention 
to  be  true.  A  compiomise  contract  was  then 
made  on  June  28,  1899.  by  which  the  i-atc 
was  made  .$1  per  1,000  feet  on  a  total  con- 
sumption less  than  30(),00().()00  cubic  feet;  95 
cents  from  that  to  85().()00,()00 :  and  90  cents 
on  more  than  :^50.000,0()0.  There  wei'c  woful 
predictions  of  the  results  of  such  cutting, 
but  not  enough  consideration  of  the  increase 
of  pati-onage  following  a  decrease  of  rates. 
The  company  reached  the  90  cent  rate  in 
190'2,  and  under  it  the  consumption,  in  cubic 
feet,  increased  as  follows:  190:?,  879,(i59,300; 
1904,  544,:]5l>..55()  ;  1905.  (i68,828.()()0;  1906, 
775,512,000;  1907,  897,:?2ti,l)00 ;  1908.  946,- 
561,700.  In  1902,  in  anticipation  of  the  fail- 
ure of  natural  gas,  the  company  purchased 
2614  acres  of  land  in  the  northwestern  pait 
of  the  city,  and  erected  a  combined  coal  and 
water  gas  plant. 

In  February,  1890,  the  Indianapolis  own- 
ers of  the  Indianapolis  (iaslight  and  Coke 
Co..-  the  Indianapolis  Natural  (ias  Co.,  and 
the  Electi'ic  Lighting,  Cas  Heating  and  Ilhi- 
minating  Co.  — which  had  succeeded  the  old 
Citizens'  Company  on  the  .judicial  sale  of  its 
property  in  1880— sold  their  stock  to  a  New 
Yoi-k  syndicate,  commonly  known  as  the 
Dieti-ich's  syndicate.  It  was  understood  that 
the  selling  i)rii'e   was  •|;2.000.000.      Th(>  pi'iii>- 


erties  were  reorganized  as  the  ludianapoli.s 
(ias  Company,  with  $2,750,000  of  bonds  — 
i|i250,O00  not  "then  issued— and  .+2,000,000  of 
stock.  The  stock  paid  12  per  cent  dividends 
and  sold  at  .$1.50  for  most  of  the  next  dozen 
years,  and  the  company  was  also  able  to 
erect  the  handsome  Majestic  Building,  at  a 
cost  of  about  $400,000.  The  capitalization 
was  changed  later  to  $4,250,000  of  bonds 
(outstanding)  and  $2,000,000  of  stock.  These 
facts  helped  to  illuminate  the  public  mind, 
and  the  demand  for  cheaper  ga-s  grew  more 
insistent.  The  solemn  as.suranees  that  60- 
cent  gas  was  impossible,  when  the  Citizens' 
Gas  Company  was  proposed,  fell  on  deaf  ears. 
On  Jaiuiary  14.  1907.  Senator  Linton  A.  Cox. 
of  Jlarion  County,  inti'odueed  a  bill  in  the 
legislature  providing  that  no  future  gas  con- 
tract in  Indianapolis  should  permit  a  rate  of 
over  60  cents  per  1,000  feet:  and  that  when 
any  company's  service  franchise  expired  it 
should  remove  its  mains  or  furnish  gas  at 
that  price.  All  et^'orts  to  defeat  it  failed,  and 
on  Alarch  4.  1907,  it  became  a  law. 

The  franchise  id'  the  Indianapolis  (Jas 
Company,  under  its  ten  years'  contract,  ex- 
I)ired  on  July  5,  1909.  It  waited  till  the  last 
moment  and  then  asked  an  injunction  in  the 
federal  court  to  stop  the  state  and  city  offi- 
cers from  enforcing  the  60-cent  law.  It 
claimed  a  perjjcttial  franchise  under  the  old 
Citizens'  contract,  and  this  was  warndy  at- 
tacked as  void — the  franchise  having  been 
sold  under  a  mechanic's  lien.'"  Judge  An- 
derson decided  only  that  the  company  had 
no  ground  for  injunction,  as  it  had  had 
ample  time  to  test  the  vali<lity  of  the  law. 
The  Indianapolis  Company  then  decided  to 
submit  to  the  int>vitable,  and  as  it.s  fiscal 
month  ran  from  the  20th  to  the  20th,  it  an- 
nounced that  its  bills  from  June  20,  1909. 
would  be  at  60  cents  per  1,000.  and  from 
that  time  forward  all  gas  consumers  iti  In- 
diana]iolis  had  sixty-cent  gas. 

The  *iL!hting  over  the  gas  question  had 
some  effect  in  hasteniuL;'  the  introduction  of 
electric  lights.  Eai-ly  in  1881.  shortly  after 
Charles  F.  Brush  had  made  Cleveland  fa- 
mons  by  his  electric  lights,  representatives  of 
the  Cleveland  company  came  to  Indianapolis 
and  put   (>x-Mayoi-  Caven   at  the  head  of  an 


'"•Xnr.t.  Julv  :i  and  5.  1909. 


iiisih)i;y  uf  iii;i:Ai'i;u  lxdia.xai'Oijs. 


.T29 


pflFort  to  introduce  the  system  here.  On  June 
20  yir.  Cavcii  presented  to  the  council  i)ro- 
|)Osals  for  liuhtiiiu'  tlie  streets  witli  Inrush 
arc  liL'lits.  on  towers,  vai'vinu'  from  seven 
towers,  of  Iti.dilii  candle  |)0uer  each,  for 
*42,000,  up  to  ten  tiiwers  for  $()0,U00,  which 
was  a  little  less  than  the  city  was  then  pay- 
in<r  for  fias;  and  which  ^Fr.  Caven  said  would 
riiake  Indianapolis  "the  most  splendidly  illu- 
niiiiated  city  in  the  world,  and  at  the  least 
cost".  At  that  time  the  i;'as  company  iiad 
influence  with  the  council,  and  the  clccti'ie 
street-] iirhtiiiLr  ])roposition  did  not  ilo  well ; 
but  after  some  etl'ort  an  ordinance  was  passed 
which  allowed  the  Indianapolis  Brush  Elec- 
tric Liirht  and  Power  comjianN-  tn  put  poles, 
masts  or  towers  in  the  streets  to  demonstrate 
the  practical  liuditinii  ])ower  of  the  system. 
The  Board  of  .Mdermen  carefull.v  amendeil 
even  this  oi-dinancc  b.v  pi-ovidin<;  for  a  fu- 
ture ta.x  on  the  company,  ami  the  ordiiunict> 
finally  became  effective  on  Xovembei'  Ki. 
1881.-"  It  save  a  five  .veare'  franchise,  which 
was  extended  on  ^Farch  14.  1887.  fur  five 
years  more:  and  allowed  the  comi)an\'  to  fui'- 
nish  electric  liiiht  and   power  to  citizens. 

Afr.   Caven    was  ;;iven   a    free   hand   in   the 
inana'.;ement  of  the  com|)any,  and  he  put  up 
five  towers  to  show  the  ca[)acily  of  the  .sys- 
I  teni.     One  of  the.se  w'as  in  the  center  of  the 
Oovernors  Circle,    and    the    other  four  were 
at  the  inner  ends  of  the  foui-  main  avenues 
—the    cornels   of    Illinois    an<l    Pennsylvania 
I    with    Washinuton.    and    of    the    same    sti'ccts 
j    with    Ohio.      These    wei'c   skeleton    sti'uctui'cs 
I    made  of  iron  pipinii.  under  the  Adams  jiatent ; 
I    and    by   tliem    Indianapolis   was    initiated    in 
I    electric  li^htintr.  and  introduced  to  the  "elec- 
;    trie  light   bufz".      The   ne.xt   step    in   electric 
lichtinL'  was  the  aihiMit   nf  the  Jeniiey  com- 
paiiv  which   formed  a  local  (iryanization  with 
A.  IT.  Xordykc  and   Hrainard   Rorison  at  the 
head.     It   wanted   a   place   to  show  its  work, 
ami  on   Auuust  :U.  18S,").  entered  into  a  con- 
tract with  the  town  of  West   Indianapolis  to 
establish   a   ])lant    then'    and    lijiht    the    town 
with   IS   lamps   of   2,000   candle   power   each, 
fo!-   the  sum   (iT   $2.S00  annuall\-.      Twelve  of 
till-  lamps  were  to  be  put   on   three   towel's  — 
Four  to  each  — and  the  balance  to   be  located 
i!s  found  desirable.      In   18SS   Daniel   \V.   Mar- 


•"Coumii  r 


rati  ( (Iniiis.    p|) 


.':i:!.    744.    82.'.. 


mon  and  Chas.  ('.  Pei-ry  ortranizeil  the  Mar- 
mon-Pei'ry  Li>;ht  Co.  and  bciiaii  fui-nishinu- 
nie;indescent  lijihts  on  a  j.urely  connnercial 
basis.  The  i)ublic  wanted  electric  lif;ht,  and, 
fortunatel.v,  the  opposing-  interests  were 
strong  enough  to  force  a  good  contract  for 
the  city.  The  electric  lighting  ordinance  of 
Xovember  19.  1888,  reiiuired  underground 
wirt's  in  the  original  mile  s((uare,  construction 
under  supervision  of  the  cit.v  engineer,  and 
|iayment  of  2'/o  pei'  cent  of  gi'oss  reeeii)ts  to 
the  city  till  Januaiy  1.  1896  — after  which  •". 
per  cent. 

The  iMarmon-Perry  Company  bought  the 
Jenney  plant  in  1887;  the  franchise  of  the 
^Fai-ion  Count.v  Hot  Water  Heating  Co.  in 
1901:  and  the' Brush  Company  in  1902.  In 
1902  they  consolidated  the  two  lighting 
companies  as  the  Indianapolis  Light  and 
Power  Com])any,  and  in  1904  the  Hot  Water 
Heating  Co.  was  merged  with  this,  making 
Indianapolis  Light  and  Heat  Compan.v.  Be- 
fore the  consolidation  in  1892,  on  April  22, 
a  contract  ordinance  was  adopted  by  which 
the  Bi'ush  Company  was  to  furnish  the  city 
with  750  ai'c  lights  of  2.000  candle  power,  at 
$85  each  jier  year  on  "moonlight  schedule", 
or  .$9")  on  "all  night  schedule".  The  wires 
were  to  go  uiulerground  in  the  mile  s(piai-e, 
and  the  company  to  pay  the  .same  percentage 
to  *he  city  on  incandescent  lighting  as  the 
othei-  company.  This  contract  was  for  10 
years,  and  was  assigned  to  the  Light  and 
Power  Company  in  May.  The  contract  of 
February  2().  1904.  is  very  elaborate,  cover- 
ing all  the  safeguards  of  preceding  ordi- 
nances and  agi'eements:  and  is  for  10  years 
from  April  1,  190').  The  rates  for  the  city 
ai-e  .$74  for  ai'c  lamps,  and  .$85  for  incan- 
descent lamps  of  50  candle  ]>ower.  on  all 
niiiht  schedule:  and  for  private  consumers 
not  over  10  cents  jx-r  1.000  watts  for  incan- 
descent lighting.  The  ])a.vment  to  the  cit.v  is 
.5  ])ei'  cent  of  gi'oss  receipts,  which  in  1908 
was  .$27,488.04. 

The  compan.\'  has  tun  powci'  stations,  one 
on  KentucK'.v  a\'cnui'  of  10.000  horse  powiM' 
capacit.w  and  one  on  Mill  sti-eet  of  15,000 
hoi'se  powci-  capacit.v.  For  use  in  emei'geney 
it  has  a  sfoi-age  battery  on  Bird  sti'eet  of 
•'?,000  horse  powei-:  ami  is  |)utting  in  another 
on  Wabash  street  of  4,000  horse  power.  The 
one   in    use 'is  till'   lliird   biriii'st    in    the   world. 


330 


HISTORY  OF  GREATEE  INDIAlfAPOLIS. 


beinji'  siupassed  duly  hy  llinsc  at  Chicaiid 
and  New  York  City.  The  t'oiiipany  main- 
tains over  1,800  arc  lights  for  the  street 
lightinii:  and  450,000  incandescent  lights  for 
eoiuniercial  and  domestic  lighting.  Its  un- 
derground wires  in  the  central  part  of  the 
city  are  carried  througli  tile  conduits,  the 
largest  mains  having  48  d\icts,  through  whieli 
separate  wires  or  caliles  pass.  This  was  the 
first  company  in  the  worhl  to  use  the  l,l>00,- 
000  cii-cular  mill  cable— nearly  2  inches  in 
diameter — for  underaround  transmission.  It 
is  claimed  that  Indianapolis  has  the  best 
lighted  streets  in  the  country,  and  that  it 
has  the  hirgest  consumiition  of  electincity 
per  capita.  The  stock  of  the  company  is 
owned  in  tlie  city,  and  most  of  its  bonds. 

The  Home  Heating  and  Lighting  Company 
was  given  a  franchise  l)y  ordinance  of  Octo- 
ber o,  1900,  and  established  its  plant  at  the 
corner  of  Sixteenth  and  Alabama  streets.  In 
11)05  it  was  succeeded  by  the  People's  Liglit 
and  Heat  Co..  which  operates  the  same  jirop- 
erty.  It  had  oi-iginally  ^.'lO.OUO  of  stock,  but 
this  was  later  increased  to  $1,000,000.  Its 
special  purpose  was  to  supply  hot  water  heat- 
ing and  electric  lighting  to  residences,  and 
its  actual  operations  have  been  confined  to 
the  region  between  Tenth  and  Twenty-sec- 
ond streets,  from  College  avenue  to  Illinois 
streets.  Its  plant  has  six  boilers,  with  a  total 
of  1,912  hor.se  power.  The  company  has  a 
twenty-five  year  franchise,  under  the  gen- 
eral provisions  fixing  the  maximum  charge 
fo)'  heating  at  20  cents  per  s(|uare  foot  of 
radiating  surface,  and  for  lighting  at  10 
cents  per  1,000  watts.  It  pays  the  city  5  per 
cent  of  gross  reeei])ts,  which,  in  1908,  was 
$4,397.36. 

The  ^lerchants'  Heat  and  Light  Compaux 
has  a  twenty-five  year  franchise  from  Sep- 
tember 1,  ]96;5,  granted  on  July  29,  1902.  Its 
maximum  rates  for  steam  are  30  cents  and 
for  hot  water  17  cents,  per  .square  foot  of 
radiating  surface;  for  electi'icity  10  cent.s  per 
LOOd  watts.  The  com])any  was  originated  by 
mendiers  of  the  \\lereh;iuts'  Association  to 
take  the  place  of  natui'al  gas.  on  its  failure, 
but  has  extended  fai'  l)eyond  its  original  pur- 
pose, until  now  the  total  replacement  value 
is  estimated  at  $1,002,140,  exclusive  of  fran- 
chise, and  the  investment  of  a  million  more 
is    planned.      The    company    has    two    power 


stations,  one  at  New  Jersey  and  l*eai-l  stn-ets, 
with  rated  4,200  horse  power:  and  one  dii 
( ieisendortf  sti-eet,  from  ]Market  to  Washing- 
ton, with  5,000  horse  power.  It  is  said  to  be 
the  largest  heating  plant  in  the  world.  Its 
franchise  covers  the  entire  city,  but  its  opera- 
tions have  all  been  south  of  North  street, 
from  White  River  to  East  street.  It  has 
gone  as  far  south  as  Louisiana  street  with 
heat,  and  to  the  Belt  road  with  light.  It.s 
franchise  payment,  of  5  per  cent,  of  gross 
receipts  in  1908,  was  .$8,(i21.34.  There  are 
several  small  heating  and  lighting  |il;nits 
opei-ating  under  the  genei'al  oi-dinance  regu- 
lations. l)ut  not  on  a  eommercial  basis.  All 
of  the  franchises  of  a  public  character  con- 
tain provision  for  purchase  of  iilant  by  the 
city  at  the  expiration  of  the  franchise. 

Tlie  first  consideration  of  water  works  for 
Indianapolis  was  in  the  winter  of  lS")9-60, 
and  was  no  doubt  brought  up  by  the  change 
from  a  volunteei-  fire  department  to  a  paid 
deiKirtmeiit  which  had  .just  taken  jilace. 
Daniel  ]\[arsh,  an  engineer  of  Rocliester,  N. 
Y.,  was  employed  by  the  Canal  Conii)any  to 
investisate  and  report  on  the  situation  at 
Indianapolis,  and  made  a  report  on  Decem- 
ber 24,  1859,  which  was  submitted  to  the 
city  council,  and  referred  to  a  seh-ct  eoiii- 
mittee  of  which  Erie  Locke  was  cluiirman. 
The  conunittee  reported  it  back  with  a  re- 
quest that  the  city  papers  publish  it,  an<l  the 
Journal  did  so  on  Februaiy  29,  1860.  .Mr. 
^larsh's  conclusion  was  that  the  most  feasible 
plan  for  a  supply  of  1,000,000  gallons  per 
day  was  to  take  the  water  from  the  canal, 
Toui-  miles  above  the  city,  "whei-e  no  con- 
tamination of  the  water  can  be  ajipi'chended 
from  the  approach  thitherward  of  the  ])opu- 
hiti'in  or  the  improvements  of  the  city"'. 
From  there  it  was  to  be  pumped  to  a  reser- 
voir on  Crown  Hill,  with  "two  or  three 
acres  of  water  surfaee  and  fifteen  feet  in 
depth"".  The  jiumping  machinery  was  to  be 
••un  by'two  overshot  wheels,  worked  by  water 
from  the  canal:  and  the  distribution  fi'om  the 
reservoir  was  to  be  made  l)y  gravity  pres- 
suri',  throu'jh  a  14-ineh  main  to  the  city.  He 
estimated  that  the  system,  with  150,000  feet 
of  mains  from  3  to  l4  inches  in  diameter, 
would  cost  $255,000  if  iron  jiipe  were  used, 
or  $146,000  if  wooden  pipes  were  used.  The 
probable    income    was   figured    at    .$31.51.").    of 


JIISTOltV  OF  GREATER  INDIANArOLIS. 


331 


vvhieh  i?;.1,00()  Wiis  from  the  statr.  $4,800  fnun 
railroads,   and  $7,000   t'lom   llie  city. 

This  called  forth  a  coiiiiiiuiiicatinu  rrmii 
Ryland  T.  Brown,  who  .said  there  were  three 
possibilities  for  water  supply,  cisterns,  an 
aqueduct,  and  artesian  wells.  The  first  two 
would  not  supply  pure  or  cold  water.  A 
deep  artesian  well  would  |)rol)al)iy  cost  $3,000, 
and  the  watf-r  would  he  l)rackisli  and  iuipreg:- 
nated  with  sulphur:  a  well  thi-ouuh  the  hard 
pan  clay  to  second  water  level  would  cost 
$150  to  $"200,  and  would  i;ive  irood,  cool 
water  which  might  rise  to  the  surface  or 
hifrher.-'  As  a  result  of  these  opinions, 
and  the  <reueral  discussion,  an  artesian  well 
was  started  at  the  insane  asylum.  .\t  ~'2  feel 
it  struck  a  Hint  howidei'.  and  was  ahantloned. 
although  thei-e  were  i)i-edlctions  that  inside 
200  feet  "water  may  confidently  be  expected 
to  rise  to  a  hei<;ht  even  above  the  I'oof  of  the 
as>linii  buildiufi".--  fJrown  says  that,  "In 
April  a  .Mi-,  liell  of  Rochester.  New  York, 
submitted  plans  for  water  works  to  the  coun- 
cil"",  t)Ut  I  find  no  coutempoi'ai'y  uu'iition  of 
this,  uuli'ss  it  be  in  the  c(juncil  minutes  of 
April  7.  that  "sundry  documents'"  were  pre- 
sented and  refei'l-ed  to  the  counnitte(>  on 
water  works.  Xi  any  rale  nothiiiL;  further 
was  done  at  the  time. 

On  July  15,  1864,  a  committee  of  owners 
of  the  canal  made  a  proposal  to  ory:anize  a 
company  and  furnish  the  cilv  with  water  l)y 
the  newly  invented  Holly  jirocess  of  direct 
pressure,  lint  sliijht  eonsidi'iation  was  siven 
to  it.  On  Auirust  15.  lS(i4.  Mayoi-  Caven 
revived  the  artesian  well  iilea,  expressing:  lit- 
tle hope  for  its  success,  but  reeommendinfr  an 
appropriation  of  $1,000  to  try  it.  on  the 
gi'ound  that,  "As  a  matter  of  curiosity,  com- 
bined with  some  jirobabilities  of  usefulness, 
the  experiment  is  w(H'th  the  trial,  aiul  the 
pid)lic  mind  will  not  be  at  rest  until  it  is 
attem|)ted'".-'^  Tie  was  quite  right  about  the 
"public  mind"',  but  no  further  experiment 
was  tried  until  the  beginning  of  August,  1868, 
when  a  well  was  started  on  the  .south  side 
of  Vermont  street,  at  the  northwest  corner 
of  TTniversity   squaie       It    was   uudei'   direc- 


tion of  the  fire  depai'tmeut.  ;niil  a  man  with 
the  suggestive  name  of  Keno  was  euq)loyed 
to  manage  the  work.  An  appropriation  of 
$600  was  iiuide;  and  on  Se])tembi'r  14  the 
Chief  Fire  Engineer  reported  that  $640.66 
had  been  expended,  and  the  unpaid  bills  were 
$303.61.  The  well  was  then  66  feet  6  inches 
deep.  Aiuither  appi'oiiriation  was  nuule;  and 
on  Xoveniber  9  the  chief  re])orted  the  money 
experuletl,  the  well  92  feet  dee]),  and  Keno 
"(|nit  and  left  the  city,  leaving  the  sand 
l)ump  fast  in  the  bottom  of  the  well".  On 
Decembei'  7,  the  Committee  on  Fire  Depai't- 
inent  reported  faith  that  an  artesian  supply 
could  be  had  in  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  more ; 
and  on  Deceudier  14.  Keno  offei-ed  to  get  the 
sand  pump  out  f(n-  $50  anil  continue  the 
well  at  $13.60  per  foot  to  rock.  But  the  city 
fathers  wei-e  satisfied  to  (|uit.  and  the  well 
was  abandoned.  In  188!)  the  Water  Works 
company  struck  a  re.servoir  of  fresh  water 
at  a  depth. of  210  feet — 128  feet  in  limestone 
— on  their  ground  north  of  Fall  Creek,  the 
water  rising  to  two  feet  above  low  water 
level  of  the  river,  but  with  additional  wells 
it  liecame  necessai-y  to  ])unq)  the  water  to 
the  surface.  This  was  doiu'  by  a  compressed 
air  ])ri\ssure  known  as  "the  I'ohle  air-lift 
system",  which  is  still  in  use.  The  eonqiany 
has  33  of  these  wells,  with  a  ca|)aeity  of  Ki,- 
000.000  gallons  per  day. 

There  have  been  a  number  of  "salt  water 
wells"  struck  in  later  borings  f(U"  natui'al 
gas,  but  in  most  of  these  eases  the  wells 
were  di-y  at  first,  pi-oducing  natui'al  gas, 
then  oil.  and  finally  salt  water.  This  was 
notably  the  case  north  of  tlie  eit.\'.  about 
Broad  l\i|)])le.  .At  Bright woml  salt  water 
was  struck  at  l.lSl  feet,  ami  .it  Irvington  at 
990  feet.-'  About  1897  E.  1'..  .Mail  in  dale 
sank  a  well  ;it  the  New  Deuis'ui  hotel,  and 
at  about  1.200  fe(>t  struck  a  vein  of  water 
heavily  im|)regnated  with  salts  and  sulphur- 
etted hydrogen.  This  w;is  used  for  bathing 
for  several  yciirs.  but  is  now  ])lugged  up.  lii 
1899  a  well  was  sunk  at  Blount  Jackson  ami 
at  a  depth  of  1,541  feet  a  strong  vein  of 
mineral    water    was    struck     which     rose     to 

within    l-''>0    feet    of  the  slirfnce.       Its  ini'dieiliiil 


■\Tounnil.  :\[aivli   3.   1860. 
"■iSf( )(/(«(/,  April  12;  l.iictiino/iri .  Api'il 
1860. 

-•''Couiieil    Biocecdings.    p.    SO. 


-'AVater  Resources  of  Indiana  and  Ohio,  in 
istli  Rept.  U.  S.  Oeol.  Survey,  p.  4SI);  lltli 
liept.    I'.    S.    (ieol.    S>iir\'ev.    p.    700. 


332 


HlSTOltV  01"  GKEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


ciualities  have  caused  -a  tiourisliiiig  sana- 
torium to  be  located  there,  and  the  water  is 
bottled  and  shijiped  to  some  extent.-^  Sev- 
eral shallower  wells,  with  water  of  differing 
qualities  have  since  been  sunk  at  the  same 
place. 

(^n  October  2,  liSfif),  flavor  Caven  again 
brought  up  the  subject  of  water  worlss,  sug- 
gesting a  gravity  system,  with  a  reservoir  on 
Crown  Hill.  As  the  state  law  authorizing  a 
city  franchise  for  water  works  required  that 
the  council  should  first  declare  the  erection 
of  water  works  expedient,  and  their  erection 
by  the  city  inexpedient,  he  reconnnended 
such  a  resolution,  which  was  adopted  on  Octo- 
ber 9.  On  ]May  21.  1866,  ]\layor  Caven  again 
presented  the  subject,  with  a  comnuinicatit)n 
from  James  B.  Cunningham,  a  civil  engineer, 
who  had  been  figuring  on  a  gravity  system 
with  a  reservoir  on  Crown  Hill,  but  nothing 
came  of  this.  On  October  15,  1866,  K.  B. 
Catherwood  jjroposed  to  construct  watei- 
works  if  granted  a  liberal  cluirter:  and  a 
resolution  was  at  once  adopted  that  any  jirop- 
osition  would  receive  prompt  consideration, 
and  ^Ir.  Catherwood  would  be  given  the  pref- 
erence, other  things  being  equal.  On  Octo- 
ber 22  an  ordinance  was  introduced,  and 
after  some  amendment  was  passed  on  Novem- 
ber 3.  The  com[)any  accepted  on  November 
5.  The  company  laid  about  50  feet  of  pipe 
on  North  street  witliin  a  year,  to  save  its 
charter,  but  nothing  was  done  bv  it  there- 
after. 

In  the  fall  of  1869  the  Water  AVorks  Com- 
pany of  Indianapolis  was  incorporated  by 
James  0.  AVoodrutV.  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  the 
founder  of  Woodrutf  Place.  Aissoeiated  with 
him  were  AVm.  Braden,  George  Stilz,  W.  A[. 
Wiles.  J.  A.  Comingore,  Geo.  F.  McGinniss, 
Thomas  A.  Hendricks.  James  E.  ]\[ooney  and 
Albert  G.  Poi-ter.  of  Indianapolis.  'Sir. 
Woodruff  Avas  the  first  i)resident.  but  re- 
signed within  a  yeai-  on  account  of  the  pres- 
sure of  other  business,  and  was  succeeded  by 
John  R.  Eldei-.  Tlie  company  was  granted 
a  franchise  on  November  15,  1869,-'''  which 
was  repealed  and  replaced  by  a  more  favoi'- 
able  one  on  January  3,  1870,  to  construct 
and  operate  water  wor-ks  in  the  city,  on   the 


-■'Indiana  Geological  Rept.  1901-2.  p.  78. 
-'■'Pi'inted  in  full  in  Jdiininl.  Novembei'  20. 


Holly  system.  It  was  to  lay  5  miles  of  pipes 
within  Hfteen  months,  and  15  miles  witliin 
twenty-seven  months  or  forfeit  its  rights.  Ou 
June  1,  1871,  water  began  to  be  supplied  to 
consumers,  from  two  large  wells  sunk  near 
the  river,  below  Washington  street.  Engines 
and  machinerv  had  been  installed  to  puuip 
6,1100,000  oall„ns  a  day.  By  the  end  of  1871. 
about  20  miles  of  mains  had  been  laid.  The 
private  demand  for  water  was  not  large, 
however.  By  January  1,  1873.  the  company 
had  expended  $400,000  aiid  had  only  784 
private  consumers.  The  company  also  had 
trouble  with  the  canal,  of  which  it  was  the 
owner.  In  the  sjirinu  of  1873,  all  its  stock- 
lu)ldei-s  were  indicted  foi'  maintaining  a 
nuisance  in  "the  lower  arm  of  the  canal'"  — 
i.  e.,  along  ^lissouri  street  south  of  Market. 
The  company  maintained  that  the  city  per- 
mitted this  to  be  made  a  sewer  by  the  peo- 
ple, as  well  as  draining  gutters  into  it.  A 
compromise  dismissal  was  made.  The  com- 
pany sold  this  lower  arm.  A  sewer  was  laid 
in  it  fi'om  Market  to  Louisiana  streets,  and 
it  was  soon  tilled  up  as  far  as  Merrill  street. 

The  company's  charter  calls  for  fire  pres- 
sure, to  be  actually  furnished  when  needed, 
for  "throwing  eight  streams  at  once,  one 
hundred  feet  vertically  thrt)ugh  one  inch 
nozzle"'.  At  the  "Sheets  hotel  fire",  on 
:\rarch  22,  1874,  the  first  really  great  fire  of 
the  city,  it  was  claimed  that  this  was  not 
done;  but  there  were  also  claims  that  this  was 
due  to  the  bursting  of  rotten  hose,  attaching 
two  lines  of  hose  to  one  plug,  and  other  mis- 
management. The  special  conunittee  of  the 
council  on  water  works  I'cpoi'ted  on  Alarch  27 
in  favor  of  the  city  constructing  water  wni'ks 
of  its  own  on  the  gravity  .system,  with  n 
re.sei'voir  on  Crown  Hill,  and  it  was  decided 
to  submit  this  to  a  vote  of  the  people.  The 
council  also  decided  to  buy  three  more  en- 
gines, and  adopted  more  stringent  fire  regu- 
lations.-" 1"he  ])rop(^sal  for  the  city  to  con- 
struct its  own  watci-  works,  at  an  estimated 
cost  of  .+1.000,000.  was  submitted  at  the  city 
election  on  Alay  5,  1874,  and  was  defeated  by 
the  decisive  vote  of  2,142  for,  and  6,800 
against. 

The  fire  caused  a  genei-al  improvement, 
however.     Tlic  cuiiipaiiN'  put  its  pumping  uia- 


'Joi 


il.   March   28.   1874. 


lIlSToiJV  OF  (JlfKATKi;    I  XDI.WA  IM  »].1S. 


33:? 


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HlsTolfV  OF  ClIKA'I'Ei;.   1  XDI AXAl'ol.ls. 


c'liinery  in  lictter  (ii-der  iind  iiddiMl  a  new 
engine  of  ti, 00(1. ()()()  gallons  capacity,  doubliuu- 
tlie  power  of  the  plant.  It  also  proposed  to 
lay  20  miles  additional  of  mains  by  the  end 
of  1875  if  the  city  would  take  365  addi- 
tional hydrants  at  the  regular  rate  of  $50 
(the  contract  called  for  only  one  hydrant  to 
1,000  feet)  and  to  this  the  council  agreed  on 
June  15.  1874.  But  the  company  did  not 
thrive,  for  its  private  jiatronage  was  not 
large.  All  sorts  of  efforts  were  made  to  j)er- 
suade  the  ])ublic  that  the  well  water  supply 
was  dangerous,  but  the  average  citizen 
thought  it  was  better  than  the  water  works 
water,  and  it  was.  The  "wells"  did  not  sup- 
ply the  water  needed,  and  a  gallery  was 
iniilt  out  into  the  river,  into  which  the  water 
came  through  a  "filter"  that  was  a  humbug, 
and  which  washed  away  periodically.  The 
company  also  used  canal  water  when  Beces- 
sary.  The  facts  became  so  notorious  that  in 
1881  the  company  decided  to  get  its  supply 
from  a  gallery  and  filter  north  of  Fall  Creek, 
and  this  pi'O.iect  was  warmly  condemned  by 
the  Board  of  Health.-'*  However,  the  plan 
was  carried  out.  Meanwhile  the  company 
had  failed  to  meet  its  financial  engagements, 
and  had  been  put  into  the  hands  of  a  re 
ceiver.  It  was  sold  by  order  of  court,  on 
April  23,  1881.  and  was  bought  by  the  In- 
dianapolis Water  Company,  which  had  .just 
been  organized  luider  the  act  of  1881. 

The  new  company  did  not  make  an.\' 
greater  effort  to  supply  "pure,  filtered  and 
wholesome  w"ater".  as  required  by  it.s  con- 
tract, than  the  old  one.  In  1888  the  com- 
pany aroused  the  wrath  of  Councilman  Dar- 
nell, and  he  secured  the  appointment  of  an 
investigating  connnitee,  which  reported  that 
water  was  taken  directly  from  both  river 
and  canal.  Affidavits  of  witnesses  were  filed 
in  support  of  the  i-eport  and  also  .showing 
a  pollution  of  water  that  would  make  a  pro- 
hibitionist use  whisky  instead  of  it.-°  The 
company  sat  up  and  took  notice,  and  in  1880 
began  construction  of  a  new  i)umi>iiiu-  station 
north  of  Fall  Creek.  In  18111-2  it  ])egai\ 
sinking  deep  wells,  from  which  watei'  w;is  ob- 
tained free  from  surface  contarninatioTi 
thoxigh  .somev.hat   liarder   than   conniioii   well 


■^Council  Proceediiiffs,  7i9.97.  p.  366. 
-"Council  Pinrrcdlnns.   1SSS.  pp.   624-8. 


(  r  river  water.  Hut  these  were  not  sufficient 
for  the  necessary  supplv.  and  after  the  straw- 
board  works  at  Xoblesville  began  dvniiiiing 
its  refuse  into  the  river,  the  water  company 
was  forced  to  divulge  its  source  of  supply 
by  bringing  suit  to  en.join  its  pollution  of  the 
river.  It  showed  very  conclusively  the  nox- 
ious effects  of  the  strawboai-d  refuse:  that  it 
killed  the  fish,  made  the  water  undi'inkable 
for  animals  and  "caused  the  crawfish  to 
crawl  out  on  the  rcx'ks"  for  relief.  An  in- 
.iunction  wa.s  granted,  and  there  was  little 
trouble  from  the  strawboard  plant  thereafter, 
except  in  1897,  when  the  company's  "reser- 
voir" broke  and  loosed  its  whole  accumula- 
tion of  filth  <;n  the  country  below.  A  citation 
for  contempt,  and  notification  that  anotlui' 
accident  of  the  kind  would  close  the  plant. 
made  the  resen'oir  more  secure. 

After  exhausting  other  possibilities,  and 
after  much  hanunering  by  the  press — espe- 
cially the  Sentinel— the  company  took  up  the 
only  feasible  mode  of  complying  with  its 
contract  to  furnish  "potable"  watei-.  as  it 
had  been  expressed  in  the  contract  of  Auuust 
19,  1901.  In  1896  it  emploved  Allen  Hazen. 
of  New  York,  and  Prof.  E.  G.  Smith,  of  Be- 
loit,  to  examine  the  situation  and  advise  a 
solution.  They  advised  sand  filtration :  but 
some  years  were  consumed  in  experiment  and 
preparation  befoi'e  it  was  undertaken.  The 
company  had  already  bought  some  250  acres 
about  its  upper  plant,  to  protect  from  con- 
tamination. In  1900  it  bought  the  land  at 
Schofield's  mill  on  Fall  Ci'cek.  with  the  dam 
and  water  rights.  In  1902  it  began  the  con- 
struction of  its  filter  beds  on  the  west  bank 
of  the  canal,  south  of  the  aqueduct  over  Fall 
Creek.  In  these  the  water  is  taken  from  the 
canal— the  purest  stream  sun])ly  that  now 
reaches  Indianapolis — throntih  a  brick  and 
concrete  intake  house  at  the  lower  end  of_ 
"Wide  Cut".  It  passes  to  the  laboratory 
building,  where  a  solution  of  lime  water  is 
added,  and  then  through  a  defleetimr  cham- 
ber, where  a  solution  of  ii-on  is  added,  int" 
the  sedimentation  basin.  This  holds  about 
30.000,000  ualloiis.  and  is  cut  by  walls  into 
passages  throuuh  which  the  water  ti'avels 
several  times  the  leuL'^th  of  the  basin  before 
it  emertres  throuah  the  screens.  The  iron  and 
lime  f(n-m  a  flocenlent  precipitate,  which 
slowl.v  settles.  cai-ryiuL.'  down  suspcTided  solid 


lUSToKY    UF  (illKA'l'Ki;    I  XDlAXAl'OLlS. 


33") 


iiiattiT.  The  sci-fciis  take  out  all  tlnatiii-; 
matter,  and  throui;!!  them  the  water  passes  to 
the  filter  beds.  Thei'e  are  six  of  these,  built 
of  reinforced  eoiierete.  and  each  l()()x:i.")()  in 
sui-faee.  In  these  the  water  passes  throuiiii 
a  thick  bed  of  carefully  irraded  sand  aiut 
j^ravel  to  drain  pipes  beneath,  reproducintr 
nature's  filtration  of  sprint;-  water,  except 
that  when  the  top  layer  of  sand  becomes 
cioyj-ed  it  is  sci-aped  otT  and  replaced.  'Phis 
process,  by  pi"ictical  demonstration.  I'emoves 
not  oidy  :dl  suspended  solid  matter  but  also 
!)8  i>er  cent,  of  all  l)Mcteria.  harmfid  and 
harmless,  making  absolute  "potable  water". 
The  capacity  of  the  filter  l)eds  is  16.()()0,0()U 
to  18.()()0,0()0   gallons   jx-r   ;lMy. 

From  them  the  water  passes  to  the  pm-e 
water  i-eservoir,  holdint;-  r),0()(i.O()()  jiallons,  or 
throULrh  a  ijravity  conduit  to  a  eonci'ete  dis- 
tributinu  well  at  Riverside  station,  whence  it 
is  piunped  throuuh  the  city  mains.  The 
piimpin<z  station,  a  vei-y  handsome  buildini: 
of  its  kind,  was  built  in  1897-8  and  in  180S 
a  pumpinjr  eiiirine  with  a  capacity  of  20. ()()(•.- 
000  L'alloiis  in  24  hours  was  installed.  In 
1901  another  enL'ine.  with  a  capacity  of  :{(!.- 
(X)0.(MI0  gallons  daily  was  installed.'  These. 
with  the  earlier  12.(100.000  gallon  enijine 
make  a  c;ipacity  of  ti2. 000.000  gallons  at  the 
l\i\'crsi<le  station  and  at  the  lower  station 
are  ;i  pumps  of  .l.OOO.OtK)  trallons  capacity. 
and  one  of  6,000,000,  makin<;  a  total  capacity 
of  83.000.000.  The  water  is  snh.iect  to  daily 
examinations  by  the  city  and  state  boards  of 
health,  as  well  as  by  the  company,  and  has 
been  found  satisfaetoiy  since  the  filtei-  sys- 
tem was  adopted.  The  comi)any  is  also  exer- 
oisini.'  connnenda])le  foi-esi;;ht  in  the  conser- 
vation of  the  future  water  supply  of  the 
oity ;  and  in  this  if  deserves  and  receives  the 
aid  of  the  city   ami   the  public. 

Thei-e  is  a  possible  aid  to  the  domestic 
water  supjdy  by  instituting;  a  separate  sys- 
tem of  liit;h  pi'essure  mains  for  fii'c  ]iui'i)ose«. 
throuuh  the  business  section  of  the  city.  This 
will  no  doulit  be  dene  as  (Iciiiiinds  for  aui-eed 
fire  pi-otection  inei'casr.  and  the  e(im|)any 
realizes  the  extravairanee  i\{'  flushing'  streets 
and  puttiim-  out  (iivs  with  liltered  water.  .\t 
present  the  cniup.iiiy  li:is  :il2  miles  of  mains. 
23.0.")0  pi-ivate  coMsumers.  and  2..')4.")  city 
hydrants.  Its  liabiliti<'s  are  .'1;482.000  of  'i 
per    c..nt    bonds:    $2.:!1  S.IKMI    ,.|'     .">     per     cent 


bonds:  ^1.000.000  of  41 .  per  cent  bonds:  and 
!(;r)00,000  of  eonnnon  stock.  Its  income  from 
<)()eration  is  about  .$(iOO.OOO.  of  which  about 
.$115,000  is  from  the  city  under  the  contract 
of  AuKiist  III,  1901.  'I'he  contract  of  1901 
was  substantially  a  continuance  of  the  eon- 
tract  of  1870,  w^ith  some  additional  conces- 
sions of  free  use  of  water  to  the  city,  and 
an  agreement  of  the  city  to  take  and  pay  for 
one  hydrant  for  every  500  feet  of  mains  in- 
steatf  of  1.000  feet,  as  foi-merly.  This  con- 
tract, by  its  terms,  expired  on  December  31. 
1908.  On  November  4,  1908,  an  exten.'iiiin  of 
the  contract  was  made  to  December  31.  1918, 
with  some  additional  concessions  of  free 
water.  The  amount  of  free  water  to  which 
the  city  is  entitled  for  fountains,  street 
flushiiii;,  markets,  sewers,  lati'ines  and  city 
buildings  is  estimated  at  2,000.000  gallons 
per  day.  By  a  su])plemental  aji'reenient  the 
company  addi'd  46  modern  hydrants  without 
removint;'  the  old  ones,  which  were  left  for 
use  for  flushinu'  and  sprinklinu'  waaons: 
while  the  city  discontinued  the  use  of  the 
fire   hydrants   for  these   purj)oses. 

Fiider  the  closer  administrati\('  sui)ervi- 
sion  of  the  new  charter  ynvei'niiieiit  the  (pial- 
ity  of  the  water  servii'c  of  the  city  has 
steadily  impi-ovM.  and  the  company  has 
profited  by  it.  as  is  shown  by  the  ninidjer  of 
|)rivate  consumers.  The  company  has  gained 
the  confidence  of  the  (tublic  to  such  an  extent 
that  few  j)ei'sons  hesitate  to  driid<  its  wafer, 
and  those  who  do  ai-e  influenced  by  past 
l)re.judice  which  has  not  fi'iven  way  to  lati'r 
a.ssurance.  The  works  of  the  company,  and 
its  foresight  for  water  supi)ly,  are  reassur- 
insr  to  the  citizen  who  fakes  forethoufrht  for 
the  welfare  of  the  city.  So  far  a.s  the  com- 
pany can  s;o  it  has  oone.  with  the  exception 
of  the  sei)arate  hish-pressnre  fire  line  before- 
mentioned.  Ifs  plea  for  purification  of 
sti-eanis  is  wise,  and  should  meet  the  cordial 
support  of  the  people.  There  is  mithini: 
more  absurd-  if  not  criminal  than  the 
.American  system  dl'  i]i;d<inj;'  open  sewers  of 
our  sti'cams,  and  the  elfeets  of  it  necessarily 
i;row  wor.se  a.s  population  increases.  It  can 
be  but  a  few  yeai's  until  it  is  absolutely  pro- 
hibited in  Indiana,  as  il  has  already  been  in 
some  other  places. 

The  earliest  Ivnown  sueuestien  fur  a  street 
railway    in     liidi.inapulis    was    made    by    the 


33(5 


HISTORY   OF  OK'KATEIt   IXDIAXAI'OLIS. 


Locomotive  on  Fcbiuary  5,  1859.  It  thou^liT. 
a  line  on  Wasliintrton  street,  from  White 
River  to  the  Deaf  and  Diniib  Asylum  would 
pay,  and  that  "If  this  was  done,  a  person 
could  live  in  the  neiiihliorhood  of  the  Deaf 
and  Dumb  .\sylum  and  iid  and  return  to  his 
meals  a.s  easily  and  as  quick  as  if  he  no\v 
lived  on  North  street".  This  wild  dream  fell 
on  deaf  ears,  but  in  1860,  when  the  State 
Fair  was  moved  from  ^lilitary  Park  to  wheic 
]\Iorton  Place  now  is.  there  was  considerable 
discussion  of  a  street  railroad  to  the  grounds. 
The  pressing  need  of  it  was  avoided  by  lay- 
ing railroad  tracks  from  the  Peru  road  to 
the  northeast  corner  of  the  fair  grounds.  The 
accommodations  w"ere  inadequate,  however, 
although  hundreds  of  visitors  camped  in  the 
open  grounds  adjoining,  and  caused  a  re- 
newed call  for  a  street  railroad  before  the 
next  fair.-'"  The  Locoinolivc  proposed  a  line 
up  ]\Ieridian  street  to  Tinker  i  Sixteenth), 
thence  east  to  Delaware,  and  up  it  to  the 
fair  grounds.  It  urged  that  it  would  pay,  as 
the  I'ailroad  "took  in  for  fare  $2,300",  and 
"the  hacks  and  wagons,  conveying  passen- 
gers, made  !)i8,000".'''  This  problem  dro]>ped 
out  of  sight,  however,  for  in  Api'il.  18(51,  the 
militai'v  took  possession  of  the  grounds  and 
convei-ted  them  into  (^'amj)  ]\Iort(ui.  and  there 
were  no  more  fairs  held  tliere  until  after  the 
close  of  the  war. 

On  June  5.  1863,  the  Indianapolis  Sti'eet 
Railroad  company  was  incoi'porated  nnder 
the  general  law.  with  (Jeneral  Thomas  A. 
[Morris  as  president,  AYm.  (i.  Wiley  secretary, 
and  Wm.  O.  Rockwood  ti'easurer.  (3n  August 
24  they  a.sked  a  charter  from  the  council,  and 
sulmiitted  an  ordinance  based  on  their  tenns. 
"While  this  was  pending  a  rival  company  was 
formed  by  R.  B.  Cath<*rwood  of  Xew  York, 
with  John  A.  Bridgland  of  Richmond  presi- 
dent and  Oatherwood  with  AYm.  ?I.  ^lorrison. 
E.  B.  :\Iartindale.  ^Ym.  Wallace,  John  C.  Xew 
and  J.  A.  Crossland,  of  Indiana])olis,  as  direc- 
tors. There  was  a  warm  ccmtest,  in  which  the 
financial  responsibility  of  this,  the  Citizens' 
Company,  was  questioned.  (!)n  December  7  the 
Citizens'  Company  filed  its  bond  for  .'t;100,000 
to  build  and  operate  3  miles  of  ti'ack  bv  Julv 
4,  1864;  2  miles  additional  bv  Julv  4."  1865': 


""Sinlintl.  October  Til,  1860. 
"^Lncomoiive,  October  27,  1860. 


and  2  miles  additional  by  July  4,  1866,  if 
granted  the  franchise.  The  council  prepareil 
an  ordinance  covering  these  proposals  and 
aranted  the  franchi.se  to  the  Indiaii- 
ajiolis  company.  On  December  28  the  In- 
dianapolis company  declined  to  accept 
it.  and  Catherwoiid  telegraidieil  that  he 
would  accept  it.  On  January  18,  1864, 
the  Citizens'  Company  was  given  an  ex- 
clusive franchise  for  30  years.  In  1866  the 
control  of  the  stock  was  bought  by  W.  IL 
English  and  E.  S.  Alvord,  who  held  it  for 
ten  years,  the  actual  juanagement  being  di- 
i-ected  by  ^Ir.  Enulish,  who  induced  his 
father,  i^lisha  (i.  p]nglish,  to  leave  his  Scott 
Count.v  farm  and  take  active  charge  of  the 
road,  as  Vice  President. 

In  1877  the  road  was  sold  to  the  Johnsons. 
of  Louisville— it  was  understood  that  Mr. 
Dupont  of  Louisville  was  the  actual  investor 
—  and  Thos.  L.  Johnson,  later  congressman 
and  mayor  of  Cleveland,  became  superintend- 
ent of  the  lines.  Tom  Johnson  wa.s  a  genius 
in  mechanics  and  mathematics.  He  had  in- 
vented a  steel  rail  and  .several  street  car  de- 
vices, including  an  automatic  fare  box.  He 
made  inimerous  improvements  in  the  system 
;is  to  its  earning  capacity,  and  in  some  re- 
spects as  to  quality  of  service.  The  abolition 
of  conductors,  and  requirement  that  passen- 
gers put  their  fare  in  the  box,  was  very  un- 
popular, especially  when  the  comi)any  re- 
([uired  drivers  to  stop  the  car  and  hold  it 
until  everybody  paid.  In  1878,  the  Indian- 
apolis Street  Railway  Comjiany,  Charles  E. 
Dark,  secretary,  asked  foi'  a  franchise  for 
■'a  system  of  railways  centering  at  the  Cir- 
cle, with  waiting  room  and  genei'al  office  at 
that  point ".^-  It  wa.s  before  the  council  for 
several  months,  but  meanwhile  the  Citizens' 
Company  had  given  .-atisfactory  evidence  of 
intention  to  extend  its  lines  as  ordered  by  the 
council,  and  the  o|uirsition  ordinance  wa.s 
stricken  from  the  files  on  September  22, 
1879.  On  April  7,  1880,  the  franchise  of 
the  Citizens'  Company  was  extended  seven 
years,  to  enable  it  to  negotiate  20-year  bonds 
for  improvement  pui-poses,  and  to  refund  its 
indebtedness.  In  the  soring  of  1883  an  ef- 
fort was  made  by  the  ^leti-opolitan  Railway 
Company  t.)  olitain  a  francbis".  and  tlu'ie  was 


"^-Couiiril   rro((  ( (lliifis.  p.   499. 


]1IST()1;^-  OF  CIIKATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


33  ;■ 


so  imicli  dissatisfaction  with  tln'  system  <it' 
the  Citizens'  ('onijiany  that  there  seeiueil 
some  promise  of  sueeess;  hut  the  Citizens" 
Company  promised  to  tie  good— to  aiiaudon 
•"bob-tail  ears"',  pnt  on  conductors,  give  uni- 
versal transfers,  replace  T  rails  with  Hat 
rails,  build  a  line  to  Crown  Hill,  and  allow 
other  comi)anies  to  use  their  ti'acks  undei- 
certain  conditions.  'I'he  .Metropolitan  ortli- 
nance  was  amended  so  that  its  advocates  re- 
fused to  accept  it,  and  on  .hil.\  L'.  ISS:?.  was 
stricken   from  the  files. 

On  J[areh  "28,  1888,  the  Johnsons  sold  the 
road  to  parties  representeil  by  .John  ( '.  Sluif- 
fer,  who  became  its  superintendent.  Hy  this 
time  the  value  of  the  road  had  grown  imkh- 
mously  and  was  soon  to  gi-ow  more.  ( )n 
February  1.  ISSti.  ("has.  F.  Bidwell  had 
asked  for  a  franchise  for  an  electric  road. 
but  no  action  was  taken  on  the  recpiest.  On 
June  20.  1887,  a  franchise  was  granted  to 
Colonel  \V.  \V.  Dudley  and  others  for  a  cable 
road— on  Jul.v  2,  1888.  amended  to  an  elec- 
tric road  — and  at  the  same  ses.sion  of  the 
pouncil  a  special  conunittee  re])ort  was  made 
that  tlie  Citizens'  Company  had  violated  its 
charter  in  at  least  eight  pai-ticuiais.  and 
thereby  forfeited  the  same.  Nothing  was 
done  under  this  franchise  bey-ond  laying  a 
little  ti-ack  that  was  never  used.  'Piie  Citi- 
zens' Coni])any  antici|iate(l  it  on  pait  of  its 
proposed  line,  and  obtained  an  injunction 
fi'om  the  Sn|)ei'ior  Coui-t  to  prevent  inlei-- 
ferenee.  The  case  went  to  tiie  Snpi'i'me 
Court,  which  held  that  no  company  could  lie 
siven  an  exclusive  fi'anchise,  but  that,  when 
two  conflicting  franchis<'s  were  granted,  the 
company  first  occupying  a  street  was  en- 
titled to  its  possession.'"  In  the  meantime  the 
main  cable  company  which  contT-olJed  the  In- 
dianaiiolis  conijiany  had  become  lianki-upt. 
'ind  the  whole  matter  was  (li'op|ied. 

The  tlemand  for  rapid  transit  grew  more 
insistent.  In  his  m<'s,sage  of  Januai'.v  2.  1888. 
Mayor  Denn.v  pronounced  a  continuation  of 
iinile  power  "cruel  and  disgraceful".  It 
was  also  becoming  a  matter  of  importance  to 
tlie  company.  On  Decemin'!-  18.  1889.  the 
council  passed  :in  nr.liuance  permitting  the 
Citizens'  company   to   use   eh'ctricity  as   well 


■''Tndianai)olis  Cable  St.  I{.  I\.  Co.  vs.  Citi- 
zens' St.  K.  K.  Co..  127  In.]..  |>.  M?.}. 
Vol.  1—22 


as  animals  for  motor  |)o\\er-lhe  company  to 
"place  iron  poles  between  their  tlouble  tracks, 
and  susiieiul  the  wires  from  an  arm  on  the 
saitl  poles"'.  This  requirement  continued  un- 
til 1893,  when  permission  was  given  for  [lolcs 
at  the  sides  of  the  street.  The  ordinance,  to 
he  valid,  was  to  be  accepted  within 
()0  days;  woi'k  to  commence  within  90 
days;  antl  .")  miles  of  track  to  be 
electrified  in  1890.  This  was  complietl 
with,  and  no  more;  and  the  compan.y  re- 
newed its  efforts  to  get  an  extension  of  fran- 
chise. On  May  21,  1888,  Jlr.  Shatler  had 
made  a  modest  proposal  to  electrify  the  lines 
on  condition  of  receiving  a  99-year  fran- 
chise; the  city  to  receive  from  $10  to  $2.")  a 
car.  annually,  on  a  rising  scale,  for  the  use 
of  the  streets.  This  was  jiromptly  hooted  out 
of  consiileration.  On  ilay  5,  1890,  an  effort 
was  made  to  get  an  extension  to  1926,  on  con- 
tlition  of  the  company's  giving  rapid  transit, 
and  paying  2  per  cent  of  its  receipts  after 
1901.'^  This  was  indorsed  by  the  Conuner- 
cial  did)  and  opposed  l)y  the  labin'  organiza- 
tions, iwhich  were  beginning  to  demand 
cheaper  fares.  It  was  stricken  from  the  fili's 
May  19,  and  another  ordinance  introduced 
making  an  extension  to  1917.  This  was  also 
defeated. 

The  situation  became  chriotic.  There  was 
a  growing  realization  of  the  value  of  the 
franchise,  but  a  growing  difference  of  opin- 
ion as  to  the  form  of  compensation,  some 
ui-ging  cheap  fares  only,  and  also  a  gidwing 
doubt  as  to  the  legal  i-ights  involved.  The 
S(  utinrd  made  an  especiall.v  vigoi'ous  demand 
for  full  compensation.  The  Shaffer,  or  Chi- 
cago .syndicate,  had  sold  out  to  the  ^FcKee  & 
Verner,  oi-  Pittsburg  syndicate  for  .$3,250,000. 
The  new  syndicate  issued  a  jirospectus  for 
$4,000,000  of  bonds  and  $.-..0(10.000  of  stock, 
showing  a  prospective  li  per  ci'nt.  on  stock, 
based  on  net  ainnial  eai'uings  (d'  $.")22.0(I0. 
Tile  Srnlind  cai)tui-ed  and  published  this 
prospectus  on  January  .">.  1S93.  and  the  ex- 
citement grew  intense.  On  .Mni-ch  31.  Cily 
.Attorney  Jones  gave  tin-  mayor  an  opinion 
that  the  "seven  years"  extension"  id'  the 
Citizens'  Comi)an.v's  franchise,  made  in  18S0. 
was  invalid,  and  that  the  franchise  ended  on 
dainiarv    18.    1894.      The    Hoard     of     P\dilic 


Wcws,  .Mav  (i.  1890. 


338 


HISTORY  OF  GKEATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


Works  at  onee  pi-ei)ai-ed  a  form  of  franchise 
for  bids,  which  was  published  on  April  8, 
with  the  announcement  that  bids  would  In- 
received  till  April  19.  The  bidding  was  to 
be  on  the  compensation  to  the  city,  all  other 
conditions  being  fixed.  The  franchise  was 
for  30  years,  divided  into  six  equal  periods, 
and  s.  minimum  bid  was  required  of  2i->  pei- 
cent  of  gross  receipts  for  the  first  period;  5 
per  cent,  for  the  second:  6  per  cent,  for  the 
third;  and  7  per  cent,  for  the  remainder.  A 
deposit,  or  forfeit,  of  $23,000  was  to  be  made 
with  each  bid. 

No  bid  was  received  until  the  afternoon  of 
April  19.  The  Citizens'  Company  apparently 
thought  none  would  be  made,  and  sent  in  a 
communication  pronouncing  the  plan  inqirac- 
ticable.  But  a  local  organization  was  fm-med, 
repi'esented  by  Judge  Byron  K.  Elliott,  and 
deposited  its  $25,000,  and  bid  Tt-..  per  cent 
over  the  minimum  amount  of  receipts  re- 
cpiired— i.  e.,  10  per  cent  for  the  first  five 
years,  and  so  on,  to  1414  per  cent  for  the 
last  15  years.  Everybody  was  dazed  by  the 
result,  and  before  the  Citizens'  Company  got 
its  bearings,  a  contract  was  made  on  Api-il 
24,  and  ratified  by  a  special  meeting  of  the 
council  on  April  25.  The  contract  carefully 
safeguarded  the  interests  of  the  city,  provid- 
ms  for  supervision  by  the  Board  of  Public 
"Works,  6  fares  for  a  quarter  with  universal 
transfers,  and  for  the  company's  paving  be- 
tween its  tracks  and  IS  inches  on  each  side. 
The  efforts  of  the  City  Company  to  lay  tracks 
were  obstructed,  and  litigation  followed  in 
the  U.  S.  courts.  Judge  AVoods  of  the  Cir- 
cuit court  held  that  the  Citizens'  Company 
had  a  perpetual  franchise,  and  en.ioined  the 
City  Company  from  interfering  with  its  pos- 
session. On  appeal,  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court 
held  that  the  Citizens'  Company  cei-tainly 
had  a  franchise  till  Januaiy  18,  1901,  and 
declined  \o  decide  the  question  of  perpetual 
franchise.''     This   was  in   1897. 

The  legislature  of  1897,  on  the  theory  that 
the  decision  of  Judge  Woods  might  stand, 
pa.ssed  what  was  called  "the  New  act",  to 
alKilish  perpetual  franchises  in  cities  of  100,- 
000  inhabitants'"  and   also    the    "three-cent 


fare  law"  nuiking  3  cents  the  maxinuun  fare 
on  street  railways  in  cities  of  lOO.OOO  inhabi- 
tants. The  Central  Trust  ( 'omjiany  of  New 
York,  trustee  for  the  bondholders  of  the  Citi- 
zens' Company  brought  suit  in  the  federal 
court  to  enjoin  the  enforcement  of  the  three- 
cent  fare  law,  and  Judge  Showalter  of  Chi- 
cago was  called  here  to  hear  the  ease.  He 
held  the  law  unconstitutional  as  "special 
legislation",  Indianapolis  being  the  only  city 
of  100,000  population  in  the  state.  This  ap- 
plied equally  to  the  New  act.  A  little  later 
the  Supreme  Court  of  Indiana  held  the  three- 
cent  fare  act  valid :'"  and  Judge  Showalter 
was  asked  to  dissolve  his  injunction  on  the 
groiuid  that  the  consti'uction  of  a  state's 
laws  and  constitution  by  its  own  courts  is 
binding  on  the  U.  S.  courts.  He  declined  to 
do  so,  and  on  appeal  the  Circuit  Court  of  Ap- 
peals held  that  it  had  no  power  to  review 
his  decision.  The  City  Attorney  then  brought 
suit  again.st  both  companies  to  quiet  the  title 
of  the  city  to  its  streets  after  January  18. 
1901.  This  was  heard  by  Judge  Neal  of 
Hamilton  County,  who  decided  for  the  city, 
holding  the  contract  with  the  City  Company 
void,  and  the  New  act  valid.  Both  com- 
panies appealed  to  the  Supreme  Court,  which 
decided  the  City  company's  contract  valid, 
and  also  the  New  act,  on  December  16.  1898.''* 
The  personnel  of  the  court  changed  soon 
after,  and  a  rehearing  was  granted,  but  had 
not  been  held  when  the  legislature  of  1899 
met. 

The  situation  was  further  complicated  by 
a  varietv'  of  additional  franchises  belonging 
to  the  Citizens'  Company.  It  had  secured 
fifty-year  franchises  from  all  the  suburban 
towns  that  had  subsequently  been  annexed 
to  the  city.  It  had  obtained  perpetual  fran- 
chises from  the  comity  in  a  number  of  roads 
that  had  later  become  city  streets.  In  this 
situation  the  INFcKee  and  Verner  syndicate 
sold  to  a  Philadelphia  syndicate,  the  Dolan- 
IVforgan,  and  Hugh  J.    ATcCiowan    was    sent 


"Citv  Kv.  Co.  vs.  Citizens'  St.  R.  R.  Co.. 
166  U.  S..  p.  557. 
••"'Acts  1897,  p.  154 


"  Navin  vs.  the  Citv,  151  Ind..  p.  139. 

''City  Ry.  Co.  vs.  Citizens'  St.  R.  R.  Co.. 
et  al.  Northeastern  Reporter.  52.  p.  157.  This 
decision  is  not  in  the  Supreme  Court  report**, 
as  a  rehearing  was  granted  but  never  had, 
the  controversy  bein?  settled  by  the  legi.sla- 
tion  and  mertrer  of  interests. 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


339 


here  to  straig:liten  the  tangle.  He  succeeded 
in  yetting  cnntrol  of  tlie  City  Company,  and 
then  applied  to  the  legislature  of  18!I'J  for  an 
act,  which  was  adopted,  authorizing  the  city 
to  enter  into  a  contract  with  any  company 
that  could  procui-e  and  surrender  all  out- 
standing franchises.  The  city  could  grant  a 
franchise  for  not  over  34  years,  with  single 
fares  not  over  5  cents,  and  tickets  at  si.\  foi- 
25  cents,  or  twenty-ti've  for  $1.  I'nder  this 
law  a  franchise  for  34  years  was  gr-antcd  on 
April  6,  1899,  running  "to  April  6,  1933.  It 
contains  the  statutory  provisions  and  also 
provides  that  the  company  .shall  pave  be- 
tween its  tracks  and  18  inches  each  side:  thai 
it  .shall  expend  not  less  than  .^l.OOO.OOll  for 
repairs  and  inipi'0\t'nients ;  that  it  shall  pay 
the  city  in  cash  :i<3(),()()()  a  year  foi-  the  liisl 
27  years  of  the  contract,  aiul  ^.lO.UOO  Ilieic- 
after:  that  it  suri-ender  all  franchises  o\it- 
standing,  and  that  all  its  right.s  in  the  streets 
cease  absolutely  at  tin'  end  of  its  fr;iiichise 
period. 

This  franchise  was  pi'obahly  tlu'  l)est  in  the 
coiuitry  at  the  time  of  its  adoption.  The 
animal  payment  to  the  city  shotdd  have  been 
larger,  but  considering  the  confused  situa- 
tion that  was  cleared  up,  the  agreement  for 
termination  of  all  franchises,  and  the  im- 
provement made  in  the  service,  the  settle- 
iii'-nt  was  not  a  bad  one.  The  company  has 
not  satisfactorily  lived  up  to  its  pjiviug 
aL'reeiMcnt,  or  its  aureenuMit  for  cross-town 
lines,  hut  that  is  largely  the  fault  of  the 
Board  of  I'liblic  Woi'ks,  which  should  see 
that  it  does.  Under  the  contract,  the  cit.y 
resen-e.s  the  right  to  purchase  the  plant  iit 
actual  value:  not  including  fi-anchisc  val- 
ues, before  the  ex|iir;ition  of  the  contract. 
There  is  also  i)rovision  foi'  use  of  the  tracks 
by  interurban  cars. 

This  la.st  iirovision  was  more  important 
than  had  been  realized,  for  at  the  time  of  the 
contract  there  was  no  interurban  reaching 
the  city  except  the  Broad  Ripple  line,  on 
which  cars  had  been  running  since  Septem- 
ber, 1894:  and  that  was  moi'c  properly  a  sub- 
urban than  an  interurban  line.  But  iiitcrnr- 
bans  were  on  the  way.  The  first  Indianap- 
olis man  who  saw  what  was  in  clecti-ic  lines 
was  Henry  L.  Smith,  who  organized  the  In- 
dianapolis, (Jreenwood  &  Franklin  Comiiany 
in  1895,  and  did  the  grading  to  ( ireeiiwood. 
Noah    Clodfelter    of    Cr:iwfordsville    started 


the  woi'k  in  the  gas  belt  about  the  same  time. 
Both  wei'C  forced  to  close  out  by  the  Htum- 
cial  stress  of  the  i)residential  campaign  of 
1896,  but  the  work  went  on.  The  Indianap- 
olis, Greenwood  &  Franklin  was  comi)letecl 
and  opened  to  Greenwood  <iii  -lanuary  1, 
1900.  the  first  interurban  into  Indianapolis. 
The  Indianapolis  &  Eastern  was  opened  to 
Dublin  on  June  17,  1900;  the  road  to  Mar- 
tinsville, Augu.st  2,  1902;  to  Sheibyville,  Sep- 
tember 12.  1902;  to  Plainfield,  September  lo. 
1902;  to  Lafayette,  October  9,  1903;  to  Rush- 
ville,  July,  1905;  to  Danville,  September  1, 
190(i;  to  Crawfordsville,  July  4,  1907, 

On  Atigust  11,  1902,  the  city  granted  a 
franchise  to  the  Indianapolis  Traction  and 
I'ermiiial  Company,  by  which  it  was  permit- 
ted to  accjuire  the  Indianai)olis  Street  Rail- 
way property,  which  it  did  in  December, 
1902.  The  Traction  and  Terminal  Company 
agreed  to  build  a  commodious  terminal  sta- 
tion, permit  the  use  of  tracks  to  any  inter- 
urban, pave  between  its  tracks  and  18  inches 
outside,  chare-e  the  same  fares  in  the  city  as 
the  street  railway  company  and  make  reason- 
able extension  of  lines  as  lequired.  This  has 
resulted  in  a  great  develo[)ment  of  the  busi- 
ness, though  a  ma.ioi-ity  of  the  (U'iginal  lines 
have  been  consolidated  in  the  Union  Traction 
Company  and  the  Terre  Haute,  Indianapolis 
&  Eastern  Company.  In  1900  there  were  but 
two  lines  into  Indianajiolis ;  in  1909  there 
were  twelve  lines,  operated  by  si.x  companies. 
In  1900,  a  total  of  377, 7fn  i>assengers  ai-rivcd 
or  dejjarted:  in  1909  thei-e  wei'e  4,979,371. 
In  1902  there  were  533  freight  car  trips  on 
.•ill  the  lines  into  the  city:  in  1909  there  were 
8,59f!.  The  effect  of  the  development  of  in- 
terurban lines  has  been  a  practical  revolu- 
tion both  in  suburban  residence  and  in  subur- 
ban  business  with  the  city. 

The  telepiione  made  its  lirst  appearance  in 
Indianapolis  late  in  1877,  and  as  a  ])rivate 
enterprise,  (^n  October  1  of  that  year  Cobb 
&  Braiihaiii  asked  permission  of  the  council 
to  erect  telephone  wires  from  their  office  at 
Market  and  Delaware  to  tli(>ir  coal  yards  on 
Christian  avenue  and  on  South  Deliiware 
street.  This  was  at  once  granted,  juid  on 
October  15  like  permissi(ui  was  given  to  (^mer 
Tousey  &  Co.  for  a  line  from  their  ollice  on 
(ieorgia  street  to  their  soap  works  on  IMorris 
street:  and  also  to  .1.  C.  Ferguson  &  Co.  for 
a.    line    from    the    ( 'ii.'inilier    ii\'    ('onniieree    to 


•?40 


HISTORY  OF  GHKATKI!   JXDIAXAPOLIS. 


their  pork-house  ou  White  Kiver.  This  de- 
velopment caused  the  Xews  to  observe:  '"This 
is  to  be  a  eity  of  telephones  as  well  as  of  a 
Belt  railroad.  The  council  granted  the  rij^ht 
of  construction  to  two  applicants  last  ni<:lit, 
eonnectint;-  their  up-town  offices  with  their 
factories."-'''  Several  others  followed,  and 
in  December,  1878,  E.  W.  Oleason  and  others, 
organized  as  the  Indiana  District  Telephone 
Company,  and  asked  permis.sion  to  erect  poles 
and  wires  in  the  streets.  This  was  refused,*" 
l)ut  the  Fire  Department  wanted  the  liouses 
connected,  and  on  Januai'y  20.  1879,  Chief 
I'eiulei-iiast  reported  that  it  would  cost  ^'l-il 
to  install  the  plant,  and  $176  a  year  for  rent 
of  the  instrument.s. 

After  considerable  negotiation  a  compro- 
mise was  reached  by  which,  vmder  ordinance 
cf  February  17.  187!t,  the  (ileason  Company 
was  given  the  right  to  hang  its  wires  on  the 
fire-alarm  telegi'aph  poles,  provided  it  would 
keep  them  in  repair,  and  would  furnish  the 
eity  free  of  charge  twenty-two  telephones  for 
the  fire  houses,  with  additional  phones  if  new 
houses  were  established.  The  new  company 
then  pi'oceeded  to  business,  the  chief  parties 
in  it  being  the  brothers  E.  T.  and  James 
Gilliland.  who  also  estalilisbed  the  Indianap- 
olis Telephone  Co.,  and  manufactured  tele- 
phones. Their  factory  was  on  the  I.  C.  &  L. 
road  south  of  English  avenue.  The  com- 
pany'.s  "exchange"  was  in  the  Vance  block, 
since  reconstructed  as  the  Indiana  Trust 
building,  and  it  did  not  reach  100  siib.scrib- 
ers.  It  used  the  Bell  phone.  ^Meanwhile  the 
Western  Union  Telegraph  Co..  which  had 
fontrol  of  "the  Gray  printer"  and  other  pat- 
ents, started  an  opposition  exchange,  which 
ran  for  about  a  year,  when  the  Gillilands 
wanted  to  sell  the  exchange  business  on  ac- 
I'oiuit  of  the  great  development  of  their  fac- 
tory busines.s.  The  Telephone  Exchange  Com- 
pany of  Tndiana|)(ilis  was  oi-ganized  on  Jan- 
uary 2,  1880.  This  continued  for  a  year,  and 
nas  then  sold  to  the  Central  Union  (Bell) 
Telephone  Co.,  or  rather  to  the  syndicate 
uhich  organized  the  Central  Union  in  1888. 

The  business  moved  along  (|uietly  luitil 
188f).  The  service  was  jioor:  the  patronage 
not  large;  the  charges  high.  The  legislature 
of  1885  pa.'^sed  a    law   making  the   ma.ximum 


charge  for  telephones  $3  per  mouth.  I'lie 
company  at  Indianapolis  resisted  and  went  to 
the  Supreme  Court,  which  sustained  the  law 
in  two  cases,  in  February  and  ^larch,  188(j.*' 
'I'he  company  then  gave  notice  that  it  woulil 
terminate  all  contracts  by  June  80.  Other 
coiiii)anies  then  made  proposals  for  service, 
especially  "the  Citizens'  Co-operative  Tele- 
phone Co.,"  of  which  ex-^Iayor  Caven  was 
president,  which  had  the  ■'^\allace"  phone, 
that  was  claimed  not  to  infringe  the  Bell  pat- 
ent ;  and  it  was  given  a  franchise.  It  tried  to 
buy  the  J^'entral  Union's  poles  and  wires  but 
without  success.*-  ]\leanwliile,  ou  April  7, 
1880,  the  Council  had  repealed  the  Gleason 
-franchise;  and  on  Aipril  16  ordered  the  coiu- 
]iany  to  remove  its  poles  and  wires  within 
two  weeks,  or  the  street  commissioner  would 
remoxe  them.  Nothing  was  done,  and  on  May 
24  numerous  citizens  petitioned  that  this  or- 
der lie  revoked,  which  petition  was  granted. 
Ou  September  20  the  Citizens'  Co-oi)erative 
Co.  rej)orted  that  it  could  do  nothing  on  ac- 
count of  the  streets  being  occupied  by  the 
jioles  and  wires  of  the  Central  Union,  and 
asked  that  they  be  removed.*"  This  was  re- 
fused, but  on  September  28,  the  Citizens' 
Co-operative  was  given  |)ermissioii  to  erect 
l^oles  and  wires  in  the  mile  scpiare.  The  new 
company  did  not  get  to  work,  and  on  ^larcli 
28,  1887,  the  Central  Union  was  given  per- 
mission to  maintain  its  plant  and  erect  new 
])oles  and  wires.**  The  situation  dragged  on 
without  anything  being  done  until  February 
27.  1889,  when  the  legislature  repealed  the 
law.*"'  and  the  company  proceeded  with  no 
leL'islative  rt'striction  on  prices. 

The  multiplication  of  overhead  wires  be- 
came dangei-ous  to  life  and  a  serious  obstacle 
to  the  fire  department,  and  the  city  govern- 
ment determined  to  remove  them.  On  Au- 
gust 24.  18f)fi.  a  new  contract  with  the  Cen- 
tral Union  was  approved,  by  which  it  was  to 
put  all  its  wires  underground  in  the  mile 
sijuare,  provide  efficient  service,  and  pay  the 
city  .$6,000  a  vear  for  the  use  of  the  streets. 


^Wfws.  October  16.   1877. 
^''Council  I'rocccditifjs.  p.  646. 


"Ilt,(k(tt  rs.  Ih<  Sliili.  1(1.')  Ind..  p.  2.')0: 
('n)tnd  I'liioii  Til.  Co.  c.s".  Briidhuni.  106 
Ind..  p.  1. 

''-('oKiicil   I'nivi  nliiKia.  1886,  j).   513. 

*'('<iuncU  I'roci cdiufix.  ]>.  814. 

^*C(>uncil  ProcecdiiKis.   1887.  j)]).   152.   KiS. 

*Uc/s,  p.  49. 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


341 


Till-  cniiiit;iii\'  tlii'U  sri'inc(l  Id  he  lli(irciii_L;hly 
entrenched,  but  its  arbitrary  nietliods  bniuiiht 
it  trouble.  It  cliarged  $72  a  year  for  busi- 
ness phones;  and  it  refused  eonuectious  abso- 
lutely to  outside  independent  eoiiii)anies, 
which  had  sjirunu'  up  in  numerous  towns  in 
the  state.  In  IMKS  tlie  Xew  Telephone  Com- 
pany was  oriranized  with  the  special  view  of 
givintr  outside  independent  companies  en- 
trance to  the  city.     The  chief  members  were 

A.  H.  Nordyke,  Simon  P.  Sheerin  and  Harry 

B.  Gates.  On  May  20,  1898,  it  was  given  a 
franchise  for  25  years  in  the  streets,  witii 
ri^rht  to  the  city,  oi'  a  new  company  to  whii-li 
it  '.'ranted  a  franchise,  to  take  the  i)ro[>erly 
at  ap[)raised  value  at  the  end  of  the  fran- 
chise ]ieriod.  It  was  to  ])nt  its  wires  under- 
grouiul.  and  pay  the  city  .i>6,000  a  year,  as  the 
other  company.  It  was  also  to  furnish  busi- 
ness jihones  at  $40  per  year,  and  residence 
phones  at  $24.  In  Ai)ril.  1904.  this  franchise 
was  li-ausferred  to  the  Indianapolis  Tele- 
phone Co.  with  the  consent  of  the  city. 

Of  couree  the  Centi-al  Union — or  "old  com- 
pany," as  it  is  coMuiioidy  called— met  tl'.ese 
rates,  but  it  was  claimed  to  be  a  losing'  busi- 
ness for  both,  especially  as  patronage  in- 
creased; for  it  appears  to  be  established  that 
with  telephone  companies  the  greater  the 
l)atronage.  the  gi'eater  the  exjjense  of  sei'vice 
piM'  eapita.  In  190S  the  Iiidian;ipolis  Com- 
pany applied  for  a  raise  in  rates,  claiming 
that  it  could  not  do  business  under  its  fran- 
chise. There  was  a  great  deal  of  opjiosition, 
but  the  company  in\'ited  investigation  by  the 
Board  of  Trade  and  Commercial  Club;  and 
their  committees,  after  examining  its  bo<iks, 
recoMimended  an  increase.  .Vccordingly.  in 
Jiarcli.  1909.  tln'  Indianapolis  Company  was 
given  a  franchise  lunning  30  years  from  July 
1,  190S.  with  a  rate  of  $r)4  fur  business  jihones 
an<l  $30  foi-  resilience  |)hones.  The  hitler 
privilege,  however,  has  not  been  used,  the 
eoinj)any  i-etaining  the  old  $24  rate.  Tlie 
coiiii>any  also  agreeil  Id  a  readjustment  of 
rates  every  ">  years,  and  boun<l  itself  to  ex- 
pend at  once  $.^"0."00  in  impi-ovement  of  its 
ser\'ice.  It  may  be  mentioned  here  that  both 
companies  have  found  it  advantageous  to  put 
wires  underuround  in  many  cases,  especially 
heavy  wires,  and  buth  have  voluntai'ily  done 
so  outside  of  the  mile  sipiare.  to  the  extent 
of  perhaps  ^^  niiles  ciieh. 

liii  .lulv  1.  1903.  the  Central   rnion   Com- 


])iin\'.  whose  territdry  under  a  Bell  license 
covered  parts  of  Ohio.  Indiana  and  Illinois, 
moved  it.s  general  headquartei-s  from  Chicago 
to  Indianapolis.  In  1907  it  built  its  fine 
eight-story,  fire-proof  oflfice  and  main  ex- 
change building  at  ^Meridian  and  Xew  York 
streets.  It  has  ;dso  four  fire-proof  exchange 
stations:  "North,"  built  in  1902  at  Twenty- 
second  and  Pierson  avenue:  '"  Woodrutf, "  rn 
Rural  street,  and  "Prospect."  on  Pi'ospect 
street,  both  built  in  1907,  and  "Irvington, " 
built  in  1909.  Soon  after  it  was  organized, 
the  new  eomi)any  bonglit  the  stone-front 
^'a.jen  i-esidence.  at  230  North  ^leridian 
sti'eet,  and  rearranged  it  foi'  offices  and  ex- 
change. In  1903  it  built  an  addition  to  the 
front  of  it.  I'eaching  to  the  sti'eet  line.  This 
company  also  has  four  branch  exchanges,  out* 
called  ■■.\ortb,"  at  Twenty-second  and  Tal- 
bott  avenue:  "South."  on  Prospect  neai-  \'ii- 
ginia  avenue;  ".Xortli  Imlianapolis."  at  Clif- 
ton and  Eugene:  and  "East,"  now  in  een- 
struetion  on  Beville  avenue  near  Michigan. 

The  enormous  advance  in  electrical  discov- 
ery has  |)roduced  movements  for  control  of 
local  companies  which  leave  the  present  status 
of  the  Indianapolis  companies  somewhat 
doubtful,  though  they  are  apparently  inde- 
pendent of  each  other.  Sec.  11  of  the  new 
company's  franchise  of  1S9S  is  vei'y  ex|)licit 
in  jirovisions  aa'aiust  any  combination  of  anv 
kind  with  a  competing  company,  even  callitm- 
foi'  forfeiture  if  the  control  of  one-third  of 
its  stock  is  acquired  by  such  company.  Tlir 
most  important  discovery,  in  its  effects  on 
cont7-ol,  was  that  telephone  wires  coidd  be 
used  for  telegraph  purposes  without  inter- 
fering with  theii-  use  for  telephoning.  The 
American  Tele]ihone  ami  Telegi-aph  Com- 
pany, which  controlled  the  Hell  patents,  the 
fundamental  ones  of  which  have  exi)ired. 
bought  the  Western  rnion  Telegra])h  Com- 
pany; and  it  is  understood  that  the  Postal 
Telegraph  Company  has  large  conlrol  of  the 
independent  lines — jusl  Ikiw  nmi-li  I  lie  i)ublic 
is  not  advised.  It  ap])i';irs  tii  be  a  contest 
for  control  of  the  wii'cs  of  the  counti-y,  tak- 
ing chances  on  the  i)ossil)ilities  of  wii'eless 
teleg-rajihy.  and  the  possible  future  of  the 
telepost.  The  fraiu-hise  of  1909  jiermits  com- 
bination with  a  competing  comi)any,  by  con- 
sent of  the  Board  of  Publi.-  Works,  'if  the 
competing  coni]iany  .-lecepts  the  terms  of  that 
franchise. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


BUSINESS  DEVELOPMENT. 


The  business  of  Indianapolis  has  always  ijeea 
closely  related  to  transportation  facilities,  on 
account  of  natural  conditions.  In  the  earliest 
stage  there  was  little  of  it  except  supplying  the 
needs  of  the  settlers,  and  getting  to  a  market 
such  products  as  could  be  transported  at  any 
profit  with  the  very  limited  facilities  of  the 
time.  Heavy  staples  could  be  sent  out  ad- 
vantageously only  in  the  spring  by  flatboat, 
and  that  was  the  chief  form  of  export  except 
for  live  stock,  which  was  driven  on  foot  to 
points  on  the  Ohio  River.  It  is  notable  that 
trade  was  on  a  basis  of  barter,  to  a  very  large 
extent,  and  that  the  commodities  received  on 
a  cash  basis  were  those  most  readily  trans- 
ported, or  that  competed  with  imports  difficult 
of  transportation.  Of  these,  furs  were  the  most 
important.  The  only  commercial  advertisement 
in  the  first  number  of  the  Western  Censor, 
March  7,  1823,  is  Robert  Siddill's  announce- 
ment of  "Dry  Goods,  Queensware,  Hardware  & 
Groceries;  consisting  of  Calicoes,  Plaids,  Irish 
Linen,  Steam  Loom  and  Power  Loom  Shirt- 
ings, Flag  Handkerchiefs,  etc..  Knives,  Spoons. 
Rutts,  Hinges,  Screws,  Nails,  etc.  Tea,  Coffee, 
Loaf  Sugar,  Tobacco,  Segars,  Pepper,  Allspice, 
Nutmegs,  etc."  It  concludes  with  "N.  B. 
CASH  given  for  FURS  and  HIDES  of  every 
description"'.  This  was  characteristic  of  ad- 
vertisements generallv:  and  the  fur  trade  did 
not  fall  off  for  many  years.  Indianapolis  became 
a  center  for  it  for  a  large  part  of  the  state, 
and  for  some  distance  beyond  its  borders.  On 
February  18,  1860,  the  Journal  stated  that 
"one  house  here,  that  of  Samuel  Wilmot.  has 
already  paid  out  this  .season  over  $1.5,000,  and 
is  now  buving  furs  at  the  rate  of  .$2,000  to 
.$;?.000  per  week". 

Coiintrv  sugar  was  always  ('(luivaleiit  t" 
casli  (in   a(c()\int   nf  tjie  expense  and  difficnlt\ 


of  bringing  sugar  in.  Ginseng  had  a  special 
market  value  for  a  number  of  years.  There 
was  comparatively  little  money  in  circulation, 
and  what  there  was  of  specie  was  silver  until 
some  time  after  the  California  gold  discov- 
eries. There  were  no  banks  of  any  kind  until 
the  internal  improvement  period  opened,  and 
j)eople  who  had  money  carried  it  when  neces- 
sary, and  stowed  it  away  about  their  houses 
when  not  in  active  demand.  There  is  no 
record  of  any  bank  at  Indianapolis  until  the 
State  Bank  of  Indiana  was  organized  in  1834. 
On  November  11,  1834,  an  election  for  direc- 
tors of  the  Indianapolis  Branch  Bank  was 
licld,  resulting  in  the  choice  of  Samuel  Hen- 
derson, Harvey  Bates,  Benj.  I.  Blythe,  David 
Williams,  Alexander  W.  Russell,  John  Wil- 
kins,  Homer  Brooks  and  James  Blake.  The 
directors  for  this  branch  chosen  by  the  state 
were  Samuel  Herriott.  Alexander  Worth  and 
John  Given.  The  board  elected  Hervey  Bates 
president,  and  Bethuel  F.  ^lorris  cashier.  On 
Xovember  19,  Governor  Noble  issued  his  procla- 
mation stating  that  the  State  Bank  and 
Branches  are  duly  organized  and  are  author- 
ized to  "commence  the  operation  of  banking": 
and  they  commenced  on  November  20.  In  1S43 
Calvin  Fletcher  succeeded  ^Ir.  Bates  as  jiresi- 
dent;  and  in  1845  Thos.  H.  Sharpe,  who  for 
ten  years  had  been  teller  of  the  bank,  suc- 
ceeded [Mr.  ilorris  a^;  cashier.  These  two  offi- 
cers remained  till  the  exjiiration  of  the  liank's 
charter. 

This  was  the  principal  bank  through  the 
early  period.  It  was  l<cpt  in  a  building  be- 
liincring  to  Mr.  Bates,  at  Washington  and 
Pennsylvania  until  1840,  when  it  nio\ed  into 
the  building  erected  for  it  on  the  point  be- 
tween \"irginia  avenue  and  Pennsylvania  strt'ct, 
now   ()c(ii|iie(l    by  the    Indiana    National   Bank. 


342 


HISTOIJy  (>|-  GREATER  INDIAXAPOLIS. 


343 


The  advent  of  the  workmen  on  ilie  Xational 
Road  and  the  Central  Canal  caused  a  business 
revolution  in  the  city.  Money  was  ])l('ntiful, 
trade  active,  everybody  i)usy.  'fhe  lndiana|i(ilis 
Insurance  Co.,  which  had  full  banking;-  powers, 
was  chartered  on  February  8,  lS3li.  did  a  ciui- 
siderable  banking  business  until  1840,  when  it 
suspended  active  operations  in  both  insurance 
and  banking.  It  operated  as  a  savings  liank, 
paying  (i  ])er  cent  interest  on  deposits  of  four 
months  oi'  more.'  It  was  reorganized  in  fS.52 
by  J.  D.  Defrees,  Gen.  Morris  and  others  and 
continued  business  for  six  years,  when  it  again 
susjiended.  In  ISfi.")  it  was  again  revived  and 
resumed  banking  business  onlv,  with  a  nomi- 
nal capital  of  $.500,000.  In  1807  it  bought 
and  occupied  the  old  Branch  Bank  building 
at  Virginia  avenue  and  Pennsylvania  street, 
and  in  18^.")  its  nanu'  was  changed  to  the  Bank 
of  Cominerce.  In  18.'i8,  John  Wood,  who  was 
int<;rested  with  rnderhill  in  the  foundry 
business.  Iiegan  a  baidcing  and  brokerage  busi- 
ness, but  failed  in  1841,  leaving  numerous 
"shinplaster'  notes  as  mementoes  of  his  enter- 
pri.se.  E.  S.  Alvord  &  Co.  did  a  banking  busi- 
ness from  1839  to  1843,  and  discontinued  lie- 
oausc  times  had  become  dull.  In  183!)  S.  \. 
FletcliL-r,  Sr.,  opened  an  exchange  and  baid<ing 
oftice  in  a  .«mall  frame  building.  No.  8,  Kast 
Washington  street,  with  a  capital  of  -$3,(300. 
In  December,  18.52,  he  removed  to  the  site  of 
the  present  Fletcher  National  Bank,  which  is 
the  direct  succosor  iif  the  business,  and  the 
oldest  of  the  banking  houses  of  the  city.  It 
has  been  controlled  by  three  successive  Stough- 
ton  Fletchers,  S.  A.  Sr.,  S.  J.  and  S.  .\.  Jr.. 
a  portion  of  the  time  with  partners,  notably 
Francis  ^\.  Churchman  fniui  18(;4  to  18ii!. 
It  was  operated  as  a  pri\ate  bank  until  18!)8, 
when  it  was  changed  to  a  national  on  account 
of  the  greater  advantages  given  by  the  federal 
hiH.  Here  also  may  be  mentioned  the  bank 
of  J.  Woolley  &  Co.,  which  did  busiru'ss  at 
Indianapolis  on  a  considerable  scale  from  18.")3 
to  September  LI,  18.")T,  wiien  it  went  under  in 
the  big  panic.  It  paid  6  per  cent  interest  on 
demand  deposits,  and  9  per  cent  on  time  de- 
posits for  a  year.  Also  premium  on  specie. 
Its  assets  were  abmil  ball'  il>  liabililie-  when 
it    failed. 


There  was  no  lack  of  money  or  fac'ilities  for 
exchange  after  the  starting  of  the  State  Bank. 
It  was  forced  to  suspend  specie  payments  in 
the  panic  of  1837  to  avoid  the  drainage  of 
specie  away  from  the  state,  there  being  a  gen- 
ei-al  suspension  elsewhere.  But  this  caused 
no  trouble.  On  May  19,  1837,  all  the  mer- 
chants of  the  town — 42  firms — met  and  agreed 
to  receive  the  State  Bank's  notes  at  par:  and 
the  action  was  practically  approved  by  the 
(iovernor;  and  the  legislature  adopted  the  prin- 
ciple of  its  committee  report  that,  although  the 
b;uiJv  had  forfeited  its  charter,  it  was  inexpe- 
dient to  enforce  the  forfeiture.  The  bank  of- 
ficials were  active  in  promoting  national  re- 
sumption, and  the  bank  resumed  on  August  13, 
1838,  without  difficulty.  In  fact,  the  suspension 
was  not  absolute,  as  customers  in  special  cases 
were  su]i])lied  with  specie.  There  was  another 
suspension  from  Xovember,  1839.  to  June  1.3. 
1843;  but  again  without  business  disturl)ance.-' 
The  bank  was  successful  from  the  start  in 
every  respect.  Its  dividends  the  first  year 
were  only  3  per  cent.,  but  they  soon  reached 
10  and  12  per  cent.  In  1838  tlie  lndiana])olis 
branch  reported  $391,582  of  loans:  $li.'),180  of 
individual  deposits;  $344,0.55  of  notes  in  cir- 
culation; and  $38,500  in  eastern  banks,  for  ex- 
change purposes.  It  may  be  noted  tliat  the 
real  motive  of  the  second  suspensicm  \va~  that 
loans  were  largely  on  land  security,  and  while 
ix'rfectlv  good  were  not  con\-ertible. 

The  manufactures  of  the  early  period  wei'e 
iH'cessarily  restricted  to  home  consum])ti  )n.  an<l 
of  course  did  not  cover  that  in  many  lines. 
In  February,  1827,  the  Jonnial.  wliich  was  a 
stalwart  advocate  of  Henry  Clay  and  limne 
manufactures,  called  attention  to  the  alarming 
fact  that  there  had  l)een  $10,000  worth  of 
goods  imported  in  the  past  year;  and  ealleil 
loudly  for  steam  engines.  That  remarkable 
effort  to  overcome  natvu'al  conditions — the 
steam  mill — was  then  in  motion  and  there  is 
no  room  for  cpu'stion  that  the  idea  that  the 
blessed  tariff  would  make  everybody  rieh  was 
largely  responsible  for  that  disastrous  venture. 
It  provided  facilities  for  manufacture  far  be- 
yond any  possible  consu7n]ition  of  the  town 
I'l-  the  vicinitv,  with  no  available  outside  mar- 


'Dniiornil.  Mav  15.  1 837  :  .7o//r;)(//.  Mav  12. 

1  !S3S. 


'The  best  hi.story  of  the  bank  is  bv  Wni.  V. 
Harding,  in  ■Imiriuil  <if  I'niitii-al  /■Jcdiionii/. 
\'ol.   4,  p.    I. 


344 


HlSTUJiY   OF  URKATKl!   IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


ket,  and  its  failure  was  predestined.  Aside  from 
the  saw  and  grist  mills,  tanneries  and  distillery 
the  early  manufactures  were  on  an  individual 
basis,  with  no  material  employment  of  labor — 
carpenters,  blaeksmiths.  cabinet  makers,  hat- 
ters, potters,  shoemakers,  and  the  like.  The 
first  development  from  this  began  in  1835.  In 
that  year  Robert  Underbill  and  John  Wood 
started  their  foundry  at  Pennsylvania  and 
A'ermont  streets,  where,  in  addition  to  ploughs, 
andirons,  skillets  and  castings  of  all  kinds, 
they  made  ''cast  iron  fire  i)laces  by  the  use  of 
which  the  annual  expense  of  patching  up  backs 
and  jams  will  be  saved".'  This  was  a  profit- 
able venture  and  the  business  was  conducted  at 
that  point  until  1852,  when  it  was  removed  to 
South  Pennsylvania  street.  In  1838  ilr.  Un- 
derbill introduced  steam  power  in  the  foundry, 
and  it  was  thereafter  commonly  known  as  "the 
steam  foundry".  In  the  year  1835  was  estab- 
lished a  tobacco  factory  on  Kentucky  avenue 
by  Scudder  &  Hannaman,  which  grew  to  such 
importance  that  when  the  sweat  house  hunied 
in  September.  1838,  the  loss  was  about  $10,- 
000.  They  made  heavy  black  plug  tobacco  and 
cigars  almost  as  heavy — they  were  of  soaked 
tobacco  then  called  "melee" — together  with 
twist  and  a  little  fine-cut.  The  business  was 
continued,  with  vicissitudes,  till  about  184S, 
and  tobacco  manufacture  then  dropped  out 
until  renewed  by  Geo.  F.  ^Feyer  in  July,  1850. 
There  was  an  effort  at  making  linseed  oil. 
begun  in  1834  bv  John  .S.  Barnes  and  William- 
son ifaxwell,  and  sold  to  Scudder  &  Hanna- 
man who  continued  it  for  several  years,  and 
then  quit  on  finding  that  the  hydraulic  mills 
with  wliicli  thov  were  competing  could  squeeze 
more  oil  out  of  their  "cake"  than  they  had  got 
originally.  There  was  also  a  small  brewery 
established  in  tliat  year  by  John  L.  Young; 
and  a  beginning  of  pork-packing  by  James 
Bradley  and  others,  who  ])urchased  slaughtered 
hogs  of  farmers,  and  cured  and  .'^hipjied  the 
meat:  btit  this  enterprise  did  not  prove  profit- 
able and  it  was  soon  dropped.  With  the  com- 
ing of  the  canal  there  was  a  boom  in  manu- 
facture. The  mill  sites  were  leased  on  June 
11,  1838,  and  a  woolen  mill,  a  cotton  mill,  an 
oil  mill,  two  grist  mills,  two  saw  mills  and 
two  pa])er  mills  were  i)uilt  soon  after.  The 
Sheets  paper  mill   was  a  financial  success,  and 


""Joiiniiil.  Jnlv  ;!1,  18.1 


may  bi-  accounted  the  lieginning  ol"  a  pernui- 
neut  industry.  Xicholas  Mct'arty  began  the 
cultivation  and  manufacture  of  hemp  in  1838. 
l)ut  the  venture  was  abandoned  after  four  or 
five  ycai's.  In  general,  there  was  a  heavy  de- 
pression of  manufacture  and  trade  after  the 
collapse  of  the  internal  improvement  project 
that  continued  until  the  coming  of  the  ^ladi- 
son  railroad  in  1841. 

With  the  coming  of  the  railroads  manufac- 
ture and  trade  both  improved.  In  1S4T  the 
(ieisendorfl's  rejiaired  the  old  steam  mill  ami 
iiegan  woolen  manufactures,  removing  to  a 
building  on  the  canal  in  1852.  In  1848  the 
ilorris  grist  mill  was  built  on  South  Pennsyl- 
vania street — burned  in  1S51:  the  Taylor, 
Watson  &-  Co.  fiunidry  was  built  south  of 
Pogue"s  Run.  and  afterwards  developed  into 
the  Hasselman  it  Yinton  ])lant,  and  later  the 
Fagle  ilachine  Works:  also  the  Crawford  & 
Osgood  peg  and  last  factor}',  which  after 
])assing  though  various  changes  developed  into 
the  Woodbtirn-Sarvcn  Wheel  Co.  J.  R.  Os- 
good of  this  firm  was  always  on  the  lookout 
for  new  openings,  and  frequently  found  them. 
On  August  27,  1853,  the  Locoiiiotirc  had  an 
account  of  the  factory,  in  which  liarrel  making 
had  been  added,  with  a  machine  for  making 
staves.  It  said:  "He  turns  otit  about  l"2ti 
perfect  flour  barrels  a  day,  or  700  a  week,  and 
can't  keep  tip  with  the  demand  at  that.  All 
strangers  should  visit  this  factory,  below  the 
Union  Depot,  on  Illinois  street,  as  it  is  a 
great  curiositv  to  see  them  make  pegs  and 
lasts."  ' 

lu  1849  came  Kortpetcr's  saw  mill:  Blake  & 
Gentle's  planing  mill,  the  first  in  the  city: 
^TeiTitt  &  Coughlen's  woolen  mill.  In  1850 
came  Sloan  iV'  Inger.soll's  furniture  and  chair 
factory:  and  Field  &  Day's.  In  1851  J.  K. 
and  Deloss  Root  started  a  little  stove  foundry 
on  South  Penn.sylvania  street,  of  which  the 
Indianapolis  Stove  Co.  is  a  lineal  descendant. 
And  so  they  kept  on  itntil  in  18()0,  Clarion 
County,  chiefly  in  Indianapolis,  had  100  manu- 
facturing establishments,  with  a  total  capital 
of  $770,805.  iisins;-  $559,(535  worth  of  materials 
and  with  a  jjroduct  of  $1,090.{I7().  They  were 
cmploving  713  ])ersons,  and  paying  $'2"?9.31'i 
in  annual  wages.  It  does  not  look  like  a  great 
di'al  now,  but  it  was  a  great  advance  over 
1850.  Of  course  it  will  be  kept  in  mind  that 
in  census  statistics  every  shoj>  is  a  inanufai-tnry. 


HiST()i;v  OK  (;i;i:.\'i"i:i;  ixdiaxai'oi.i 


O-tj 


ami  at  that  tiiiio  tlicie  were  many  iiioiu  iiulr- 
pcmli'iit  mecliaiiits,  with  their  own  shops,  iu 
jjn.iipoition,  than  tliuro  aru  uow. 

\Vith  the  railroads  also  came  the  praclieal 
beiriiiiiing  ol'  wholesale  trade,  though  there  had 
been  a  little  in  some  lines  at  an  eai'lier  date, 
usually  in  connection  with  retail  trade.  The 
iirst  exclusively  wholesale  boot  and  shoe  liouse 
was  that  of  E.  C.  .Mayhew-  &  Co.  (ilayhcw  and 
.lame?  .M.  liay)  which  was  established  in  1855. 
There  had  been  some  wholesaling  of  books  and 
stationery,  which  increased  quickly.  In  1S5o, 
the  last  year  of  West  &  Co.  before  their  sale 
to  Stewart  it  Bowen.  their  aggregate  sales 
reached  .$30,000.  In  dry  goods  the  develop- 
ment was  not  so  rajiid,  because  most  store- 
keepers preferred  to  buy  at  Cincinnati.  The 
iirst  one  was  established  here  in  1847  by  J. 
]>ittle  A'  Co.  and  was  destroyed  by  tire  on  .May 
14,  1S48.  There  were  several  eiforts  at  whole- 
tale  houses  in  the  tifties,  but  the  only  ex- 
clusively wholesale  house  here  in  18()0  was  that 
of  J.  A.  Crossland,  and  the  aggregate  sales  of 
dry  goods  and  notions  in  that  year  were  less 
than  $-^00,000.  One  of  the  earliest  lines  of 
wholesale  business  was  drugs,  but  of  course 
there  was  a  certain  amount  of  wholesaling  in 
all  lines,  there  being  no  strict  denuu'catioii  be- 
tween wholesale  and  retail,  and  none  as  to 
special  lines  of  goods.  The  first  distinctive 
drug  store  was  that  of  Dunlap  &  ilcDougal  in 
18:?1.  who  advertised  sales  at  both  wholesale 
and  retail:  and  also  introduced  the  first  soda 
fountain — the  soda  water  was  advertised  not 
as  a  luxury,  but  as  '"contributing  to  health,  and 
the  prevention  of  fevcM's,  liver  complaints,  and 
di.<eascs  common  to  the  hot  months".*  The 
wholesale  business  was  extended  Ijy  Win.  Ilan- 
nainaii,  who  opened  in  the  S])ring  of  1832. 
Wines  and  liquors  were  handled  largely  by  the 
drug  stores  then.  The  first  exclusive  wholesale 
liquor  house  was  that  of  Patrick  Kirlaiid,  in 
IS-IO:  nnd  its  successor,  Kirland  i^-  liyaii,  was 
the  lir>t  to  >:end  out  traveling  salesmen,  in 
IS.")!).  In  ISCO  the  wholesale  lii|Unr  trade  was 
<"itimated  at  about  $100,000. 

Confectionery  was  advertised  at  wholesale 
and  retail  in  1837  by  P..  V.  Evans,  who  not 
only  kept  "Candies,  Cordials.  Cakes  of  nil 
kinds.  Raisins.  Fruits  of  all  kinds,  choice  To- 
bacco,   Spanish,    cciininon     and     Melee     cigars, 


We>teni  lieserve  cheese,  Xuts  of  all  kinds, 
toys,  etc.',  but  was  prepared  to  furnish  par- 
ties with  "cakes,  ice  cream,  etc.,  at  short  no- 
tice".^ There  was,  however,  no  material  whole- 
sale business  in  this  line  until  begun  by  Dag- 
gett &  Co.  in  IS.")!!,  [n  1870  the  capital  in- 
vested ill  the  manufacture  of  confectionery  in 
Indianapolis  was  only  $10,975,  and  the  prod- 
uct $11.5,092.  The  wholesale  trade  in  groceries 
probably  went  back  as  far  as  anyone  desired  to 
buy  at  wholesale.  In  the  first  city  directiiry, 
of  1855,  there  were  14  firms  that  advertisi'd  as 
wholesale  or  wholesale  and  retail  dealers  in 
groceries.  The  trade,  however,  was  not  large. 
In  18G0  it  was  estimated  at  less  than  $400,000.. 
in  1870  the  sales  were  reported  $0,443,150. 

But  the  greatest  impulse  of  the  railroads 
was  in  the  export  of  domestic  staples.  With 
wheat  jumping  from  40  to  90  cents  a  bushel, 
and  other  farm  products  in  proportion  tliere 
was  an  incentive  to  get  busy.  Pork  packing, 
as  has  been  mentioned,  was  begun  unsuccess- 
fully by  James  Bradlev  and  others  in  1835. 
In  "l841,  John  II.  Wright— the  first  "cash 
store"  man,  who  had  come  here  from  Rich- 
mond some  time  before,  revi\(Ml  the  packing 
business  with  his  father-in-law.  .lereniiah  .Man- 
sur.  and  brother-in-law  William  Mansur. 
Wright  bought  slaughtered  hogs  at  his  store, 
■"half  cash  and  half  goods",  and  they  were 
cured  and  packed  in  Van  Blaricum's  old  black- 
smith sho|3  building,  at  the  northeast  corner 
of  Meridian  and  ilaryland  streets.  These  par- 
ties also  packed  (|uite  extensively  at  Broad 
R'ijiple,  and  all  of  their  export  product  was 
ship[)ed  down  the  river  in  the  spring  freshets. 
With  the  coming  of  the  railroad  they  added 
slaughtering  to  the  business,  and  Isaiah  Man- 
sur joined  the  firm.  They  built  a  packing- 
house southwot  of  I  lie  Madison  de])ot,  and  a 
.-laughter-house  at  the  west  end  of  the  Xa- 
tional  Road  bridge,  hauling  the  dead  hogs 
across.  lienjainin  I.  Blythe  and  Edwin  Iled- 
derly  also  jjegaii  slaughtering  and  packing  in 
IS  17.  and  continued  for  .several  years.  Their 
plant  \\a.-  quite  extt'iisive  for  the  time,  employ- 
ing 50  hands,  and  with  capacity  for  slaughter- 
ing from  500  to  (iOO  hogs  per  day."  Israel 
McTaggert  was  associated  with  them  for  a 
time,  and   in    185-.'    rornieil  a   partnership   with 


'■Jdiintiil.  .hilv  •.'.  is.'Sl. 


'Juiiniiil.  June   10.  18.)7. 
"ftocoiiiollri'.   Dcceinbei'  '.M,   1848. 


3-l(! 


HISTOKY  OF  GEEATEE  INDIANAPOLIS. 


David  ^lacy  for  a  separate  business.  The  Maii- 
surs  divided  in  ISoi,  "William  and  Isaiah  form- 
ing one  firm,  and  Frank  and  Jeremiah  Joining 
J.  C.  Ferguson  in  another.  Tweed  &  Gulick 
began  ])aeking  abont  that  time,  and  Col.  Alien 
May  in  18.55,  but  neither  lasted  long. 

The  fiatboat  trade,  prior  to  the  railroads, 
is  not  easily  estimated,  but  it  was  considerable 
for  the  time.  The  boats  were  made  40  to  .50 
feet  long,  10  to  12  feet  wide,  and  .5  to  7  feet 
deep :  covered  in  e.xccpt  a  little  space  at  one 
end  for  the  cabin.  They  had  big  steering 
sweeps  at  both  ends,  and  sometimes  on  the 
sides.  A  pilot  was  taken  as  far  as  the  Ohio, 
if  one  could  be  had,  and  "Old  Beth  (Bar- 
tholomew) Bridges"  was  the  most  sought  of 
these.  Farm  produce  of  all  kinds  was  shipped, 
hut  iisually — and  prudently — ]iroducts  that 
would  not  lie  damaged  by  water.  Baled  hay 
was  an  important  export,  and  was  the  cause 
of  the  several  hay  presses  about  the  town,  the 
most  important  of  which  was  in  a  building 
west  of  the  State  House,  on  ^larket  street  and 
the  canal.  One  year  Mr.  H.  Jones  (of  Co- 
burn  &  .Jones)  and  Cadwallader  Ramsey  sent 
a  cargo  of  chickens  to  Xew  Orleans  by  flatboat. 
The  navigation  was  rather  hazardous,  so  far 
as  the  safety  of  the  cargo  was  concerned,  but 
after  passing  the  Waverly  dam  the  mariners 
felt  comparatively  safe. 

Closely  following  the  railroad  came  the  tele- 
gra])h.  The  legislature  passed  an  act  for  the 
incorporation  of  telegraph  companies  on  Feb- 
ruary 14.  1.S4S.  and  on  the  2(ith  Henry  O'Reilly 
iidvertised  for  subscriptions  to  build  a  line  from 
here  to  Dayton,  Oluo.  It  was  finished,  and  the 
first  dispatches  .sent  over  it  on  May  12.  The 
first  published  dispatches,  of  a  purely  personal 
character,  appeared  in  the  Sentiiirl  of  Max 
IS,  and  it  was  long  before  there  was  any  tele- 
graphic news  report  of  any  consequence.  But 
in  June.  1S48.  a  merchants"  exchange  was 
formed  for  the  reception  of  disiiatches  and 
the  transaction  of  business.  C.  W.  Cadv  was 
secretary  and  K.  Homburgh,  treasurer;  but  it 
soon  failed  for  lack  of  money,  there  being  no 
practical  liusincss  value  in  it  at  the  time.  In 
.\ugust.  1S.53  a  meeting  was  called  at  College 
Hall  to  revive  it,  and  after  discussion  it  was 
decided  to  organize  a  board  of  trade.  A  com- 
mittee, consisting  of  Nicholas  ^IcCarty,  John 
D.  Defrees,  Ignatius  Brown,  Richard  .7.  Oat- 
ling,   Au.'itin    H.    Brown    and    J.    T.    Cox.   was 


appointed  to  prepare  a  constitution,  a  circular 
and  map  showing  the  advantages  of  the  city, 
and  to  solicit  funds.  The  work  of  the  com- 
mittee was  adopted  on  September  21,  and  the 
board  was  formally  organized.  There  were  3.5 
managers  elected,  who  chose  as  officers,  Doug- 
las Maguire,  president;  Wm.  Robson,  vice-pres- 
ident ;  J.  L.  Ketcham,  secretary;  R.  B.  Duncan, 
treasurer;  A.  F.  Morrison,  R.  J.  Oatling.  J. 
B.  Dillon,  J.  D.  Defrees  and  J.  W.  Ray,  exec- 
utive committee.^  The  work  of  the  organiza- 
tion was  quite  active  for  more  than  a  year, 
and  then  it  grew  slack.  In  1856  it  was  revived 
and  !Mr.  Brown  states  that  it  "did  much  good" 
for  the  ne.xt  two  years  iu  circulating  informa- 
tion and  securing  the  location  of  business 
here,  especially  the  rolling  mill.  The  rolling 
mill  was  built  by  E.  A.  Douglass  &  Co.  in  the 
summer  of  1857  ;  a  railroad  track  to  it  was  laid 
on  Tennessee  street ;  and  it  began  work  Octo- 
ber 29.  It  got  into  a  precarious  financial  sit- 
uation in  1858,  and  was  sold  to  a  new  com- 
pany, with  J.  M.  Lord  as  president,  which 
o]ierated  successfully  for  over  ten  years. 

In  1857  the  conclusion  was  reached  that  moiv 
wholesale  houses  were  nwded.  A  meeting  of 
citizens  and  business  men  was  held  at  the  Coun- 
cil Chamber  on  July  29  to  consider  the  matter. 
.\^  committee  was  appointed,  with  Dr.  T.  B.  El- 
liott at  its  head,  which  reported  on  July  31. 
It  stated  that  while  there  were  81  houses,  in 
19  lines,  and  39  manufactories,  in  21  lines, 
which  sold  at  wholesale,  there  was  only  one 
exclusively  wholesale  house  in  the  place.  It 
recommended  cooperation  with  the  Board  of 
Trade  in  circulating  information  and  securing 
the  location  of  wholesale  houses  and  manufac- 
tories.* The  establishment  of  a  wholesale  dry 
goods  house  by  Blake,  Wright  &  Co.  was  a  re- 
sult of  this  movement,  but  the  house  was  short 
lived.  The  board  suspended  oiierations  for  la<-k 
(if  funds,  after  a  strenuous  life  of  two  years. 
In  1864  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  was  formed, 
with  T.  B.  Elliott  as  president  and  Jehial 
Barnard  as  secretary,  and  did  a  little  business 
agitation — enough  at  least  to  stimulate  the  or- 
ganization of  a  Me7-chants"  and  Manufacturers' 
Association,  in  1868.  In  1870  the  Board  of 
Trade  was  organized,  and  has  practically  con- 
tinued since  then,  though  the  present  body  is  a 


' Loco moi ire,  Se)jtendjer  24.  1853. 
""Loromotive.  August  8,  1857. 


IIISTOKY  OF  CliEATEK    I  M  )1  A  X  AIM  )I.1S. 


:34: 


ZLZL  LililnTTT  '  TTX^  ,     ^■■'""*' 

,^     ,^    '*■    8U1U  for  Cattl*  7  ^19.        <o» 


FIRST   STATE  FAIR  GROUNDS. 


lil.STUKY  OF  GEEATEK  IXDIAXAI'ULIS. 


reorganizatiou  made  in  188"^.  Uu  February 
1,  18^1.  a  state  eoiiventioii  of  boards  of  traile 
was  held  at  the  ■"eluunber  of  eommeree" — old 
Sentinel  building,  southwest  corner  of  Circle 
and  Meridian  streets  and  resolutions  for  reme- 
dial leufislation  were  adopted,  including  one  to 
prohibit  the  seiumg  and  netting  of  iisli. 

In  1873  the  question  of  better  quarters  be- 
came important  and  various  proposals  were 
made.  The  one  finally  accepted  was  by  Henry 
(_'.  Wilson  and  others  to  form  a  company  and 
erect  a  Iniilding  especially  for  trade  purposes. 
This  was  accepted  on  March  "^3,  18T4;  and  a 
com^Kiny  was  formed,  called  the  Indianapolis 
Chamber  of  Commerce.  The  building  wias 
erected  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Maryland  and 
Capitol  avenue,  and  was  formally  occupied  on 
December  15,  1874.  This  building,  sometimes 
called  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  some- 
times the  Board  of  Trade,  was  occupied  until 
lSt07,  when  the  present  building  was  occupied. 
The  new  building  and  furnishing  cost  $300,000, 
of  which  $50,000  came  from  the  sale  of  the 
old  building  and  the  remainder  fri)in  the  issue 
<if  stock. 

An  important  stimulant  of  trade  in  the  ear- 
lier period  was  the  State  l''aii'.  'fhe  State 
Board  of  Agriculture  was  chartered  by  the  leg- 
islature on  February  14,  1851,  and  organized 
May  27  with  Governor  Wright  as  president, 
.John  B.  Dillon,  secretary,  and  R.  Mayhew, 
treasurer.  The  first  fair  was  held  Uctoi)er  Ul- 
2b,  1852  on  what  is  now  Military  Park,  ami 
some  ground  just  west  of  it.  Its  most  strik- 
ing features  were  the  lack  of  accommodations 
and  the  superabundance  of  side-shows.  lint  it 
drew  crowds,  and  there  were  demands  from 
other  cities  for  its  benefits ;  so  it  was  held  at 
],afayette  in  1853,  and  at  iladison  in  1854. 
Both  of  these  were  linancial  failures,  so  the 
fair  was  brought  back  to  Indianapolis  from 
1855  to  1858  inclusive.  In  1859  New  All)any 
was  given  a  trial,  but  the  receipts  dropped 
about  one-third.  In  ]8(>0  the  fair  was  held 
here,  but  the  managers  decided  on  a  cliange  of 
])lacr.  and  secured  3()  acres  nortli  of  the  city, 
then  known  as  "the  Otis  Grove",  now  "Mor- 
ton JMace",  and  the  fair  was  held  there.  In 
1801  there  was  no  fair,  on  account  of  the  war. 
In  lS()2-3-4  it  was  held  at  :Military  Park  in 
connection  with  the  Sanitary  Fair,  the  regular 
grounds  having  been  appropriated  for  Cam]) 
Morton.     In  18()5  it  was  held  at  Fort  Wavne. 


ami  again  at  a  tiiiancial  loss.  In  18GG  it  was 
iit  Indianapolis,  and  in  1807  at  Terre  Haute. 
This  was  its  last  venture  outside  of  Indian- 
apolis, and  the  only  one  that  was  not  a  tinan- 
cial  failure.  Those  at  Indianapolis  were  all 
successes  in  a  money  way  except  that  of  1860, 
when  the  expenses  incident  to  new  grounds  were 
unusually  heavy. 

In  187"2  the  exposition  fever  struck  the  city. 
Ill  October.  1812  a  proposal  for  a  joint  fair 
and  exposition,  lasting  30  days,  was  brought 
before  the  State  Board  of  .\griculture  liy  I'ep- 
ri'sentatives  of  Indianapolis  interests,  and  on 
.lanuary  S,  1873  an  agreement  was  made  l)y 
which  individuals  resident  in  Indianapolis 
guaranteed  the  success  of  a  joint  fair  and  ex- 
position to  the  extent  of  -i^'lOO.OOO.  and  the 
State  Board  accepted  the  proposition"  A  two- 
story  brick  Iniilding.  308  x  150,  was  erected  on 
the  south  side  of  the  grounds — now  Xineteenth 
street — then  Exposition  avenue.  The  fair  and 
exposition  were  opened  with  much  ceremony  on 
■September  10,  and  continued  to  October  10, 
with  such  success  that  the  debt  left  over  was 
only  .1^90,000.'"  Expositions  were  held  with 
considerable  vigor  in  1874-5-6  and  then  the 
thing  drifted  Ijack  to  the  old  one-week  State 
Fair  basis.  The  panic  had  killed  the  enter- 
prise, and  left  a  legacy  of  dei)t  that  was  a  cause 
of  heart-burnings  and  recriminations  for  years 
afterwards."  .\  number  of  Iiidiana])olis  ])eo- 
ple  not  satisfied  with  the  racing  facilities  got 
up  the  Southern  Di'iving  Park  Association, 
wliich  made  the  State  Board  indignant,  and 
was  a  failure  itself  with  only  one  meeting. 
Its  jjropcrty  was  unloadeil  on  the  city  for  a 
park,  and  in  the  course  of  time  was  reached  by 
the  city"s  growth  and  made  available  as  Gar- 
field Park.  The  fairs  were  continued  at  the 
Camp  ^forton  grounds  and  then  removed  to  the 
present  grounds,  northeast  of  the  city.  The 
most  notable  movement  at  this  point,  in  con- 
nection with  the  city,  was  the  building  of  the 
colosseuni.  which  was  completed  in  1908  in 
time  for  the  saengerfest,  July  17-19.  It  is  a 
handsome  and  substantial  auditorium  witli  a 
(•a])acity   for   12.000   people. 

The  ])ork-packing  industry  was  always  an 
importaiU   one   to   Indianapolis,  liut   it   took  on 


■'  Ai^ricultural  Keport,  1873,  p.  43. 
1"  Airricultura!  Report,  1873.  p.  340. 
"  .\irricuUural   Peport.  1883,  p.  38. 


HISTOBY  OF  GHKATKIt    I XDIAXATOLIS. 


349 


new  importance  in  ISii:]  from  the  consiriiclidii 
here  of  tlu-  Kin<;an  Bros,  plant,  at  that  time 
the  largest  pork-house  in  tiie  world.  It  was 
18T  x  llo  feet  in  extent  with  five  stories  and 
a  basement,  furnished  with  all  the  latest  ap- 
plianees,  including  a  steam  rendering  plant, 
and  had  a  capacity  for  handling  3,000  hogs 
per  day.'-  It  was  opened  for  business  on  No- 
vember Ki,  1S()3.  and  from  that  time  was  the 
leading  packing  establishment  of  the  city.  In 
lt<73.  to  accommodate  its  growing  business  the 
firm  bougjit  the  large  pork-house  of  J.  ('. 
Ferguson,  on  the  south  side  of  the  I.  &  St.  L. 
tracks,  and  connected  it  with  their  own  by  a 
tuimel.  In  IS^")  tiie  firm  of  Kiugan  &  Co.,  of 
liuliana])oiis.  then  a  partnership,  amalgamated 
witli  J.  &  J.  Sinclair  &  Co..  of  Belfast.  Ire- 
land, to  form  the  ]iresent  limited  corporation 
of  Kingan  &  Co.  The  stay  of  this  establi.--h- 
nient  i-:  the  more  notable  because  just  after  the 
dose  of  its  packing  season  of  18()4-5,  on  May 
22,  1S()">.  its  plant  was  destroyed  by  fire,  with  a 
'large  part  of  the  season's  pack,  involving  a 
loss  of  $"^-10.1100.  The  disaster,  however,  only 
caused  a  renewal  of  the  business  on  a  more  ex- 
tender] scale.  The  house  was  relmilt — two 
stories  lower — and  business  was  ri'sumcd  in  tin' 
next  season. 

This  house  Avas  the  place  of  tiie  ijcginning 
of  a  great  industrial  revolution — the  summer 
packing  of  ])ork.  Among  the  superior  employes 
of  the  Jiouse  was  (ieorge  W.  Stockman,  a  na- 
tive Hoosier,  of  an  old  Lawrenci'l)urg  family. 
In  ISfiS  he  commenced  experimenting  on  the 
artificial  cooling  of  meats,  and  was  backed  In' 
the  firm.  His  first  a]i])aratus  was  based  on 
two  simiile  ]ihysical  facts,  ( 1  )  cold  air  is  heav- 
ier than  warm  air.  and  will  fall  when  mixed 
with  it:  (■-')  an  oiiject  will  cool  more  rajiidly 
in  a  current  of  air  than  in  the  same  air  at 
rest.  In  the  top  story  of  the  building  Stock- 
man ])laced  a  \at,  jierhaps  10  x  1.")  and  'I  or  3 
feet  deep.  Ill  this  were  metal  ]>i|ies,  running 
down  at  one  end,  across  the  bottom  and  o])cn- 
ing  at  the  other  eiul ;  altemating  with  similar 
pipes  running  in  the  oiiposite  directimi.  This 
vat  was  filled  with  ice  and  salt.  The  air  in 
the  pipes  cooled,  and  flowed  out  with  a  strong 
current.  There  was  an  opening,  with  gratings, 
from  this  room  to  one  on  the  floor  below,  where 
there  was  a  similar  vat:  and  so  on  to  the  base- 

^ ■Journal.  N'ovembei'   1  I.   I.s(i3. 


iiieiit.  There  the  now  freezing  air  was  blown 
on  the  meat  by  a  rotary  blower,  and  a  tem- 
perature of  31  degrees  Fahrenheit  was  main- 
tained. 1  inspected  this  jilant  one  hot  day  in 
•Inly,  and  the  room  where  the  dressed  hogs 
hung  looked  like  a  limestone  cave  with  its 
eoiiting  of  frost,  and  stalactites  of  white  ice 
hanging  from  the  rafters.  ()i)]jressive  as  the 
heat  was  outside,  it  was  a  I'clief  to  get  out  of 
that  atmosphere. 

The  invention  was  utilized  at  once.  Tlu' 
Board  of  Trade  rejiort  of  January,  18T"2  says 
that  Ivingan  it  Co.  "have  made  extensive  ami 
ex]>ensive  preparations  for  prosecuting  their 
business  through  the  summer  months,  so  that 
III  the  fattened  porker  there  can  be  no  ])ost- 
poneinent  id'  the  death  pemilty  'on  account  of 
llie  ueatbei'".  This  lirm  ])acked  and  shipped 
the  prodnet  of  (iil.OOO  hogs  which  were  killed 
lietween  March  and  Novembei'  of  last  year. 
These  meats  were  ice-cured.  Their  ice-cured 
meats  are  equal  to  the  product  of  their  winter 
slaughtering."  In  1S73  the-  "summer  ])ack"' 
reached  2()0,000.  Tins  system  was  followed  for 
a  number  of  years  by  the  Kingans  and  was 
also  adopted  by  J.  C.  Ferguson,'''  but  it  was 
supplanted  bv  the  ammonia  cooling  jirocesses. 
Stockman  was  also  a  ].)ioneer  in  these,  and 
took  otit  a  number  of  jjatents.'''  He  was  the 
oi-iginator  of  summer  [jacking,  and  it  has  been 
the  lot  of  few  men  to  do  auvthing  of  so  great 
importance.  Men  often  speak  of  the  far-reach- 
ing effects  of  the  Catling  gun,  which  was  in- 
vented at  lndiana|)olis,  but  here  was  some- 
thing even  more  important.  Before  it,  pork 
could  be  ))acked  only  in  I'leezing  weather.  The 
season  usually  lasted  only  I  wo  or  three  months 
and  was  often  broken  by  warm  days.  A  warm 
winter  was  a  yiublic  <'alamity.  ^foreover  porlc 
cmild  be  fattened  chea]ier  in  summei-,  and  a 
constant  market  did  away  with  iniu-h  of  the 
control  by  specidative  buyers.  If  IndiaTiapolis 
wants  to  |)ut  u|p  a  monument  (o  a  citizen  who 
did  more  for  the  world  than  all  her  |)i'ofessional 
men  and  statesmen  put  together,  she  has  the 
-iibject   ill  Ceorge  W.  Stockman. 

Till'  coming  of  the  Belt  Railroad  and  the 
I'nion  Stock  Yards  in  IS"  and  187iS,  which 
are  considered  in  the  chapter  on   Hailroad   l)i'- 


'».Y '■»■■>.■.  ,)uly   13,  is: 8. 

"  Drawings  and  Specilieat  ions  <d'  Pats.,  Xos. 
-.'(iO.OCO;  204,]  13;  2r."),8(;!) :  304,8: 1:  304.8:2. 


350 


HLSTUKY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


velopment,  added  a  great  deal  to  the  meat 
packing  industry  of  Indianapolis,  and  the 
yoarl}'  pack  of  hogs  now  averages  over  a  mil- 
lion and  a  half.  Since  1891  a  majority  of  the 
hogs  slaughtered  here  have  been  summer 
packed.  The  development  of  the  industry  of 
meat-packing  and  slaughtering  has  been  steady 
and  notable.  In  1870  the  capital  invested  was 
$1,2.51,000,  and  the  value  of  the  product  was 
$■2,261. ;.50.  In  1880  the  capital  invested  was 
$1,018,000,  and  the  product  was  $9,014,422.  In 
1900  the  capital  invested  was  $3,640,096.  and 
the  product  was  $18,382,679.  It  should  be 
noted  that  these  are  the  figures  of  the  United 
St-ates  census,  and  those  for  1870  are  for  Mar- 
ion County,  but  they  did  not  differ  greatly  from 
those  for  the  city  alone.  The  figures  for  188() 
and  1900  are  for  the  city  only.  The  relative 
increase  of  product  to  capital  is,  of  course,  due 
to  the  increase  of  materials  used,  which  in 
meat  packing  make  the  chief  value  of  the 
product. 

The  advance  in  other  commercial  and  manu- 
facturing features  has  been  of  the  same  general 
character  though  a  little  less  in  per  centage  on 
the  average.  The  cfnsus  returns  for  the  city 
separately  begin  in  ISSO.  In  that  year  Indian- 
apolis had  688  manufacturing  establishment.-; ; 
in  1890,  1,189;  in  1900,  1,910.  In  1880  the 
capital  invested  in  manufacture  was  $10,049.- 
•"iOO:  in  1890.  $1.1.266,685;  in  1900.  $36,828.- 
11-1.  In  1880  the  value  of  the  manufactured 
product  was  $27,453,089  ;  in  1890,  $36,426,974  : 
in  1900.  $68,607,579.  In  1880  the  number 
of  wage  earners  emploved  was  10.000;  in  1890. 
16,027;  in  1900,  25..511.  In  1880  the  wages 
paid  were  $3,917,114;  in  1890,  $7,060,056;  in 
1900,  $10,882,914.  Perhaps  as  good  a  gauge 
of  the  commerce  of  the  city  as  there  is  for 
the  last  forty  years  is  the  receipt  and  forward- 
ing of  loaded  freight  cars,  which  is  recorded 
thus:  1873,  375,916  ;  1883,  797.930  ;  1893.  903,- 
667;  1903,  1,191,019.  The  freight  movement 
reached  a  high  point  in  1907.  with  1,311,664 
cars,  and  dropped   in   1908  to   1,116,867  cars. 

It  is  notable  that  while  there  has  been  a 
i|uite  steady  growth  in  the  total  of  niMiuifac- 
lures  there  has  l)een  a  variation  in  dilVerent 
lines.  The  steadiest  growth  has  been  in  the 
manufacture  of  domestic  materials,  as,  for  ex- 
ample, flour  and  grist  products.  In  18(i0  tlic 
capital  invested  in  these  in  Marion  Countv  was 
$83,100  and   the  product  $198,590.      ln'is:() 


the  capital  was  $514,000  and  the  product  $2,- 
207,153.  In  1880  the  capital  had  di'opped  to 
$462,000  (jjartly  due  to  decrease  of  assess- 
ment) and  the  product  to  $1,655,517  (partly 
due  to  fall  of  price).  In  1890  the  capital  was 
$548,618  and  the  product  $3,265,804.  In  1900 
the  capital  was  $1,042,105  and  the  product 
$3,820,373.  On  the  other  hand  some  manufac- 
tures of  domestic  materials  have  fallen  ofi'  ou 
account  of  decrease  of  supply  of  materials  or 
change  of  material.  The  invested  capital  in 
cooperage  in  1870  was  $31,925  and  the  product 
$150,785.  In  1880  the  capital  had  increased 
to  $277,700  and  the  product  to  $1,107,582. 
In  1890  the  capital  had  dropped  to  $115,840 
and  the  product  to  $361,745.  In  1900  the 
capital  was  $43,553  and  the  product  $131,432, 
or  less  than  it  was  in  1870.  In  a  few  cases 
there  has  been  only  a  temporary  demand  for 
products,  as  in  the  case  of  bicycles  and  tricycles, 
these  are  listed  separately  only  in  one  census 
report,  that  of  1900;  and  in  that  year  the 
capital  invested  in  their  manufacture  in  In- 
dianapolis was  $1,076,867  and  the  product  was 
$880,969.  Probably  a  similar  developnu'ut  will 
be  shown  in  automoliiles  in  1910 — possibly  a 
start,  at  least,  in  airships. 

ITie  banking  facilities  kept  pace  with  tlie 
development  of  business.  When  the  State  Bank 
of  Indiana  wound  up  at  the  expiration  of  its 
charter,  on  January  1,  1857,  it  was  succeeded 
l)y  the  Bank  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  which 
had  been  chartered  in  1855  to  begin  business 
at  tliat  time.  It  was  modeled  on  the  same 
plan  as  the  State  Bank  except  that  the  state  was 
not  directly  interested.  It  was  a  splendid  bank- 
ing institution,  well  managed,  and  met  most 
of  the  needs  of  the  state  at  the  time.  It 
weathered  the  panic  of  1857  without  suspending 
sp(>cic  payments,  which  gave  it  a  high  rejiuta- 
tion  everywhere.  It  maintained  specie  ]iay- 
ments  after  the  United  States  had  suspended 
and  gone  on  a  legal  tender  basis,  until  the 
Superior  Court  decided  that  it  was  entitled  to 
pay  in  legal  tender  under  its  charter.  But  it 
received  a  hard  l)low  when  the  natioiuil  tax  on 
bank  circulation  was  fixed  under  the  act  of 
March  3.  1865,  at  10  per  cent  per  annum  on 
all  but  national  banks.  Tliere  was,  of  course, 
nothing  to  do  but  to  withdraw  the  bank's  cir- 
culation. Preparation  had  been  made  for  this 
by  securing  from  the  legislature  the  act  of 
December  20.  1865.  authorizing  the  retirement. 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


351 


uf  tile  circuliUinn  ami  willulrawal  of  sucur- 
itie* — a  bit  of  t'ore?iglit  possibly  iliic  to  Husib 
McCulloc'hV  iiosition  as  Seeretai'v  of  rbt-  'I'reas- 
uiT.  But  it  may  be  noted  that  the  Bank  of 
llie  State  was  always  managed  witb  prudence 
and  foresight.  Hugh  McCulloch  had  been  its 
president  from  the  organization.  As  soon  as 
the  Supreme  Court  decided  that  the  bank 
could  redeem  its  notes  in  greenbacks,  he  had  all 
of  its  legal  circulation  put  out,  and  what  was 
not  in  use  was  converted  into  gold,  which  was 
then  at  less  than  "-i  per  cent  premium.  When 
he  resigned  as  president,  in  April,  18ci3,  the 
bank  was  holding  .$;i,;iOO,000  of  gold,  on  a 
capital  of  .$3.0()0,()()0i^  And  there  were  others. 
When  :Mr.  :McCulloch,  in  ISCl,  called  the  at- 
tention of  the  In(liana|wlis  Branch  Bank  to 
the  fact  that  the  treasury  notes  of  that  year 
were  receivable  for  iiiiport  duties,  and  there- 
fore would  probaidy  be  at  a  premium  over 
legal  tenders,  and  should  be  kept  separate,  he 
was  surprised  and  delighted  to  find  that  the 
teller,  ybung  "Tonr'  :\Ialott.  as  A'olnev  '!'. 
Jfalott  was  then  familiarly  known,  had  al- 
rearly  inaugurated  this  policy,  and  had  some 
$3(1.1)1)0  of  treasury  notes  laid  aside. 

The  national  banking  law,  which  was  origi- 
nally passed  on  February  25,  18(>3,  though 
better  known  under  its  revised  form  of  .Tune 
3.  180)4,  was  not  received  with  great  faxor  by 
financial  men,  especially  in  the  East,  and  did 
not  get  into  full  swing  till  measures  were  taken 
to  drive  other  banks  of  issue  out  of  business. 
One  of  the  first  in  Indianapolis  to  see  the  ad- 
vantages olTered  bv  the  law  was  Win.  H.  Eng- 
lish, who.  with  ten  associates,  organized  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Indianapolis  on  Mav 
11.  1S()3,  being  No.  55  of  the  country.  It 
was  reorganized  later  as  No.  2,55f).  Its  orisri- 
nal  caiiital  was  $150,000.  which  was  later  in- 
creased to  .$1,000,000.  For  eighteen  months  it 
was  the  only  national  bank  here,  and  then  the 
advantages  of  the  system  were  generally  recog- 
nized, and  others  followed,  the  Citizens  Na- 
tional on  November  28,  18G4:  the  Indianapolis 
National  on  December  15,  18()t:  the  Fourth 
National  on  .January  23,  lSr>5 — consoliilated 
witlt  the  Citizens  National  in  Decenibei-.  ISCo; 
the  Mercliants  National  on  .Tanuarv  K.  ISCo; 
ai)d   tlie   Indiana   National   on    March    II.    18i;5. 


138. 


^■'.Vcii   mill  Meastireit  of  Ifulf  n   Criiliin/.   \i.      ] 


.\s  an  illustration  of  the  change  of  sentimetit 
eoncerning  national  lianks  it  may  be  noted  thai 
while  Hugh  McCulloch,  as  president  of  the 
Bank  of  the  State  of  Indiana  went  to  Wasbing- 
toii  in  18(52  to  oppose  the  national  banking 
law,  in  his  report  of  December  4,  18G5,  as 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  he  says:  '"The  es- 
tablishment of  the  national  banking  system  is 
one  of  the  great  compensations  of  the  war."'" 
The  Indiana  National  was  the  practical  suc- 
cessor of  the  Indianapolis  Branch  Bank,  tak- 
ing over  its  business  as  far  as  possible,  and 
(Jeorge  Tousey  who  had  been  the  president  of 
the  Indianapolis  Branch  since  185?  resigned 
in  June,  18t)ti,  to  become  president  of  the  In- 
diana National.  The  Bank  of  the  State  was 
wound  up  in  18GT.  When  these  national  banks 
were  organized,  I'nited  States  5  and  G  per 
cent  bonds  could  be  bought  at  par  in  green- 
backs, and  of  course  their  subsequent  change 
niade  a  handsome  profit  to  the  banks. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1872,  the  Ijanks  of 
Indianapolis  were  reported  as  follows: 

Capital.      Surplus.  Deposits. 

First     National $1,000,000  $140,000   $  46-J,-Ja4.»r> 

Indianapolis    National       ."iOO.OOO      100,000  :!01,i;i6.41 

Indiana     National....       500.000      110, OOO  32S»,3:!2.34 

Citizens    National....       500.000        94,000  314.666.5a 

Meridian     National...       300,000          4.T4.S  7ii.J0T.0S 

Merchants     National,       200,000        13,500  100.299.73 

Indiana  Banking  Co.  .       200.000      774.399.90 

Woollen.  Webb  &  Co.         99.633      471,039.90 

Fletcher's     Bank 643.541.90 

A.  &  J.  C.  S.  Harrison,         30.612      420.281.10 

Man.sur's    Bank    41,554      

Fletcher  &-   Sharpe 689,681.70 

Indpls.    Insurance   Co 317,133.75 

Ritzinger.s    Bank 37,083     27S.994.0S 

iTidpls.    Savings    Bank       93,127.69 

State    Savings    Bank 49.000.00 

Totals     $3.408,SS3    $474,248    $5,980,997.16 

Of  these  banks  but  three  are  in  existence  in 
11)09,  the  Indiana  National,  the  Merchants  Na- 
tional, and  Fletchers,  which  has  become  a  na- 
tional. The  first  intimation  of  any  trouble  in 
local  banks  came  when  Jay  Cooke  failed  on 
September  18.  18T;i  and  started  the  great  |)anic 
in  Wall  street.  It  reacliiMl  Indianapolis  on 
September  25.  when  Woollen,  Webb  &  Co, 
clo.sed  their  doors,  but  it  did  not  last  long. 
There  were  runs  on  Ritzinger's  and  the  Indian- 
apolis Savings  Bank  I'oi-  I  wo  or'  three  davs. 
Woollen.  Webb  &  Co,  was  a  com])aratively  new 
firm,  having  been  organized  in  ^larch.  1870 
They  resumed  after  a  few  months  and  con- 
tinued until  ^lav  •'il.  1882,  when  thev  closed 
lemianently,  and  on  .lune  I.  18.S2,  assigned  to 
Franklin    Landers. 


352 


HISTOIIY  OF  (il{l-:ATER  INDlAiSTAPOLIS. 


The  two  savings  banks  were  the  next  to  go. 
They  had  been  organized  in  1872  and  got  into 
business  just  in  time  to  find  people  consuming 
tlicir  -avings  instead  of  increasing  them.  Tlicy 
>truggled  along  till  1878.  when,  in  January, 
the  State  Savings  went  into  the  hands  of  a 
receiver.  The  Indianapolis  kept  on  till  De- 
cember and  then  closed.  The  State  Savings 
Bank  paid  out  practically  in  full,  and  the  In- 
dianapolis about  90  per  cent.  The  years  1878- 
!t  witnessed  the  extreme  point  of  the  financial 
and  industrial  depression  of  the  seventies,  but 
the  effects  continued  for  some  time  after.  Some 
of  the  banks  had  got  loaded  down  with  real 
estate  from  taking  mortgage  note  collateral, 
and  real  estate  went  far  below  a  mirmal  |)rice 
during  the  depression  and  w-as  kept  down  iiy  the 
large  amounts  put  on  the  market  at  forced 
sale.  Hanking  business  grew  less  profitable. 
All  business  was  dull  and  the  demand  for 
money  for  anything  but  paying  debts  was  light. 
Moreover  the  public  mind  was  apprehensive 
and  suspicious,  and  bankers  had  to  keep  their 
loans  in  to  the  safety  limit  at  their  peril.  But 
there  were  also  special  causes  of  mismanage- 
ment, dishonesty  or  bad  bankinff  in  some  cases. 

The  first  bank  to  go  in  the  eighties  was  the 
Central,  which  closed  on  April  8,  1882.  It  was 
originally  organized  in  1874  as  a  private  bank 
under  the  name  of  Eidenour,  Cones  &  Co., 
and  tlie  original  owners  sold  in  the  same  year 
to  .lames  A.  Wildman  and  E.  F.  Kennedy,  who 
reoiganized  it  as  the  Central  Bank.  The 
immediate  cause  of  its  downfall  was  the 
disap])earani-e.  <in  March  27.  <if  Artlnir 
^fiicller.  who  bad  been  teller  for  seven 
years.  It  was  at  first  announced  that 
all  was  right  but  an  overdraft  of  $2,250, 
bill  it  was  soon  discovered  that  Mueller  had 
been  s])eculating  at  Chicago,  and  was  short 
over  •$.35,000.  The  owners  assigned  everything 
tliry  had  to  Judge  E.  X.  Lamb,  for  the  beni'- 
fit  of  creditors,  on  April  14.  Oh  A])ril  25 
the  assignee  estimated  the  assets  at  $o9,-167.Sl, 
and  thought  the  bank  would  pay  out  50  cents 
(111  the  diillar.  It  paid  out  ninety  cents.  On 
May.:il,  1SS2,  Woollen,  Webb  &  Co.  closed 
as  mentioned,  and  assigned  on  J\ine  1  to  Frank- 
lin Lamlers.  There  was  nothing  crooked  in 
their  failure;  they  simply  never  recovered  from 
the  panic  of  1873.  It  was  now  confidently  as- 
serted that  ''the  weak  banks  had  lieen  weeded 
out."  and  that  tbr  future  was  assui'i'd. 


On  August  9,  1883  the  First  Natiiuial  and 
the  Indiana  Banking  Co.  suspended.  The 
l-'irst  National  was  reorganized  imniediati'ly 
by  Wm.  H.  English,  W.  C.  Depauw  and' ntbers 
who  formed  a  syndicate,  took  charge  of  the 
bank  and  reopened  it  on  August  10.  On  Au- 
gust 13  the  Indiana  Banking  Co.  publisbi-d  a 
statement  that  its  situation  was  due  to  the 
])urchase  of  a  controlling  interest  in  tlic  First 
N'ational  in  February,  1878;  that  it  had  i)aid 
$1(!5  for  the  stock,  which  was  far  almve  its 
value;  that  it  had  surrendered  lialf  its  stock 
in  the  svntdicate  arrangement,  in  order  to  let 
the  First  Xatiopal  proceed;  that  it  had  lo>t 
$300,000  in  the  transaction,  and  could  net  in 
justice  to  its  creditors  restime  business.  .Inlin 
Landers  was  appointed  receiver  for  the  baidv, 
but  there  was  a  great  deal  of  complaint  about 
his  lack  of  experience,  and  finally,  after  much 
contention  and  two  or  three  attem]:)ted  changes, 
J.  C.  S.  Harrison  was  selected  as  a  satisfac- 
tory experienced  man,  on  October  8,  and  gen- 
eral (piiet  was  restored  for  a  few  minntcs.  Tlie 
question  of  responsibility  for  the  jiurcliase  of 
the  First  National  stock,  however,  wi-nt  into 
the  courts  for  very  protracted  litigation,  which 
seems  to  have  reached  a  termination  in  ]'M\9. 
as  a  jury  finally  agreed  on  a  verdict  against 
the  Indiana  Banking  Co. 

On  July  15,  1884,  came  the  suspension  of 
Fletcher  &  Sharpe  like  a  thunder-bolt  from  a 
clear  sky.  It  was  one  of  the  old  banks,  organ- 
ized in  January,  1857,  and  was  a  partnership 
of  families  supposed  to  be  wealthy,  and  who 
believed  themselves  wealthy.  William  Wallace 
was  a])pointed  receiver,  and  on  the  UUh  an- 
nounced that  the  bank  would  pay  out.  <iii 
.Vuiinst  24  he  reported  the  assets  $1.301.iioi) 
aiui  the  liabilities  $1,942,801.78,  otitside  of  the 
estate  of  S.  A.  Fletcher,  Jr.,  who  had  lieconie 
a  ])artner  in  the  firm  as  a  matter  of  acconi- 
iiiodation.  It  ultimately  paid  80  cents  on  the 
dollar,  of  which  about  37  cents  came  from  the 
bank's  assets,  and  43  cents  from  S.  A.  Fletcher, 
Jr.  The  main  trouble  with  the  bank  was  over- 
loading with  real  estate  and  overvaluing  the 
real  estate.  The  failure  caused  runs  on  the 
Indianapolis  National.  Eitzinger"s  and  Fletcher 
&  Churchman's  banks,  which  were  supposed  to 
have  close  connection  with  the  failed  bank, 
but  they  passed  through  the  ordeal  without 
trouble.  On  Julv  18.  however,  came  the  totally 
unexpected    in    the   suspension    of    llic    iirivate 


HISTORY  OF  CHEATER  IXDlAXArOLlS. 


353 


banking  liou^e  of  A.  I't  J.  ('.  S.  llariison,  which 
had  been  establislied  in  May,  1M.")I,  iind  was 
regarded  as  a  Gibraltar. 

The  immediate  cause  of  the  Harrison  failure 
was  that  J.  C.  S.  had  gone  to  New  York  and 
undertaken  to  teach  Wall  street  a  few  ])oints 
in  speculation.  He  left  most  of  the  bank  be- 
hind hini  when  he  came  back.  It  was  a  dis- 
astrous failure,  the  ultimate  paMuent  being 
only  nominal.  In  addition  to  the  bank,  J. 
C.  S.  Harrison  was  charged  with  $9.j,-148.40 
as  receiver  for  the  Indiana  Banking  Co.,  and 
Judge  Taylor  ordered  this  paid  over  forthw'ith. 
It  was  settled  on  September  13.  Harrison 
paying  a  tliird  with  money  raised  by  his  wife, 
and  his  bondsmen  making  \ip  the  other  two- 
thirds.  The  only  depositor  who  saved  anything 
material  from  Harrison's  bank  was  Anthony 
Wiegand,  the  florist.  He  took  judgment  at 
once,  and  levied  on  two  carriages  claimed  by 
Mrs.  Harrison.  He  defeated  a  suit  brought 
by  her  for  their  recovery,  and  another  brought 
by  the  receiver,  and  secured  the  greater  part  of 
liis  claim. 

The  ne.xt  surprise  came  on  February  1,  1886, 
when  Ritzinger's  Bank  made  an  assignment  to 
Geo.  B.  Yandes  for  its  creditors.  This  bank 
had  been  established  by  J.  B.  Ritzinger,  March 
26.  1868,  and  was  continued  by  his  sons,  F.  L. 
and  A.  W.  Ritzinger.  It  had  weathered  sev- 
eral seasons  of  trial  but  the  struggles  had  left 
some  wounds.  The  immediate  cause  of  trouble, 
however,  was  undue  backing  of  Simon  Bunte 
in  a  liquor  speculation.  Bunte  was  a  young 
fellow  who  inherited  a  fortune  and  undertook 
to  increase  it  in  the  wholesale  liquor  business. 
He  thought  he  understood  the  business,  but  in 
fact  had  never  got  past  the  drinking  depart- 
ment of  it.  He  lost  all  ho  had.  atid  crippled 
the  bank  so  badly  that  it  had  to  quit.  The 
failure  was  worse  than  had  been  anticipated, 
Ibe  liaids-  paying  out  only  about  48  cents  on  the 
dollar. 

On  Mav  S.  1886,  W.  H.  English  withdrew 
from  the  management  of  the  First  National. 
and  E.  F.  ('layjjool  was  made  president  in  his 
place.  Following  this  'there  was  persistent 
lalk  about  tin'  bank,  and  on  October  22  the 
numagement.  felt  called  on  to  make  a  public 
statement  of  the  bank's  condition.  This  was 
accompanied  by  a  statement  from  ^fr.  English 
to  the  effect  that  when  lu>  took  chavgr  of  the 
haiilc  in  iss;;  Ik'  'had  im  interest  in  il.  hut 
\'ol.  1—2.'? 


was  acting  solely  from  regard  to  the  public 
welfare.  Finding  a.fter  tw'o  years  and  a  half 
of  laborious  effort  tliat  his  motives  were  mis- 
construed, and  he  misi'epresented,  he  decided 
to  withdraw  from  a  thankless  task.  On  No- 
vember 11.  1886,  the  directors  decided  to  go 
into  voluntary  liquidation,  and  the  bank  was 
wound  up.  There  was  no  loss  to  any  of  the 
depositors,  though  there  was  to  the  stockhold- 
ers. 

After  this  there  was  a  period  of  quiet  until 
the  panic  of  1893.  It  struck  on  July  2.5,  with 
the  closing  of  the  Indianapolis  National  and 
the  Bank  of  Commerce.  The  latter  was  only  a 
suspension,  caused  by  inability  to  realize  on 
assets  or  secure  assistance  from  other  banks  on 
account  of  the  situation  at  the  Indianapolis  Na- 
tional. In  1877  the  Bank  of  Commerce  had 
got  in  a  rather  embarrassing  condition  by  heavv 
backing  of  the  Indianapolis  Water  Company.'" 
The  bank  had  been  formed  under  the  charter 
of  the  old  Indianapolis  Insurance  Company, 
and  continued  its  banking  business,  with  Wm. 
Henderson  as  president.  In  1877  a  reorgani- 
zation was  made  aiul  John  H.  Stewart  was 
made  president.  Soon  after  W.  C.  Depauw^ 
began  buying  the  stock,  and  became  practically 
the  owner  of  the  bank.  After  his  death  his 
son  Charles  Depauw  came  to  Indianapolis,  and 
sank  a  large  amount  of  money  in  tiw  Premier 
Steel  Works,  trying  to  manufacture  steel  by 
the  "open  hearth  process"'.  This  institution 
had  failed  shortly  before  the  troubles  of  IS!):; 
came  on,  and  had  cau.sed  considerable  with- 
drawal from  the  Bank  of  .Commerce,  whose  bus- 
iness had  not  been  large  for  some  time.  Its 
assets  were  largely  tied  up  in  real  estate — it 
owned  its  building  at  Virginia  avenue  and 
Pennsylvania,  where  the  Indiana  National  now 
stands.  Its  managers  had  ari'anged  for  a  loan 
of  20,000,  which  wotdd  have  tided  them  over, 
but  when  the  condition  of  the  Indianapolis 
National  was  learned  on  the  evening  of  July 
24,  by  a  conference  of  bankers  that  had  been 
called,  they  decided  that  they  could  not  ex- 
tend help  to  the  Bank  of  Commerce.  It  ac- 
cordingly closed,  and  resumed  some  two  months 
later.  It  ran  on  then  for  over  a  year,  paid 
all  its  depositors  in  full,  and  wound  uji  hy  an 


'"  See  President  Henderson's  statement.  Jfrr- 
"1,1.  April  27,  1878. 


354 


HISTORY  OF  GIJEATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


assignnu'iit  to  Andrew  J.  Mcintosh,  on  ,Iuiie 
IS,  18!)5.  because  its  business  was  killed. 

The  Indianapolis  National  was  a  bad  fail- 
ure. It  was  caused  by  heavy  backing  of  a 
half-dozen  manufacturing  concerns,  in  most  of 
which  Theodore  ]'.  Ilaughey,  the  president  of 
the  bank,  or  some  of  his  family  w-ere  inter- 
ested. It  was  made  memorable  as  the  only 
bank  failure  in  Indianapolis  for  which  any- 
body was  punished.  Indictments  were  returned 
against  Theodore  P.  Haughey,  president  of  the 
bank;  R.  B.  F.  Pierce,  a  director;  E.  E.  Re.\- 
ford,  cashier ;  Schuyler  Haughey,  son  of  Theo- 
dore P.  Haughey  and  president  of  the  Indian- 
apolis Glue  Company,  to  which  large  loans 
were  made ;  and  Fi-ancis  A.  CotHn.  Percival  B. 
Coffin  and  Albert  S.  Reed,  of  the  Indianapolis 
Cabinet  Works,  which  was  also  a  heavy  bor- 
rower. Theodore  P.  Haughey  was  disposed  of 
first  Ijy  a  plea  of  guilty,  and  he  was  sent  to 
the   prison    Xorth  for   G   years  from   April   9, 

1894.  The  Coffins  and  Reed  were  tried  in 
^fay,  189-i:,  and  all  three  were  convicted,  Fran- 
cis being  sentenced  for  10  years  and  Percival 
for  .")  years.  They  appealed  to  the  Supreme 
Court,  which  reversed  the  judgment.^"  They 
were   tried   again   September   9   to    October   3, 

1895,  and  Percival  was  acquitted,  and  Frank 
sentenced  for  S  years  at  the  prison  Xorth. 
The  case  was  again  apjiealed  to  the  Supreme 
Court,  which  affirmed  the  judgment.'*  Schuy- 
ler Haughey  was  not  tried  till  October  l.>-"20, 
1895,  and  was  then  acquitted.  The  case  against 
Pierce  was  nolled  on  June  19,  1895,  and  that 
against  Rexford  on  October  22.  1895.  The 
judgment  against  Reed  was  siispended,  and  he 
went  free. 

Tliere  was  a  good  deal  of  sympathy  for 
Frank  Cotfni.  He  had  borrowed  more  than 
the  10  per  cent  limit  allowed  by  law.  but  so 
had  dozens  of  the  best  business  men  in  the 
city,  and  of  all  other  cities.  But  what  he  was 
convicted  of  was  conspiring  with,  and  aiding 
and  abetting  Haughey  to  violate  the  national 
banking  law  for  the  purpose  of  defrauding  the 
bank.  Xo  p(>rson  of  any  intelligence  believed  that 
either  of  them  had  any  intent  to  defraud  the 
hank.  Coffin  had  a  liig  scheme  for  selling  the 
Cabinet  Works  in  England,  and  would  liave 
succeeded,    and    come    o\it    rich,    but    for    the 


panic  of  1893.  Haughey  was  backing  him  on 
his  prospects.  What  they  were  guilty  of  was 
a  technical  violation  of  the  law  with  bad  judg- 
ment as  to  results.  If  there  had  been  only  this 
one  ease  of  the  kind  there  would  have  been 
as  much  sympathy  for  Haughey  as  for  Coffin. 
As  it  was,  there  was  widespread  attention  at- 
tracted by  the  fact  that  this  was  the  first 
case  under  the  national  banking  law  in  which 
a  customer,  outside  the  counter,  had  l)eeu 
treated  as  "aiding  and  abetting"  the  banker  in 
the  violation  of  the  law  by  borrowing  in  excess 
of  the  limit  imposed  on  the  bank. 

In  passing,  two  events  in  connection  with 
these  cases  may  be  noted.  After  the  first 
trial  began  on  April  10,  1894,  it  was  inter- 
rupted for  several  days  by  the  accidental  shoot- 
ing of  A.  C.  Harris,  principal  attornev  for 
the  Coffins,  on  April  IT,  at  the  office  of  Miller. 
Winter  &  Elam,  while  trying  to  prevent  Wm. 
]\r.  Copcland  from  .'^hooting  Wm.  H.  Brun- 
ing.  This  had  no  connection  with  the  case  on 
trial,  except  that  ilr.  Harris  was  painfully 
wounded,  and  jnit  out  of  commission  for  sev- 
eral davs.  On  April  25  the  trial  was  again 
stopped  by  the  defendants  reporting  that  a 
juror  named  Armstrong  had  offered  to  hang 
the  jury  for  $5,000.  This  necessitated  calling 
a  new  jury,  and  beginning  over.  Armstrong 
was  sent  to  the  penitentiary  for  his  offense. 
The  affairs  of  the  Indianapolis  Xational  were 
settled  by  Edward  Hawkins  as  receiver,  and  it 
paid  out  Gl  cents  on  the  dollar  to  depositors, 
after  assessing  stockholders  par  value  on  their 
shares.  This,  was  rather  a  shock  to  popular 
faith  in  national  bank  examination,  as  the 
bank  had  been  reported  on  a  week  before  it 
closed,  on  July  IT.  1893,  a<  in  good  condition, 
and  "out  of  -Itl  ,548,999  in  loans  and  discounts 
the  i)robable  loss  on  bad  debts  was  estinuiterl 
by  the  examiners  at  only  $4T8.T3."  " 

Thi-  was  the  last  bank  failure  in  Tndian- 
a])olis  until  the  Richcreek  affair  in  190T.  if 
tliat  fiasco  could  be  ditrnified  as  a  bank  fail- 
UT-e.  Seth  ^[.  Richcreek  appeared  in  Indian- 
apoli-i  in  1892,  and  opened  a  law  office,  but 
soon  devoted  his  attention  to  buying  street 
assessment  liens.  He  had  left  his  country 
home  when  a  boy,  and  had  just  reai)peared 
after  an  absence  of  25  years,  no  one  knew 
where.     He  made  a  larac  amount  of  monev  in 


'•Coffin  vs.  I'.  S.. 
'«  Coffin  vs.   r.   S. 


15()  V.  S.,  p.  432. 
1G2  T'.   S..  |).  GG4. 


'""AV/cs.  Julv  25,   1893. 


lllsroKV  OF  UEEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


355 


MAP  OF  IMDIANAPOLIS  AND  HER  RAILROAD  CONNECTIOMS^ 


BOARD    OF    TKADK    MAP.    ISRI! 


3.56 


IllSTOKY  OF  GKEATEH  IXUIAXAPOLIS. 


a  short  tinic  by  bringing  suits  on  assessment 
liens  and  forcing  payment  of  attorneys'  fees 
on  compromise  settlement.  He  then  developed 
into  a  sort  of  broker,  and  in  March,  1904, 
started  The  Eichcreek  Bank.  In  1907  he  daz- 
zled the  community  by  announcements  of  a 
new  bank  building.  He  leased  the  Phoenix 
block,  at  Market  and  Delaware  streets,  for  99 
years,  agreeing  to  pay  $5,000  a  year  rental  for 
two  years,  ■'(!(i,.jOO  for  one  year,  and  an  addi- 
tion of  .$150  a  year  for  the  next  96  years ; 
also  to  erect  a  block  costing  not  leess  than 
•HI  00.000,  covering  this  property  and  40  feet 
adjoining  on  Delaware  street  that  already  be- 
longed to  him.  He  contracted  for  the  steel 
work  for  the  building,  to  cost  $32,000. 

^leanwhile  nobody  ever  knew  what  was  in  his 
bank.  The  law  of  1905  governing  private  banks 
required  reports  but  did  not  authorize  examina- 
tion. Lhider  it  he  reported  on  ]\[av  23.  190T,  as- 
sets of  $657,315.37  in  addition  to  $300,000  of 
deposits.  By  September  30  he  got  his  assets 
down  to  $512,459.59.  and  at  that  time  claimed 
deposits  of  $374,069.20.  In  the  spring  of  1907 
the  legislature  amended  the  law  by  a  provision 
for  examination  of  ])rivate  banks,  but  by  the 
terms  of  the  act  it  did  not  go  into  effect  until 
December  1,  190^.  About  a  month  before  that 
date  an  application  was  made  by  Indianapolis 
creditors  for  a  receiver  for  the  bank,  which 
wag  defeated.  On  Xovember  25  another  appli- 
cation was  made  bv  the  Ford  ilotor  Co..  of 
Detroit  which  had  sent  $7,200  in  drafts  to  the 
liank  for  collection,  and  had  received  no  remit- 
tance although  the  drafts  were  collected.  This 
was  held  off  till  Xovember  30,  on  account  of 
Richcreek's  absence  from  the  city,  and  then 
the  Ceniral  Trust  Co.  was  made  receiver.  On 
December  17  this  receivership  was  suspended 
by  the  appointment  of  H.  J.  Milligan  as  re- 
ceiver in  an  involuntary  bankruptcy  proceed- 
ing. The  estate  jiaid  out  about  15  cents.  Rich- 
creek  never  came  back,  and  opinions  varied 
widely  as  to  whether  he  took  much  money  with 
him.  There  have  been  reports  that  he  was  in 
South  Africa,  but  there  are  knowing  ones  who 
insist  he  is  in  this  country.  Wherever  he  may 
be,  the  symjiathy  nf  Indianapolis  goes  out  tn 
that  place. 

On  ilarch  4.  1803.  was  approved  a  law  for 
the  organization  and  regulation  of  Loan. 
Trust  and  Safe  Deposit  Companies,  which  has 
added  largely  to  the  banking  capital  and  baidc- 


ing  facilities  of  the  city,  'i'lie  object  of  the 
law  is  to  enable  corporations  to  transact  busi- 
ness of  a  fiduciary  character  out  of  the  line  of 
ordinary  commercial  banking,  and  to  deal  with 
real  estate  collaterals  and  securities.  Later 
there  was  a  call  for  institutions  to  act  as  sav- 
ings banks,  and  in  1901  a  law  was  passed  au- 
thorizing these  companies  to  do  so  under  the 
same  provisions  as  savings  banks,  in  the  law 
of  1S75,  wiiich  allow  the  requirement  of  notice 
for  withdrawal  of  deposit.'^,  varying  from  one 
week  to  90  days  with  the  size  of  the  deposit; 
and  allowing  the  Auditor  of  State  to  extend 
the  time  if  necessary.  These  institutions  seem 
to  have  solved  the  ancient  and  difficult  problem 
of  utilizing  land  values  as  a  basis  of  credit 
ill  a  safe  way.  The  original  effort  to  secure  the 
passage  of  such  a  law  was  made  in  the  legis- 
lature of  1891,  by  Judge  J.  E.  Iglehart,' of 
iMansville.  John  P.  Frenzel  and  John  H.  IIol- 
Hday,  but  the  legislators  shied  at  the  word 
"trust"'  and  refused  to  pass  it.  Two  years  of 
education  sufficed  to  overcome  this  prejudice, 
and  with  additional  aid  from  ])ersons  interested 
in  the  pro))osed  Indiana  Trust  Company,  not- 
ably John  R.  Wilson,  the  law  was  passed. 

The  first  company  oraanized  under  it  was 
The  Indiana  Trust  Company,  on  April  4,  1893. 
with  John  P.  Frenzel  as  jn-esident;  and  closely 
I'ollowing  was  the  L'nion  Trust  Company  ou 
.lune  9,  1893.  with  John  H.  Holliday  as  presi- 
dent. On  December  12.  1895.  the  Marion 
Trust  Company  was  organized,  with  F.  A.  Maus 
as  president:  on  December  11.  1899  the  Central 
Ti-ust  Company,  with  Chas.  E.  Coffin  as  presi- 
ilent.  Following  these  have  come  the  Security 
Trust  Company,  on  April  22,  1900.  with  A.  C. 
Dailv  as  president;  the  Citizens  Trust  Com- 
pany, on  April  6,  1903,  with  Winfield  Miller 
as  president ;  the  Farmers  Trust,  on  June  28. 
1905,  with  Charles  X.  Williams  as  president: 
ihe  German-American  Trust  Company,  on 
July  10,  1906,  with  Albert  E.  Jletzger  as 
president,  and  the  Fidelity  Trust  Company, 
which  began  business  on  June  3.  1909,  with 
William  M.  Fogarty  as  president.  Xo  trust 
company  in  Indianapolis  has  failed,  but  one 
was  compelled  to  close  by  the  Auditor  of  State 
on  discovering  that  its  capital  was  paid  in 
notes  instead  of  cash.  This  was  the  Commer- 
cial Loan  and  Trust  Company,  organized  on 
June  26,  1902.  All  the  others  organized  in 
Indianapolis   arc   still   in  prosperous  existence 


ITTSTOKV   (»K   CKKA'lHi;    I  \  I  )1.\  N'A  I'OlJS. 


357 


oxi't-pt  the  Citizens  Trust.  (A)iui)aiiy,  wliieli  was 
sold  to  the  rniou  Trust  Company  in  the  fall 
of  1908  at  a  prcniiuni  on  its  stock  value,  and 
absorbed  by  it. 

The  laws  of  Indiana  have  been  so  perfected 
in  their  provision  for  state  sujicrvision  of 
hanks,  that  there  remains  very  sligiit  oppor- 
lunitv  for  any  fraudulent  concern.  Under  the 
private  hankinjr  law  of  1905  no  person  or 
linn  can  enirage  in  private  lianking  without  a 
cortilicate  of  authority  from  the  Auditor  of 
State.  The  only  private  bank  now  in  Indian- 
apolis is  the  ^lercantile  Banking  Company,  au- 
thorized on  June  1,  190T.  The  state  banking 
law  of  1873  with  its  amendments  affords  a 
.-afe  and  favorable  basis  for  banking  and  the 
Indiana])olis  institutions  operating  imder  it 
are  the  Peoples  State  Bank.  Felix  McWhirter, 
president,  incorporated  November  37,  1900;  J. 
F.  Wild  &  Co.,  J.  F.  Wild,  president,  incor- 
porated June  '20,  1905;  the  Meyer-Kiser  Bank. 
Sol.  Afcyer.  ])resident,  incorporated  Ajn-il  2, 
19t)(;:  the  H.  P.  Was.^on  Company  Bank,  H. 
P.  Wasson,  ]iresident,  incorporated  Septeinlier 
13.  1900;  and  the  Fountain  S(piare  liank. 
George  G.  lioliertsoii.  president,  incorporated 
J[anh  2(i,  1908. 

There  was  no  clearing-house  organized  in 
Indianapolis  until  1871,  in  which  year  was 
launched  llu'  1  ndiaiuipolis  Clearing  House  As- 
sociation, with  Wni.  TI.  English  as  president 
ami  .Tot  F.llioK  as  manager,  'i'he  clearings  were 
reported  at  .i;->().non.()()()  in  1871:  $33,000,000 
ill  1873;  and  $3(;.ii()().ii00  in  1873;  but  these 
probably  well'  not  a  full  index  of  city  busi- 
ness on  account  of  part  of  the  banking  houses 
noi  being  represented.  The  present  associa- 
tion was  organized  in  .Tulv.  1901,  and  does  not 
admit  banking  houses  with  less  than  $100,000 
oapital.  or  which  have  not  been  in  Inisiness 
six  months.  'I'lie  reported  clearings  in  1SS1 
were  $109,557,313;  in  1891.  $314.3f)5,101  ;  in 
19(11,  $113.91fi.(!78.  In  the  imhlished  reports 
<i(  local  clenrances  the  high  mark  a])pears  to  be 
reached  in  1902,  with  $510,818,913,  the  next 
rear  droi)iiing  to  $317,l(i3.3-):!.  This  is  due  to 
■A  (hange  in  tlie  svstcin  of  reporting,  which  cut 
the  figures  exactly  in  half.  I'ndcr  the  old  sys- 
leni  the  amount  re])orted  was  the  total  of  deb- 
its and  credits,  and  as  every  debit  of  one  bank 
was  a  credit  of  another  on  the  same  check,  it 
was  thought  better  to  adopt  a  single  entrv  sys- 
tem. The  i-e|)i)ileil  i  lraniig<  in   1'.>II8  were  $380.- 


.i:3,084;  and  for  1909,  $421,123,214.  The 
])resent  clearing-house  association  is  composed 
of  seven  national  banks  of  the  city  and  the 
Central,  Indiana,  Marion,  Security  and  Union 
Trust  companies. 

The  banking  conditions  of  the  city  in  Janu- 
ary, 1910,  as  shown  by  official  reports,  were  as 
follows : 

ifElIBEUS   OF    Cr.EARIKG    HOUSE. 

CapUal.  Sur- 
pUis  and  un- 

Institution.                 divided  profits.  Deposits. 

tAmerican  National  Banlt..$   2,151,260  $   6,974,988.16 

Capital  National  Bank 803.744  5, 346. 173. 23 

Columbia   National  Bank...         523.366  1.975,163.97 

•IFletcher    National    Bank..      1.407,044  7,947,299.54 

Indiana   National    Bank 2,140,136  7.013,274.36 

Merchants  National  Bank.  .      1,919.816  5,480,314.09 

Union   National   Bank 344.261  1,542.330.18 

Central    Trust    Co 381,876  •1,781.544.00 

Indiana    Trust    Co 1,528,610  •7,437.151.00 

Marion    Trust    Co 423.588  •3,283.800.00 

Security    Trust  -Co 394,966  •519,085.00 

Union     Trust    Co 1,118.599  •10,179,538.00 

NON-MEMBERS   OF  CLEARING  HOUSE. 

People's    State    Bank $  61.655  {       255,917.00 

J.    F.    Wild    &   Co 40,464  387,936.00 

Fountain    Square    Bank....  26.290  68,705.00 

Meyer-Kiser    Bank     60,000  287,483.00 

Haughville    Bank     10.595  18.238.00 

Continental  National  Bank.  388,486  691,000.00 

Fidelitv  Trust   Co 100.000  116,813.00 

Farmers'    Trust   Co 129.797  560.265.00 

German-American  Trust  Co  512,167  2.161.235.00 

Totals     $14,536,720      $64,028,244.00 

ton  July  27.  1910,  the  boards  of  directors  of  the 
American  National  Bank  and  the  Fletcher  National 
Bank  adopted  resolutions  for  the  merger  of  the 
two  into  one  bank,  to  be  known  as  The  Fletcher 
American  National  Bank,  with  capital  stock  of 
$2,000,000    and    a   surplus    of    $1,000,000. 

•Including    trust    estates. 

The  movement  of  freight  has  been  reuarded 
as  an  index  of  business,  and  the  records  kept 
show  the  number  of  loaded  cars  received  at 
this  point  and  shipped  from  it,  to  have  been 
375,91fi  in  1873;  81(!,75.s  in  1SS1  ;  985,315  in 
1891;  and  1,135,779  in  l!iol.  For  1908  the 
i-ecord  was  1,n(),S(;7,  which  was  a  heavv  drop 
from  1907,  in  which  it  was  1,311,004,'  The 
\(>ar  1907  was  one  of  a  heavy  failure  record  in 
Indianapolis,  making  the  highest  recorded  total 
both  in  nuinher  and  in  liabilities.  The  number 
was  S3  and  the  liabilities  $4,385,fi44.  The 
only  preceding  year  in  which  liabilities  reachcxl 
two  millions  was  1893,  when  the  number  was 
57  with  $2,334,407  of  liabilities,  Tlie  sales  of 
real  estate  in  1871  were  1.133,  with  considera- 
tion of  $7,997,513.  In  1S91  thev  were  0,310 
with  consideration  of  $0,917,805,  In  1901  lliey 
were  0,700  with  consideration  of  •1il."i,5(I5.333. 

The   postollice  liusilles>  (if  a   rit\'   i-  i-onsidcriMJ 


358 


HISTOEY  OF  GREATER  I^^DIAXAPOLLS. 


:i  laic  index  of  l)UsiiK'S>.  ami  as  the  rates  nt' 
postage  have  been  quite  unifonu  for  over 
twenty  years  the  sale  of  stamps  is  an  index  of 
the  postal  l)usiness.  For  the  year  ending  May 
;U.  188T,  the  postage  receipts  of  the  Indian- 
apolis office  were  $K:5,481).2-^ :  for  1897,  $386,- 
884.64;  for  li)OT,  $l,003,183.To.  Of  earlier 
dates  may  be  noted  the  receipts  for  the  year 
ending  June  .'iO.  1871,  which  were  $44,()55.54 ; 
and  fi.r  1881,  $147,139.39.  A  part  of  the  large 
growth  of  the  later  years  is  due  to  the  develop- 
ment of  the  city  as  a  publishing  center  for 
periodicals.  Indianapolis  was  made  a  port  of 
entry,  and  a  customs  house  was  established  on 
.luly  1.  1881.  The  receipts  from  duties  for  the 
first  vear  were  $.50,080.  For  1891  thev  were 
$l.-)0,b80:  for  1901.  $169,032 ;  for  1909,'$186.- 
234.  In  connection  with  Federal  business  the 
l)ension  statistics  are  interesting,  though  they 
have  no  direct  connection  with  the  general  bus- 
iness of  the  city.  In  1881  there  were  16,2.53 
pensioners  on  the  rolls  of  the  Indianapolis  of- 
fice and  the  payment  to  them  was  $3,069,486: 
in  1891  tliere  \vere  57,7  71  pensioners  and  $10.- 
632,138  payment;  in  1901  there  were  67.021 
pensioners  and  $10,309,093  payment;  in  1909 
there  were  58.830  ]iensioners  and  $11,001,797 
payment.  The  changes  are  of  course  largely 
the  result  of  changes  in  the  laws.  .\t  the 
present  time  the  Indianapolis  office  carries  13 
])ensioners  of  the  War  of  1812,  receiving 
$1,872:  17  ])ensioners  of  the  Indian  wars,  n- 
ceiving  *2.448:  and  400  jjensioners  of  the  .Mex- 
ican \Var  receiving  $57,600. 

One  of  the  most  serious  difficulties  that  In- 
dianapolis jobbers  and  manufacturers  liave  had 
to  contend  with  lias  been  discrimination  in 
railroad  rates,  which  have  been  made  in  favor 
of  Chicago.  Detroit,  Cleveland,  Cincinnati. 
T.ouisville  and  St.  i-ouis.  This  has  been  com- 
plained of  for  yen  IS  by  the  Board  of  Trade  and 
other  organizations,  but  nothing  very  ett'e<'t'\i> 
ha>  been  acconi|)Iislied  towards  remedying  it 
until  till'  in(Ii;ina|iolis  Freight  Bureau  was  es- 
tablished in  liKii;  ujtli  ,T.  Keavy  as  commis- 
sioner. By  prosecuting  complaints  before  the 
State  Railroad  Commission  and  the  Interstate 
Connncrce  Commission  relief  has  been  obtained 
in  many  eases.  Of  23  cases  brought  iiefore  tlie 
Interstate  Commerce  Commission  in  .\iiril. 
1907.  20  were  successful,  and  as  several  of 
these  involved  the  readjiistment  of  rates  the 
benefits    extended     far    bcvond    tlir    innncdiale 


cases  involved.  The  corrections  brought  reiluo- 
tiotis  of  rates  varying  from  10  to  60  per  cent  on 
various  classes  of  goods  and  points  of  >hipnii'iit. 
li'ailroad  rates  are  now  at  much  nearer  a  fair 
relative  basis  than  ever  before,  and  Chicago 
and  Cincinnati  can  no  longer  shiji  through 
Indianapolis  to  points  beyond  cheaper  than 
Indianapolis  can  ship  to  the  same  points.  It 
is  not  ])racticable  here  to  go  into  the  details, 
which  the  reader  will  find  set  forth  in  the 
reports  of  the  Bureau. 

But  business  developed  in  spite  of  all  ob- 
stacles. In  1863  the  Board  of  Trade  estimate 
of  the  volume  of  business  of  the  citv  was  $28,- 
000.000,  and  in  1872  it  was  estimated  at  $88,- 
398,917,  made  up  of  "sales  of  merchandise. 
$49,774,789:  amount  of  manufactures,  $19,- 
()71,832:  sales  of  real  estate,  $16,32(1.350; 
amount  expended  in  building,  $2,625.94(>."' 
Just  wiiat  was  intended  by  "sales  of  merchan- 
dise"' is  not  explained.  In  1899  the  wholesale 
sales  w-ere  estimated  at  $52,400,000.  and  the 
manufactured  product  at  over  $()0.0(to.ooo.  In 
that  year  the  sales  of  real  estate  were  $9,909,- 
50(i  and  the  valuation  of  new  buildings  $1.6(!5.- 
553.  In  1874  the  railroads  began  furnishing 
the  Board  of  Trade  with  reports  of  ri'ceipts 
and  shipments  of  freight,  but  unfortunately 
they  have  not  always  been  made  on  the  same 
basis,  and  not  always  tabulated  in  the  same 
way.  The  figures  for  ■"merchaiKlise"  were  orig- 
inally given  by  "cans",  and  for  1875  the  re- 
ttirns  were  receipts  59.598  cars,  ami  shipments 
45.328  cars.  In  1896  the  recei]its  weic  given 
as  1,709.160.242  pounds,  and  the  sliiiuueiits 
as  1,182,112,983  pounds.  In  1906  the  rrceiiits 
were  1,966.735,439  pounds  and  the  shipments 
2.332,489,985  pounds.  There  has  also  been  a 
cliange  in  the  system  of  records  of  the  Belt 
I'ailroad  that  jirevents  comjiarisons  exce]it  for 
the  iicriod  1892  to  1905.  In  1892  the  road 
handled  J2.063  cars  for  industrial  csiablish- 
nunts  along  its  lines,  and  in  1905  it  liaudled 
90.153  cars.  The  experience  of  the  )iast  in 
these  various  lines  would  seem  to  indicate  a 
>till  more  ratiid  develo)inient  under  the  condi- 
tions that  exist  at  ]iresent.  and  with  the  intel- 
ligent and  concerted  action  that  is  now  so  gen- 
crallv  taken  bv  the  business  men  of  the  citv. 

A  notable  impulse  to  business  was  given  in 
18!i0  bv  the  organization  of  the  Commercial 
('Inb.  So  far  as  any  public  movement  can  be 
(ailed  the  work  of  one  man.  this  was  the  work 


iiis-|'ni;v  OF  (;i;i;.\'rKi;  ixni.WAi'oi.is. 


3.-)9 


of  \\  illiaiii  l-"<ntiiiir.  wild  was  thru  m  writer  dii 
llif  Jiiiliaiiapoli.s  Xcir.i.  In  the  latter  half  of 
Jaiuiarv  he  l)e<raii  writiiijj  articles  on  the  de- 
sirability of  such  a  chill,  iiased  in  large  part 
1)11  the  success  of  the  one  at  Louisville,  as 
also  the  benefits  of  those  elsewhere.  He  ob- 
tained interviews  and  letters  to  the  paper  from 
.sympathetic  business  men.  He  prepared  resolu- 
tions for  the  movement  which  .Tohu  H.  llolli- 
(lay  presented  to  the  Hoard  of  'I'raile.  Tlie 
only  man  there  who  frt\cu'cd  thcin  was  Col.  Kli 
Lilly,  but  he  wm>  a  host.  In  such  a  movement 
he  was  invaluable,  'i'be  (pialitics  he  had  shown 
as  artillcrv  coiuiiiandei-  in  W'ildcr's  I'rigadi' 
were  just  wlial  wci-e  needed  ill  every  reform 
iiiovement.  lie  always  bad  his  guns  in  action 
at  the  right  place  and  the  right  time.  I  )]i 
February  (i.  .Mr.  Fortune  decided  to  move,  and 
called  a  meeting  at  the  Bates  House.  Twenty- 
.seven  business  men  responded,  and  decided  to 
organize  forthwith.  A  committee  on  constitu- 
tion and  by-laws  was  appointed,  and  reported 
two  davs  later.  Colonel  Lilly  was  chosen  pres- 
ident and  Mr.  F'ortuiie.  secretary.  The  eluli 
-tarteil  oil'  with  !S4  members  on   h'ebruary  S. 

It  lost  no  time  in  proceeding  to  business: 
and  it  wi-ely  decided  not  to  resti'ict  its  at- 
tention to  business,  but  to  promote  the  welfare 

the  city  in  any  way  possible.  The  city  was 
urgently  demanding  improved  streets,  and  there 
was  wide  diversity  of  opinion  about  the  kinds 
of  streets  and  ([uite  as  wide  ignoi'anee.  The 
first  action  was  to  take  steps  on  l'"eliriiary  "i", 
for  holding  "a  jiaving  exposition".  It  wa>  a 
novel  entt'rprisc,  but  when  it  was  held  m  Tom- 
linson  Hall,  A])ril  l-o,  1890,  everybody  agreed 
that  it  was  a  great  success,  and  was  just  what 
was  needed.  There  weje  exhibits  by  all  the 
leading  jiaving  com|)anies,  and  companies  that 
manufactured  paving  materials,  in  the  country; 
and  the  exposition  was  visited  by  over  500  ofli- 
cials  and  delegates  from  nearly  fifty  eitie>. 
A  full  repoit  was  prepared  by  the  committee 
in  charge,  and  pnblishi^d  in  pamphlet  form  by 
the  club.  On  ]\[arch  10.  as  a  sewer  system  was 
desirable  before  extensiv(>  ]iermanent  street  pax- 
ing  was  done,  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
investigate  the  sewer  question,  and  its  report 
was  likewise  published  and  circulated  by  the 
club  to  the  general  enligbteiiment  of  the  com- 
nmnity. 

This  use  of  printers'  ink — wliieli  did  imi 
involve  anv  neglect  of  the  column'^  of  the  dailv 


papers — has  been  one  of  the  most  useful  melh- 
eils  of  the  club.  In  addition  to  these  [lamph- 
Icts,  and  its  annual  reports,  it  has  issueii  a 
number  of  pamphlets  of  permanent  value.  In 
\Sil-i,  with  the  Board  of  Trade,  it  jjublished  the 
first  "Statement  of  F'aets  Showing  the  Neees- 
Mty  of  a  New  F^ederal  Building".  In  lS!i;!  it 
published  a  ivport  of  the  G.  A.  R.  Kiieampmeiit 
id'  that  year.  lii  1S!l-l  it  publislu'd  the  iiro- 
ceedings  of  llic  ■"Traek  Fle\ation  Dinner  on 
.May  t^S,  1S!)4";  a  repmt  mi  the  extensive  sjie- 
c:al  work  for  the  reliid'  of  the  unemployed,  in 
that  vear:  and  a  second  "Statenient  of  Facts"' 
fur  the  Federal  building.  In  1Si)T  it  publi-^lied 
the  proceedings  of  the  dinner,  on  .\|iril  '.'I.  iii 
tlic  interest  of  beautifying  the  city,  with  Cicii- 
eial  Harrison's  cekdirati'd  •"no  mean  city"' 
s|ieecli.  In  1899  it  publisjied  the  majority  and 
minority  reports  of  the  street  railway  franchise. 
In  1900  it  |iulilished  the  report  on  •"i'lie  Xaviga. 
bility  of  White  Hiver".  Jn  190:  it  inib- 
lishcd  Professor  Bhitchley's  report  on  "The 
Vatural  Resources  of  the  State  of  Indiana,"' 
iiiid  Mrs.  Stickney's  •'l'ion(>er  History  of  In- 
dianapolis." 

The  mere  naming  of  tlicM'  re|iorts  gi\i>  snnie 
idea  of  the  diversified  work  of  the  club,  but 
little  of  its  steady  routine  achievements.  It 
was  early  decided  to  have  a  building  and  to 
make  it  a  model  business  Imilding.  A  com- 
mittee of  fifty,  with  President  Lilly  at  the 
liead,  was  appointed  to  raise  $.")(), 0(10  by  sale 
df  eliilj  >tdek.  and  did  it  in  thirty  days.  The 
elub  then  purchased  it*  site  at  Pearl  and  Merid- 
ian streets,  borrowed  $12."),000  of  the  Ivpiit- 
iilile  Life,  and  erected  the  building'  w'hich  was 
ready  for  iieeupaiic\  in  the  spring  of  1 S9.'?. 
This  has  been  prolitable  as  an  inxcstiiieiit.  and 
has  furnished  a  "home"  for  business  men. 
The  (dub  occu])ies  the  two  upper  stories  of  the 
building.  The  restaurant  was  managt'd  by 
lessees  for  a  time,  but  in  IS9S  the  house  coni- 
miltee  decided  to  assume  the  management,  and 
since  then  it  has  steadily  increased  in  popu- 
larity. .\t  the  ]ircsent  time  the  average  at- 
tendance af  the  noon  dinner  hour  is  about 
•  10(1.  ami  the  advantages  uf  a  coinmon  meeting 
place  for  that  number  of  business  men  can 
liardlv  be  overestimated  in  their  effects  on  the 
business  widfare  of  the  city.  The  restaurant 
]iolicv  has  also  been  adopted  by  the  Hoard  of 
Trade,  and  its  esfabUshmcnt  furnishes  :in- 
otlier  assemblv  ])oint    for  hii-iiiess   men. 


CHAPTER   XXX. 


IXSURANCE  COMPANIES. 


The  Imsiuess  of  insurance  in  Indianapolis 
lias  had  a  checkered  career,  due  to  a  diversity 
of  causes.  After  tlie  purchase  of  the  first  fire 
enoine  in  Is;?.")  a  local  insurance  company  ap- 
])cared  feasible,  and  on  February  8,  1836,  a 
charter  was  granted  to  the  Indianapolis  Fire 
Insurance  Company,  with  a  capital  of  $200,- 
000,  in  shares  of  $50  each.  The  company  was 
organized  on  March  IG,  with  nine  directors, 
Douglass  JIaguire  ])n'sident,  and  Caleb  Scud- 
der  secretary,  and  began  business  in  April. 
It  liad  had  full  banking  powers,  and  trans- 
acted a  banking  business  also.  Its  business, 
Iiowever,  was  not  extensive  and  in  1859-GO  it 
suspended  altogether.  In  1805  the  stock  was 
bouglii  up  and  a  new  company  organized,  witli 
Win.  Henderson  as  president,  and  A.C  .Tame- 
s,ou  secretary.  On  Decenil)er  20,  1865.  the 
cliarter  was  amended,  ])ermitting  an  increase 
()(  capital  to  $500,000,  and  making  the  com- 
]ian\  perpetual.  Tlie  old  Branch  Bank  build- 
ing. n(  Virginia  avenue  and  Pennsylvania 
.-trcct  \\as  Ijouglit  from  the  Sinking  Fund,  in 
April.  1867,  for  some  $30,000.  and  occupied 
thereafter.  .\  successful  insurance  business 
was  carried  on  for  some  time;  but  the  company 
insured  a  nunibiT  of  bridges  for  the  Pennsyl- 
vania railroad  company,  and  a  $10,000  loss  on 
one  of  these  caused  a  withdrawal  from  insur- 
ance business.  It  was  abandoned  gradually, 
in  1870,  the  company  at  the  same  time  develoji- 
ing  ]t~  baid<ing  Imsiness.  which  was  contiiuuMJ 
under  the  name  of  the  Bank  of  Connnerce  un- 
til .Inly,   18!)3.  when  the  bank  suspended. 

Old  special  cluirters  of  this  kind  have  ])een 
much  sought  because  they  were  usually  verv 
bioad.  giving  banking,  insurance  and  other 
privileges  that  were  not  conferred  on  any  one 
com|iany  after  the  adoption  of  the  Constilti- 
tion   cf   1851.      ]'.n(    (v\v  of  them    ran   for  ovei' 


fifty  years,  and  they  luive  now  mostlv  expired 
by  limitation.  (_)ne  that  is  still  nominally  in 
existence  here  was  granted  a  perpetual  char- 
ter on  February  13,  1851,  as  the  Indiana  Fire 
and  Marine  Insurance  Company.  It  was  re- 
organized bv  act  of  the  legislature  in  Februarv 
1873,  adding  E.  B.  Martindale,  Thos.  A.  Hen- 
dricks, J.  A.  Wildman  and  Eobert  McKee  as 
<ommissioners.  .\dditional  capital  was  sub- 
scribed, and  E  B.  Martindale  was  made  presi- 
dent and  J.  .V.  Wildman  secretary.  It  had 
fairly  successful  business  for  some  years,  and 
was  sold  to  other  parties,  who  reorganized  it 
as  the  Indiana  Fire  Insurance  Company.  It 
is  kept  alive,  on  account  of  the  value  of  the 
charter,  with  James  S.  Cruse  as  president, 
but  has  •doiu'  no  insurance  for  years,  its  only 
iiusiness  being  the  investment  of  a  small  capi- 
tal. Many  of  the  charters,  however,  had  no 
leal  value  as  they  involved  defective  plans, 
'i'he  second  company  organized  at  Indianapolis 
was  the  Indiana  ]\lutual  Fire  Insurance  Com- 
pany, chartered  January  30,  1837,  and  organ- 
ized in  Feljruary  with  James  Blake  as  presi- 
dent and  Chas.  W.  Cady  as  secretary.  It  did 
a  good  business  for  several  years  but  then  mot 
some  heavv  losses,  and  became  insolvent.  It 
was  wound  u])  in  1855. 

]\rost  of  the  Indianapolis  home  companies 
have  been  organizi>d  under  the  general  law,  and 
among  them  perhaps  the  most  notable  is  the 
(ierman  Fire.  II  was  incorporated  on  January 
21,  1854,  and  started  business  with  a  meeting 
of  German  citiz(>ns  in  the  German  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Church  (east  side  o"f  Alabama,  be- 
tween Washington  and  Pearl  streets),  on  Janu- 
ary 25,  1854.  with  the  i)astor.  Rev.  George 
Long,  as  chairman.  This  com])any  was  suc- 
cessful Prom  tlie  start,  and  was  continued  as 
a   niulual   comiiauv  till    1.S!m;.   when   it  had  as- 


3G0 


IIISTOKV   OF 


i!i:.\'ri:i;  ixdiaxai'oi.is. 


niii 


set*  of  $;3()3,07S.5  I.  It  was  ilicn  chauged  to  a 
jjtock  companv.  uiulor  the  law  of  ^larch  1*4, 
1S95,  and  still  continues  one,  the  name  being 
changed  at  tliat  time  to  the  German  Fire  In- 
surance Company  of  Indiana.  The  presidents 
from  the  start  have  been  Henrv  Buscher,  Juli- 
us Boetticher.  Adolph  Seidensticker,  Andrew 
JFiigen  and  Theodore  Stein.  Tlie  secretaries 
have  been  Adol])]i  Seidensticker,  Valentine 
Butsch,  Charles  Yolmcr,  Charles  Balke,  Ed- 
ward Mueller,  Frederick  Ritzinger  and  Lorenz 
Schmidt.  On  January  1,  190!).  it  had  assets 
of  $C10,5I)8.(>().  and  liad  paid  losses  since  its 
organization  aggregating  $1,.58.").00.")..58. 

Connected  with  the  reorganization  of  this 
company  was  an  event  of  great  importance  to 
insurance  companies  in  Indiana.  Section  22 
of  the  law  for  the  organization  of  stock  insur- 
ance (•om|)anies.  passed  in  1852/  provided  that 
when  a  loss  occurred,  and  a  claim  for  it  was 
])rcsentcd,  the  company  should  pay  it  within 
60  days,  or  i)ay  a  ])cnalty  of  10  per  cent  of  the 
claim  for  each  ;J0  days  of  delay  in  payment. 
Of  course  a  company  had  the  right  to 
resist  payment  of  a  claim  believed  to 
he  fraudulent,  liut  if  it  did  so,  and  judgment 
were  recovered,  it  was  heavily  punished.  The 
law  was  evidently  passed  to  relieve  a  tempo- 
rary evil  without  a  realization  of  the  legislators 
that  they  were  Hying  to  others  that  they  knew 
not  of.  Xo  special  attention  was  paid  to  it 
for  a  dozen  years,  ilost  of  the  companies 
formed  were  mutuals,  and  not  concerned ;  but 
then  a  stock  company  called  the  Union  Fire  In- 
surance Companv.  was  organized  at  Indianapo- 
lis ])y  E.  B.  ^r.irtindale  and  others.  It  was 
confronted  by  a  liea^^'  loss,  believed  to  be 
fraudulent.  and  refused  paymi'iit.  The 
claimant  did  not  bring  suit,  though  he  insist- 
ed that  his  claim  was  valid.  He  was  in  no 
buriT.  The  company  officials  began  to  study 
ilie  situation,  and  consulted  their  lawyers.  On 
ibeir  advice  the  claim  was  settled,  and  the 
loinpany  reinsured  its  risks  and  went  out  of 
linsiness.  I'p  to  that  time  it  liad  been  a  ]iroR- 
jicrous  company,  and  no  doubt  would  still  bo 
liut  t'or  this  obstacle.  It  endeavored  to  get  the 
law  repealed  at  two  .sessions  of  the  legislature, 
but  was  unable  to  do  so,  although  no  other 
>tate  had  such  a  law.  In  1ST.0  a  committee  was 
;i|i)ioiiited  to  investigate  the  insurance  laws  of 

'Sec.  3720  Rev.  Stats,  of  1881. 


the  state,  with  John  a  Finch  as  chairman;  and 
in  1881  it  reported  that  the  ])rovisions  of  the 
law  of  1852  were  "practically  prohibitory"  of 
home  companies,  but  no  action  was  taken  for 
c  hanging  the  law. 

When  the  German  .Mutiuil  desired  to  make 
its  change  to  a  stock  con'pany,  it  endeavored  to 
get  the  law  repealed,  but  was  unable  to  do  so. 
There  was  no  apparent  reason  why  it  should 
not  be  repealed  except  the  opposition  of  foreign 
companies.  The  law  had  come  before  the  Su- 
jireme  Court  in  ISfiO,  and  again  in  18(52,  and 
it  had  held  that  the  law  did  not  apply  to 
foreign  companies,  but  only  to  domestic  com- 
panies.- Obviously  nobody  was  interested  in 
]ireventing  the  repeal  except  the  foreign  com- 
])anies:  and  after  the  exposure  by  the  Arm- 
strong Committee  of  the  great  sums  paid  by 
the  big  New  York  companies  for  lobbying  and 
legislative  corru]ition,  there  were  people  in 
Indiana  who  thought  they  knew  where  some  of 
it  went.  The  German  .Mutual  made  its  change 
in  189(),  but  went  on  with  its  tight  for  repeal. 
The  press  was  enlisted,  and  the  Commercial 
Club  'took  a  hand.  Tlie  legislature  of  1897 
liiKillv  removed  the  sword  of  Damocles  that 
had  luing  over  every  ])ro])osal  for  a  home  stock 
insurance  company    for  forty-five  years.^ 

Indiana])olis  has  another  German  company 
lliat  is  unique  in  several  respects,  the  Indian- 
apolis German  Mutual  l'"ire  Insurance  Com- 
pany. It  was  organized  on  July  15,  1884,  and 
iiegan  business  on  August  1,  following.  Its 
object  is  to  furnish  insurance  at  the  lowest  pos- 
sible cost,  and  for  that  end  it  employs  no 
agents  and  pays  no  commissions.  All  business 
must  conu'  direct  to  the  office,  and  no  hazard- 
mis  risks  ai'e  accrpteil.  Policies  are  limited 
to  .f;'i. 01)11.  and  written  for  live  years,  the  in- 
sured paying  ime  yrar"<  premium  and  giving 
notes  for  the  remaining  four  yeai's,  on  a  con- 
tract basis.  The  notes  are  not  transferable  or 
taxable,  and  no  ])ayment  on  them  is  called  for 
unless  the  com]>any  suffers  exceptionally 
heavy  loss.  In  twenty-four  years,  but  one  as- 
sessment has  liecn  made  (Det'cmber,  1891).  and 
durimr  that  I'uh'  the  (•(nnininy  has  paid  $^9.- 
45-1. 11  in  In-ses.  At  the  close  of  its  liscal  vear. 
Julv    15.    19()S.    it    liad    in    force  $4,893,09:1. (!4 


-Cominniiwciillb    Ins.  Co.,  vs.   Mdiiniiiger,  18 
Ind..  352:  Igoe  v~.  State.  1  1  Iiid..  239. 
■■•.Vets  189^  ]..  87. 


IIISTOKV  OK  Ci; MATER  IN'DIAN APOLIS. 


oi  iu.-uraiici'.  This  cumpam'  has  a  uimiaii 
for  secretary,  ('harlotte  Dinkelaker,  ami  it  is 
said  to  he  the  only  tire  company  in  the  world 
that  has  this  distinction,  'i'he  present  presi- 
dent is  Alhert  8ahm. 

There  ai'e  several  other  nuitiial  eoniiniiiies  in 
the  city,  in  siiecial  lines,  that  ari'  nci'v  sik- 
cessfnl.  The  tJrain  Dealers"  National  Mutual 
Fire  Insurance  Company  was  organized  in 
li)()2,  and  makes  a  specialty  of  insuriiii;-  coun- 
try grain  elevators.  In  January,  190!i.  it  had  in 
force  over  nine  million  dollars  of  insurance,  on 
over  -i.-iOO  elevators:  and  had  paid  $-^S:!.4;i().1() 
in  losses  since  its  organization.  Its  pi-csident 
is  H.  -V.  Knight,  of  ^lonticello.  111.,  and  the 
secretary.  ('.  .V.  ^leCotter  of  Indiana))olis.  The 
Indiana  Lund)ermen's  ilutual  Insurance  Com- 
pany was  organized  April  1,  1897,  with  llcin\ 
C'olntrn  as  jiresident  and  F.  B.  Fowler  >ecic- 
tary.  It  l)ays  no  commissions  and  insures  oidy 
lumber  vards  and  wood-working  plants.  On 
January'  1,  1!)0!).  it  liad  .$(i,:i91,;39  of  insur- 
ance in  force,  aud  liad  pa  il  since  organization. 
$;^Gl,G5-^.03  in  losses,  and  $117,197.88  in  divi- 
dends. The  present  president  is  Cliapin  C. 
Foster,  and  Air.  P'owler  is  still  secretary.  The 
Indiana  .Millers"  ^lutual  Fire  Insurance  Com- 
panv  commenced  its  successful  career  on  Se])- 
tember  2.-),  1899.  It  has  paid  $1,037,137  in 
losses,  and  on  January  1,  1909,  had  $1-.\31(;.- 
804.92  of  insurance  in  force.  ]\L  L.  Blish  is 
president  and  E.  E.  Perry  secretary  and  treas- 
urer. Mr.  Feriy  is  also  secretary  and  treas- 
urer of  two  other  lire  com]ianies,  the  .Xmi'iican 
^fanufacturers"  Mutual,  oi-ganized  Fehniarv 
1,  191)1,  and  the  Metal  Manufacturers'  Mu- 
tual, organized  Febrnai-v  1.  !!•();.  The  fdrmer 
has  in  force  $().23;).:!(;o  df  insurance,  and  the 
latter  $3,51 9, C 1 1).  Tlie  liuliana  State  Fire,  or- 
ganized May  l."i.  l!iii:.  has  $I.884.8.-)4  of  insur- 
a7ice  in  force,  .\l\in  T.  Coate,  is  the  scci-e- 
tary. 

There  were  a  nuinh<'i'  iif  wrecks  in  lixal  lii'e 
insurance.  The  Indiana  Fire,  organizt-d  May 
9,  18()2.  under  the  general  law,  with  Jonathan 
S.  Tlarvey  as  jiresident  and  W.  T.  Gibson  as 
secretary.  It  seemed  prosperous,  and  wrote  over 
eight  millions  of  insurance  in  the  next  six  years, 
but  met  some  discouraging  losses  and  retire(l  a 
few  rears  later.  The  Siunisippi  ^lutual  was  or- 
ganized Vovendii^r  IS.  1S(>3.  with  Elijah  (iood- 
win  iiresidt'iit  and  John  IJ.  Berry  secretary. 
Il   .iihertised   extensiveh'   and   did   a    \:\V[Sr   busi- 


ness on  a  risky  and  expensive  basis,  and  went 
into  the  hands  of  a  receiver  iii  IStiii.  The 
Ecjuitable  Fire,  a  mutual  company.  \\a>  or- 
ganized in  September.  18(j3,  with  \V.  .V.  I'eele 
president  and  E.  I).  Olin  secretary.  It  was 
changed  to  a  stock  eomiiany,  and  met  huge 
losses  which  caused  it  to  go  into  the  hands  of 
a  receiver  early  in  18(i8.  The  Home  Mutual 
was  organized  in  April,  18()4,  with  J.  C.  (iei- 
send(n-ff  president  and  J.  B.  FoUett  secre- 
tary. Its  business  was  not  profitable,  and  it 
susj)ended  voluntarily  in  June,  18(!8,  and  was 
wound  up  by  a  receiver.  The  Farmers  and 
^lechanies  was  organized  April  1,  18(i4.  with 
l>\land  T.  Brown  president  and  A.  J.  Davis 
secietary.  It  did  a  small  business  till  the  >um- 
mei'  of  18(i7,  when  it  sus])ended,  and  was 
wound  u}).  Some  others  of  less  note  followed 
the  same  general  course. 

Of  all  the  collapses  in  lndiana|)oli,-.  tlie  one 
that  attracted  the  widest  attention  was  that 
of  the  Iron  Hall,  a  fraternal  organization, 
\\hi(  h  was  rather  an  investment  eompan\  tliaii 
an  insiiraiu'c  C(unpany.  though  it  paid  sick 
lienelits.  It  was  organized  Decendiei-  l.").  ISSl, 
under  the  voluntary  assoeiaticm  law  of  Vv\^ 
ruary  20,  18(57,  and  was  soon  launched  on  an 
a|iiiarently  prosperous  career.  Its  jiroposal 
was  that  on  the  payment  of  assessments  for 
seven  years,  amounting  to  about  $300,  it  would 
at  the  end  of  the  period  ])av  the  imestor 
$1,000.  At  the  maturity  of  its  first  certifi- 
cates it  had  a  public  jjayment  to  the  bene- 
ficiaries in  a  local  theater,  in  which  each  $1,000 
wa-  brought  out  on  the  stage  in  silver,  in  a 
\\heel-hari-ow.  Of  course,  the  undertaking  was 
unsound  on  if-  face,  but  it  attracted  a  great 
many  investors,  and  in  1892  the  figures  given 
out  by  its  officials  were,  total  receipts,  $2,o20.- 
•^S;! :  total  disbursements  $1,391!, 1 73  :  reserve 
IuikI,  $1..-)00,924;  cash  in  hand.  $1,124,109; 
total  assets,  $2,(i8t;.274.  Uranehes  had  been 
established  in  a  number  of  other  states,  ami 
the  institution  was  beginning  to  rival  the  ^fis- 
sissi])pi  Eand  Company  of  John  I.,aw  in  its 
palmiest  days. 

On  July  29,  1892,  an  aii])lieatioii  f(n'  a  re- 
ceiver was  filed  in  the  Superior  Court  by  .\1- 
hert  li.  Baker  and  others,  members  of  the  com- 
pany.'' It  charged  that  the  com))any  was  in- 
solvent,   but    with    over    $1,000,000    of    assets; 


■■.Yo.  43.().">4  Superioi'  Court.  I'lxun  1. 


HISTORY  OF  GKEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


:lfi:? 


that  "the  Supreme  Sitting  of  the  Order  of  tlie 
Iron  Hnll,"  wliich  contmlled  tlie  insititiitioii 
absolutely,  had  been  guilty  of  extravagance 
and  niisnianagenient  :  that  it  had  $1tiO.OUU  of 
the  order's  funds  on  deposit,  without  any  se- 
curity, in  a  bank  in  which  Freeman  I).  Som- 
crby,  the  Supreme  Justice  of  the  order,  was  the 
chief  party  in  interest;  and  some  other  irregu- 
larities. A  jirotractcd  hearing  was  had,  be- 
ginning on  Augu^^  11.  ami  on  August  23, 
Judge  Taylor  ap|iointe(l  a  receiver.  The  order 
a])]X'aled  to  the  Supreme  Court,  which  on  April 
26,  1893,  allirmcd  thi-  ruling  (d'  the  lower 
court.  ^ 

jreanwhile,  the  organization  had  gone  to 
pieces  everywhere.  On  Augu.st  Ki,  liS!)2,  Soni- 
erby's  bank.  The  ^futual  Banking,  Surety, 
Trust  and  Safe  I)c|)osit  Company  of  Philadel- 
pliia,  cb)sed  its  doors ;  and  soon  after  there 
were  a))plications  for  receivers  in  several  other 
states,  for  the  ])urpose  of  holding  the  funds  in 
those  states  for  the  benefit  of  local  investors. 
The  receiversliip  was  conducted  on  a  rather 
munificent  basis,  wliich  caused  considerable 
clamor  from  the  interested  parties,  and  le<l  the 
factions  to  refer  to  it  as  "the  Iron  Haul." 
Locally  there  was  distributed  to  claimants  about 
*-.'.0(iO,000 :  and  .some  further  distribution  was 
made  in  other  states  where  jurisdiction  was 
held  locally.  The  chief  i)art  of  it  was  settled 
up  by  the  close  of  189."),  but  a  ])ortion  remained 
\Hitil  1898,  when  tlie  matter  went  to  the  Su- 
preme Court  again  on  a  i|uestion  of  the  rights 
of  the  subordinate  branches.'' 

On  the  other  hand  there  were  some  coni- 
panics  that  wc?-c  very  well  managed  and  might 
have  ci)ntin\ied  in  business  l)Ut  fru'  extraneous 
inlhiences.  The  I'^raidvlin  Fire  Insurance  ( 'oni- 
pany  was  originally  chartered  in  1S.">1  at  Fraid<- 
lin,  Johnson  ('o\inty,  and  did  a  moderate  b\isi- 
ness  there  until  IS^l.  It  \va>  then  brought 
hel-e  b\-  .lobn  A.  Cliibls  and  i-eorgailized.  with 
J.    F.    Hobertson     as     ])resident     and     (labiicl 

Scliwack    as    secretary.      It    did    a    \cry    g I 

business  h"re,  and  in  1S7-I  erected  a  substantial 
buililing  at  the  southeast  comer  of  Circle  and 
Market  streets,  which  still  bears  the  name  id' 
the  company  over  its  entrance.  It  ran  along 
until  Childs  became  infatuated  witli  a  young 
woman   and  eloped   to   On>gon.   leaving  a   wif<' 


^Supreme  i.*i:c.,  vs.  liaker,  134   Ind..  p.  293. 
"Cowen  vs.  Failev,  Tieceiver,  1-19  Iiul.,  p.  3S2. 


and  a  Sunday  school,  of  which  he  was  super- 
intendent, to  mourn  his  loss.  Then  Jacob  Xeu- 
bnrger  came  into  the  comj)any  as  underwriter, 
and  after  some  m(niths  ])ersuaded'  the  man- 
agement that  the  ]n-udent  course  for  them  was 
to  reinsure  and  go  out  of  business,  which  was 
done.  The  charti'i-  was  sold  to  Jacob  Weil,  of 
Fvansvillc,  who  organized  and  carried  on  a 
company  undei'  it  there  till  the  charter  ex- 
jiired  in  1901.  Thr  risk>  were  reinsurc'cl  in 
1902  and  the  company  ended.  There  was 
no  ade(iuate  reason  for  the  discontinuance  of 
this  company  at  Indianapolis. 

But  of  all  insurance  enterprises  at  Jndian- 
.■i]iolis,  the  one  whose  ending  caused  the  greatest 
soreness  was  the  Indianapolis  Fire  Insurance 
Company.  The  inception  of  the  company  is 
said  to  have  originated  with  John  S.  Spann, 
and  be  -iKUi  gathered  a  little  knot  of  gentlemen 
who  united  with  him  in  the  desire  to  establish 
and  build  up  a  strong,  well-managed  home  com- 
pany. 'I'liey  organized  on  July  12,  1S99,  with 
John  11.  Holliday  as  ]iresi(lent  and  IL  C.  .Mar- 
tin as  secretary:  and  this  management  was  con- 
tinueil  for  eight  \cars.  The  characteristic  id' 
tlie  company  \\a<  its  conservatism.  It  made 
money  and  was  developing  satisfactorily,  meet- 
ing lU)  serious  I'l'verses  until  it  had  losses  of 
$69,000  in  the  great  San  I-'rancisco  lire.  But 
this  was  only  a  set-back,  and  the  com|>any  was 
repairing  its  suritlus  and  moving  forward  to 
the  general  satisfaction  of  the  stockholders.  It 
should  be  metdioned  that  the  ca])ital  of  the 
comjianv  wa-^  *2()0.000  in  shares  of  $50.  These 
had  very  readily  been  placed  at  $75,  owing  to 
the  general  confidence  in  the  mamisKMuent. 
making  a  sur])lus  of  $10().()l)(>l  on  which  to  begin 
business.  In  190f!  the  control  of  a  majority  of 
the  stock  was  secured  by  the  local  brokerage 
firm  of  Merer  il'  Ki.ser.  supposed  to  ho  acting 
for  other  parties,  and  at  the  annual  meeting  in 
Februarx.  19ii;,  ibc  old  management  was  oust- 
ed and  a  new  one  inaugurated.  \t  the  anntial 
meeting  in  190S  a  number  of  minority  stock- 
holders attended,  and  on  account  of  statements 
of  the  discouraging  conditions.  ]iro|iosed  that 
the  com|)any  reinsure  and  uiml  up,  Tlr-  \\a- 
tlatlv  refused.  .\  few  day-  later  a  niunbei'  of 
.-iockholilcrs   received   the    following  letter: 

"Februarv   22nd.    19iis. 
"Dear  Sir, — In    strict   eonlidence,   because   a 
disclosure  on  your  part  woidd  injure  the  com- 


;l(ii 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOIJS. 


pany,  I  desire  to  advise  you  of  a  crisis  in  the 
affairs  of  the  Indianapolis  Fire  Insurance 
Company.  Our  surplus  has  been  reduced  from 
the  $100,000  originally  paid  in,  to  $58,000,  as 
appears  in  our  last  statement.  As  a  matter  of 
fact  this  surplus  has  been  further  reduced  ap- 
jiroximately  $20,000  by  our  fire  losses  in  the 
month  of  January  alone.  During  this  month 
the  ratio  of  tire  losses,  which  should  not  exceed, 
in  order  to  make  money,  49  per  cent,  ran  105 
per  cent.  In  other  words,  5  per  cent  in  ex- 
cess of  entire  premium  paid. 

'■'These  losses  do  not  result  from  any  one 
ijr  two  conflagrations,  but  are  the  result  of  gen- 
eral conditions  obtaining  throughout  the  coun- 
try, and  are  apparently  directly  connected  with 
existing  depressed  financial  conditions.  In  my 
judgment,  unless  a  radical  change  for  the  bet- 
ter (of  which  there  is  not  a  good  prospect), 
should  immediately  occur,  the  entire  surplus 
of  the  company  will  be  wiped  out  inside  of  !I0 
days. 

"Therefore,  if  the  company  is  to  continiu^ 
liusiness,  in  order  that  we  may  comply  with  the 
laws  of  the  states  in  which  we  have  agencies, 
it  will  be  necessary  immediately  to  assess  each 
one  of  the  stockholders  at  least  $50  a  share. 
This  cannot  be  done  against  the  will  of  the 
stockholders,  but,  by  voluntary  agreement  on 
the  part  of  all  interested,  which  will  enable  us 
to  make  a  respectable  stati'ment  and  entitle 
lis  to  do  biisiness  in  states  from  which  we  will 
soon  be  excluded. 

"Will  you  kindly  advise  me  whether  you  arc 
mlling,  in  case  the  other  stockholders  con- 
tribute, to  voluntarily  contribute  for  the  pur- 
pose of  establishing  a  surplus  of  the  company, 
the  Slim  of  $50  per  share  on  the  stock  which  you 
own?  I  must  ask  you  for  an  immediate  reply 
as  the  situation  is  so  critical  that  it  demands 
instant  relief  of  some  kind. 

"I  again  enjoin  on  you  the  necessity  of  en- 
tire secrecy  in  the  subject  about  Avhich  I  am 
writing  you. 

"Yours  truly. 

"Sol.    .Nfeyer,    i)resident." 

There  ensued  very  speedily  a  meeting  of 
the  principal  minority  stockholders,  including 
the  original  management,  to  consider  the  situ- 
ation. The  discussion  disclosed  a  general 
sentiment  that  the  action  was  intended  to  bear 
the    company's    stock,    and    tliat    the    r(ini|iauv 


was  in  fact  in  better  condition  than  immedi- 
ately after  the  San  Francisco  fire.  They 
agreed  to  act  in  a  body  and  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  negotiate  with  Meyer  and  Kiser, 
with  instructions  to  first  endeavor  to  get  a 
"buy  or  sell"  price  on  stock.  This  was  re- 
fused, as  also  a  proposal  to  reinsure.  There 
were  more  meetings  and  prolonged  discussions 
of  the  possibilities.  A  receivership  would 
probably  be  more  disastrous  financially  than 
a  forced  sale.  A  majority-  in  control,  desirous 
of  forcing  out  a  minority  could  exhaust  the 
surplus  and  force  assessments.  The  negotiat- 
ing committee  was  instructed  to  ascertain  the 
best  terms  that  could  be  made,  and  on  February 
28.  an  agreement  was  made  to  sell  at  $62.50  a 
share,  or  $12.50  less  than  had  been  paid  for  the 
stock,  which  was  signed  by  holders  of  TOS 
shares.  A  number  of  others  sold  immediately 
afterwards  on  the  .same  basis.  On  March  23, 
the  company  was  reinsured  in  the  German 
American  of  Xew  York,  and  agents  were  noti- 
fied to  discontinue  business,  as  the  directors 
had  "after  careful  consideration,  decided  that 
the  interests  of  all  concerned  will  be  best  con- 
served by  the  reinsurance  of  the  present  liabili- 
ty of  the  company."' 

This  affair  came  as  a  revelation  in  local  in- 
•Hirance  business.  The  Iron  Hall  had  demon- 
strated how  easily  a  company  could  be  taken 
out  of  the  hands  of  those  who  made  it,  in 
case  of  mismanagement  or  illegal  action  by 
the  officers,  and  wound-up  by  others.  The  State 
Life  had  narrowly  escaped  a  similar  fate.  But 
here  was  a  home  company  whose  management 
was  above  criticism  put  out  of  existence.  It 
was  the  most  demoralizing  blow  ever  stnu'k 
at  home  insurance  in  Indianapolis,  for  what 
protection  was  there  against  this  form  of  as- 
sault? Of  course  it  would  be  possible  to  form 
a  voting  trust,  such  as  has  worked  out  with 
fair  success  in  the  case  of  the  Consumers 
Gas  Trust.  The  only  other  feasible  plan  of  pro- 
tection would  seem  to  be  in  the  control  of  a 
majority  ownership  of  the  stock  by  a  close 
corporation  of  individuals  who  could  trust  each 
other  absoluti'ly  not  to  break  the  control  by 
sale  of  stock  to  any  outsider.  But  that  would 
not  be  practicable  without  very  large  invest- 
ment by  a  few  jiersons :  and  a  company  organ- 
ized on  that  basis  woidd  lack  the  advantage  of 
a  wide  interest  of  stockhohhM's  in  s(>curing  in- 
>iirance.     r<issililv  sonic  <:cniiis  may  arise  who 


lUsTuKV  OF  (;i;katek  ixdiaxapolis. 


3G5 


=1 


?-i 


II1ST()I;V  OK  (MM'.A'rKl't   INDIANAPOLIS. 


will  lind  some  luodu  oi  steeriug  between  the 
.Scylla  and  Chani)dis  of  the  insxiranee  chan- 
nel, and  give  Indianapolis  a  home  eonipanv, 
which  will,  to  ^ome  extent  at  least,  check  the 
heavy  drain  of  tribute  to  foreign  companie;^. 
hut  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  the  prcscnl 
jirospects  of  this  desirable  result  are  b.v  lui 
means  encouraging;  and  those  who  have  taken 
the  greatest  interest  in  attaining  this  end  are 
not  eager  to  make  another  attempt  after  the 
disastrous  result  of  their  former  effort  in  this 
line. 

Life  insurance  companies  were  not  so  nu- 
merous as  fire  companies.  The  Franklin  Mutual 
Life  was  organized  under  the  general  law  in 
July,  186(],  with  J.  M.  Eay,  president  and 
D.  W.  Grubbs,  secretary.  Its  system  was  to 
accept  premiums  one-half  cash  and  the  re- 
mainder in  notes,  so  that  the  longer  a  man 
stayed  in  the  more  he  owed.  After  some  lif- 
teen  years,  under  other  officers,  it  became  un- 
])rofitable,  and  the  directors  undertook  to  wind 
it  up  by  buying  in  policies  at  half  their  siii- 
render  value.  This  was  carried  on  in  18S1  and 
1882,  and  to  go  on  with  it  a  mortgage  of  ^nT,.")!)!) 
was  put  on  the  company's  building — the  old 
State  Bank  building  at  Kentucky  avenue  and 
Illinois  street,  which  it  had  ]nirchased  in  LSfiS. 
.After  this  had  Ijeen  expended  there  remained 
some  300  policies,  with  a  surrender  value  of 
$75,000,  and  something  less  than  $1S.(I0<I  (d 
assets.  Part  of  the  remaining  policyludders 
joined  in  a  suit  to  set  aside  the  mortgage,  charg- 
ing that  the  Northwestern  ^lutual,  to  which  it 
was  made,  was  fully  informed  of  the  ]nirpiisc 
for  which  the  money  was  to  be  used.  The  case 
went  to  the  Su]n-eme  Court,  which  made  the 
somewhat  startling  decision  that  before  these 
]iolicyholders,  who  had  received  nothing  from 
the  loan,  could  set  aside  the  mortgage,  tiny 
must  repay  the  borrowed  money.' 

The  development  of  life  companies  in  the 
last  decade  is  largely  due  to  the  Stati'  Life 
Companv,  which  was  organized  Septcmiier  .■). 
1894,  under  the  law  of  1883,  which  i)r(ividcd 
for  companies  on  an  assessment  basis.  The 
company  grew  slowly  but  steadily,  but  its 
husiness  was  hampered  by  the  assessment  fea- 
lure.  The  officers  desired  to  change  to  a  legal 
reserve  basis,  hut  there  was  no  law  under  which 
thev   could    reoruanize   formallv,   althouHh   the 


Wright  vs.  lluL 


no  Ind.,  3'.M. 


comjiany  had  in  fact  been  conducted  on  a  legal 
reserve  basis  from  the  start,  charging  full  legal 
reserve  premiums  and  carrying  full  reserves,  as 
no  other  assessment  company  had  done  up  to 
that  time.  A  bill  was  prepared  by  W.  S. 
Wynn,  the  aid  of  the  press  was  enlisted  by  Dr. 
Martin,  and  the  law  of  February  10,  1899,  was 
si'cured.  Xo  better  law  can  be  found  in  any 
state  in  the  Union.  It  makes  the  policy- 
liolder  absolutely  safe  by  recjuiring  the  de- 
posit with  the  Auditor  of  State  of  a  reserve 
large  enough  to  cover  the  reinsurance  of  all 
risks.  L'nder  this  law  the  State  Life  reincor- 
porated on  February  14.  1899.  and  at  once  en- 
tered on  a  career  of  prosperity.  On  January 
1,  1908.  its  admitted  assets  were  $(1,3:)."). ir)3. 9."). 
Other  companies  also  took  advantage  of  the 
ni'w  law,  the  American  Central  Life  leading, 
iiy  organization  on  February  23,  1899.  On 
January  1,  1908,  there  were  ten  of  these  legal 
icst'rve  life  companies  at  Indianapolis,  with 
total  admitted  assets  of  $6,513,290..-)8.  in  addi- 
tion to  the  State  Life. 

The  years  1906-T  were  years  of  stress  to  the 
life  insurance  companies  of  Indiana.  The  ex- 
posures of  the  Armstrong  Committee  in  New 
York  of  the  practices  of  the  great  life  insur- 
ance companies  had  startled  the  country,  and 
ilie  magazine  articles  of  Thomas  W.  Lawsoii, 
Burton  J.  Hendricks  and  others  had  made 
the  nature  of  the  abuses  understood  by  the 
leading  public.  In  October,  1905,  Governor 
Hanly  had  appointed  James  W.  Xoel,  William 
N.  Durborrow  and  \\'arren  Bigler  a  committee 
to  investigate  the  affairs  of  the  office  of  the 
.Vtulitor  of  State,  on  account  of  irregularities 
of  David  E.  Sherrick,  and  the  committee  was 
continued  by  him  to  investigate  the  Insurance" 
I)e])artmcnt  of  the  office,  and  the  local  eoni- 
jianies  reporting  to  iL  The  investigation  re- 
sulted in  a  demonstration  that  some  of  the  New 
York  abuses  were  beginning  to  appear  in  In- 
diana, though  comparatively  few  and  small, 
no  doubt  for  the  reason  that  none  of  the  In- 
diana companies  had  so  large  reserve  or  sur- 
plus funds  to  attract  the  cupidity  and  ingenu- 
ity of  the  officials.  The  worst  apparent  alnises 
were  "agency  contracts"  Avhich  were  obviously 
designed  to  divert  the  .iust  income  of  companies 
to  individuals,  and  one  charged  ease  of  inter- 
est of  the  ]iri'sident  and  first  vice-president  of 
the  State  Life  in  a  sale  of  pro]ierty  to  the  eoni- 
panv.    The  report  of  the  committee  was  made 


HISTORY  OF  (ilJKAl'Ki;    I  M  H  A  XAL'olJS. 


367 


on  Oc-tol)er  'i'i.  llKUi:  ami  lanl  iniuh  sti'css  on 
the  avowed  evils  of  special  contraets.  predated 
and  coinniiUed  policies  and  other  forms  of  re- 
iialinj:.  includinj;  jireliminarv  term  insurance. 
It  rernmniended  drastic  legislation  for  their 
prohihitiun.  and  (lovernor  Hanly  followed  this 
with  a  vigorous  demand  for  it  in  his  message. 
and  a  strong  exertion  of  his  oHicial  powers  to 
secure  it. 

Tlu' .-ituation  wa>  perplexing.  Kvervhodv  con- 
ceded tiiat  there  were  abuses  that  needed  correc- 
tion, hut  evervhody  familiar  with  insurance 
business  saw  that  the  proposed  laws  woukl  prac- 
tically j)ut  the  small  companies  of  the  state 
at  the  mercy  of  the  large  foreign  companies, 
which  were  originally  responsible  for  the  alntses. 
The  abuses  were  the  result,  in  most  ])art,  of 
comiietition  foi-  Imsiness;  and  this  luu.l  devel- 
o|)ed  to  such  an  extent  that  the  first  year's 
jiremium  was  practically  consumed,  and  no  re- 
serve was  laid  aside  from  it  tinder  any  system 
of  policy  writing.  It  was  common  for  com- 
panies to  sell  "tlyer"  insurance  for  ten  per  cent 
of  the  regular  i)remiuin  for  tlie  first  year.  The 
Stipreme  Court  of  A'ermont  found  this  condi- 
tion to  exist,  through  a  case  in  that  state,  and 
said:  "Xo  company  can  successfully  do  l)\isi- 
iiess  unless  it  pays  commissions  as  large  as  the 
leading  companies  of  the  country,  and  then  it 
i.=  at  a  disadvantage  from  being  small.  As  the 
witiios  Stone  stated:  "It  is  the  large  com- 
panies tluit  set  the  pace  in  such  matters.  Snuill 
rompanies  have  to  meet  the  comjietition  or 
tiiaKi'  nil  ])rogress.'  .V  new  com|iany  to  begin 
l)usines>.  and  a  small  company  to  continue,  in 
order  to  succeed  must  pay  what  companies  in 
p-neral  liay.""  T'he  common  form  of  meet- 
ing the  ciimpil  it  imi  was  b\'  pr(iiiiiin;ir\  icriii 
insurance,  and  though  its  prohiiiition  was  de- 
manded, the  committee  conceded  that  there 
was  ■■nothing  legally  or  technicallv  wTong  in 
a  provision  in  an  insurance  policy  that  it  shall 
for  one  \ear  lie  considered  preliminary  term  in- 
surance", and  that  "the  onlv  wrong  in  such 
practice  i<.  \\f  thiid<.  that  it  is  generally  nol 
under-tiKid  bv  llir  parties."  "  In  fact  the  oidv 
f|iiestioii  iiiMilMMJ  is  whether  the  expense  of 
getting  the  insurance  shall  be  paid  from  the 
first  year's  ])remiuin.  or  fmm  the  sur])his  which 

"l'>aid<ers  Life  Ins.  Co.  vs.  Howard.  ";!  \'er.. 
p.    1. 

"  Ifcport.  p.  1.-,.x 


e(|U;talily  lielongs  to  the  pulicyholders,  and  as 
a  piohleni  of  morality  and  justice  it  is  of  the 
weight  of  the  distinction  between  Tweedledum 
and  Tweedledee. 

The  committee  also  demonstrated  in  its  re- 
jiort  that  the  people  of  Indiana  were  paying 
yearly  to  foreign  insurance  companies  more 
than  ten  millions  of  dollars  more  than  came 
back  to  the  state  in  payment  of  losses.'"  This 
fact  put  a  damper  on  any  desire  to  do  any- 
thing unnecessarily  destructive  to  home  com- 
jjanies,  and  in  consequence  the  legislature  of 
1907  enacted  insurance  laws  on  a  rational  ba- 
sis, cutting  olf  real  evils,  and  leaving  home 
comj)anies  a  fair  chance  for  existence.  Prac- 
tically all  of  the  com))anies  had  abandoiuxl 
the  objectionable  contracts  before  the  laws  went 
into  etl'cct.  and  other  reforms  had  occurred. 
President  A.  M.  Sweene^y,  and  \'ice-president 
Samuel  Quinn,  of  the  State  Life,  resigned  in 
February,  1907;  and  in  March  the  board  of 
directors  was  increased  from  5  to  9,  and  Henry 
W.  Bennett,  Wm.  C.  Bobbs,  Wm.  J.  Jlooney, 
Albert  Sahm,  John  IJ.  Wilson,  and  ,1.  S.  Dis- 
sette  were  elected  as  new  niendjcrs.  Mi-.  Wil- 
son died  in  the  following  July,  and  lliiam  I'. 
Wassoii  was  elected  in  his  stead.  Henry  W. 
Bennett  wa*  elected  j)resident  of  the  company. 
Wilbur  S.  W'ynn,  vice-president,  secretary  and 
actuary,  Chas.  F.  Coffin,  second  vice-president 
and  general  counsel,  and  Albert  Sahm.  treas- 
urer. Cnder  the  new  management  the  com- 
]iany  resumed  progress  at  onci';  and  notwith- 
standing the  panic  conditions  of  lliii';.  \\iii(h 
were  depressing  to  insurance  generally,  it  in- 
crea.sed  its  assets  $1,001.11)9  and  its  siirplu> 
■$■^7,775  in  that  year.  The  life  insurance  com- 
panies of  Indianapolis  have  not  only  recovered 
from  the  shocks  of  this  ])eri(id  but  ai-e  in 
stronger  and  better  condition  in  c\rry  way  than 
thrv    were   before. 

Of  miscellaneous  insui'aiice  com|iaiiies.  In- 
(liana]iolis  has  the  Federal  rniiui  Suretv  Cmu- 
[)anv.  organized  Sept(Mnber  ■^S.  1901,  with 
.l!;!()().()00  of  capital  and  $.-)Ui,;?8-^.20  of  admit- 
teil  assets  on  January  1,  190S:  the  Woodman's 
Casualtv  ("om|ianv.  incor])orate(l  Februarv  2, 
1907.  with  .$10(),()0()  of  capital  and  $P^S,.V2'.-).f!-l 
of  admitted  assets;  and  the  Security  Casualtv 
Company,  organized  October  II.  IlXf;.  \vilb 
!f;^.':).0()0'of  capital  and  $;!■.'.! (i-.'.SC,  of  admitted 


'"  Keport.    p.    1  •-••-' 


:3(i8 


llls-|'(H;v   ()|-  (;i;i-:A'ri-:U  IXDIAXAI'OLIS. 


i 

I 


a.-si'ts.  Of  assessment  life  and  aeeideut  asso- 
ciations Indianapolis  is  the  home  office  of 
tlie  Anici-ican  Miners  Accident,  incorporated 
Mairh  i;.  19n(i.  earrving  $1,613,000  of  risks: 
till'  (lic;ir  \\'estern  Life,  incorporated  April 
;!,  mm:,  and  carrying  $319,000  of  risks:  the 
Hoosier  Casualty  Company,  incorporated 
May  29,  1907,  carrying  $1,21T,000  of  i-isks ; 
the  Indiana  Travelers  Accident,  incorporated 
September  10,  1902,  carrying  $11,9:0,000  nf 
risks;  and  the  AVestern  Life  Annuity  Co.. 
incorporated  January  3,  1907,  carrying  $1,190,- 
000  of  risks.  Of  fraternal  insurance  associa- 
tions, Indianapolis  is  the  home  office  of  the 
I.  0.  Knights  of  Pvthias.  organized  Aiiuust 
8,  1904,  with  $528,250  of  insurance  in  force : 
and  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Honor,  organ- 
ized April  5,  1878,  with  $88,027,250  of  in- 
surance in  force.  There  are  over  250  foreign 
insurance  companies,  of  various  kinds,  doing 
liusiness  in  the  citv. 

The  fii-st  organization  of  local  agents  at  In- 
dianapolis was  made  in  1868,  with  Wm.  Hen- 
derson as  president  and  David  E.  Snyder  as 
secretary.  This  was  merely  a  "trades  union" 
affair,  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  rate-cut- 
ting and  otherwise  promoting  the  good  of  the 
order.  The  great  fire  at  Chicago  in  October. 
1871,  which  broke  u|)  a  number  of  companies 
and  brought  adjusted  losses  of  $46,000,000  to 
those  that  survived,  caused  a  change  in  the 
insurance  business  all  over  the  country.  The 
companies  insisted  on  inspection  and  a  gradu- 
ated schedule  of  rates.  In  the  spring  of  1872. 
on  demand  of  the  state  agents,  the  local  agents 
organized  the  Indianapolis  Fire  Insurance  As- 
sociation with  Charles  B.  Davis  as  president, 
and  Charles  W.  Fi-cnch  as  secretary.  Under 
this  system  the  local  agents  selected  the  secre- 
lan-,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  National 
Board  of  Underwriters;  and  the  secretary  ap- 
plied a  rather  crude  schedule  agreed  on  by  the 
agents.  In  the  spring  of  1873  Henry  Coe,  of 
Madison,  Wisconsin,  came  here  on  a  visit  to 
his  lirother  Ciiarles  B.  Coe  (they  were  sons  of 
a  cousin  of  Dr.  Isaac  Coe)  who  then  repre- 
sented the  Nortliwestern  Afutual  of  Milwau- 
kee, and  was  made  secretary  of  the  associa- 
tion. .Vt  the  time  the  National  Board  met 
the  expenses  of  the  local  associations  through 
an  assessment  on  premiums,  but  in  1877  the 
National  Board  willidrew  its  support,  and  the 
local  association  dissolved.     The  results  of  this 


were  unsatisfactory,  and  after  some  nidiiths  ihe 
agents  reorganized  voluntarily,  with  M.  \'.  .M,-- 
Gilliard  as  president  and  Ebenezer  Beard,  sec- 
retary— later  succeeded  by  James  L.  Green.  Thi' 
cimipanies  supported  this  associati(ui  hv  pni- 
portional  contributions,  and  it  continued  till 
1880,  when  the  National  Board  companies  lu- 
ganized  the  Western  Union  Agetu-y,  divided 
into  two  '"commisgions".  Indianapolis  came 
under  "Commission  No.  2"*,  witJi  headquarters 
at  Cincinnati,  and  J.  T.  Ashl)ri»ik  was  sent 
JTere  as  manager. 

In  1884  Mr.  Ashbrook  was  succeeded  bv  A. 
'!'.  Allen,  and  he  in   1895  by  T.  M.  Goodloe. 
Aleanwhile  the  two  commissions  combined  and 
I'onned    the    Governing    Committee,    which    is 
composed  of  the  western  managers  of  the  vari- 
ous   companies.        Jlr.    Goodloe    continued    in 
cliarge  of  the  local  work,  known  as  the  Indian- 
oplis  Fire  Inspection   Bureau  luitil  the  spring 
c.f  1908,  when  he  took  the  management  of  the 
i''ire  Protection  and  Equipnu'iit  Company,  and 
J.  S.  Mc^hirray,  Jr.,  was  put  in  cltargc  of  the 
inspection  liureau.     The  Fire  Insurance  Asso- 
ciation of  the  local  agents  still  continues,  but 
has   nothing  to   do  with   inspection   and  rate- 
making.     Under  the  system  now  in  force,  the 
rates  for  Indiana  generally  are  made  by  an  orr 
ganization    known    as    "Tlie    Fellars   Bureau," 
hut  Indianapolis  is  independent,  and  its  rates 
;;re  fixed  by  the  Indianapolis  Fire  Inspection 
i?ureau.     ]5oth  bui-eaus  use  the  Dean  Schedule, 
which  is  an  elaborate  system  of  rating  worked 
out  by  A.  F.  Dean,  Assistant  Western  Manager 
of  the  Springfield  Fire  Insurance  Company  of 
Massachusetts.      It   is   on   a   thoroughly   scien- 
tific  basis,    taking    into   consideration   all   ele- 
ments of  fire  risk,  and  adjusting  rates  accord- 
ingly.     It    divides    cities   and    towns   into   six 
classes,  according  to  water-supply,  fire  depart- 
ment, inspection,  etc.,  the  rates  increasing  from 
the  first  to  the  sixth  class.     Indianapolis  is  in 
the   third   class.       To  teach  the   first  class  it 
would    he    necessary    to    have    a    high-pressure 
water   <ystem.   and    a   general   improvement  in 
construction.     But    individual   risks  are  taken 
out   of  these   class   ratings   by  special   precau- 
tions, such  as  fire-proof  construction,  automatic 
sprinklers,  etc.,  and  get  a  special  rating.     On 
the  otlier  hand    proximity  to  dangerous  build- 
ings   increases    rates.      There    is    one    central 
I/lock   in   the  cit\'   in    whicli   the   ratings  of  all 


iiis|-(ti;Y  OF  (;i;ka'im:i;  ixdi.w ai'olis. 


3g;) 


buil(liiijr>  me  iiicirnx'd  on  iiicDiiiii  nl'  a  livorv 
stable  ill  it. 

No  aci-ouiit  iif  iiisiiriiiui'  l)usiiirs>  in  liulian- 
apoliti  would  be  eoiniilelc  wiliiout  icleinife  to 
tliu  local  in^uraiRu  journal.  Iluugh  Soles,  and 
its  editor.  Dr.  H.  I'.  Martin,  on  account  of 
their  extensive  inHucnce  on  it.  Hciirv  ('.  Mar- 
tin is  a  Pennsvlvanian,  born  at  ilaibor  Creek. 
A]>ril  16.  IJ^:!.').  He  studied  medicine  at  Cas- 
tlcton  Medical  College,  Vermont,  and  the 
University  ^ledical  t'ollege  of  New  York,  grad- 
Jiating  from  the  latter  in  1857.  lie  pracliced 
for  two  years  at  McGregor,  Iowa,  and  then  look 
up  insurance,  in  the  employ  of  the  Xorthwest- 
ern  Mutual  of  ^lilwaukee,  being  its  first  spe- 
cial agent  west  of  the  ilississippi  Hiver.  He 
organized  agencies  in  several  states,  and  was 
state  agent  for  Indiana  for  twelve  years,  al'ter 
which  he  became  the  lirst  Indiana  agent  of  the 
Travelers  Insurance  Comjiany.  In  IS"  be 
started  Rougli  Xoles,  not  expecting  to  make  it 
a  permanent  publication,  as  it  was  originated 
for  a  mouthpiece  in  a  temporary  emergency  in 
insurance  affairs.  There  appeared  a  deinaiKl 
for  it.  however,  and  it  was  continued  as  a 
monthly  till  ISOfi.  when  it  was  made  a  weekly. 
It  is  ranked  everywlieic  as  a  high  grad(>  insur- 
ance journal,  and  stands  third  or  fourth  of 
its  class  in  circulation  in  the  I'nited  States. 
Dr.  Ifartin  has  always  stood  for  the  best  in 
insurance,  for  justice  to  the  public  and  to  the 
companies,  and  his  reputation  in  that  regard  is 
cstablislu'd.  Whenever  a  newspaper  man  wanted 
"straight  goods"  on  an  insurance  ipiestion  he 
knew  he  could  get  it  from  Dr.  Martin.  It 
was  his  ambition  to  found  a  first-class  lire 
company  in  this  city,  and  he  hail  it  well  started 
ill  (be  Indianajiolis  Fire  Coni])any.  The  wreck- 
ing of  that  organization  by  others  pained  him 
like  the  loss  of  a  child.  More  than  any  other 
one  man  he  is  entitled  to  the  credit  for  the 
excellence  of  the  |iresent  insurance  laws  of 
Indiana:  and  in  this  connection  ii  is  appro- 
jiriate  to  rpiote  the  following  from  Hdiii/li  yali's 
for  :>rarch  4,  1009: 

'■'Hie  present  scs<ii)n  of  the  Indiana  legis-. 
latiire  marks  the  tentli  anniversary  of  the  In- 
diana Legal  T?e-;ervc  Compulsory  Deiiosit  Tjife 
Insurance  Law.  and  it  is  lilting  to  review  the 
results  at  this  time.  When  the  Indiana  legis- 
lature convened  in  .lamiary.  ISil!).  there  was 
no  act  on  the  statute  books  of  statt'  where- 
under  a  life  insurance  comjiany  cmild  be  or- 
Vol.  1—24 


ganized  ill  the  >tate  upon  a  legal  reserve  basis, 
■('here  was  a  law  |)ermiltiiig  incorporation 
iijion  an  assessment  plan,  and  the  lax  provisions 
of  this  measure  had  made  possible  the  exploita- 
tion and  disastrous  finish  of  some  of  the  most 
ilisrcputable  attempts  ever  misnamed  as  life 
insurance  institutions. 

"For  several  years  it  bad  been  the  ambit  inn 
of  a  number  of  influential  citizens  of  the  state 
lo  have  placed  upon  Indiana's  statute  books  a 
law  which  would  make  it  ]iossiblc  to  organize 
and  conduct  in  this  state  life  insurance  com- 
jianies  which  would  be  such  in  fact  as  well 
as  in  name.  To  this  end  they  had  made  a  study 
of  the  best  laws  on  the  subject  that  were  in 
operation  in  other  states  and.  after  much  con- 
sidciation,  they  drafted  a  measure  which  more 
closelv  followed  the  Iowa  legal  resene  deposit 
law  than  any  other  measure,  the  deposit  fea- 
lure  of  that  law  impressing  them  as  a  most 
worthy  safeguard  for  the  interests  of  policy- 
bolders.  it  being  recognized  that  the  greater 
and  bettor  the  protection  offered  by  Indiana 
companies,  the  more  certain  of  acceptance  with 
ihe  insurance  Inning  public  \\onld  be  their 
contracts. 

"Mucb  preliminary  woi-k  had  been  done  prior 
to  ISiii),  and  when  the  legislature  convened  that 
year  it  seemed  that  the  time  was  ripe  for  the 
attempt  to  secure  the  passage  of  the  law.  The 
friends  of  the  proposed  measure  had  their 
forces  well  organized,  but  so  wide  a  swing  from 
the  wretched  conditions  that  had  prevaiU'(l  in 
the  state  was  certain  to  meet  with  strenuous 
opposition  and  it  took  constant  viligance  and 
attention  to  get  the  measure  finally  t<i  the  (!ov- 
crnor's  signature.  The  bill  became  a  law  Feb- 
ruary III.  ISIItt.  and  that  date  marked  the  (ipeii- 
ing  of  a  ni'w  epculi  in  the  history  of  life  iindcr- 
wi'iting  ill  liiiliana.  The  day  of  assessmentism 
completely  gave  way  to  the  legal  reserve  plan 
and  several  companies  at  once  began  business 
under  the  new  law. 

"The  results  of  the  enactment  of  this  meas- 
ure have  more  than  rulfilled  the  sanguine  hopes 
of  its  friends  at  the  beginning.  It  has  proved 
practical  and  the  comiianies  under  it  have 
thriven  an<l  develojied  in  a  substantial  way  that 
is  a  credit  to  the  strife  which  gavi^  them  cor- 
porate being.  In  ten  years  (be  following  im- 
posing aggregates  have  b(>en  luiiH  up.  (he  (ig- 
iires  being  the  totals  for  all  enmnanie-  now  op- 
ernting  under  th(>  l;iw  : 


370 


IIISTOllY  OF  GKEATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


"Admitted  Asi^ets.  Docemljer  111, 

1908    $15.781, Gr;i 

Prcniiuin  Income  durinj;:  1908..  5.443,.')15 

Total  Income  during-  191)8 6,294,739 

Insurance  in  Force,  Dec.  31,  "08  165,183,565 
Number  of  Policies  in  Force,  De- 
cember   31,    1908 (;9.390 

On  Deposit  with  Auditor  of  State 

February   -2.5,   1909 14.(i.M.(;!il 

"This  $165,000,000  and  more  of  insurance 
in  force  is  every  cent  of  it  more  than  ami)ly 
protected  by  the  over  fourteen  millions  on  de- 
posit with  the  auditor,  which  sum  is  available 
first  for  the  interests  of  the  sixty-nine  thou- 
sand policyholders.  'Hie  interests  of  the  stock- 
holders, the  interests  of  officers,  agents  or  man- 
agers and  all  other  interest-;  are  secondary  to 
those  of  the  holders  of  the  insurance  contracts. 
The  company  may  be  large  or  small,  it  may  be 
slow-growing  or  it  may  1)uild  up  by  great 
bounds,  but  at  all  times  it  is  required  to  make 
as  its  first  principle  of  existence  the  mainte- 
nance of  a  sufficient  reserve  for  full  reinsurnncs 


in  the  custody  of  the  .\iiditor  of  State.  No 
company  can  make  experiments  or  mistakes 
which  are  allowed  to  impair  this  prime  provi- 
sion. The  vital  part  of  the  transaction  which 
determines  the  clestinv  of  the  policyholders' 
interest  is  made  as  absolute  as  possible. 

"Also,  this  measure  had  made  it  possible  to 
accumulate  this  vast  sum  of  life  insurance 
funds  within  the  state,  which  makes  to  the 
ilirect  advantage  of  borrowers  on  liigh-class  se- 
curities. A  large  proportion  of  the  fifteen  mil- 
lions is  invested  in  Indiana  farm  mortgages 
which  are  imsurpassed  as  security  or  for  rev- 
enue production.  The  law  has  unquestionably 
proven  itself  a  splendid  measure.  The  coni- 
jjanies  operating  under  it  have  peculiar  advan- 
tages in  their  op]iortunity  to  build  on  penna- 
nent  and  enduring  foundations.  The  achieve- 
ments of  the  past  ten  years  are  not  alone  ex- 
])rcssed  in  the  figures  already  quoted,  but  as 
well  in  the  experience  that  has  been  gained, 
which  experience  should  contribute  the  larsjest 
jiart  towards  making  the  next  decade  produce 
even  more  creditable  results. "" 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


F l{ ATK RX  A  L   (MIGANIZATIONS. 


\Vl;etlifr  ilasuiiry  origiuutcd  ill  the  Uardcii 
ol'  Ellen  or  in  the  necessities  of  huilding  that 
t'olloweil  removal  from  that  exclusive  neighbor- 
hood, it  was  certainly  In  Indianapolis  at  the 
start,  and  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century 
was  the  only  organization  of  a  mystic  and  fra- 
ternal character  at  this  place.  The  Grand 
Lodge  of  Indiana  liad  been  organized  in  18KS 
with  nine  lodges,  and  the  rapid  spread  of  the 
order  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  when 
a  dispensation  was  issued  for  Centre  Lodge,  at 
Indianapolis  on  .March  '^1,  1822,  it  was  "No. 
23."  The  lodge  remained  under  dispensation 
iimil  (Ktober  7,  llS2;i,  when  a  charter  was  is- 
sued. 'J'he  original  otiicers  were  Harvey  Gregg, 
worshipful  master;  !Milo  1{.  J)avis,  senior  war- 
den ;  John  T.  Osborne,  junior  warden  and  Sam- 
uel Jlendersoii,  secretary.  These  continued  to 
the  issue  of  the  charter,  except  that  ililo  1!. 
Davis  was  succeeded  as  first  senior  warden  by 
Hervcy  Bates,  and  Saniiiel  Henderson  was  siic- 
ceedeil  by  James  .\L  l!ay  as  secretary.  The 
Otiier  oMicials  at  the  time  of  thi'  issue  of  the 
charter  were  Ubed  Foote,  treasurer;  Samuel 
McGeorge,  senior  deacon;  Abraham  Mct'ord, 
juiMor  deacon:  William  Xew,  tyler.  The  meet- 
ing jiiace  was  probaidy  not  fixed  at  first,  as 
the  first  ])ublishe(l  call  for  a  meeting  that  is 
preserved — April  2,  1823 — was  at  "the  oflice  of 
James  yi.  Hav,  Esq.'  When  Henderson  & 
Blake  cdinpleted  their  "Washington  Hall"  tav- 
ern, in  the  winter  of  182.'!- 1.  the  lodge  liiok 
(piarli'rs  in  it.- 

Ilarvey  (iregg.  the  first  master,  in  addilioii 
to  being  a  lawyer,  was  a  partner  with  l)i)ug- 
las-   Maguire  in   the  publication   of   the    H'cn/- 


'Wrstrn,  ('r„s(,r.  April  2.  1823. 
- I'^iiiilish's  Ifisl.  of  Miisiiiini  ill   1  iiilliiiiii iiiili.<. 
10.' 


evn  Censor,  which  was  apparently  the  organ  of 
the  order.  Nearly  one-third  of  its  initial  num- 
lier  is  given  to  the  publicatioit  of  the  oration 
of  Thos.  ]\r.  Allen,  "at  Bloomiiigton,  Hul.,  on 
the  2Tth  of  December,  1822,  being  the  Anni- 
versary of  St.  John  the  Evangelist.""  'J'bc 
day  the  Masons  usually  celebrated,  however, 
was  John  the  Baptist's — June  24 — -which  is 
supposed  to  be  his  birthday,  and  is  celebrated, 
contrary  to  the  usual  custom  in  saints'  days, 
instead  of  the  day  of  his  death.  On  June  2-1, 
lS2.'i,  Centre  lodge  celebrated,  and  adopted  the 
following: 

"Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  this  Ix)dge  be 
jiresented  to  the  Kev.  David  C.  Proctor  for  his 
attendance  and  the  satisfactory  manner  in 
which  he  assisted  them  in  going  through  the 
services  of  the  day. 

"Hesolved,  That  the  thanks  of  this  Lodge  be 
presented  to  "Nfr.  Caleb  Scudder,  ilr.  Dan'l 
J'..  Wick,  aii<l  Dr.  .1.  W.  B.  Moore,  for  their 
politeness  in  attending  as  musicians. 

"Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  this  Lodge  be 
]iresented  to  ,Mr.  Juliii  Hawkins  for  the  dinner 
prepared  by  him  on  that  occasion."* 

hi  this  period,  miieh  stress  was  laiil  im  the 
advantage  of  being  a  Mason  in  time  "f  dan- 
ger. In  the  address  of  Mr.  .Mien,  aliove  men- 
tioned, he  said,  "Often  and  repeatedly  have  in- 
stances occurred  where  men  have  been  overcome 
in  battle,  and  upon  the  very  verge  of  destruc- 
lioii,  when  the  uplifted  weapnns  of  hostility 
have  been  ready  to  plunge  into  its  victim,  when 
bo|)e  had  vanislied,  and  nothing  but  desjtair 
was  seen,  still  often  liave  individuals  in  this 
situation    been    relieved    and    rescued    bv    tlie 


■Wi'><l('rn  Censor,  l^farch  T.  1823. 
'Western  Censor,  Julv  2."'.,  1823. 


371 


3r? 


HISTORY  OF  CxKEATER  IXDTAXAPOLIS. 


outstivtcluMl  ;iiiii  <il  a  brother."  It  may  he 
noted  in  this  ronnection  that  Antoine  Las- 
sello  had  saved  his  life  after  the  Battle  of  the 
Fallen  Tinibcrs,  when  he  was  captured  hv 
Wayne's  men.  in  17;»4.  by  giving  tlie  mason  ie 
signal  of  distress.^  A  somewhat  amusing  evi- 
dence of  this  benefit  was  cited  in  the  Censor 
of  August  4,  18-^3,  in  the  statement  of  Captain 
Harris,  who  had  been  captured  by  pirates,  and 
who  said,  "he  was  indebted  for  his  life  to  the 
circumstance  of  his  being  a  freemason,  having 
met  with  several  masons  among  the  pirates 
who  interceded  for  him."'"  On  June  24:,  18'24 
the  celebration  of  Centre  Lodge  included  an 
address  bv  William  W.  Wick,  which  was  pub- 
lished in' full."  On  June  24.  182.5  was  the 
first  procession  recorded,  the  march  being  from 
the  lodge  room  to  the  court-house  where  the 
senices  were  held  and  thence  to  Washington 
Hall,  and  dinner:  after  which  more  marching 
I'.nd  return  to  lodge  room.'  On  this  occasion 
the  address  was  by  Bethuel  ¥.  Morris.*  The 
dinner  was  furnished  by  "Brothers  Yigus  and 
Henderson'",  'Sir.  Blake  having  retired  from 
the  tavern  business,  and  the  tenns  were,  "Din- 
ner and  Domestic  drink  $1,  and  if  Foreign 
liquors  be  furnished  $1.2.")."  On  February  (!. 
1827,  the  Journal  published  an  oration  "de- 
livered in  this  place  on  the  late  celebration  of 
St.  .Tobn.  the  Divine,  by  P.  Sweetser.  Esq.." 
before  ('entre  Lodge. 

After  this  the  new.spapers  did  not  publish 
the  addresses  or  any  accounts  of  the  meetings 
except  as  advertisements.  The  Grand  Lodge 
met  in  Indianapolis  on  Xovember  25,  1828.  and 
on  the  2Tth  had  a  procession  from  "ilason's. 
hall"  to  "the  Methodist  Meeting  House""  where 
a  sermon  was  delivered  by  Rev.  Hiram  A.  Hun- 
ter, grand  chaplain :  followed  by  dinner  at 
A^igus"s  tavern.  Possibly  the  change  in  the 
attitude  of  the  press  was  due  to  the  Morgan 
affair,  which  had  set  the  whole  county  in 
excitement  at  this  time.  ^lorgan  who  had 
|iublished  an  "exposure"'  of  Masonry,  disap- 
jieared  in  September,  1826.  and  his  fate  was 
in  doubt  for  some  months.  On  March  20. 
182*.    the    Journal    published    extracts    from 


■'Dunn's  Indiana,  p.. 438. 
"Cm-tor.   June    29:    Gazrllr.   June   20. 
'Enqbsh'x  lfi.'<t.  of  Mn.<!0:iri/   in   I nJinuapiiHs. 
p.  19.' 

~  Triiitrd   in   Co-.i-lh'.  Julv  ."i.  182.T. 


several  New  York  papers,  all  saying  that  he 
had  certainly  been  murdered.  One  of  them 
said :  "A  respectable  citizen  of  Xiasara,  who  is 
a  ilason,  has  revealed  facts  derived  from  two 
other  ilasons,  one  of  whom  was  concerned  in 
the  murder,  that  will  shock  and  startle  the 
boldest  heart.  He  says  that  Morgan  was  con- 
demned and  executed  in  the  manner  which  the 
oaths  that  he  had  violated  prescribe.  I)y  hav- 
ing his  throat  cut.  his  tongue  cut  out  and 
burned  in  the  sand,  and  his  body  sunk  in  the 
depths  of  the  lake."  Xothing  absolutely  cer- 
tain can  be  said  as  to  the  fate  of  ilorgan.  ex- 
cept, as  Hon.  Daniel  ^FcDonald  recently  said: 
"ilasonry  as  an  institution  can  no  more  be 
held  accountaldc  for  Morgan"s  abduction  and 
murder,  if  he  was  murdered,  than  can  the 
Presbyterians  be  held  responsible  for  the  bunt- 
ing of  Servetus  at  the  stake  at  the  instigation 
of  John  Calvin :  or  the  Jews,  as  a  pcojile.  be 
held  accountable  for  the  crucifixion  of  Christ. 
It  was  the  work  of  ignorant,  over-zealous  and 
misguided  members  at  that  time  of  Batavia 
lodge,  whose  actions  were  then,  and  are  still 
condemned  in  the  most  emi)hatic  terms  by  all 
true  and  loyal  ^lasons  wheresoever  dispersed 
around  the  globe." 

But  whatever  the  truth  about  the  Morgan 
case,  it  was  a  fearful  blow  to  Masonry.  Tliere 
was  not  only  a  sentiment  against  it  that  in 
some  cases  produced  actual  jierseeution.  but 
hundreds  of  members  withdrew  from  the  or- 
der. Says  McDonald:  "^Yllen  the  persecution 
struck  the  lodges  in  Indiana  in  1828  there 
were  28  lodges,  and  a  total  membershiii  of 
0.5-1.  In  1838.  ten  years  later,  the  number  of 
lodges  was  1.5.  nearly  one-half  less  than  in 
1828.  and  the  total  membership  was  i)ut  -513. 
showing  a  decrease  during  the  ten  years  of  1.'! 
lodges  and  141  meinbers.'""  Even  this  hardly 
represents  the  full  effects  of  the  depression. 
In  1831  at  the  meeting  of  the  Grand  Lodge  at 
Yincennes  there  were  only  seven  lodges  re])re- 
sented.  In  1832  at  Salem,  there  were  but 
seven:  and  at  Indianajiolis.  in  1833.  there  were 
but  five.  There  was  no  duly  accredited  repre- 
sentative of  Centre  Lodge  at  either  of  these 
meetings,  btit  Benjamin  I.  Blythe.  Austin  W. 
"Morris.    Charles    I.    Hand,    and    Thomas    'SI. 


^Masonic   Advocate.   Yol.    12.    \<.    171.    ^lav. 
1909. 

'"Mn^nnir  Advocate,  Yol.  42.  p.  ITD. 


/ 


lllSTOliV   OF   (IHKATEU  INDIA  NATol, IS. 


373 


Siiiitli,  ol'  Ci'iitrt'  l.,odg('  wt'iv  prosi'iit  in  1833 
:iii(l  tuiik  iiii  iu-tivc  part  in  tlic  (iraiid  Linlijo 
iiiei'tiiii;'.  Austin  \V.  Morris  luul  liccn  re- 
elected Grand  Seci'etary  in  1831,  and,  in  that 
capacity,  ho  was  directed  to  take  in  charge 
tile  property  of  Centre  Lodge,  whieli  liad  I'aileil 
to  jiny  its  annual  dues,  and  to  hohl  it  until 
tile  lodge  was  reorganized  and  the  debt  paid. 
This  was  aecom]jlished  in  183o,  and  the  lodge 
was  rtihartered  on  December  IT,  1835.  i'rom 
that  time  its  condition  was  prosperous,  and 
there  was  a  general  revival  of  Masonry  througli- 
out  the  state  from  the  same  time. 

Just  wliat  connection  there  was  lietween  Ma^s- 
onry  and  politics  in  the  early  times  is  not 
definitely  known,  but  it  has  been  noted  that 
llervcy  Hates  "was  the  first  person  that  ever 
lillid  the  oflice  of  SlierifE  of  Marion  County, 
and  it  is  rather  remarkable  that  the  first  Judge, 
the  first  Prosecutor,  the  first  Clerk,  the  first 
SiierilT.  the  first  County  Commissioner,  the 
first  member  of  the  Legislature,  the  first  Post- 
master, the  first  JIayor,  and  the  first  Justice  of 
the  Peace  ever  known  in  the  city  ami  county 
were  all  at  some  time  officers  of  Centi'c 
Lodge"."  it  is  even  more  notable  that  in  1831 
:ind  183"i.  when  anti-masonry  was  at  its  highest, 
the  iiazeite,  which  was  the  Jackson  organ, 
made  palpable  efl^orts  to  fasten  anti-Jfasonry  to 
ihc  Clay  movement:  and  the  Journal,  wbidi 
wa>  a  Clay  jiaper  before  his  nomination  as 
well  as  after,  resented  these  efforts  with  niurli 
indignation.  .\nd  yet  it  made  an  effort  to 
linid  both  sides,  leaving  the  discussion  of  Ma- 
sonry to  correspondents.  On  Aiigust  13,  1831, 
it  jiublislied  a  letter  from  Corydon  as  to  the 
'leitiou  in  Harrison  County,  where  the  year 
liefore  the  anti-masons  had  organized  undei- 
I).  G.  ^litchell.  and  carried  the  coiiiitv.  II 
-ail!:  "The  large  majoritv  given  to  Dr.  Slaugli- 
tcr  over  Zenor  and  Paddocks,  the  anti-masonie 
i-aiulidates.  and  the  election  nl'  three  counly 
coiniui'^sioncrs  against  the  antics,  prove  beyond 
doubt  tliat  the  hobby  Anti-Masonri/  is  down 
here :  and  when  put  to  the  test  in  other  jiarts 
of  the  state,  by  the  good  sense  nf  \\\r  peopli'. 
will  go  into  oblivion." 

in  1831  the  anti-masons  tried  to  rorestall 
tile  Itcpublican.  or  Whiff,  action  by  nominating 
\\'ni.  Wirt,  of  Maryland  for  president.     Speak- 


ing of  their  action,  and  the  probability  that 
the  Whigs  would  noinmate  Clay,  the  ■/oiinml 
said:  '"The  excitement  prmhired  by  nla^o,i^, 
and  anti-masonry,  thougli  at  \\u>  moment  gruU 
in  some  parts  of  our  country,  and  ])erha])s  well 
founded,  will  not.  it  is  believed,  be  of  long 
duration;  for  wt'  thiid'C  it  (juite  ])robable  that 
masonry  will  ere  long  1k>  abandoned,  and  thus 
leave  no  ground  for  tlie  existence  of  anti- 
masonry.'"'-  Mr.  Clay  carefully  steered  clear 
of  the  question,  although  a  Mason  himself. 
A  committee  from  an  anti-masonic  meeting  at 
Hanover,  Indiana,  composed  of  James  A.  Wat- 
son. N"oble  Butler  and  James  JL  Tiioinpson. 
having  written  him  fur  his  views  on  the  suh- 
.ject.  he  answered;  ""1  do  not  know  a  solitary 
jirovision  in  the  Constitution  (d'  the  L'liited 
States  which  conveys  the  slightest  authority  to 
the  General  Government  to  interfere,  one  way 
or  the  other,  with  either  Masonry  or  Anti- 
Masonry,  ir.  tbci'elore.  a  PiTsident  of  the 
[Initcd  States,  or  an\'  other  functionary  o!  that 
Government,  were  to  employ  his  ollicial  powei' 
to  sustain  or  to  abolish,  or  to  advance  the  in- 
lercsts  of  ilasonry  or  Anti-Masonry  it  would 
be  an  act  of  usurpation  or  tyranny.  *  *  * 
T  cannot  b(>lieve  that  Mhether  I  am  hostile  or 
friendiv  to  Masoni'v  or  Anti-^Iasonry,  is  at 
all  material  in  tlie  I'drmation  of  any  Judgment, 
on  the  |iart  ol'  ni\  fcl low-citizens,  concerning 
mv  fitness  for  any  ollice  uiuler  the  Governnu-nt 
(d'  the  Lnitcd  States.  *  *  *  Entertaining 
these  views,  1  have  constantly  refused  to  make 
myself  a  partv  to  tin'  unhappy  contest  raging, 
distant  from  me.  in  other  parts  of  the  Union, 
b(>tween    Masons    and    Anti-Masons.'"'" 

Six  weeks  latei-  the  ■hnirnnl  |)ublislied  an 
ingenious  letter.  >tating  that  "Mr.  \\'iit  is 
chagrined  and  uioiiilicd  in  the  exireine.  at 
having  acce|jted  the  .\nti-Masonic  iu)nuTia- 
tion"  and  "venturing  to  predict""  that  "Mi'. 
\\'\i  himseir  will  withdraw  friun  tlie  cimlest 
ami  vote  for  Mr.  Clay."'"  Possibly  there  was 
some  hope  of  this,  for  in  Indiana.  Judge 
James  Scott,  formerly  of  the  Supreme  Coui't 
of  Indiana,  had  been  nominated  for  Governor 
hv  the  Anti-Alasons.  and  had  withdrawn  from 
the   race.'-'      But    Wirt   did    iu)t    withdraw,  ami 


'  luiiiJiyli'x  //i.s7.  of  Miisoiin/  In  J  iidhiiKi  jftilis 


n. 


'^-Journal.  October  lo.   |8;!1. 
"Journal.  Decemher  3.  1831. 
'^Journal.  January  'il.  IS:)-.'. 
^'•Journal.  Julv   •.'3.    1  s:'.  I . 


374 


HISTORY  OF  GKEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


in  the  election  he  secured  only  the  electoral 
vote  of  Yerniout,  the  popular  vote  then  stand- 
ing, Wirt,  13,100;  Clay,  ll.l.J-^ ;  Jackson, 
7,870.  There  did  seem  a  probability  in  the 
early  thirties  that  the  Journal's  prediction  of 
Masonry  being  abandoned  would  be  realized, 
and  it  reached  its  high  point  on  December 
9,  1834,  when  the  Grand  Lodge  appointed  a 
committee,  with  Caleb  B.  Smith,  as  chairman. 
to  "inquire  into  the  expediency  of  this  Grand 
Lodge  surrendering'  its  charter,  and  if  such 
surrender  should  be  deemed  advisable  to  re- 
port such  resolutions  as  may  dispose  of  the 
property  of  the  Grand  Lodge,  and  that  of  the 
subordinate  lodges,  as  may  .seem  just  and  ex- 
pedient."' The  report  is  not  preserved,  but  \va^ 
again.st  the  surrender;  and  the  Grand  Lodge 
was  aroused  to  new  efforts,  and  the  revival  of 
Jfasonry  in  Indiana  may  properly  be  (latcil 
from  the  report  of  that  committee. 

One  of  the  mo.st  notable  eifects  of  Jlasonry 
in  Indianapolis  was  through  its  hall.  On  May 
26,  184G,  the  Grand  Lodge  appointed  a  com- 
mittee to  act  jointly  with  a  committee  of 
the  Grand  Chapter  in  the  erection  of  a  hall. 
In  the  spring  of  1847,  lots  7  and  8  in  square 
f;7  were  bought  for  $4,200.  This  was  f!3  f-ct 
fi'ont  on  Washington  street,  at  the  (-(U-nei'  nf 
Tennessee  (Capitol  avenue),  and  running  back 
to  Kentucky  avenue,  on  which  the  frontag  ■ 
was  121  feet.  An  effort  was  then  made  ti 
raise  $10,000  for  a  building  by  a  joint  stw-k 
subscription.  This  did  not  meet  anv  enc(nirage- 
mont  outside  of  Indianapolis,  but  finally  $12.- 
0.50  was  raised,  almost  wholly  in  Indianapolis, 
and  an  assessment  of  $1  per  member  was  laid 
for  four  years  to  increase  the  fund.  The  cor- 
nerstone was  laid  on  October  2.'5,  1848,  by 
Grand  ^Master  Elizur  Deniiiig  of  Lafayette,  and 
the  occasion  was  memorable.  In  those  day-; 
the  town  turned  out  even  more  generally  for 
a  "Freemason's  procession"  than  it  does  now 
for  a  big  circus  parade.  Tlie  mvstery  of  it 
all  appealed  to  the  imagination  of  the  young  es- 
pecially, and  the  more  fearful  the  stories  cir- 
culated by  the  Anti-^fasons  the  more  fascinat- 
ing it  was  to  the  boys.  On  this  occasion,  accord- 
ing to  the  local  account,  the  streets  were 
crowded  by  people  waiting  for  the  procession, 
which  had  been  announced  for  one  o'clock. 
"At  half  past  two  "the  men  with  the  blue  bands 
round  tlieir  shoulders"  and  with  'little  aprons 
iHi",    made   their   aiipearance.   and,   led   by   the 


I'endiet.ui  Band,  marched  and  counter-marched 
through  the  streets.  The  procession  was  com- 
posed of  Masons,  Sons  of  Temperance  and 
Odd  Fellows,  and  looked  well.  Their  regalias 
and  trappings  had  a  gaudy  appearance,  and  the 
whole  made  more  show  than  was  ever  before 
made  in  this  city  of  tiie  kind.  There  were 
338  in  procession,  from  all  parts  of  the  state, 
and  if  the  roads  and  weather  had  been  giwd, 
perhaps,  doiible  tiic  number  would  have  been 
out."  ^^ 

One  feature  of  the  comer-stone  ceremonies 
was  a  poem  by  Sarah  F.  Bolton,  which  justly 
won  favor  with  the  brethren,  who  presented 
her  a  silver  cup,  handsomely  engraved  in  mem- 
ory of  this  "fragrant  poetic  flower". '■  After 
the  services  at  the  site  of  the  building  the 
jirocession  moved  to  Wesley  Chapel  whore  an 
address  was  made  by  Grand  Master  Doming. 
The  crowd  then  dis]iorsed.  a  part  to  tlieir 
homes  "while  a  large  number  wont  to  ]iartake 
(if  a  supper  iiropared  by  the  Ladies  of  Wcsky 
Chapel  at  the  residence  of  Governor  Wliit- 
comb."  The  building  was  pushed  as  rapidly 
as  possible  by  the  architect,  Joseph  Willis,  of 
Indianapolis,  and  the  building  committee, 
William  .Sheets.  Gov.  James  Whitcomb.  and 
-Vustin  W.  ^lorris.  but  it  was  not  finally  coni- 
])leted  till  the  spring  of  IS.'il.  when  it  was 
dedicated.  Tlic  cost  of  building  and  grounds 
to  that  time  had  been  $21,693.98.  It  was  a 
profitable  investment,  as  well  as  a  great  benefii 
to  the  town,  which  tmtil  then  had  no  adequate 
liall.  The  lower  story  was  rented  for  business 
purposes,  and  the  hall  was  the  scene  of  most 
irf  the  lectures,  concerts  and  other  entertain- 
ments of  the  city  until  after  the  close  of  tlie 
war.  It  was  sufficientlv  advanced  for  occu- 
l>ancy  in  the  summer  of  IS.'iO.  and  was  first  on- 
cupied  then  by  ^Irs.  Le-dernier.  for  n  dra- 
matic reading.  The  following  winter,  during 
the  session  of  the  legislature,  the  hall  was  oc- 
cupied by  the  Constitutional  Convention.  Its 
only  rivals  in  the  earliest  jieriod  were  two 
smaller  halls,  one  of  whidi.  College  Hall,  was 
in  the  third  story  of  a  building  erected  at  the 
>outhwest  corner  of  Pennsvlvania  and  Wash- 
ington streets,  by  Daniel  Yandes  and  Tlioma« 
H.  Sharpe,  a  slmrt  time  before  ^fasonic   HmII 


'"Locomotive,  October  28,  1848. 
^'MrDonnlfl's    Iliston/    of    Frrciiiiisonn/    in 
III,!.,  p]).  112-116. 


HLSTOHY  OF  c  KKA  TEK  I.NDIA.N  Ai'OLiS. 


375 


was  Ijiiilt.  The  otlier.  erected  a  year  or  two 
later,  was  W'asliiiifitou  Hall,  on  Washington 
street  just  east  of  the  present  Park  Theatre, 
which  is  still  in  use.  Out  of  the  iirofits  of  the 
laiilding  the  (irand  Lodge  hought  up  the  ont- 
.-tanding  stock,  and  became  the  sole  owuer  of 
the  propeity. 

But  like  all  other  liiiildiiigs,  the  Masonic 
Hall  got  out  of  repair,  and  in  1808-11,  nearly 
*10.000  was  exj)endcd  in  repairing  and  ])ar- 
lially  remodeling  it.  In  18T3  further  altera- 
lions   were  reiiorted   necessarv,   and    in    1ST.")    it 


to  1887  was  ordered,  which  resulted  in  a  saving 
of  about  -tlU.OUO  each  two  years,  which  was 
also  applied  on  the  indebtedness.  In  ]88(j  the 
(Jrand  ^Iaster  announced  that  the  Grand  Lodge 
was  out  of  debt  and  had  about  $l"4,()()(l  in  the 
treasury.  A  grand  banquet  and  jubilee  was 
held  on  tlie  evening  of  May  26  of  that  year 
in  honor  of  the  payment  of  the  Grand  Lodge 
indebtedness."'-'*  Tile  stress  of  the  period,  how- 
e\er,  warrants  ilcDonald's  statement  that, 
■"this  was  the  most  exciting  and  trying  period 
the  (I rand   iiodge  ever  jiassed  through",  except- 


THE    FIRST    M.\SOXIC    TEMPLE,    BUILT    1848-50. 
( Fiom    an    old    cut.) 


was  decided  to  erect  a  new  buililing.  The  coni- 
niittee  adopted  iilans,  and  Iri  the  cunt  rail,  but 
did  not  include  a  (irand  i-odge  Hall,  and  when 
this  was  reported  considerable  feeling  was 
aroused,  hut  the  matter  was  arranged  by  the 
adoption  of  a  resolution  for  the  erection  of  a 
liall  in  the  re;ir  of  the  proposed  building.  When 
the  two  were  coniplrb'd  the  cost  was  over  $120,- 
000,  and  the  order  bad  a  debt  of  over  $100,000. 
This  came  at  a  tinu'  when  the  liard  times  fol- 
lowing the  panic  of  187:5  were  at  their  worst 
and  was  the  cause  of  extensive  dissatisfaction. 
Says  ^FcDonald,  ".\n  assessment  of  $1  yeai'lv 
on  each  mend)er  in  the  state  was  voted  to  br 
a|>plied  to  the  indebtedness,  and  (uie  niet'ting 
t'\'  llif  (Jrand   Lodge  ever v  two  \('ars  fi'om  18S0 


ing,  of  course,  tlie  old  Morgan  period.  It  is 
oliniati'd  that  in. Odd  mciidiei's  dro])|)cd  out  cd 
the  r)rder  in  the  ten  years,  187fi-188(;. 

i''or  thirty  years  the  second  buildings  served 
the  needs  of  the  order,  but  they  Ijccanie  inade- 
(piate  and  incon\enieid,  and  there  was  alri'ady 
talk  (d'  remodeling  and  rebuilding,  when,  on 
IMay  9,  IDIK),  the  front  building  was  seriously 
damaged  by  fire  This  brouLibt  matters  to  a 
head,  and  it  was  decided  to  build  elsewhere, 
the  Grand  Lodge  uniting  for  this  pur])ose  with 
an  organization  from  the  local  bodies  known 
as    the   Indiana)i(dis    Masonic   Temple    .Vssocia- 


'"Masoinr  Ailniinlr,    N'ol.   f.>.   |,.i:]  ;   ///.</.  of 
Fri'iniKisiiiini   in    IikHuiiii.   p.    12^. 


f)  i  (> 


IIISTOKV   or   Cl.'KATKi;    IXDIAXAI'OLIS. 


tion.  TIk'  liiiildiiig  committee  was  cmuposfd 
of  Lincoln  \'.  Craven  and  Alfreil  \V.  Knierv. 
outgoing  and  incoming  grand  masters  of  the 
(irand  Lodge,  with  the  Grand  Lodge  trustees. 
Isaac  ]'.  Lcvden.  Olin  P.  HoUoway  and  Frank 
E.  (iavin.  hi  February,  1907,  the  old  temple 
jiropertv  was  sold  for  $205,000,  which,  with 
about  $.'iO,000  received  as  fire  insurance  on  tlie 
old  building,  and  other  funds  on  hand  made 
some  $2.jr).()0()  tliat  the  Grand  Lodge  had  avail- 
able for  the  work.  The  Temple  Association 
raised  $135,000,  and  the  work  began.  The  old 
^fayer  homestead,  southeast  corner  of  North 
and  Illinois  streets,  was  pvirchased  for  $70,000. 
and  the  present  massive  temple  of  Indiana 
limestone  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $4(31,000. 

The  temple,  as  mentioned  is  owned  jointly 
by  the  Grand  Lodge  and  the  Indianapolis  Tem- 
ple Association,  the  latter  being  composed  of 
S  local  lodges.  2  chapters  of  Royal  Arch  jMa- 
soiis,  1  conimandery  of  Knights  of  Templars. 
1  council  of  Royal  and  Select  ilasons,  and  2 
chapters  of  the  Eastern  Star.  The  Grand 
Lodge  occupies  the  entire  first  Hoor ;  and  the 
npper  floors  have  tlie  lodge,  commandery,  chap- 
ter and  social  looms,  with  a  handsome  banquet 
hall,  kitchen  and  all  desirable  appurtenances. 
It  is  all  paid  for  but  about  $135,000  which  is 
practically  the  debt  of  the  Temple  Association, 
the  (iraiid  Lodge  having  paid  its  share,  sub- 
stantially. The  furnishing  of  the  building  is 
in  keeping  with  its  impressive  architecture, 
that  of  the  first  floor  having  cost  about  $14.- 
000,  and  that  o(  llie  upper  floors  about  $40,000. 
The  audience  room  on  the  first  floor  seats  ovit 
1,100.  It  is  rented  to  the  Christian  Science 
Church  for  Sunday  ami  some  weekly  meetings, 
and  is  also  rented  occasionally  for  select  musi- 
cal and  other  I'litertainraents. 

Center  Lodge  was  the  only  ilasonic  organi- 
zation at  Indianapolis,  aside  from  the  Grand 
Lodge,  until  IS  Hi.  In  that  year  Marion  I^dge. 
Xo.  35,  was  organized  :  and  an  interesting  fea- 
ture of  its  organization  was  that  Dr.  John 
F.vans,  later  widelv  known  as  Governor  of  Col- 
orado, was  its  first  worshi|)ful  master.  .\  gen- 
eration passed  before  another  permaueiit  lodge 
wa.s  organized.  Concord'a  Lodge.  Xo.  178,- 
was  chartered  in  1S55.  but  its  charter  was 
"arrested".  September  1i),  1S(i5.  In  ISfil  Cap- 
ital Citv  Lodge.  Xo.  312.  was  (u-ganized.  witli 
Aaron  T).  Olir  as  wnr>Iiipfiil  master;  and  .\n- 
cient    Landmarks    l,ci(li;-e.    N'd.    ni;i.    with    Gen. 


John  Lo\e  as  worshiid'ul  master,  '{"eiitonia 
Lodge,  Xo.  178,  was  organized  in  lS(i,"),  wiib 
John  C.  Brinkmeyer  as  worshipful  master,  but 
it  did  not  prosper,  and,  in  1871,  it  surrcnderen 
its  charter.  Next  followed  Mystic  Tie  Lodge. 
Xo.  o!)8,  with  John  Caven  as  worshipful  mas- 
ter, in  1868:  Oriental  Lodge,  Xo.  500,  with 
Charles  P.  Jacobs  as  worshipful  master,  in 
1874;  Peiitalpha  Lodge,  Xo.  564.  with  ilartin 
JL  Rice  as  worshipful  master,  in  1881 ;  Logan 
Lodge,  Xo.  575,  with  George  T.  Anderson  as 
worshipful  master  in  1887 ;  Veritas  Lodge,  Xo. 
{)08,  with  Calvin  W.  Bush  as  worshi])ful  mas- 
ter, in  1896. 

But  while  there  were  imly  the  two  lodges  of 
"ancient  craft  Masonry"  at  Lidianapolis  for 
a  number  of  years,  there  was  a  notai)le  de\elop- 
ment  in  the  higher  degrees.  The  Indianapoli- 
Chapter,  Xo.  5,  of  Royal  .\rcli  ^Fasons  was  m- 
ganizcd  February  3.  1846.  with  John  L.  Rich- 
mond as  right  worshipful  master  and  high 
jjriest.  The  second  Royal  Arch  chapter.  Key- 
stone, Xo.  6,  was  cbarti-red  October  20,  1870, 
with  .Manin  H.  Rice  as  high  priest.  Chivalric 
jMasi/iiry  was  introduced  by  the  inception  of 
Rapcr  Commandery,  Xo.  1,  Kjiights  Temiilars. 
in  May,  1847,  on  which  occasion  Rev.  Wm.  Jl. 
Paper  himself  was  present  at  the  annual  meet- 
ings of  the  Grand  Lodge  and  Grand  Chapter, 
<:n  a  missionary  visit.  The  organization  was 
perfected  in  ^lay,  1848.  Indianapolis  Coun- 
cil, Xo.  2,  of  Royal  and  Select  Masters,  was 
organized  July  24  and  25,  1855,  with  Andrew 
M.  Hunt  as  illustrious  master.  The  Scottish 
Rite  was  introduced  here  in  1863.  The  origi- 
nal mover  for  it  was  Dr.  James  ^I.  Tomlin- 
son,  who  called  into  consultation  Caleb  B. 
Smith,  who  had  already  taken  all  the  degrees 
in  the  order.  A  number  of  other  ^Lisons  were 
then  consulted,  and  on  October  7,  1863,  Tom- 
linson  and  Smith,  with  Edwin  A.  Davis,  Wm. 
John  AVallace.  Dr.  P.  G.  C.  Hunt,  John  C. 
Xew.  and  Horace  W.  Smith  went  to  Cincinnati, 
where,  with  the  e.xception  of  Smith,  they  took 
the  degrees  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Perfection 
and  the  Council  of  Princes  of  Jerusalem.  On 
October  15,  Adoniram  Grand  Lodge  was  organ- 
ized, with  the  above  named  seven  as  officers, 
and  also  the  Saraiat  Council  of  Princes  of 
Jerusalem.  The  Tndiana])olis  Chapter  of  Rose 
(^roix  and  the  Indiana  Sovereign  Consistory 
were  organized,  March  7,  1865.  Murat  Tem- 
ple   of   the    Ancient    Or(h'r    of    Xobles    of    the 


UiSTOltY   UF  UIJEATKU  1M)1  A.\ Ai'()l,lS. 


.Mvstii-  ShrJiR'  was  ()ru;anizL'(l,  Mnrch  i;J,  188J. 
witli  Jdhii  T.  Brusli  as  illustrious  jjotentatc. 
Of  the  Eastoru  Star  onlui',  (^ucen  Ksther  Chaji- 
tur,  Xo.  3.  was  orgaiiizwl,  April  4.  ISVi:  ami 
Xaoiiii  C'hai)tc'r,  Xo.  i;51,  on  Fcliniary  (3,  IS!)."). 
Ill  addition  to  lodgo  organizati(uis  Indianapolis 
has  two  notable  Masonic  organizations,  the 
^Ia.sonic  Kcliof  IJoard,  and  the  Masonic  Burial 
(iiound  .Vssociation.  The  former  was  organ- 
ized in  18()S.  to  look  after  relief  to  Mason- 
not  connected  with  local  lodges;  and  the  lat- 
ter was  organized  in  IS^;!  to  ])rovide  for  the 
l)urial  of  Masons  who  did  not  have  individual 
lots.  Kev.  Willis  I).  Hngle  has  been  secretary 
of  both  since  .lanuarv,  1880,  and  botii  bear 
witness    to    his    faithful    and    efficient    service. 

The  colored  Masons  are  not  in  atliliation  with 
white  Masons  in  this  country,  thougli  they 
claim  to  be  elsewhere  thi'iuighout  the  world.''' 
Their  first  lodge  in  Indianapolis  was  organ- 
ized in  18K.  under  the  dispensation  fi'oni  tlie 
(olored  (irand  Lodge  of  (lliio.  It  was  called 
rnion,  Xo.  1,  and  continued  until  187  1,  when 
its  members  united  with  Pythagoras  Lodge  to 
form  Central  Lodge,  which  is  now  Xo.  1.  and 
the  oldest  existing  lodge  in  the  state.  T1ic 
(irand  Ixjdge  of  Indiana  was  organized  at  In- 
dianapolis in  IS.").-),  '{'here  are  in  all  1)7  lodges 
in  the  state,  wliich  in  1!)0S  had  1.-J-39  niem- 
lier^.  In  Indiaiuipidis  there  are  live  "blue 
light"'  lodges  with  about  ."jOO  miMubers  ;  and  a 
commandery  of  Kniglits  Tem])lars  with  1S<; 
iiieiubers.  There  are  also  a  chapter  of  Hoyal 
Arch  .Masons,  a  consistory  of  1'rinees  of  Jeru- 
salem, a  council  nf  Knights  of  Kadosh,  a  chap- 
ter of  l?o,se  ('nii\.  a  (irand  Lodge  of  I'ei'fec- 
tioM,  a  Temple  n\'  the  ilystic  Shrine,  and  two 
chapters  of  the  Mastern  Star.  The  coloreil 
Masons  own  im  real  estate  in  Indianapolis, 
but  iuive  accumidated  sonu-  funds  for  purchase, 
and  are  now  easting  about  for  a  suitable  loca- 
tion for  a  home  for  the  (irand  Lodge  and  the 
local  organizat  ions. 

The   second    fraternal    oi'ganization    lo   be   es- 


'^  The  ground  of  oxehision  here  is  that  the 
original  '".Vfrican  lodge"'  was  chartered  Se|)- 
tember  ■.'!>.  ITSf,  by  the  Grand  Tjodge  of  F,ng- 
land,  after  the  Grand  Lodge  of  America  had 
dissolved  connection  with  the  British  Grand 
r/)dges.  on  account  of  the  indepeiulence  of 
the  colonies. — McDouahl.  ITixt.  Frcniinxonni. 
11.   ■.':!!. 


tablished  at  I  ndiaiia]iolis  was  the  Indepen- 
dent ()rd('r  nf  Odd  I'"ellows.  Thi>  organiza- 
tion probably  had  its  inception  in  variovi>  sn- 
cieties  of  a  social  nature  in  Fngland  in  tln^ 
eighteenth  century,  which  gradually  took  on  a 
benefit  character  in  a  small  way.  The  sulistan- 
tial  beginning  of  the  modern  order  was  about 
181,'3,  when  the  benefit  feature  was  systematized 
by  the  ilanchester  Lnity,  which  was  organized 
in  that  year  by  the  refornu'rs  of  the  order. 
From  it  the  .\merican  order  is  derived,  through 
a  charter  granted  to  Thomas  Wildey  and  his 
associates,  who  had  organized  Washington 
Lodge  at  Baltimore  in  .Vpril.  1819.  There  had 
been  some  other  lodges  in  Xew  York  and  Xevv 
Englaml.  but  tlie\'  all  eventually  recognized 
Washington  Lodge  as  superior,  and  the  order 
became  homogeneous  in  the  United  States. 
F'rom  that  time  it  spread  quite  rapidly.  The 
first  Indiana  lodge  was  organized  at  Xew  .VI- 
banv  in  LS.'l."),  and  the  second  at  Madison  in 
18;)().  These  two  obtained  authority  for  a 
Grand  Lodge  of  Indiana,  in  1S;17,  which  was 
located  at  X'ew  .Mbany  till  1841.  and  then 
moved  to  JFadison.  On  December  'lA.  1S4  1. 
Centre  Loflgi'.  No.  IS,  was  instituted  at  In- 
diaiKipolis,  willi  William  Sullivan  as  noble 
grainl  :  the  oilier  nieinbers  being  F.dgar  l>. 
iloyt.  Jaei)b  I'.  Chapman.  William  .\.  Day. 
Fiioch  Bile,  .liiciib  B.  McChesney,  and  .lolin 
Kellev.  In  ISI.").  it  was  decided  to  move  the 
(ii-.-md  Lodge  to  tlii,-.  ])lace.  and  its  first  ses- 
sion was  opened  hei-e  on  Janiuiry  D,  IS  1(1. 
There  were  then  ".'7   lodges  with  a  nienilier-bip 

of  res. 

The  (U'dcr  grew  ipiite  rapidly  loeally.  I'liil- 
oxenian  I,ihIl;i'.  Xo.  1L  was  instituteil  .lul\ 
8,  1847,  with  Ilar\i'y  Brown  as  noble  grand: 
Capital,  Xo.  Li  I.  on  January  20,  IS.").'!,  with 
John  D\inn  as  noble  grand  :  Gi>rmania.  Xo. 
l".'!l,  on  Januar\  ".M,  IS.").'!,  willi  Charles  ('o\i- 
lon  as  noble  grand.  .\\<n  Metropolitan  b'n- 
campment,  Xo.  •">.  was  inst  iti;t<Ml  .hdy  ■.'n. 
184(!,  with  Jacob  I'.  Chapman  as  child'  ]iatri- 
arch,  and  Clarion  l-".ncam|)ment,  Xo.  .'l."),  on 
J[arc]i  24,  IS.";:!,  with  Obed  Foote  as  cliief  ))a- 
triarcb.  In  the  winter  of  IS.")."^  the  order  began 
])re|)aration  for  a  (iiand  Lodge  building  liy 
organizing  a  stock  company.  Subscriptions 
amounting  to  .$4.">.0()0  were  made  by  the  Grand 
and  subordinate  lodges,  and  individuals;  and 
in  Febi-uary  the  lot  at  the  noitheast  corner  of 
Pennsyivaina    .ind    W.-i-liington    was    piircliased 


378 


HISTORY   OF   CUKATER  IXDIANAPOLIS. 


for  $17,000.  On  this  site  luid  stood  the  store 
of  Colonel  Russell  and  Wm.  Conner,  later  that 
of  Smith  &  Hanna.  A  plan  was  adopted,  later 
modified  hy  Francis  Costigan,  a  local  archi- 
tect, who  also  built  the  old  postoffice  and  the 
Oriental  Hotel — now  part  of  the  Grand;  hut 
the  building  was  finished  by  D.  A.  Bohlen. 
It  was  dedicated  with  imposing  ceremonies  on 
May  31,  1856.  It  was  an  unique  but  attrac- 
tive structure  of  an  oriental  cast  of  architec- 
ture, and  probably  drew  more  attention  than 
any  building  ever  erected  in  Indianapolis.  It 
was  remodeled  in  18T2 ;  the  dome  removed, 
and  a  mansard  roof  added :  otherwise  it  re- 
mained the  same  until  1907 — stuccoed  within 
and  without, — when  it  was  torn  down  to  make 
place  for  the  present  building. 

The  building  was  notable  as  a  business  suc- 
cess. The  cost  of  building  and  grounds  was 
.ibout  •$(52,000,  on  which  it  paid  good  inter- 
est. The  ground  floors  were  occupied  as  busi- 
ness rooms  and  commanded  high  rentals.  The 
second  floor  was  occupied  by  the  city  offices 
from  1855  to  1862,  when  they  were  removed 
to  Glenn's  block  (site  of  New  York  store), 
and  after  that  by  private  offices.  Tlie  third 
floor  was  occupied  by  the  lodge  rooms,  wdiich 
were  used  by  the  Grand  and  local  subordinate 
lodges.  The  present  building,  erected  in  1907- 
8,  appears  to  be  a  worthy  successor  as  a  finan- 
cial investment.  It  cost  $544,000,  and  has 
a  rental  income  of  about  $90,000. 

The  colored  Odd  Fellows  are  members  of 
the  Grand  United  Order  of  Odd  Fellows — 
the  parent  order  of  England.  The  American 
order — I.  0.  0.  F. — declined  to  issue  a  dispen- 
sation to  Patrick  H.  Reason  and  other  negroes 
of  Xew  York  who  desired  to  form  a  lodge,  and 
tiirough  Peter  Ogden,  a  seafaring  negro,  tliev 
obtained  a  dispensation  from  Eniiland  and  in- 
stituted Philomathean  Lodge,  No.  646.  at  New 
York,  on  March  1,  1843.  The  order  spread 
rapidly,  and  with  the  female  degrei — the 
"Household  of  IJuth" — has  largely  hmt  loii.- 
000  members.  It  has  42  lodges  and  about 
1,500  members  in  the  state.  Of  these,  4  lodges, 
with  ."550  members,  are  at  Indianajiolis.  The 
Gerritt  Smith  Lodge,  Xo.  1707,  Lincoln 
T'nioii  Lodge,  Xo.  1486  and  0.  P.  ^lorton 
Lodge,  Xo.  1986,  jointlv,  own  the  jn'opertv, 
534-fi  Indiana  avenue,  valued  at  $40,000.  The 
two    Tndiana])olis    lodges   of   the    Household    of 


liutii  meet  there.  Tlie  Southside  Lodge  oe- 
eupies  rented  quarters. 

Odd  Fellowship,  in  the  American  order,  has 
been  a  thing  of  progressive  development,  whicli 
may  be  said  to  have  started  with  John  Pawson 
Entwistle,  who  joined  the  order  in  1820,  and 
whose  initiative  work  has  been  carried  forward 
by  able  successors.  One  development  of  esiie- 
eial  local  interest  was  the  adoption  of  the  Re- 
hekah  Degree  in  1851-2,  for  women  as  well 
as  men,  of  which  Schuyler  Colfax,  of  Indiana 
was  the  author.  His  statue  iu  University 
Park  is  in  commemoration  of  his  service.  The 
>equence  of  the  existing  degrees  of  the  order 
was  completed  in  1885.  by  the  organization  of 
the  uniform  branch  of  the  Patriarchs  Mili- 
tant. An  interesting  feature  of  the  order's 
history  is  in  connection  with  the  Civil  War. 
which  practically  divided  it.  as  it  did  other 
orders,  churches,  and  various  organizations. 
Rut  during  the  war  the  roll  call  of  the  South- 
eiii  jurisdictions  was  maintained  at  the  an- 
nual sessions  of  the  Sovereign  Grand  Lodge; 
and  at  the  session  of  September  18,  1865,  all 
survivors  from  those  jurisdictions  answered  to 
(lie  call,  as  well  as  appointees  for  the  others, 
making  the  list  complete.  This  was  the  first 
known  fraternization  of  the  Blue  and  the  Gray, 
and  the  representatives  of  the  reunited  order 
joined  in  a  monster  parade,  on  the  following, 
ilav,  through  the  streets  of  Baltimore,  .\mong 
the  specially  notable  celebrations  of  the  order  at 
Indianapolis  have  been  "the  Diamond  Celebra- 
tion" of  the  seventy-fifth  anniversary  >>{  the 
founding  of  the  order  in  America,  on  .May 
It),  1894;  and  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone 
of  the  new  temple  on  Xovember  21,  1907,  both 
ef  which  were  occasions  of  large  gatherings  of 
the  members  of  the  order. 

On  the  first  of  January.  1909.  the  onler  in- 
cluded 754  lodges  in  Indiana,  with  a  total 
Miembcrship  of  76,326.  There  was  jia'd  out 
for  relief  during  the  year  $311,848,  the  bone- 
lits  reaching  4,471  families.  This  brought  the 
total  paid  out  for  relief  and  charity  in  Indiana, 
since  the  estahlisbment  of  the  Grand  Lodiri'  in 
1837,  to  $6,062,460.  There  are  17  suliordinafe 
lodges  of  this  order  in  Indianapolis,  with  a 
membership  of  4,000:  6  encampments,  with  a 
membership  of  about  800;  15  Rebekah  lodges 
with  a  membership  of  2,200,  and  3  cantnns  of 
Patriarchs  ^Militant.  Philoxenian  Lodge,  Xo. 
!1,  owns  its  hnildiiiir  on  Xorth  Meridian  street. 


ilSl(»i;V    Ol--  (.iUKATEJi  iM)lAXAruJJS. 


379 


valued  at  $(i.">,UOO ;  Cajjital  Lodge,  Xo.  124,  its 
building  on  Wasliingtou  street,  valued  at  $40,- 
()()();  Indianapolis  Lodge,  Xo.  4fj.j.  its  building 
on  \'irginia  avenue,  vahied  at  •$4U,U00  ;  Harris 
Lodge,  Xo.  (i44,  its  building  on  West  Wash- 
ington .street  (Mt.  Jaei<son),  valued  at  ijili,!)!)!!; 
and  Samaritan  Lodge  (West  lndiana})olis)  its 
building,  valued  at  $5,000.  Meridian  Lodge, 
Xo.  480,  has  purchased  a  lot  for  $-22,000,  but 
has  not  vet  built. 

'J'he  ranking  organization  in  Lidiana|)olis  in 
niendjershi])  is  the  Jni]iroved  Order  of  Ked 
Men,  wliicii  has  over  (),000  mendx-rs  in  its 
21  local  triijes.  This  order  holds  itself  a  dc- 
veiopnieiit  from  the  patriotic  orders  of  Colonial 
America — the  Sons  of  Liberty,  Tammany  So- 
ciety, and  the  later  Society  of  Eed  Men,  or- 
ganized during  the  War  of  1S12.  The  pres- 
ent order  was  started  in  ^larch,  1834,  by  the 
organization  of  i^ogan  Tribe.  Xo.  1,  at  Bal- 
timore. It  was  oriirinally  brought  into  Indi- 
ana by  the  organization  of  Seneca  Tribe,  Xo 
1.  at  ^yietamora.  on  December  28,  18.5;^.  Other 
tribes  followed,  at  Laurel,  Terre  Haute,  Edin- 
burg  and  Franklin;  and  on  Jlay  11.  LS.")."),  n 
Great  (-ouncil  was  instituted.  The  organiza- 
tion did  not  thrive,  and  in  the  course  of  two 
or  three  years  became  practically  extinct  in 
the  state.  After  the  Civil  War  <'tt'orts  were 
made  to  revive  it.  the  only  tribe  then  in  exi  — 
tencc  being  Wyandotte,  Xo.  8.  of  Kichmond. 
which  was  organized  in  18.19.  Tippecanoe 
'J'ribe,  Xo.  9,  wa.s  organized  in  LSfifi  at  Pat- 
riot; Iroquois,  Xo.  10.  at  Brookville  in  18(57 ; 
Wal)as]i.  Xo.  n,  at  Lafayette  on  Juno  1,  1808 : 
and  Kanagliwagh,  Xo.  12,  at  Attica,  on  Au- 
gust 24,  ]8(;8.  '  On  December  19,  1808,  th- 
Great  Council  was  revived,  at  Patriot,  and  still 
continues;  but  the  earlier  lodges  became  ex- 
tinct, and  the  oldest  now  in  existence  is  Wa- 
bash. Xo.  11. 

For  twenty  years  the  order  grew  slowly,  there 
being  less  than  1,800  members  in  the  state  in 
1887.  It  originally  admitted  men  engaged  in 
the  retail  lirpior  business.  Init  later  this  was 
made  optional,  and  in  1899  the  Great  Council 
of  Indiana  excluded  them.  Tlie  first  tribe 
organized  in  Indianapolis  was  Polmete,  Xo.  17. 
on  May  2.  1870,  and  it  is  .still  in  existence. 
It  is  the  only  tribe  in  the  state  that  transacts 
business  in  German.  Red  Cloud  Tribe,  Xo. 
18.  was  organized  August  9.  IS'IO,  and  is  now 
the  largest  in  tlie  state,  liaving  91(">  m('nil)ers. 


The  total  membership  in  the  stale  at  the  last 
Great  Council  meeting  (October  20,  1908)  was 
o(),.527.  Four  of  the  Inilianapolis  tribes  have 
buildings  of  their  own,  as  follows:  Comanche, 
Xo.  128,  in  West  Indianapolis,  valued  at  $!».- 
000:  Tishimingo,  Xo.  210,  at  Seventeenth  and 
Koosevelt,  valued  at  $10,000;  Itasca,  Xo.  252, 
at  Indiana  avenue  and  Xew  York,  valued  ac 
$55,000;  and  Winamac,  Xo.  279,  in  Xorth  In- 
dianapolis, valued  at  $10,000.  In  1905  the 
Indianajjolis  Wigwam  Association  was  formed 
by  the  five  tribes,  Polmete,  Xo.  17;  Hcd  Cloud, 
Xo.  18;  Minnewa,  Xo.  38;  Hiawatha,  No. 
75;  and  Xewasa,  Xo.  190.  It  has  purchased 
the  old  Ilaueisen  residence,  at  the  southeast 
corner  of  Xorth  and  Capitol  avenue,  and  will 
soon  erect  a  handsome  and  commodious  build- 
ing. The  first  council  tire  of  the  Degree  of 
Pocahontas,  to  which  both  men  and  women 
are  admitted,  was  instituted  at  Philadelphia. 
February  28,  1887,  and  it  was  introduced  into 
Indiana  in  the  same  year.  There  were  18,504 
members  of  this  degree  in  Indiana  in  October, 
1908,  of  whom  1,922  were  in  the  13  council 
fires,  located  at  Indianapolis. 

For  rapid  develoj)ment,  the  most  notable 
order  in  Indianapolis  is  the  Knights  of  Pythi- 
as. As  is  commonly  known,  it  was  origiiuited 
at  Washington,  February  19,  18(54.  through 
the  efforts  of  Justus  II.  Rathbone.  The  first 
lodge  then  formed  was  Washington  Xo.  1.  It 
was  followed  on  April  12,  by  Franklin  Lodge 
Xo.  2,  and  soon  by  two  others,  all  of  which 
united  in  forming  a  Grand  Lodge  on  April  8, 
18(55.  Then  ensued  an  extraordinat^'  reversal, 
and  by  August  17,  1865,  Fraid^Iin  T^odge  Xo. 
•J.  was  the  only  one  in  existence.  But  its 
nimdiers  were  "stayers."  They  assumed  the 
functions  of  a  (Jrand  Lodge  >in(il  a  new  one 
nas  organized  on  ^lay  1,  1S()(>:  and  prosecuted 
missionary  work  with  such  vigor  that  on  De- 
(cmbcr  31,  ISfiG,  there  were  four  active  lodges, 
.ill  in  Washington,  with  a  mcml)ersliip  of  379. 
I-'rom  that  time  it  grew  rapidly.  It  was  in- 
troduced in  Indianapolis  in  18()!t.  .V  dispen- 
.-ation  had  been  issued  to  Charles  P.  (^arty,  Al- 
bert JI'Lane  and  others  to  form  a  lodge  on 
.Line  1.  1869;  but  when  it  came  to  the  fornuil 
institution  on  July  12,  there  were  21  ajipli- 
cauts,  and  it  was  determined  to  form  two 
lodges,  whereu])on  .Marion  Lodge  Xo.  1  and 
Olive  Branch,  Xo.  2,  were  instituted.  Three 
lodiTes    were    instituted    at     I'"l.    Wavne    during 


;380 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDTAXAPOLIS. 


THE   FIRST   ODD  FELLOWS  HALL. 


HISTOI.'V   ()!■■  CKKA'l'KH    INDIANAPOLIS. 


381 


the  summer,  and  on  Octuln'i-  ".'i).  lS(i!),  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  liidi:iii;i  was  oi-ganizeil,  with 
Charles  P.  Carty  :i-  Niiierahle  Grand  Patri- 
arch, and  John  taven  as  Grand  Chancellor. 
On  ilay  1,  1871.  there  were  nine  active  lodges 
in  tlie  state  witli  membership  of  over  TOO. 
On  Jmie  30,  1908,  there  were  491  lodges  in 
the  state,  with  a  reported  .membership  of  G3,- 
•i'Mi:  of  which  1-1  lodges  and  4,4'^3  members 
were  located  at  Indianapolis. 

One  of  the  striking  buildings  of  Indianapolis 
is  the  "flatiron,"'  Indiana  I'vthian  Building,  at 
the  corner  of  Pennsylvania  street  and  ilassa- 
(husetts  avenue.  It  was  erected  in  190.">-(i  at 
a  cost  of  .^.tI 7,700,  ihe  ground  costing  $47..")0(i. 
and  dedicated  with  imposing  ceremonies,  and 
accompanying  celebration,  August  12-17.  1907'. 
'Hie  order  occupies  about  two  full  Hoors  of  the 
liiiilding.  and  the  remaining  eleven  are  rent- 
ed. I  lie  rental,  when  fully  occupied,  being 
about  -iilOO.OOO  a  year,  and  the  running  expense 
ami  fixed  charges,  about  one-half  of  that 
amount.  Southeast  of  this  l)uilding.  at  Nos. 
115-119  East  Ohio  street,  is  the  lodge  building 
of  Indianapolis  Lodge  Xo.  56;  one  of  the  three 
largest  lodge  Iniildings  in  the  country  ;  and  the 
lodge,  now  numbering  880  members,  is  the 
largest  in  Indiana.  'I'iie  jn-opcrty  is  valued  at 
$(11.00(1,  and  the  ground  floor  is  rented  for 
!'!1.7(i(»;  the  remaining  three  stories  are  used 
liv  the  lodge.  This  building  was  put  up  with- 
niil  assessment  of  members,  or  stock  issue,  the 
money  being  borrowed  ;  and  the  lodge  is  grad- 
uallv  paying  the  loan  from  its  receipts.  One 
bl()cl<  east,  on  the  north  side  of  Ohio  street,  is 
Castle  Hall,  the  ])r(iperty  of  the  Indianapolis 
Castle  Hall  .\sso(iati<in,  which  was  forini'd  in 
19(11.  bv  six  local  hxlges.  ^Marion.  No.  1  :  Olive 
lli-Miicb.  \o.  '2;  Star.  No.  7':  Kxcclsior.  No.  •.'5-. 
l'a|iiiiil  City.  Xo.  97:  and  Xinetcenth  Cen- 
tury. No.  497.  The  lifth  ami  sixth  floors  arc 
reserved  lor  lodge  purposes,  including  social 
and  ijan(|uet  rooin>;  and  there  remain  fur  rent- 
al 5  store  rooms  ami  1  I  office  ro(nns.  The 
total  investment  for  building  and  g-roiinds  was 
*1()3.000.  The  aiuiual  rental  receipts  are 
about  $13,(10(1.  ,,r  wliicli  a  little  Ir-s  than 
$8,000  goes  tor  rmiiiing  expense  and  interr^t. 
leaving  a  surplus  of  over  $5,000. 

The  ladies'  auxiliary  branch  of  this  ordei-  is 
the  Pythian  Sisters,  whidi  is  |)ecnliarly  an  In- 
diana institution.  The  first  temple  was  or- 
ganized at  Wars.iw,  Indiana,  in  188S.    On  June 


1,  1889,  the  Grand  Temple  of  Indiana  was  in- 
stituted at  Indianapolis.  The  organization  de- 
veloped (piitc  rapidly,  and  the  Supreme 
Temple  (National),  was  organized  at  Indian- 
apolis in  the  same  year.  There  are  now  over 
50,000  members,  of  whom  about  one-fifth  are 
in  Indiana.  There  are  four  temples  in  In- 
dianapolis, with  something  over  400  members. 
The  Improved  Order  of  Knights  of  Pythias' is 
the  result  of  a  split  of  the  original  order  on 
the  subject  of  language.  The  original 
Knights  of  Pythias  allowed  ritual  work  in  any 
language,  but  in  1892  it  restricted  it  to  the 
Knglish  language,  not  only  as  to  future  lodges, 
but  also  as  to  those  then  existing.  There  were 
at  the  timi'.  93  lodges  in  the  order  using  Ger- 
man rituals,  and  representatives  of  these  with 
13  others  met  at  Indianapolis  on  June  12, 
1893,  and  protested,  and  petitioned  for  a  rev- 
ocation of  the  decree.  They  were  much  in- 
censed by  the  scant  consideration  their  petition 
received,  and  withdrew  in  a  body,  taking  aliont 
20,000  members.  On  l)eccml)er  18,  1893,  tiie 
seceding  lodges  organized  a  Supreme  Lodge, 
at  Buffalo,  X.  Y.,  and  began  their  independ- 
ent existence.  There  arc  now  11  lodges  in 
Indiana,  of  which  7.  witli  about  1,200 
nienibei-s  arc  in  Indiana]ioli-.  The  order  is  not 
e.xelusively  (iennan.  as  is  quite  commonly  un- 
derstood, but  allows  the  same  latitude  in 
language  as  the  original  Knights.  Four  of  the 
In(liana|iolis  lodges  use  the  English  ritual.  In 
Sejjtembcr.  1906,  representatives  of  the  In- 
dianapolis lodges  formed  a  stock  company 
called  the  Castle  Hall  .Association,  the  object 
being  t"  provide  a  suitable  building  for  the 
local  lodges,  to  whom  it  is  to  be  turned  over 
as  soon  as  fully  i)aid  for.  In  1909,  the  associ- 
ation binight  tiie  old  Board  of  Trade  building, 
southeast  coriu'r  of  Capitol  a\cnue  and  Mary- 
land street.  The  cost,  with  some  little  alter- 
ation ami  repair,  was  $62,000.  .\bout  two  full 
floors  ai'e  orciipied  by  the  lodges  and  the  rent- 
al from  llie  ri']nainder  i-  over  $7.00(1  a  yi'ar. 
The  ollice  of  the  Supreme  ."Scribe,  K.  F.  Kjiodel. 
is  also  located  in  this  Iniiiiling. 

Tbe  colored  organization  of  Knights  of 
Pythias  claims  to  have  originated  with  colored 
men  who  were  admitted  to  .-ome  of  the  Eastern 
lodges,  and  who  uitlidicw  because  a  separate 
eliarter  for  a  <oloreil  lodge  was  refused.  The 
order  was  organized  in  1SS0,  and  the  first 
lodge    in    Indiami    was    cstaiilished    at    Evans- 


382 


HISTOEY  OF  GEEATEE  JXDIAXAI'OLIS. 


ville,  in  1889.  This  lodge  is  uow  extinct,  and 
tile  oldest  lodge  in  the  state  is  Pride  of  the 
West,  No.  2,  of  Indianapolis.  There  are  11 
lodges  of  the  order  in  Indianapolis,  with  about 
l.--'00  members.  Four  of  these,  Pride  of  the 
West,  No.  2;  Marion,  No.  5;  Montgomery,  No. 
(i;  and  Compeer,  No.  31,  have  formed  a 
Castle  Hall  Association,  and  purchased  the 
projierty  known  as  701  North  Senate,  where 
they  e.xpect  to  build  soon.  The  women's  aux- 
iliary organizations  of  this  order  are  called 
Courts  of  Calanthe.  There  are  five  of  these  in 
Indianapolis,  with  about  400  members. 

The  Royal  Arcanum  is  a  fraternal  insurance 
and  benefit  association,  which  was  organized  at 
l^ostou  in  1877,  and  has  paid  over  .$12."),000.- 
iiUO  to  beneficiaries  since  that  time.  Its  total 
membership,  May  31,  1900,  was  242,873.  It 
has  43  councils  in  Indiana,  with  3,200  mem- 
bers. It  was  introduced  in  Indianapolis — 
and  in  the  state — in  1879 ;  and  now  has  3 
councils  and  400  members  in  this  city.  Mem- 
bership is  restricted  to  white  males,  and  the 
(iulf  States,  and  adjoining  territory  subject  to 
epidemics,  are  excluded  from  its  benefits.  The 
order  owns  no  real  estate  in  Indiana,  and  in- 
deed none  in  the  United  States,  except  the 
Sujjreme  Council's  building  in  Boston,  whicJi 
was  completed  in  1872.  The  chief  object  of 
the  organization  is  cheap  insurance  for  its 
members.  It  has  an  invested  '"emergency 
fund"  of  over  $.5,000,000  used  exclusively  for 
death  claims. 

'Die  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Honor  is  a  com- 
paratively new  order  that  has  been  making 
rapid  progress  without  much  parade.  Its  first 
lodge  was  organized  in  Kentucky,  in  Septem- 
ber. 1877,  and  tlu'  Supreme  Lodge  was  incor- 
jiorated  by  the  Kentucky  legislature  in  1878,  the 
charter  being  amended  by  the  act  of  December 
14,  1881.  It  is  a  purely  beneficiary  order,  con- 
fined to  the  Ignited  States,  with  no  uniform 
rank.  It  is  notable  as  the  first  order  to  ad- 
mit women  on  terms  of  absolute  equality  willi 
men  in  all  res])ects,  the  charter  meml)ers!ii]> 
jtrovision  extending  to  "all  acceptable  white 
jiersons,  male  and  female."  On  November  2."). 
1891,  the  Supreme  Lodge  filed  articles  of  in- 
corporation witli  the  Secretary  of  State  of  In- 
diana, and  removed  to  Indianapolis  thereaft- 
er. In  1903  it  purchased  the  ])roperty  known  as 
429  North  P(>iinsylvania  street,  which  was  for 
many   years   the   residence   of   Senator  Joseph 


E.  ilcDonald,  and  erected  its  handsome 
"temple"  there.  It  paid  $18,000  for  the  prop- 
erty, and  the  cost  of  the  building,  including 
the  heating  plant  on  the  rear  of  the  lot,  was 
$43,500.  The  order  has  now  over  95,000  mem- 
bers, and  the  annual  receipts  of  the  Supreme 
Lodge  are  over  $1..")00,()00.  The  order  extends 
to  all  part  of  the  I'^itcd  States,  and  is  especial- 
ly strong  in  New  York.  In  Indianapolis  there 
are  about  1,500  members,  forming  11  subordi- 
nate lodges,  five  of  which  meet  in  the  temple, 
and  the  other  in  rented  quarters.  The  Supreme 
Protector  is  S.  B.  Watts,  of  ileridian,  Missis- 
sippi, and  the  Supreme  Secretary,  Geo.  D. 
Tait,  of  Indianapolis. 

The  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks  might  be  called  the  fraternity  of  "Bo- 
hemia,'" at  least  in  its  inception.  Its  original 
constitution,  adopted  in  ilarch,  1868,  restricted 
it  to  '•'members  of  the  theatrical,  minstrel, 
musical,  equestrian  and  literary  professions, 
and  others  who  sympathize  with  and  approve 
of  the  object  in  view,"  which  was  "to  promote, 
protect  and  enhance  the  welfare  and  happiness 
of  each  other."  But  like  most  otlier  organiza- 
tions it  broadened,  and  its  new  constitution, 
adopted  at  Denver,  in  June.  1906.  the  jirofes- 
sional  limitation  was  dropjied  formally,  as  in 
fact  it  had  always  been  practically,  and  the 
oliject  was  declared  to  be  "to  inculcate  the 
priiicijiles  of  Charity,  Justice,  Brotlierly  Love 
and  Fidelity;  to  promote  the  welfare  and  en- 
hance tlie  happiness  of  its  members ;  to  quicken 
the  spirit  of  American  patriotism;  to  cultivate 
good  fellowship ;  to  jierpetuate  itself  as  a  ira- 
ternal  organization  and  to  provide  for  its  gov- 
ernment.'" Membershi])  is  restricted  to  white 
males.  Only  one  lodge  is  allowed  in  a  city, 
and  none  in  a  place  of  less  than  5.000  inhabi- 
tants. It  has  a  ritual  inculcating  morality, 
but  makes  no  assumiition  of  religious  functions 
and  has  no  religious  rites.  It  is  beneficiary  and 
charitable  in  a  practical  way.  but  does  not  make 
]nil)lic  the  names  of  beneficiario. 

The  organizatiiHi  developed  from  a  convivial 
association  of  actor-;  and  others,  with  head- 
quarters at  ^Irs.  Gc'sman's  lioarding-housc. 
188  Elm  street.  New  York  Citv.  It  was  called 
The  Jolly  Corks,  and  was  really  formed  to 
evade  the  Sunday  liquor  laws.  Most  of  f\w 
members  were  English,  and  had  been  members 
of  s'lnilar  organizations  in  the  old  country, 
which    held    sucli    titles     as    "The     Frolicsome 


1IIS'|-()I;V   OF   ClMvV'IF.n    INItlAXArol.lS. 


:5S3 


OvftcTS,"  '•The  Iiollieking  Kaiiis,"  "'['lie  Himiid- 
ing  Biiffalof;,"  etc.  1'he  name  was  due  to  an 
initiatory  ceremony.  Eacli  member  carried  a 
cork,  and  the  new  meniljer,  being  I'urnislied 
with  one,  was  taught  a  new  game,  in  wliich  a 
-igiial  was  given,  and  the  last  one  to  knock 
over  his  cork,  wiiich  had  been  set  on  end,  on 
the  bar,  treated  the  crowd.  The  new  member, 
of  course,  knocked  his  cork  promptly,  and  no 
one  else  did,  so  that  hi.s  election  wa#  indisput- 
able. Among  these  was  (Jeorge  F.  McDonald, 
who  conceived  the  idea  of  making  the  associa- 
tion of  practical  use  in  the  aid  of  members  in 
need.  There  was  some  opposition,  under  the 
load  of  Charles  Mvian,  who  finally  proiiosed 
to  make  it  a  branch  of  the  English  order  of 
BufFalos,  of  which  he  'was  a  member;  but  the 
new  order  was  instituted  on  February  10,  18(18, 
its  name  l)eing  suggested  by  a  mounted  Elk"s 
head  at  r.arnum's  museum.  It  may  be  added 
that  scientists  usually  consider  the  moose  tlie 
true  elk  of  this  country,  it  lieing  similar  to.  if 
not  the  same  as,  the  Huropean  elk.  What  we 
call  the  elk — the  wapiti—corresponds  to  the 
European  stag.  On  account  of  this  confusion, 
the  scientifie  name  of  the  moose  was  used  for 
s(i;ue  time  as  a  password  by  the  order  of  Elks. 
The  constitution,  by-laws  and  ritmd  of  the 
new  order  were  chiefly  tiic  work  of  Henry  P. 
O'Xeil,  who  liad  been  a  professional  gymnast, 
but  with  educational  tendencies;  and  was  then 
the  principal  of  Xew  York  Grammar  School, 
No.  1.  and  entitled  to  add  B.  A..  M.  A.,  and  Ph. 
D.  to  his  signature.  The  order  grew  ipiite 
rapidly,  and  was  incorporated  by  the  New  York 
legislature  ^larcli  in.  1871.  Its  introduction 
in  Indianapolis — and  in  Indiana — -was  due  to 
Geo.  W.  June,  who  obtained  a  dispensation  and 
with  the  aid  of  .laiiu's  Y.  Cook  and  othiTs,  ob- 
taiiiccl  a  list  of  SO  signers  to  the  petition  for 
a  chartcM'.  Indianapolis  Lodge.  No.  K!.  wa^ 
dulv  instituted  ^March  20,  1881.  witli  W.  E. 
English  as  Kxalted  Puler.  On  Mav  111.  ISSI. 
the  new  lodge  liad  a  volunteer  bcnrlil  at 
EnglisliV.  largelv  of  mcmliers  of  Ilav>'rlv"s 
minstnd-i.  then  liere.  'i'bis  was  followed  bv 
annual  b(>nefits  from  vari(His  companies,  until 
November  •"..  188(1.  when  the  first  rciruiar  Klks 
Minstrels  was  given,  with  W.  V..  iMigllsh  as 
interlocutor,  and  F.  V.  Wade.  .1.  II.  Martin. 
Pink  Hall  and  iiob  Johnson  as  end  men.  Tlii- 
proved  jiopular.  and  its  annual  ]ii-escntatiop 
has  liecome   a    feature   of    Indianapolis   amuse- 


ment. 'Riis  was  a  suggestion  of  June's  and 
lijis  since  been  widely  tmitated  elsewhere.  The 
rej)orted  total  membership  of  the  Elks,  .\pril 
I.  1908,  was  '.'84.:!-M,  in  1,11!)  lodges.  There 
arc  .")4  lodges  in  Indiana,  and  the  membership 
ill  Indianapolis  is  about  800.  'I'he  Indiaii- 
a])olis  lodge  has  had  notable  recognition  by 
the  national  body,  two  of  its  members,  W.  E. 
Knglish  and  Joseph  T.  Earring,  having  filled 
the  highest  office,  wliich  is  Grand  Exalted 
iiuler:  Geo.  W.  June  has  served  as  (Jrand  'i'y- 
Icr.  and  Frank  P.  Wade  was  Grand  Chaplain. 
in  1902,  the  Indianapolis  lodge  erected  its 
handsome  and  commodious  building  on  Mary- 
land street,  which  was  dedicated  on  June  l.">. 
of  that  year.  Tlie  cost  of  the  building  and 
grounds  was  about  $40,000.  A  pleasant  and 
commendable  institution  of  the  Indianapolis 
Klks  is  their  annual  picnic  or  outing  for  the 
orphans  of  the  city,  which  includes  those  from 
all  the  orphans"  homes  except  the  Lutheran, 
who  do  not  participate  on  account  of  their  ob- 
jections to  secret  societies. 

The  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur  is  an  order  of  special 
local  interest  on  account  of  its  origin.  It  is 
based,  in  its  ritual,  on  Gen.  Lew  Wallace's 
famous  book;  and  the  order  grew  from  a  con- 
ference lield  with  Wallace  by  D.  W.  Gerard  and 
F.  L.  Snyder,  in  Novendjer,  180:1.  Wallace 
tlu'n  agreed  to  the  founding  of  the  order  on  his 
story,  and  to  get  the  consent  of  his  publishers. 
The  order  was  incorporated  in  Indiana,  Jan- 
uary 9,  1894,  and  the  first  meeting  of  the 
Supreme  Tribe  was  held  at  Crawfordsville  on 
January  Ki.  The  first  subordinate  court  was 
instituted  at  Crawfordsville.  :March  1,  1894, 
and  named  Simonides  Court.  No.  1.  The  bene- 
ficiary ]ilan  was  perfected  soon  after,  the  first 
certificate  being  issued  on  April  5.  It  grew 
rajiidly,  attaining  a  membership  of  12,.'J22  by 
January  1,  1897.  In  July,  1909,  its  meinber- 
slii|)  reached  110,000  and  its  reserve  fund,  $1,- 
;i00,0fl0.  It  is  a  beneficial  fraternity,  witli  no 
iissessments.  but  regular  monthly  payments  by 
mendiers;  the  social  members  paying  one-half 
the  rate  of  those  who  partici[)ate  in  sick  !)eiie- 
fits.  Death  and  disability  insurance  is  a 
separate  matter  with  rates  graded  by  age. 
Men  and  women  are  admitted  on  a  basis  of 
absolute  equality.  'i'he  headr|iiarters  of  the 
ordi'r  is  at  Crawfordsville,  where  I  lie  Siiprenie 
Tribe  owns  a  modest  "honu-.'"  that  cost  !f!(;.(iO0. 
Members  applying  for  insurance  must  pass  a 


384 


HISTORY   OF   (;I;H.\11:R   IXDIAXArOUS. 


iiH'dieal  exaiiiiiiatioii,  and  the  amount  issued  to 
any  one  person  cannot  exceed  $3,000. 

The  order  was  introduced  in  Indianapolis  in 
1S!)4,  wlien  Arrius  Court,  No.  5.  was  organ- 
ized. It  now  has  400  members.  The  succeed- 
ing Courts,  with  their  present  menibersliii), 
were  Indiana,  in  1903,  with  103  members:  Kiv- 
erside,  1903,  with  -S.")  members;  Star,  19(H, 
with  170  members;  and  Astrea,  in  190S.  with 
99  members;  there  are  also  two  smaller  Coui'ts. 
Daphne,  Xo.  2.5.  organized  in  1896,  with  IS 
members:  and  Sedan,  organized  in  1902,  with 
29  members. 

An  interesting  event  in  the  local  history  of 
this  order  was  its  fight  to  put  the  statue  of 
Gen.  Lew  Wallace  in  the  national  statuarv 
hall,  at  Washington.  Each  state  is  allowed  two 
statues  of  distinguished  citizens,  or  persons 
connected  witli  its  history,  and  a  statue  of  Oli- 
ver P.  ^forton  had  been  placed  there  by  order 
of  the  legislature  of  1897.  The  question  took 
on  a  political  character.  Democrats,  generally, 
felt  that  the  other  statue  should  be  of  Thomas 
A.  Hendricks,  and  Republicans,  generally,  were 
determined  that  it  should  not  l>e.  The  legisla- 
ture of  1907,  being  Republican  in  both 
branches,  the  party  leaders  decided  to  settle 
the  matter,  supposing  that  there  would  be  no 
diificulty  in  passing  an  act  to  place  a  statue 
of  ex-President  Harrison  in  the  other  place. 
But  the  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur  was  promptly  on 
hand  with  a  demand  for  Lew  Wallace.  The 
Star,  which  favored  Harrison,  made  the  ques- 
tion the  subject  of  a  coupon  voting  contest. 
Democrats,  realizing  that  thev  were  not  in  the 
game,  payed  little  attention  to  it;  but  the  labor 
organizations  started  a  movement  for  Edward 
F.  Gould,  of  Indianapolis,  whose  sole  claim 
was  that  he  had  been  a  devoted  laltor  leader 
through  his  life.  In  spite  of  opposition  ef- 
forts. Wallace  was  kept  in  the  lead,  and  when 
the  Star  closed  its  contest  on  January  27,  1907, 
the  vote  stood:  Wallace,  10,48:  :  Harrison,  9,- 
49fi;  Gould,  .■),1.-)1  ;  and  Hendricks,  1,083;  with 
a  dozen  others  having  smaller  votes,  notalde 
among  whom  was  Capt.  James  B.  Eads.  pei- 
haps  the  most  distinguished  Indianian  of  them 
all — c-ertainly  the  greatest  civil  engineer  <if  the 
nineteenth  century.  American  or  foreign — who 
had  a  total  of  .t  votes.  Meanwhile,  the  bill 
))assed  the  Senate  easily  on  January  2.5.  nnd. 
notwithstanding  a  strong  (iglit  against  it.  mi 
February  27.  received  the  inii-e  constitiUional 
majority  of  51  to  44  in  the  House.     Walhu-e 


was  a  native  of  Indiana,  which  Harrison  was 
not,  and  he  had  been  a  Democrat  before  the 
war:  so  that  the  selection  was  not  so  bitter  a 
political  pill  as  had  been  contemplated.  But  it 
should  not  be  foi-golten  that  the  statue  is  a 
monument  to  the  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur,  in  addi- 
tion to  its  other  significance. 

The  German  order  of  Harugari,  originated 
in  Xew  York  in  1847,  and  was  largely  a  result 
of  opposition  to  "Knownothingism."  It  is  a 
fraternal  benevolent  order,  with  sick  and  death 
benefits.  It  was  introduced  in  Indianapolis  in 
187,5,  and  there  are  now  two  lodges  here,  each 
of  about  .50  members.  Schiller  lodge,  Xo.  381, 
is  a  men's  lodge,  and  Hertha,  Xo.  43,  is  a  wo- 
man's lodge.  They  occupy  rented  property. 
The  Sons  of  Herman  is  also  a  German  order 
which  originated  in  Xew  York  in  1848,  large- 
ly based  on  opposition  to  "Knownothingism," 
and  also  to  combat  a  system  of  peonage  that 
had  grown  up  of  selling  immigrants  to  pay 
their  passage  money.  An  unsuccessful  at- 
tempt was  made  to  introduce  it  in  Indianapo- 
lis in  1884,  and  it  was  permanently  introduced 
in  1896.  There  are  now  67  lodges  in  the  state, 
of  which  2,  with  about  100  members,  are  lo- 
cated at  Indianapolis. 

The  Ancient  Order  of  Druids  was  founde(l  in 
London  in  1781,  and  suffered  various  splits 
and  factional  troubles.  The  chief  body  derived 
from  it  was  the  L^nited  Ancient  Order  of 
Druids,  which  was  originally  introduced  in 
(his  country  in  1833.  It  did  not  live  long,  and 
in  1839,  George  Washington  Grove,  Xo.  1,  was 
organized  at  X'ew  Y'ork  City,  and  from  that 
time  the  order  grew  steadily  in  the  United 
States.  It  is  a  moral,  social,  beneficiary  as- 
sessment association.  There  is  an  auxiliary 
branch  to  which  women  are  admitted,  the 
lodges  of  which  are  called  "circles."'  This  was 
one  of  the  early  orders  in  Indianapolis,  the 
first  grove — Octavia — having  been  organizecl  in 
18.54.  It  was  a  German  grove,  and  indeed  the 
order  was  German,  but  this  characteristic  has 
gradually  worked  out  and  the  Indianapolis 
gi'oves  are  now  all  conducted  in  English. 
Manilla,  Tuxedo,  and  other  early  groves  have 
(li>ap]ieare(l.  and  Octavia  Grove  was  consoli- 
dated with  Capital  City  Grove  in  1909.  There 
are  now  six  groves  in  the  city — Capital  City, 
Klondike.  Garfield,  iferidian.  Lincoln  and 
ifagnolia — and  l,70(i  members,  including  the 
circles,  of  which  there  is  one  for  each  grove. 
\   U'rand    ^'■roy(^  nf  the   slate  was  or^anizeil    in 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


385 


1800.  'I'lieiv  liavL'  been  one  or  two  splits  in 
this  order,  the  last  local  one  being  in  190!t, 
when  ilodel  Grove,  No.  34,  withdrew  and  start- 
I'd  ou  an  independent  career,  tinder  the  name 
of  Modern  Druids.  The  chief  cause  of  this 
separation,  was  the  objection  of  those  with- 
drawing, to  the  admission  to  the  United  An- 
cient Order  of  Druids  of  persons  engaged  in 
the  liquor  business. 

There  are  a  number  of  sick  and  funeral 
benefit  associations  among  the  negroes  of  In- 
dianapolis, both  for  men  and  for  w^omen.  Per- 
haps the  oldest  and  most  important  of  these 
is  the  United  Brothers  of  Friendship,  whicli 
was  organized  at  Louisville,  August  1,  1861. 
The  controlling  spirit  soon  became  W.  H.  Gib- 
son, a  Louisville  teaclier,  under  whose  leader- 
ship the  society  was  reorganized  in  1868.  A 
grand  lodge  was  formed  in  Kentucky  in  1S7.J. 
with  Gibson  as  State  Grand  Master  for  five 
years  and  later  National  Grand  Master.  He 
pushed  the  work  of  organization  outside  of 
Kentucky,  and  in  1900,  tliere  were  over  lOO.OOo 
members.  In  18T8,  a  women's  auxiliary  was 
formed,  known  as  tlie  Sisters  of  the  Mysterious 
Ten.  There  are  .3  lodges  of  the  United  Broth- 
ers in  Indianapolis,  with  850  members,  and  6 
lodges  of  the  Sisters,  with  800  members.  There 
is  also  a  juvenile  au.xiliary  with  300  members. 
Another  of  the  older  of  these  orders  is  the 
American  Doves  of  Protection,  w-ith  member- 
ship for  women  only,  the  first  lodge  of  whicli 
was  established  here  in  1805.  It  now  has  lO.'i 
members,  and  there  is  another  local  lodge  oT 
the  order  with  85  members.  Another  women's 
order  is  the  Lilies  of  the  Valley,  which  has 
one  lodge  here  with  75  members.  There  are  al- 
so 5  lodges  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity ;  3  lodges 
of  the  Daughfers  of  Charity,  1  lodge  of  the 
Independent  Daughters  of  Honor;  and  5 
lodges  of  True  Reformers.  An  interesting  so- 
ciety is  the  International  Order  of  Twelve, 
of  Knights  and  Daughters  of  Tabor,  which  was 
founded  at  Independence,  Mo.,  in  1872,  hy 
Rev.  Moses  Dickson,  a  Methodist  minister.  It 
is  based,  in  a  way,  on  a  secret  anti-slavery  as- 
sociation of  negroes,  in  1840,  known  as  the 
Order  of  Twelve,  and  a  later  one  of  the  same 
kind,  known  as  the  Knights  of  Tabor.  The 
Knighls  meet  in  "temples."  the  Daughters  in 
"tabernacles,"  and  as  Princes  and  Princesses  of 
the  Royal  House  of  Media,  they  assemble  so- 
cially in  "palatiums."  The  juvenile  auxiliaries 
are  Maids  and  Pages  of  Honor,  and  the  adults 
Vol.  1—25 


are  commonly  known  as  Knights  of  'i'iibor  and 
Daughters  of  the  Tabernacle. 

The  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  of  the  World, 
is  a  fraternal  beneficiary  association,  organ- 
ized at  Port  Huron,  Mich.,  in  1883.  It  now  has 
about  5,000  tents,  or  subordinate  lodges,  and 
.■!00,000  members.  There  are  190  tents  in  In- 
diana, of  which  5,  with  a  membership  of  1,300 
lire  in  Indianapolis.  The  first  tent  was  organ- 
ized here  in  1903.  All  of  the  tents  occupy 
rented  quarters.  Co-ordinate  with  this  organ- 
ization, but  wholly  independent  in  manage- 
ment, is  The  Ladies  of  the  Maccabees  of  the 
World,  for  women  only,  organized  at  Port  Hu- 
ron, October  1,  1892.  It  has  a  membership  of 
over  J  50,000,  and  lias  paid  benefits  of  over 
!i<0,000,000.  The  order  was  introduced  in  In- 
dianapolis in  the  year  of  its  organization,  and 
now  has  7  hives  and  550  members  in  this  city. 
The  Knights  of  the  Modern  Maccabees  is  simi- 
lar to  the  preceding,  and  was  organized  at  Port 
Huron  in  1881.  It  has  one  tent  in  Indian- 
apolis. 

The  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  is  a  fra- 
ternal beneficiary  organization,  formed  at 
Wines,  Iowa,  in  1883."  On  June  30,  1909,  it 
had  reached  a  membership  of  1,075,068.  It  has 
580  camps  and  45,030  members  in  Indiana. 
Of  these,  12  camps  and  3,500  members  are  in 
Indianapolis.  This  order  has  the  distinction 
of  establishing  the  first  sanatorium  for  its 
luember.s  who  contract  tuberculosis.  It  in- 
i-lu(les  1,900  acres  of  land,  lying  some  9  miles 
south  of  Colorado  Springs  and  afflicted  mem- 
bers are  there  given  the  modern  open  air  treat- 
ment, free  of  charge.  The  auxiliary  branch  of 
this  order  is  known  as  the  Royal  Neighbors  of 
.Vmerica.  Members  of  the  Woodmen  and  their 
female  relatives  are  eligible  to  membership  in  it. 

The  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians  is  an  out- 
growth of  the  patriotic  Irish  Catholic  socie- 
ties of  the  last  centur}',  in  the  period  preceding 
the  Catholic  Emancipation  act.  It  was  intro- 
duced in  America  in  1836,  and  was  brought 
to  Indiana  about  1865  by  Pennsylvania  coal 
miners,  who  located  in  Clay  county.  From 
there  it  was  brought  to  Indianapolis  some  two 
years  later.  Tliere  ar(>  now  eight  divisions  of 
the  order  in  this  city,  with  about  1,000  mem- 
licrs.  The  Ladies'  Auxiliary,  properly  known 
as  "The  Daughters  of  Erin,"  is  more  extensive, 
having  nine  divisions  and  1,100  members. 
Tliere  is  also  a  Juvenile  .\uxiliary  of  girls. 
This  is  a  bencfieiarv  order,  but  its  central  in- 


nsc; 


HisTorjY  OF  giu:ater  ixdiaxapolis. 


s|)iralioii  is  dcxoLion  to  Irclaiiil  and  the  Irisli 
cause.  SoiiR'  injustice  is  done  this  order  bv 
confusing  it  with  tiie  ■"Molly  ilaguires"  of 
T'c'iinsylvania,  which  was  a  separate  organiza- 
tion, though  its  inemhers  usually  were  Hiber- 
nians. After  the  "^^olly  ^Nfaguires'"  was  broken 
u]).  the  Aucicnt  Order  of  Hiljernians  was  re- 
organized in  the  coal  regions  on  the  peaceable 
and  benevcdent  basis  that  characterized  it  else- 
where.    The   t'atholic   Knights  of   America   is 


THE    SECOND    MASONIC    TEMPLE. 

a  fraternal,  beneficiary  order,  but  is  not  a  se- 
cret society  in  any  sen.se.  It  was  founded  in 
1877,  and  is  limited  to  the  United  States,  be- 
ing strongest  in  the  West  and  South.  There 
are  three  "lu'anches"  in  Indiana])olis. 

The  Young  Glen's  Institute  is  a  Catholic 
fraternal  association,  which  was  organized  in 
1S80  at  San  Francisco,  by  four  young  men, 
who  desired  a  fraternal  organization  of  Ameri- 
can Catholics  of  all  nationalities.  It  is  re- 
stricted to  the  United  States  and  its  ])osses- 
sions,    and    has   some   30,000    members.      Sick 


and  (Icalli  Ijenefits  are  ojjtional  with  the  sub- 
ordinate councils.  Its  councils  for  women  are 
known  as  The  Ladies'  Auxiliary  in  the  East, 
and  the  Young  Ladies'  Institute  in  the  West. 
There  is  also  a  Junior  rank  for  boys  of  L")  to 
18.  It  was  introduced  in  Indiana  in  189.5, 
and  now  has  30  councils  in  the  state,  of  which 
8,  with  aljout  l,.jOO  members  are  in  Indian- 
apolis. They  own  no  real  estate,  Init  Capitol 
Council,  Xo.  27G,  has  accumulated  a  consider- 
able fund  which  is  expected  to  be  used  for  a 
building.  This  order  corresponds  to  some  ex- 
tent to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  especially  in  its  pro- 
vision for  athletics  and  gymnasia.  Many  of 
the  councils  encourage  debating  societies  and 
other  forms  of  intellectual  culture.  Its  greatest 
strength  is  in  the  West,  notably  in  California. 

The  Knights  of  Columbus  is  a  strong  Cath- 
olic beneticial  association  for  men.  It  was  or- 
ganized in  ^[arch,  1882,  at  Xew  Haven.  Con- 
necticut, where  the  principal  offices  are  located, 
and  has  262,000  members.  Tliere  are  42  coun- 
cils in  Indiana,  with  G,200  members,  and  one 
in  Indianaiiolis  with  5.50  members.  Indian- 
apolis Council,  Xo.  i37.  was  organized  June 
2.5,  189P,  and  was  the  first  in  the  state.  It 
recentlv  purchased  the  propertv  known  as  707 
and  70!)  Xorth  Illinois  street  for  $19,500,  and 
expects  to  begin  in  1910  the  erection  of  a  build- 
ing costing  $50,000  or  more.  This  order  is 
largely  devoted  to  intellectual  development  of 
its  members,  of  which  there  are  two  classes, 
insurance  and  associate.  It  has  about  $70,- 
000.000  of  insurance  in  effect.  It  excludes 
persons  in  the  liquor  business. 

The  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters  is  a  frater- 
nal insurance  association,  organized  May  24, 
18S;;.  It  has  140,000  members,  and  1.625 
sul)ordinate  courts,  in  Canada  and  the  United 
States,  excluding  the  extreme  southern  state 
as  subject  to  epidemics.  It  was  introduced  in 
Indiana  at  Hammond  in  189().  There  arc  two 
courts  in  Indianapolis  with  about  150  members 
— St.  John's  Court,  organized  ilay  6.  1905. 
and  St.  .\nthony"s  Court,  organized  in  1907.. 
During  its  existence  the  order  has  paid  over 
$l?.OO0.000  in  benefits.  There  is  also  a  wom- 
en's lodge  of  this  order  in  Indianapolis.  The 
Knights  of  Fathei-  "Mathew  is  a  fraternal  bene- 
ficiary societv,  es])ecially  devoted  to  the  pro- 
motion of  total  abstinence.  It  is  named  for 
Father  Theobalil  ^lathew,  a  Ca]nirhin,  who 
started  the  great  ti'mperauce  reform  in  Ire- 
land   in    1838    and    pushed    it    to    wonderfid 


Ilis'i'oi.'v  ()|-  (;i;i;  \Ti:i;   I  MH.WAl'oi.is. 


381 


siK-i-ess.  "'Vhv  Aji(i?Ilc  iif  'l'riii|ii'i-aiui' "  visitrd 
llu'  United  .Stales  in  1S4!),  and  was  asked  In 
sneak  in  the  national  House  and  Senate.  Ijeiiiji 
tlie  tirst  foreigner  to  whom  that  iionor  was  ae- 
eorded  since  Lafayette.  He  was  invited  to 
visit  Indiana,  but  was  unable  to  aecejit. 

Of  the  distinctive  Hebrew'  organizations,  the 
oldest  in  Indianapolis  is  the  Independent  Order 
of  B"nai  B'rith  (.Sons  of  the  Coven.int).  It 
was  originated  in  1S4;)  in  Xew  York  Citv.  as 
:i  fraternal,  charitable  and  benevolent  soeiety. 
Its  chief  direct  aim  being  to  foster  education 
and  social  uplift  among  the  immigrant  Jews, 
most  of  whom  were  of  the  jieasant  classes. 
It  was  originally  of  a  pali'iarchni  fonii  of  gov- 
ernnient  but  took  on  a  thoroughly  repres(>nta- 
tive  basis  at  its  reorganization  in  l,S(i!l.  In 
l.ss'*  the  order  was  introduced  in  (h'rmany, 
and  it  is  now  world  wide,  having  aljout  ")()0 
lodges  and  4<l,()00  members.  It  was  intro- 
duced in  Indianapolis  in  18G2  by  the  organi- 
zation of  Abraham  Lodge;  and  Esther  Lodge 
was  organized  in  LS84.  In  1008  these  two 
were  combined  in  Indianapolis  Lodge,  which 
has  .TOO  mcmljers.  The  beneficiary  features  are 
optional  with  subordinate  lodges:  and  Abra- 
liani  Lodge  had  an  endowment  system  which 
continues  as  to  its  surviving  members.  The 
present  Indianapolis  lodge  is  whojly  sociable 
and  charitable,  contributing  to  the  numerous 
-plendid  charities  of  (he  oi-der.  ainoiig  which 
:iri'  notable  the  .li^wisli  Orphan  .\sylum,  at 
Clcvidand,  Ohio,  and  the  ( 'oiisuinptive  Hos- 
pital at  Denver,  Colorado,  admission  to  which 
is  open  to  all  sects.  It  holds  its  nu'ctings  in 
the  vestry  room  of  the  temple,  at  Delauare  and 
Tenth   streets. 

The  largest  of  tlie  H(4)rew  fraternities  in 
llii-  eitv  is  the  Ordci-  of  IVritb  .\braham  (cov- 
■iianl  of  .Mirabam )  \vhii4i  originated  in  Xew 
'I'ork  in  18.")0.  It  is  l>oth  beneficiary  and 
iharitai)le  with  e(lucational  features.  r.,odges 
for  women,  relatives  of  mend)ers,  are  formed 
under  sanction  of  the  Granil  f..odsre.  Over  half 
of  the  lodges  and  the  membership  are  in  Xew 
Vork  City.  There  are  three  lodges  in  Indian- 
apolis, the  Eev.  "M.  ^[essing  Tjodge,  Xo.  13T. 
organized  in  1S!)2,  with  180  mend)ers ;  the  Ilun- 
■rarian  True  Brothers  Lodirc.  Xo.  204,  with  100 
members — organized  in  ISO.");  and  the  Indian- 
npolis  Lodge,  Xo.  2;)0,  organized  in  1807.  with 
i8f!  members.  There  is  an  olfslioot  of  this 
organization  known  as  the   I  iiili'penilent   Order 


of  li'ritli  .\lirahain.  It  is  ivpi-eseiited  here  hv 
Zion  Lodge,  organized  in  1000,  which  has  200 
members.  The  Independent  Order  of  Sons  of 
Benjamin  is  also  a  charitable  and  benevolent 
association,  ou  the  mutual  a-ssessment  basis, 
which  originated  in  Xew  York  in  1877.  It  has 
one  lodge  here  with  40  members.  The  Knights 
of  ,Iose])h,  of  similar  character,  has  one  lodge 
m  indianaiiolis,  with  30  members.  There  are 
sexeral  Hebrew  fraternities  ou  a  more  purely 
insurance  basis,  one  of  the  largest  of  which  at 
this  point  is  the  Progressive  Order  of  the  West. 
It  has  two  local  lodges,  the  Abraham  Jacobs, 
organized  in  1902,  with  120  members;  ami  the 
Jacob  Sehiff,  organized  in  1009,  with  (10  niem- 
bers.  The  Order  of  the  Western  Star  has  one 
local  lodiic  with  200  memliers,  (U'tranized  in 
189.3. 

There  are  a  nuiuher  of  orders  that  ba\e 
been  represented  here  in  the  past  which  are  now 
out  of  existence  or  at  least  not  now  rc'pi-t- 
sented  in  Indianapolis.  An  example  is  the 
Ileptasophs,  or  Seven  Wise  ^len.  which  had  two 
lodges  here  in  the  "Tds.  Most  of  these  were 
small  and  unimp(n'tant  orders.  Perha])s  the 
largest  was  the  American  Protective  Associa- 
tion— the  noted  .\.  P.  A. — whosi;  cardinal  prin- 
ciple was  hostility  to  Catholicism  in  every- 
thing, but  especially  in  jiolitical  matters. 
There  had  been  a  score  or  more  of  anti-Catho- 
lic fraternities  in  the  country  since  the  great 
"Know-nothing"  movonent,  but  most  of  them 
were  short-lived,  and  those  that  still  existed 
when  this  one  was  started  wore  swallowed 
u|)  in  il.  Tlie  A.  P.  A.  originated  in  the  town 
of  Clinton,  Iowa,  in  1887.  Its  founder  was 
H.  F.  Bowers,  a  lawyer  of  that  place;  and  it 
spread  with  phenomenal  rapidity,  especially 
through  the  Central  West  tintil  it  was  said  to 
be  the  stronsiest  in  numbers,  and  in  the  abilitv 
and  standing  of  its  leaders,  of  all  the  organi- 
zations of  the  kind  that  have  been  known  in 
the  country.  It  was  pre))aring  to  enter  ])olitic~ 
on  a  large  scale,  by  demands  for  ileclarations 
on  the  subject  by  the  leading  ]iolitical  i)arties, 
when  the  bitter  campaign  on  monetary  i.ssues 
in  1800  put  everything  else  out  of  the  minds 
of  the  j)eople.  It  is  said  to  have  b<>en  rpiite 
strong  in  Indiana]iolis  at  the  time,  but  if  it 
exists  here  now  it  is  on  a  very  secret  basis. 
About  the  only  manifestation  of  its  former  ex- 
istence is  the  occasional  nrotestation  of  some 
candidate  that  he  did  not  beloni;  to  it. 


CHAPTER  XXXll. 


THE  PRESS. 


The  beginnings  of  newspaper  publication 
in  Indianapolis— the  Gazette  by  George 
Smith  on  January  28,  1822,  and  the  ^Vestel■n 
Censor  and  Emigranis'  Guide  by  Harvey 
Gregg  and  Douglass  Afaguire  on  March  7, 
1823,  have  been  described  in  the  chapter  on 
"The  Primordial  Life."  These  two  papers 
and  their  lineal  successors,  and  occasional  off- 
shoots, were  praetieally  the  only  newspapers 
for  the  first  twenty-five  years,  and  were  the 
leading  papers  for  half  a  century  after  that, 
being  the  state  organs  of  the  two  great  politi- 
cal parties  of  the  country  until  they  were 
finally  discontinued,  the  Journal— i\\e  "Whig 
and  Republican  successor  of  the  Censor — on 
June  8,  1904,  and  the  Sentinel— \\\Q  Demo- 
cratic successor  of  the  Gazette — on  February 
25,  1906.  Both  had  numerous  changes  of 
control  and  vicissitudes  of  fortune.  The 
Journal  was  published  longest  under  one 
name,  though  it  was  the  Indiana  Journal  at 
its  beginning  under  the  name  on  January  11, 
1825,  varying  to  the  Indiana  State  Journal. 
and  on  April  25,  185-3,  it  came  oiit  in  a  new 
tjT)ographieal  dress  as  the  Indianapoli'< 
Mornino  Journal.  In  August,  1830,  the  In- 
diana Democrat  was  started,  and  the  Gazette 
wa.s  consolidated  with  it.  This  name  contin- 
ued till  July  21,  1841.  when  it  was  changeil 
to  the  Indiana  State  Sentinel.  On  March  1. 
1855,  there  was  a  change  of  management, 
and  a  prospectus  had  been  issued  stating  thai 
the  name  would  be  changed  to  the  I'imcs.  but 
this  wa.s  droiiped,  and  the  paper  was  con- 
tinued as  the  Indianapolis  Daily  Sentinel — it 
had  become  a  daily  on  April  28,  1851,  the 
Journal  leading  it  one  week  and  starting  as 
a  daily  on  April  21,  1851.  Both  had  pub- 
lished dailies  during  the  sessions  of  the  legis- 
lature prior  to  that,  the  Sentinel  beginning 


on  December  6,  1841,  and  the  Journal  on  De- 
cember 12,  1842.  Prom  November  1,  1865. 
to  April  11,  1868,  the  name  of  the  Sentinel 
was  changed  to  the  Indianapolis  Daily  Ilir- 
ald,  and  then  back  again  to  the  Scntinil. 
which  was  retained  until  the  end.  And  these 
two  paperes  were  the  ones  that  the  great  ma- 
jority of  the  reading  public,  on  one  side  or 
the  other,  loved  and  cherished,  in  sickness 
and  in  health,  till  death  did  them  part. 

The  Gazette  was  originality  published  1)\' 
George  Smith  alone,  but  his  stepson.  Nathan 
iel  Bolton,  joined  him  and  they  eondueteil 
the  paper  together  till  1823.  Then  Bolton 
ran  it  for  a  year,  but  he  persuaded  Smith  to 
resume  the  partnership,  and  they  remained 
together  till  1829.  Then  Smith  retired  again, 
and  Bolton  continued  it  till  its  consolidatioj; 
with  the  Democrat,  which  had  just  been 
started,  in  August,  1830.  Alexander  F.  Mor- 
rison, the  new  owner,  formed  a  partnership 
in  1833  with  Nathaniel  Bolton;  and  in  183li 
sold  his  interest  to  John  Livingston,  whu 
continued  the  paper  till  1841,  when  he  sold 
the  paper  to  George  A.  and  Jacob  Page  Chap- 
man. Alexander  F.  IMorrison  was  a  clear, 
strong  writer,  always  ready  and  able  for  a 
journalistic  "scrap,"  who  made  quite  a  repu- 
tation as  editor  of  the  Democrat,  as  also  in 
1856,  when  he  wrote  for  the  Sentinel.  He 
was  a  delegate  from  Marion  County  to  the 
Constitutional  Convention  of  1850,  and  died 
at  Indianapolis  in  1857.  John  Livingston 
was  a  college  bred  man.  of  the  New  York 
Livingston  family,  and  of  rather  more  liter- 
ary culture  than  was  connnon  with  western 
editors  at  the  time.  The  Chapmans,  who  had 
been  publishing  the  Waba.sh  Enquirer,  at 
Terre  Haute,  changed  the  name  to  the  Sen- 
tinel: and  on  Jnlv  21.  1841.  the  first  number 


388 


IllSTOUY   OF  GlIEATEU  IXDlA.NArui.l.S. 


389 


appeared,  boarint;-  a  cut  of  a  gauie-cock  in 
the  title  and  the  words,  ''Crow,  Chapman. 
Crow!"  Concerning  tliis  motto  Austin  H. 
Brown  says: 

"The  ineident  on  whieh  this  motto  was 
founded  occurred  in  1840,  and  with  it  these 
( 'ha[)nians  had  nothing  to  do.  Joseph  Chap- 
man was  the  Democratic  candidate  for  the 
Senate  in  Hancock  County,  and  things  were 
looking  discouraging  for  the  Van  Buren 
pai-ty.  when  George  Patterson  wrote  a  letter 
i  a  ])olitical  friend  at  Greenfield  u.sing  this 
xpression.  'Tell  Chapman  to  Crow.'  The 
letter  fell  into  the  hands  of  a  "Whig  opponent 
who  made  it  public  in  the  Journal,  and  the 
Whig  press  took  it  up  all  over  the  state  as 
I'vidfiicimr  the  a]iproaching  defeat  of  the 
Dciiiiicrats.  The  new  Sc}itincl  proprietors 
were  shrewd  Yankees  from  Boston,  and  they 
took  hold  of  the  words  mentioned,  and  plac- 
ing them  at  the  head  of  their  paper  in  con- 
nection with  their  name,  made  a  hit,  and  ever 
-itice  the  rooster  has  been  the  cho.sen  emblem 
of  the  Democrats.  The  Sentinel  prospered 
under  the  new  "ontrnl.  The  pi-oprietorship 
continued  in  the  Chajjiiians  until  about  seven 
years  later,  when  John  S.  Spann  was  taken 
into  partnei-slii|).  The  firm  name  thereafter 
was  Chapman  &  Spann  until  the  sale  to  my- 
self of  the  good-will  and  name  of  the  Sentinel 
in  1850." 

Mr.  Brown  undoubtedly  knew  the  facts, 
for  he  was  working  on  the  paper  at  the  time. 
IIi>  came  here  with  his  father  and  the  rest 
of  the  family  on  December  ."^1.  18:16.  his 
father  faking  the  office  of  secretary  of  state 
on  January  1.  1837.  A  few  weel^s  later,  a.s 
a  youngster  of  9  years,  he  got  a  job  in  the 
'iffice  of  the  Democrnt  in  the  capacity  of 
"devil."  roller-boy,  and  carrier,  and  contin- 
ued to  worlc  there  till  184.").  Georire  I^atter- 
son  came  into  the  Dtmarmt  office  in  ]8:iS. 
Tie  was  a  ynumr  hnvyer  talented  and  forcible 
as  a  writci-.  T)urinu'  tlic  campaign  nf  1840 
a  campaign  sheet  called  "The  Constitution" 

bearing  a  cut  of  "Old  Ironsides"— was  is- 
sued from  the  Dcmorrat  office,  edited  chiefly 
by  Patterson.  .\t  the  same  time  the  Journal 
issued  a  campaign  paper  called  "The  Spirit 
of  '7fi. "  of  wliich  Jdsepli  M.  ^loore  was  edit- 
or: and  hi-  was  in  tli^'  better  luck,  for  Presi- 
dent Tlai'risnii  made  him  i)()stinastei-  after  the 
el(>ctioii.        .\t     tlli-i     time     the     [>i  inacnit     was 


]n-inted  in  a  one-story  brick  building,  where 
the  News  office  now  stands.  It  was  furnished 
with  a  two-pull  Hmith  press,  on  which  the 
Democrat  and  a  paper  called  ''The  Me- 
chanic" were  printed.  The  Mechanic  was  a 
weekly,  edited  and  published  by  Henry  Com- 
ingore,  a  printer  in  the  Democrat  office,  and 
another  printer  named  Gilmore. 

Bolton  was  a  very  industrious  man,  and 
made  nearlj^  a  "full  hand"  in  the  office  as 
well  as  writing  editorials.  He  wiis,  however, 
a  trifle  absent-minded,  as  i.s  illustrated  by  an 
ineident  recounted  by  Isaac  ^I.  Brown,  who 
was  a  printer  in  the  office  at  the  time.  There 
were  no  janitors  in  those  days,  and  the  first 
man  on  hand  made  the  fire.  One  cold  night, 
when  there  was  some  work  to  be  done  early 
next  morning,  Bolton  ofl'ered  to  bet  Patter- 
son and  Brown  that  he  would  be  at  the  office 
first.  The  bet  was  taken,  and  Patterson  and 
Bolton  slept  that  night  in  the  editorial  room, 
which  was  over  the  postoffice,  next  door;  but 
Brown  beat  them,  and  had  the  fire  going 
when  Bolton  came  in  the  next  moi-ning.  He 
says:  "Mr.  Patterson  told  me  that  he  was 
awake  when  Mr.  Bolton  got  up,  and,  in  his 
hurry  to  get  to  the  office,  he  pulled  on  his 
boots  first,  then  his  coat  and  hat,  and  started 
to  the  office.  After  Mr.  Bolton  reached  the 
office  he  complained  of  feeling  unusually  cold. 
On  his  walking  up  to  the  stove  I  discovered 
that  he  was  minus  pants  and  vest.  When  I 
reminded  liim  of  this  oversight  in  his  dress 
he  seemed  very  much  chagrined.  About  this 
time  George  Patterson  came  in,  and  we  had 
a  good  laugh  at  the  cool  ap]iearance  of  Mr. 
Bolton's  dress.  It  was  then  daylight  and 
people  were  passing  on  the  street.  Finally, 
Mr.  Bolton  started  on  a  run  for  his  room, 
and  never  liked  to  hear  this  joke  spoken  of 
afterward." 

The  circulation  of  the  leading  Indianajiolis 
papers  was  not  \ery  extensive  then.  Wi'iting 
in  1000,  Austin  If.  Brown  says:  "When  I 
began  to  carry  the  fhninerat  in  1838,  the 
Iiopulation  of  Indianapolis  was  less  than 
1,700,  and  the  carrier's  list  did  not  exceed 
one  hiuidrcd  subscribers.  'I'he  route  em- 
braced the  entire  town.  (Jovernoi-  Noble's 
wa.s  the  farthest  delivery  to  the  east — near 
where  the  baseliall  giounds  of  last  sea-son 
wei-e.  The  farthest  ncir-theasf  was  General 
Hobert  Tlaiiiia's,  just  i'M-;t  nl'  llie  riiimi  tracks 


390 


IIIS'l'()i;V   OF   CRKA'I'F.IJ    IXDI.WAl'OI.lS. 


ins'|-()in"    III'   (.KKA'l'EU   IXDIAV  \]'()I,1S. 


;?!i  1 


on  M;issaclui.si't1s  avenue.  The  t'aitliest  Udrtli 
Jiiuicij  Blake  ".s  on  North  and  Tennessee,  and 
Arthur  St.  Clair's,  where  the  Blind  Insti- 
tute is  loeated.  The  remotest  western  deliv- 
ery was  in  Strinytown,  beyond  the  river;  anel 
the  farthest  south  was  Samuel  ilerrill's.  at 
Jlerrill  and  New  Jersey,  and  Dr.  Mc( 'lure's, 
wliere  the  present  Inihistrial  Seliool  (  Manual 
Training  High  Sehoolj  stands.  Thei'e  wer'- 
a  few  outlying  houses  beyond  these  limits. 
One  wa.s  called  the  Presbyterian  Grocery,  a 
bakery  kept  by  a  good  Lutheran  named 
George  Brown.  I  usuall.v  lunched  there  oii 
ginger  cakes  and  spruce  beer.  When  1  eai- 
ried  the  Sniliiul.  in  1841-3.  the  population 
had  increased  to  2.800  and  the  city  subscrib- 
ers to  more  than  two  hundred  and  fift.v,  with 
two  carriers.  When  I  became  the  owner  of 
the  .paper,  hi  1850,  the  population  wa.s  8,091, 
but  notwithstanding  this  increase  the  city 
subscription  list  did  not  exceed  four  hundred 
for  the  semi-weekly." 

The  Chapmans  ma<le  a  live  pajti'r  of  th<' 
S(iillii(l.  Jacob  I'age  doing  most  of  the  edi- 
tDi'ial  writing.  It  became  the  leading  paper 
of  the  state,  and  the  recognized  state  organ  of 
tlie  Democratic  jiai'ty,  wielding  an  intluenee 
that  was  rare  even  in  the  da.v  of  part.v  or- 
igans. For  two  years  befoi-e  their  nwncrship 
the  i)aper  had  been  published  in  a  frame 
liuildine-  where  the  L.  Strauss  it  ("o.  store 
now  is.  They  moved  it  to  Blake's  block,  on 
the  south  side  (if  AYashington  street,  we.st  of 
Illinois.  It  I'emained  there  until  1844,  when 
t  was  removed  to  a  two-storv  brick  building 
erected  specially  for  it.  on  the  east  side  of 
Illinois  street.  Iialf  a  scpiare  north  of  "Wash- 
iimtoii:  and  an  extensive  job  office  was  o])er- 
ated  in  connection  with  it.  In  184t)  John  S, 
>>pann.  a  thorough  practical  printer,  hecaine 
a  UHMuber  of  the  firm,  and  he.  with  K.  \V.  11. 
HIlis,  j)\ircha.sed  and  continued  the  .job  office 
wln'u  the  paper  was  sold  to  iMr.  Brown  in 
1850.  George  A.  Chapman  died  soon  after 
the  sale  of  the  Sinlincl.  In  the  spring  of 
^X~^■\.  J.  P.  Chai)man  started  a  weekly  paper, 
called  the  Clianticleei'.  with  Berr\'  Sulgro\-e 
as  associate  editoi-  aiu1  George  II.  Chapman 
»ti  city  editor.  This  venture  lasted  foi'  a  year. 
In  18r).'),  Jacob  Page  Chapman's  miiul  became 
deranged,  and  he  was  taken  to  the  insane  hos- 
pital, where  he  died.  His  sou  George  IT. 
<'llapirian      later   (,'eneral    ( 'hapiii.in  —  was   for 


.vears  a  well-known  law.ver  uf  the  eity,  and 
.judge  of  the  Ci-iminal  Court  from  its  begin- 
ning in  186.')  till  1870.  He  became  as  strong 
a  Kepubliean  as  his  father  had  been  a  Denu)- 
crat,  and  the  first  negro  who  ever  served  on 
n  .jui'y  in  ]\lai'ion  Count.v  did  so  in  his  court. 

Austin  II.  Brown  published  the  S(iitiii(i 
foi-  five  years,  selling  in  .Mai'ch.  ISoo,  to  Dr. 
John  C.  Walker  and  Charles  W.  Cotton.  ]\Ir. 
Brown  made  the  Seniiticl  more  of  a  nevvs- 
pajjcr  than  it  had  been  before,  and  also  made 
it  a  daily  on  April  28.  1851.  One  of  his  not- 
able achievements  was  priiding  the  Know- 
nothing  ritual,  which  he  had  obtained  from 
a  Brown  Count.v  deserter  of  the  order.  Some 
Know-nothings  who  got  wind  of  it  fired  two 
pistol  .shots  through  the  window  of  the  eom- 
l)osing  room,  but  no  one  was  hurt,  and  the 
ritual  appeared  the  next  morning.  He  was 
elected  county  auditor  in  1855  and  served 
f(u-  four  .vears.  Walker  and  Cotton  sold  the 
S(  ntiiifl  in  December.  1855,  to  John  S.  Spann 
and  John  P>.  Norman,  the  latter  becoming 
editor.  Norman  had  learned  his  trade  of 
printei-  in  the  Diniocial  office  in  the  earl.v 
foi'ties,  and  had  foi-  some  timi^  edited  the 
.\ew  Alban.y  Ledger.  He  tired  of  the  Stu- 
liiid  in  six  weeks  and  returned  to  New  Al- 
banv.  being  succeeded  bv  Prof.  Wm.  C.  Lar- 
rabee,  late  of  Asburv  (Depauw)  I'niversit.v, 
with  whom  Alexandei-  V.  ^fori-ison  was  asso- 
ciated :  and  Cotton  was  cit.v  editor.  In  Au- 
Liiist.  1856,  Joseph  J.  Bingham  of  Lafayette' 
purchased  an  interest  in  tlii'  paper,  and  in 
January,  1857,  John  Dought.v  ]uirchased  the 
I'iMuaining  interest.  These  two  fitted  up  the 
old  Capital  House  (.just  west  of  the  pi'eseni 
liOmbai'd  building)  making  the  largest  and 
best  lU'wspapei-  building  in  the  state,  and 
moved  into  it  on  Ajiril  7,  1857.  Karly  that 
evening  a  new  boiler,  which  had  been  place(l 
in  the  rear  of  the  press  room,  exploded  with 
terrific  force,  wrecking  the  east  room  and 
dropping  the  composing  room  with  its  eon- 
tents  into  the  jiress  room  lielow.  One  of  tln' 
press  haufls.  named  Homan.  was  killed,  and 
sevei'al  were  in.jui-ed.  The  loss  was  heavy 
and  seriousl.v  embai-ras'^ed  the  proprietors,  but 
ap|)eals  for  pai't.v  aid  resulted  in  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Sentinel  Comiianv  ami  the  pap<'r 
was  resumed  on  April  21.  and  eonliuued  un- 
iler  that  management  until  .Inlv  :il.  18(11, 

.\t    that   time   John    K.    KIdei-     and     J.  liii 


;592 


HISTOKY  OF  GKEATEIi  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


Harkness,  who  had  Ix'en  publishing-  the  Stale 
Guard,  joined  with  J.  J.  Bingham  iu  pui-- 
ehasing  the  Soiihtil  and  moved  it  to  the  ohl 
Locomotive  and  lluaid  office  iu  the  Hubbard 
block,  where  the  L.  S.  Ayres  &  Co.  establish- 
ment now  is.  In  1863  a  new  building  was 
put  up  especially  for  it,  at  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  Pearl  and  Meridian  streets,  where  it 
remained  until  1863.  It  was  then  bought  by 
Hall  &  Hutchinson,  who  changed  the  name 
to  llie  Herald,  and  moved  back  to  the  old 
Capitol  House  site,  16  East  Washington 
street.  Jiidge  Samuel  E.  Perkins  was  then 
political  editor.  In  October,  1866,  the  paper 
went  into  the  hands  of  a  receive!-,  and  in 
January,  1867.  it  was  purchased  by  Lafe 
Develin  of  Cambridge  City;  and  in  April, 
1868,  he  sold  to  Richard  J.  Bright,  who 
changed  the  name  back  to  the  Sentinel,  and 
made  J.  J.  Bingham  editor.  In  1869  Mr. 
Bright  remodeled  the  old  Wesley  Chapel,  at 
the  southwest  corner  of  Circle  and  Meridian 
streets,  and  moved  the  paper  there  in  De- 
cember of  that  year.  He  held  the  paper  un- 
til 1872,  when  he  sold  to  the  Sentinel  Com- 
pany, organized  by  John  Fishback  and  others. 
If  ever  a  man  in  Indiana  had  an  unen- 
viable task,  Bingham  had  it,  in  steering  the 
Sentinel  through  the  Civil  War  period,  and 
it  is  a  guaranty  of  considerable  ability  on  his 
part  that  he  brought  it  through  as  well  as 
he  did.  Naturally  those  who  had  any  Sovith- 
ern  sympathies  were  attracted  by  the  Senti- 
nel's criticisms  of  the  party  in  power,  and 
H.  H.  Dodd  persuaded  Bingham  to  join  the 
Sons  of  Liberty,  where  he  was  made  chairman 
of  the  committee  on  literature.  He  swore, 
however,  that  he  had  no  knowledge  of  even 
the  existence  of  a  "military  circle,"  and  that 
as  soon  as  he  learned  that  any  treasonable 
action  was  contemplated  he  reported  it  to 
Joseph  E.  ]\IcDonald,  and  co-operated  with 
him,  Michael  G.  Kerr  and  others  in  bringing 
the  matter  to  the  attention  of  Governor  ]\Ior- 
ton.  He  was  a  witness  for  the  state  in  the 
prosecutions.'  As  a  newspaper  man  Bingham 
was  progressive  and  had  material  influence 
in  developing  the  Sentinel  on  the  news  side. 
Even  his  adversaries  gave  him  credit  for 
adroitness  as  a  political  writer.- 


The  year  1870  may  he  treated  as  the  be- 
ginning of  a  new  era  in  Indianapolis  jour- 
nalism, and  we  may  here  turn  back  for  a 
look  at  other  newspaper  ventures  of  the 
earlier  period.  As  has  been  mentioned,  the 
Journal  was  the  one  other  leading  paper  in 
the  state  capital  besides  the  Sentinel  for 
nearly  half  a  century.  As  mentioned,  the 
Western  Censor  and  Emigrants'  Guide — the 
predecessor  of  the  Journal,  was  started  March 
7,  1823,  by  Douglass  JMaguire  and  Harvey 
Gregg.  On  October  29,  1824,  Gregg  sold  his 
interest  to  John  Douglass,  who  was  prepar- 
ing to  come  from  Corydon  as  State  Printer. 
On  January  11.  1825,  the  paper  was  enlarged 
and  the  name  changed  to  the  Indiana  Jour- 
nal, ilaguire  continued  as  editor  until  1826, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  Samuel  ^lerrill. 
In  1829  IMaguire  resumed  his  position  as  edi- 
tor and  continued  till  1835,  when  he  sold  his 
interest  to  S.  Vance  B.  Noel,  who  had  for- 
merly been  a  printer  on  the  Journal  and  had 
gone  to  Ft.  Wayne  with  Thomas  Tigar,  a 
fellow  printer,  to  start  the  Ft.  AVayne  Sen- 
tinel. Noel  continued  as  editor  till  1842, 
when  he  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Douglass. 

ilr.  Douglass  secured  for  editor  Theodore 
J.  Barnett,  a  man  of  considerable  ability,  and 
the  most  pugnacious  editor  the  Journal  ever 
had.  With  the  Chapmans  on  the  Sentinel 
there  was  the  finest  of  opportunities  for  a 
row.  In  fact,  the  Chapmans  were  probably 
looking  for  trouble,  for  in  their  salutatory 
editorial  they  say:  "From  our  first  settle- 
ment in  tliis  state  persecution  and  violence 
have  been  exercised  towards  us."'  There 
was  more  coming,  for  Barnett  made  the  most 
vicious  attack  on  J.  P.  Chapman  that  was 
ever  made  on  an  Indianapolis  editor.*  Thei'c 
was  talk  of  a  libel  suit,  which  was  not  begun,- 
and  thereafter  exchanges  of  compliments 
from  time  to  time.  In  1843  "Slv.  Noel  bought 
out  Douglass,  and  retained  Barnett  as  edi- 
tor. One  night  Barnett  wanted  a  pound  of 
butter,  and,  not  being  able  to  find  Noel, 
signed  his  name  to  an  order  for  it.  Chapman 
learned  of  this,  and  promptly  denounced 
Barnett  as  a  forger.  They  soon  after  met  at 
the  pastoffice.  and  there  wa.s  an  altercation 
in  which   it   is   said    a   pi.stol   was  drawn  by 


'Treason  Triol.i.  p.  97. 
-Sulgrovr  '.•;  Indianapolis 


234. 


^Sentinel.  Julv  21,  1841. 
^Journal,  November  23.  1842. 


HISTORY  OF  r4UEAT£H  I^DlANArOT.IS. 


393 


Hiii-iiett,  l)Ut  that  was  a.s  i'ar  as  the  c-oiilro- 
vei'sy  went,  lianiett  was  suceeeded  as  editor 
hy  a  ^Ir.  Kent,  who  remained  but  a  few 
months,  and  was  succeeded  in  March,  1845, 
by  John  D.  Defrees. 

■Mr.  Defrees  was  a  Tennesseean  by  birth, 
but  his  father  moved  to  Ohio  wlien  he  was  8 
years  old.  Tliere  he  learned  the  printer's 
trade,  and  there  read  law  in  Thos.  Corwin's 
office.  From  1831  to  1844  he  resided  at  South 
Bend,  Indiana,  where  he  edited  a  newspaper, 
and  from  where  he  was  two  or  three  times 
elected  to  the  state  legislature.  He  was  a  stu- 
dent and  a  man  of  proiiress.  Berry  Sulgrove, 
who  knew  him  w^ell,  says:  "He  was  the  first 
man  in  the  state  to  use  steam  to  drive  a  print- 
in<r  press,  the  first  to  use  a  caloric  engine  for 
the  same  purpose,  the  fii-st  to  see  the  value  of 
the  Biillock  printing  press  and  encourage  the 
inventor,  the  first  to  use  the  metallic  stitching 
machine  for  binding,  and  the  first  to  use  the 
Edison  electric  light  except  the  inventor." 
He  edited  the  Journal  till  early  in  1854.  and 
thi-u  put  Berry  Sulgrove  in  charge  of  the 
editorial  while  he  managed  the  business  de- 
jiartmi'iit.  In  October,  1854,  he  sold  the 
paper  to  the  Journal  Company,  which  con- 
sisted of  Ovid  Butler,  Joseph  ^1.  Tilford, 
James  M.  JIathes  and  Rawson  Vaile.  On 
^farch  23,  1861,  President  Lincoln  appointed 
Mr.  Defrees  goveriuuent  printer,  and  he 
served  until  Pi'esidcnt  Johnson  removed  hiin 
September  1.  ISfifi.  Congress  then  made  this 
n  Senate  oi'fice,  and  Defrees  was  elected 
]\rarch  1,  18f)7.  remaininsr  until  April  15, 
18(i!l.  when  President  Grant  removed  him. 
On  June  1.  1877,  President  Hays  I'cappointed 
him.  and  he  served  until  April  14.  1882, 
when  he  resigned  on  account  of  failing  health. 
Tie  was  n  hich  gi-ade  man  in  cveiy  i-espect, 
but  rather  outspoken  foi-  a  politician.  Both 
his  removals  were  said  to  be  due  ti>  ci-iti- 
cisms  (if  the  administration. 

The  C't  ii.sor.  and  after  it  the  Journal,  had 
its  office  on  AVashincrtnn  street  opposite  the 
State  Life  bnildiuL'.  In  the  later  thirties  it 
was  moved  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  street 
one  block  west,  and  sevei-al  years  later  to  the 
north  side,  nearly  opposite  this  location.  In 
1853  it  was  removed  to  Pennsylvania  street  — 
a  site  now  covered  by  the  i-ear  part  of  the 
Saks  buildintr.  In  18fiO  (be  company  erected 
a  buildins  for  it  at  the  sdulbeast  coi-ner  of 


^leridian  and  Circle  streets.  Berry  Sulgrove 
(lid  most  of  the  editing  for  the  company  till 
1864,  when  it  sold  the  paper  to  Wm.  R.  Hol- 
loway  &  Co.  Judge  Horatio  C.  Newcomb 
then  became  editor  until  1868,  and  was  one  of 
the  ablest  editors  the  paper  ever  had.  In 
February,  18C5,  James  G.  Douglass  and  Alex- 
ander H.  Conner  bought  an  interest  in  the 
paper,  and  in  1SG6,  with  Samuel  M.  Doug- 
lass, bought  all  of  it,  controlling  it  as  Doug- 
lass &  Conner  until  1870.  In  18C6  they 
bought  the  old  First  Presbj'terian  Churcli 
and  built  on  the  eastern  half  of  the  property 
—now  included  in  the  American  Central  Life 
building,  the  western  half  being  added  by 
Col.  Nicholas  Ruckle  some  ten  years  later — 
■ind  moved  the  paper  there  early  in  1867.  In 
June,  1870.  Lewis  W.  Hasselman  and  Wm. 
P.  Fishbaek  iiurchased  the  paper,  and  Fish- 
back  became  the  editor.  He  was  a  brilliant 
man  and  an  able  writer,  but  rather  indei)en- 
dent  for  the  editor  of  a  party  organ. 

I'hese  two  papers  were  chiefly  devoted  to 
politics,  and  up  to  18(iO  almost  exclusively  so. 
The  local  news  was  brief,  and  but  for  com- 
munications would  throw  little  light  on  the 
doings  of  the  cominunity.  The  first  extended 
account  of  anything,  except  political  speeches, 
was  the  Jourual's:  account  of  the  old  settlers' 
meeting  of  1855  on  June  5.  which  made  five 
columns — small  cohunns  in  large  type — and 
it  was  not  printed  till  .June  7.  There  was  no 
effort  to  rejiort  events  of  the  preceding  even- 
ing in  the  morning  ])apers.  The  first  break 
in  that  line  was  in  1852.  when  the  Eagle  Ma- 
chine Works  burned.  Th(>  fire  wa.s  early  in 
the  evening,  and  J.  II.  ]\IcNeely,  city  editor 
of  the  Jonrnah  on  his  way  home  from  it, 
stopped  the  pi'ess  .ind  inserted  a  brief  notice 
of  it.  which  made  the  town  gasp  at  his  enter- 
prise. In  the  latei-  (if'ties  there  began  to  be 
some  report  of  the  pi-ecedinff  evening's 
events.  Altliouiih  the  teleirraph  closely  fol- 
lowed the  I'aili-oad.  there  was  pi-actically  no 
newspaper  telegraph  service  until  the  siege 
of  Sevastopol,  and  not  very  nnich  then.  At 
that  stag(^  ^Fr.  John  l'\  Wallick  used  to  read 
the  disjiatches  froiii  a  ^Morse  dot-and-dash 
record  to  th(>  city  editors  of  the  Journal  and 
SSrulinrl.  who  .wi-ote  them  out  in  long  hand. 
A  year  or  two  later  Coleman  Wilson  liecame 
the  news  (iperator.  and  I'l'ad  the  disjiatches 
bv  sound.      M(  si    of   the   "iiv   ina'.;'ne1  ic   tele- 


394 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


graph"  reports  before  that  time  were  re- 
prints from  Cincinnati  and  Chicago  papers: 
and  it  may  be  added  tliat  a  great  many  sine' 
that  time  have  been  likewise. 

It  seemed  impossible  to  furnish  the  public 
enough  politics  in  those  early  daj's,  and  both 
papers  usually  issued  special  campaign  edi- 
tions under  other  names.  "The  Constitu- 
tion"'  on  the  Democratic  side  and  "Thi' 
8i)irit  of  '76"  on  the  Whig  side,  in  1840. 
have  been  mentioned.  In  1844  the  Democrats 
followed  with  "Chapman's  Coon  Skinner," 
and  their  opponents  with  "The  AVhig  Rifle." 
In  1845  polities  took  another  chute,  on  ac- 
count of  alleged  intolerance  of  the  Chap- 
mans,  and  A.  P.  iforrison  and  John  S.  Spann 
started  The  Indiana  Dfmorrai  as  an  organ  of 
the  Democrats  who  had  favored  General  Cass 
as  nominee  for  president,  and  who  claimed 
they  were  being  shown  no  consideration  by 
the  adherents  of  Van  Bui-en.  This  paper 
stai'ted  on  November  7,  1845,  and  wound  up 
on  October  30.  1846.  when  ^Ir.  Spann  stated 
that  I\[r.  ilorrison  had  gone  to  ^lexico  for 
the  war.  and  that  after  consultation  with 
friends  he  had  concluded  to  suspend.  About 
the  same  time  an  anti-slavery  paper,  called 
The  Freeman,  was  started  here  by  a  ^Iv.  De- 
puy,  on  the  .south  side  of  "Washington  street 
west  of  ^[eridian.  It  was  a  very  well  edited 
paper,  but  the  office  was  not  mobbed,  thougli 
several  times  threatened,  and  occasionally 
visited  with  minor  indignities,  and  it  died 
after  a  year  oi-  so  of  lack  of  notice.  At  that 
time  Whigs  and  Democrats  vied  in  their  hos- 
tility to  abolitionism. 

By  this  time  the  temperance  movement 
wa.s  becoming  formidable  enough  to  call  for 
an  oi-gan.  and  in  June.  1848.  Dr.  B.  T.  Kava- 
nagh  started  a  weekly  called  Tin  Fmnih/ 
Yisifor.  as  the  organ  of  the  Sons  of  Temper- 
ance. It  was  discontinued  on  November  7. 
1850.  to  nuike  way  for  The  Temperance 
Chart,  which  was  the  temperance  organ  for 
the  next  half  dozen  years.  After  the  suspen- 
sion of  Chapman's  Chanticleer  in  1854,  a 
weekly  was  started  in  its  place,  and  in  1855 
this  liecame  Tli<  Dailii  Evening  F< piilitican. 
with  George  IT.  Chapman  as  "active  editor." 
This  was  continued  for  several  years  under 
various  editors,  and  wound  up  with  Willis 
W.  Wright  &  Co.  as  propi-ietors  and  John 
Coburn  editor.     The  next  afternoon  dailv  was 


The  Indianapolis  Daili/  Citizen,  which  was 
started  on  April  5,  1858,  by  Cameron  &  ^Ic- 
Xeely.  It  was  indejientlent  in  politics,  and 
had  no  telegraph,  but  v.-as  one  of  the  best 
local  papei"s  the  city  had  before  the  war. 

The  best  of  the  locals,  however,  was  the 
Locomotive.  It  was  first  issued  on  August 
16,  1845.  by  John  H.  Ohr,  Daniel  B.  Culley 
aiul  David  R.  Elder,  who  were  apprentices 
in  the  Journal  office,  as  a  small  weekly,  seven 
by  ten  inches  in  size.  It  lasted  for  three 
months,  and  was  then  discontinued  till  Ai)ril 
3,  1847,  when  it  M'as  revived  by  the  same  par- 
ties for  three  months  longer.  Its  short  stays 
had  demonstrated  that  there  was  a  place  for 
it.  and  on  January  1,  1848,  it  was  again  re- 
vived by  Douglass  &  Elder,  enlarged  and  put 
on  a  more  permanent  footing.  On  ^Nfarch  30, 
1850.  Elder  &  Harkness  became  the  ]iroprie- 
tors,  and  again  enlarged  it.  It  acquired  the 
largest  circulation  in  the  county,  and  thereby 
.secured  the  "letter  list."  which  was  a  much- 
coveted  plum  in  those  days,  and  which  was 
especially  desirable  to  the  Lucomettivi  t'u  ac- 
count of  its  personal  character.  It  was  the 
fii'st  paper  here  that  approached  "society" 
reporting,  and  it  did  it  outside  of  the  stereo- 
type room,  noticing  only  affairs  of  some  in- 
terest and  getting  in  most  of  the  go.ssi])  of 
the  place.  As  Berry  Sulgrove  aptly  says: 
"It  was  the  first  paper  that  the  women  and 
sirls  wanted  to  read  regidarly,  and  the  paper 
that  makes  itself  a  household  favorite  is  set- 
tled for  life."  But  the  political  microbe 
finally  destroyed  it.  On  July  17,  1860,  Elder 
&  Harkness  started  Tlie  Old  Line  Guard  as 
a  Breckenridge  and  Lane  organ — the  Sen- 
tinel having  gone  with  the  Douglass  faction  — 
in' order  to  preserve  true  democracy.  On 
Xovember  10,  1860,  the  Locoinat  ivi  an- 
nounced its  own  discontinuance,  and  merger 
with  the  Guard,  and  so  ended  the  city's  most 
interesting  publication  prior  to  the  war. 
Some  further  notice  of  it  will  he  fomid  in 
the  chapter  on  "The  liiterary  Atmosphere." 

On  August  15.  1851,  a  paper  similar  to  the 
Loconuttive.  called  the  Hoo.sier  Cili/.  was 
started  by  Sanniel  H.  blathers.  Francis  'SI. 
Thayer  and  Henry  C.  F^ei-guson,  another 
combination  of  Journal  apprentices,  but  it 
lasted  only  three  months.  It  was  well  editeil, 
however,  and  some  of  its  articles  were  widely 
eoi)ied.     In  1855  Charles  Hand  beuan  a  liter- 


HISTORY  OF 


:i:.\'ii:i;  imhaxapolis. 


395 


iU'V  iiJid  local  weekly  called  tlie  Ru'droad 
Ciiy,  but  it  also  lasted  but  a  few  months.  A 
similar  fate  overtook  the  Dispatch,  a  daily 
started  in  LSoO  by  W.  Thompson  Hatch.  On 
April  l.i.  18.jS,  an  afternoon  jiaper  called 
The  I  iidiuiKipolis  Dailji  Cilizoi  ajipeared. 
published  by  Cameron  iSc  ilcXeely  on  ■".Meri- 
dian street,  seven  doors  south  of  the  [jostof- 
fice. "  It  was  au  excellent  paper,  and  was 
maintained  foi-  two  y^ears,  when  it  was 
bought  by  .Idim  I).  Defrees  and  merged  with 
the  Aihts.  which  he  had  started  in  1859.  In 
1861  the  Alias  was  purchased  by  the  Journal 
and  diseontiinied.  The  slavery  ipu'stion 
called  several  papci's  into  existence,  besides 
The  Fncmaii,  to  meet  the  views  of  that  por- 
tion of  the  coiiuiiunity  for  which  the  regular 
•party  organs  were  too  conservative.  The  first 
of  these.  Th<  Fvrc  Soil  Banner,  appeared  in 
1848.  edited  by  William  (Ireer  and  Lew  Wal- 
lace, and  understood  to  be  backed  by  Ovid 
Butler.  On  January  :i.  18r)7,  the  Wcstvrn 
Fnsaip  ai)i)eared.  published  by  Bidwell  Bros, 
at  8-1  East  Washington  street.  It  was  an  ex 
ponent  of  radical  Rejjublican  views,  which 
wei-e  not  widely  popular,  and  was  jirinted 
in  an  expensive  style,  the  condiiiuition 
bi-inging  it  to  a  natui-al  death  in  April  of 
the  same  year.  In  1S.")7  also,  the  Indiana 
AvKrican.  edited  by  Rev.  Thos.  A.  (ioodwin. 
was  removed  to  here  from  Brookville.  It 
was  an  enthusiastic  anti-slavery  and  tem- 
l)eranec  papei-.  After  the  beginning  of  the 
war.  he  sold  it  to  Downey  &  Co.,  who  made 
it  a  daily  e\ening  paper.  The  name  was  later 
changed  to  the  (lazdli.  and  the  paper  was 
bought  by  the  Journal  in  18()9.  In  the  same 
year  Th(  Indiana  American  was  revived  by 
]\[r.  Goodwin,  but  it  cimtiiiued  oidy  a  year 
or  two. 

The  German  press  went  in  vigoidiisly  for 
politics.  The  first  German  paper  here,  tie' 
Volk.sblatt.  was  established  in  »Septeml>er. 
1848.  by  Julius  Boetticher,  while  the  Ger- 
man population  was  still  small.  lie  did 
nearly  all  the  mechanical  work  of  the  |)aper 
himself,  assisted  only  by  his, little  son  and 
daughter,  as  well  as  the  editing:  but  even 
on  this  inexpensive  basis  the  venture  was  in 
a  fair  way  to  exi)irc  in  three  months,  when 
luckily  T'l-of.  Hoshour  stai-ted  a  (ierman 
class,  and  recommended  his  pupils  to  take 
and  read  a  (ierman  papei-.     The  little  Imneli 


of  cash  subscriptions  from  this  source  re- 
newed ;\[r.  Boetticher "s  determiiuition.  and 
the  Volksblatt  lived  on  for  twenty  years  un- 
der his  management,  and  on  his  death  was 
continued  by  the  (iutenberg  Company.  The 
Volhsblalt  was  Democratic  in  its  tendencies 
from  the  stai't,  and  was  made  intensely  .so  l)y 
the  development  of  Know-nothingism.  In 
Sei)tend)ei-,  1853.  Theodore  Ilielscher  started 
the  Frcic  L'rcssc  in  su]i]>ort  of  the  free  soil 
and  abolition  principles,  and  the  two  papers 
went  at  it,  hanuner  and  tones,  just  like  the 
other  jiolitical  i)ai)ers,  as  is  more  fully  noted 
in  the  (•hai)ter  on  "The  (lernians  in  Indian- 
apolis. " 

The  Frcic  Prcssc  was  continued  until  dur- 
ing the  Civil  War,  and  the  Volkshlatt  passed 
into  the  hands  of  the  (iutenberg  Co.,  which 
continued  its  publication  as  a  weekly  until 
1907.  In  1S6o  the  (iutenbery  Co.  established 
the  Tdcfjrnph.  a  (jerman  daily,  and  si.x 
months  later  the  Spotlvond.  as  its  Sunday 
issue.  lu  1877  The  Tribum.  a  (ierman  daily, 
was  started  in  o])position  to  the  Telegraph, 
and  these  two  divided  the  field  for  a  quarter 
of  a  century.  In  ^larch.  1907.  these  two  wei'e 
(•(msolidat'^d,  and  The  Teleeiraph  and  Tribune, 
with  the  Spoitvoijcl  (^locldng-bird)  as  Sun- 
day i.ssue,  now  ])ublish(>d  In-  the  Gutenberg 
Co.,  is  the  only  German  news|)ai)er  of  In- 
dianapolis. The  Volksblall  was  diseontiinied 
at  the  time  of  the  consolidation.  The  only 
Genuan  paper  now  published  in  Indianapolis 
besides  the  Telceirapli  mid  Tiihunc  and  the 
Spoftroe/el.  is  the  I)(  ulscli-Anierikanischc 
Hncliilrucker-Zeilung.  the  official  organ  of  the 
( ierman-^\merican  Typographical  Uni(m. 
This  is  edited  by  Hugo  Miller,  and  is  issued 
semi-mon1hi>-.  It  was  originally  established 
in  New  York  City  in  187:!.  but  was  removed 
to  Indianapolis  in  1894  wIh'o  the  headquar- 
ters of  the  union  wi-i-e  1i-ansferreil  to  this 
noint . 

There  is  no  publication  in  lniliaiui|)olis  in 
any  othei-  foreign  language  than  (iei'nuui,  but 
there  ai'e  two  trades  papers  that  pidjlish  de- 
|)artments  in  Fremdi  and  Italian,  as  well  as 
(Jerman  and  English.  ()iie  of  these  is  Tin 
Carpenler.  a  monthly  paper,  which  was  es- 
tablished in  1881,  i'he  olliei-  is  The  Briek- 
Idi/t  r  and  Mason,  also  a  monthly,  which  was 
started  in  1898.  The  Bnihdruek(  r-Zeitung 
s(i-ves    the    purpose  of  a   (li'i'iiian   organ     for 


396 


HISTOKY  OF  GKEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


the  International  'I'ypuuiaphical  Union  of 
America  as  the  (ieniian  Union  is  in  alliance 
with  it,  and  from  the  same  headquarters,  in 
the  Newton  Claypool  bnilding,  is  isned  The 
Typographical  Journal— t\\Q  official  organ  of 
tlie  International  Union— a  semi-monthly 
which  was  established  in  1S93.  There  are 
several  other  labor  union  publications  in  the 
city,  printed  in  English  only..  The  Team- 
sfir.  the  official  organ  of  the  International 
Brotherhood  of  Teamsters,  was  started  in 
1903,  and  is  published  from  the  Carpenters 
building  on  East  ^lichigan  street.  The  Car- 
penter is  al.so  published  here,  and  so  is  The 
Journeyman  Ba>h<r.  The  latter  is  the  offi- 
cial magaziui'  of  the  Journe.yman  Barbers' 
Intei'iiational  Union  of  America.  It  was 
started  as  TIte  Barbers'  Journal  in  February, 
1891,  at  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  and  later  moved  to 
Cleveland  and  then  to  Los  Angeles,  following 
the  headquarters  of  the  union.  At  Los  An- 
geles the  name  was  changed  to  Tlte  Journey- 
man Barber.  It  was  moved  to  Indianapolis 
in  1905.  It  is  pul)lished  monthly.  Other 
labor  union  papers  published  here  are  the 
United  Mine  Workers  Journal,  organ  of  the 
United  Mine  Workers  of  America,  established 
in  1891 ;  and  the  Locomotive  Firemen  and 
Enginemen's  Magazine,  established  in  1885, 
and  now  edited  by  John  P.  McNamee. 

In  addition  to  the  organs  of  special  unions, 
the  city  has  had  several  general  lalior  papers, 
of  which  Cal  Light's  Worhingmen's  Map 
may  be  resarded  as  the  pioneer.  It  was 
started  early  in  1876  and  continued  till  IMay, 
1877,  when  it  was  suspended,  and  the  sub- 
scribers were  furnished  with  The  Times,  a 
weekly  that  had  been  started  also  in  the 
spring  of  187f).  and  which  continued  for  two 
or  three  yeai-s  longer.  Tlte  Times  originally 
devoted  itself  to  sensations  and  scandals,  but 
improved,  and  became  a  fairly  decent  labor 
paper.  Light  started  The  Democrat  soon 
after  the  suspension  of  the  Worldngmen's 
Map  and  it  lasted  but  little  longer  than  its 
predecessor.  One  of  the  most  notable  of 
these  w-as  The  Labor  Signal,  which  was  estab- 
lished in  1881  as  the  organ  of  the  Central 
Trades  and  Lal>()r  Union.  For  a  number  of 
years  Wm.  LangstafT  was  trustee,  and  Thom- 
as M.  Gruelle  editor.  It  claimed  to  be  "the 
ol(3est  esta])lished  bibor  i)aper  in  tiie  West:" 
was   verx   well    edited,    and    had    eimsiderahle 


influence.  Early  in  1S9G  it  was  bought  by 
James  Wilson,  then  pioprietor  of  The  People, 
who  wanted  the  material  and  fixtures  of  the 
office,  and  who  discontinued  the  paper.  The 
labor  field  was  already  occupied  by  The 
Union,  which  was  founded  in  1888  by  Edwin 
F.  Gould.  The  paper  in  that  year  bitterly 
opposed  Gen.  Harrison,  who  Gould  made  affi- 
davit to  have  said  "a  dollar  a  day  is  enough 
for  a  workingman."  The  Union  was  contin- 
ued by  Gould  till  his  death,  on  May  4,  1906. 
It  was  then  continued  for  a  few  weeks  by 
Edgar  A.  Perkins  as  his  administrator;  when 
he  bought  the  paper  from  ilrs.  Gould,  and 
still  continues  it.  It  is  the  organ  of  the  In- 
diana Federation  of  Labor,  and  the  Central 
Labor  Union  of  Indianapolis,  and  is  an  ex- 
cellent paper  of  its  class.  A  shorter-lived 
labor  paper  was  T/te  Workingman,  which  was 
established  in  1892  by  Frailey  and  Goodwin. 
It  wa-s  continued  for  about  two  years. 

The  first  agricultural  paper  published  here 
was  a  monthly  called  the  Indiana  Farmer, 
which  was  started  in  the  last  half  of  the 
'30 's  by  Osborn  &  AVilletts.  Very  little  is 
known  about  it,  and  no  copies  are  known  to 
have  been  preserved.  The  same  is  true  of 
the  second  one.  The  Western  Cultivator, 
which  was  published  at  Indianapolis  by  W. 
Thompson  Hatch,  who  also  started  a  short- 
lived daily  called  The  Dispalcli,  about  1850. 
The  Cultivator  was  in  existence  when  Henry 
Ward  Beecher  started  his  paper  in  1845,  and 
is  referred  to  by  him  as  a  very  valuable  pub- 
lication that  had  been  established  by  great 
effort. °  ]\Ir.  Beecher  had  always  taken  a 
great  interest  in  agriculture,  floriculture  and 
horticulture,  and  had  been  contributing 
periodically  to  the  Journal,  as  well  as  stir- 
ring up  the  community  generally  on  these 
sub.iects;  and  usually  in  a  very  rational  and 
useful  way.  There  was  already  a  wide  and 
intelligent  interest.  In  a  leter  in  January, 
1843,  Beecher  says  there  were  then  18  regu- 
lar nurseries  in  the  state,  and  that  apple-trees 
sold  at  10  cents  and  pear  trees  at  20  cents. 
lie  also  states  that  an  association  of  gentle- 
men had  been  formed  in  Indianapolis  to 
plant  the  streets  with  shade  trees;  and  would 
"take   ample   stock   froin   our  own    forests." 


■'Indiana   Farmer   and   Gardener. 
pp.  1.  114. 


1. 


HISTORY  OF  GKEATKH    INDIANAPOLIS. 


397 


and  also  plant  some  pear  and  i)lum  trees,  tlii' 
latter  in  the  belief  that  they  would  be  free 
from  the  eiu-eulio  on  hiiihways.  He  mentions 
with  reo-ret  that  the  fine  "oaks,  maples,  syca- 
mores* beeches,  tulip  trees  and  elms"  had 
been  cut  from  the  public  squares,  and  that 
these  had  been  replanted  with  "short-lived 
locusts.' 

The  Indiana  Farmer  and  Gardener  was  the 
result  of  a  scheme  arrauo;ed  by  Vance  Noel 
of  the  Journal  and  Mr.  Beecher  by  which  if 
was  issued  semi-monthly  from  the  Journal 
office,  and  such  of  the  niatli'i-  as  was  wanted 


into  it.  which  makes  it  very  readable  to  this 
day.  He  also  showed  unusual  newspaper  en- 
terprise. One  of  his  strokes  wa.s  issuing  a 
double  lunnber  on  October  l!l,  1846,  with  a 
complele  almanac  for  18-i7.  He  explained 
that  "almo.st  every  family  purchases  an  al- 
manac of  some  kind,"  and  he  proposed  to 
furnish  one  in  which  ''uncouth  wood-cuts 
and  pointless  anecdotes"  were  replaced  by 
"u.seful  information".  This  was  done  very 
satisfactorily,  but  included  amon<ir  the  useful 
information  were  some  powei-ful  arguments 
for  subscribing'  to  I  lie    Wishrn  Farmer  and 


S^A 


THE    STATK    .lOURNAL    BUILDING,    1S.5U. 
(p-rom   an   old    cut.) 


was  then  lifted  into  llie  Journal  forms  with 
credit  to  the  Indiana  Farmer  and  Gardener, 
which  was  thereby  nuide  possible  of  sale  at 
■")()  cents  a  year.  'I'his  arranjicmeiit  contiiuied 
for  some  eiLihteen  months.  The  finst  number 
was  isued  on  P\'bruary  1,  1845.  On  January 
1,  184f;,  the  name  was  changed  to  The  Wesl- 
crn  Fanner  and  Gardener,  the  paper  haviuLT 
absorbed  The  We.iter)i  Farmer  of  Cinciiniati. 
It  closed  its  second  year  with  1.200  subscrib- 
ers, wliich  is  not  surprising,  for  Mr.  Beecher 
got  a  large  amount  nf  iiileresting  informal  inn 


"Indiana    Quarhrhi   ^Ja(|azine   of  Histori/, 
Vol.  3,  p.  189. 


Gardener.  The  paper  was  discontinued  when 
^Ir.  Beecher  left  in  1847,  and  for  nineteen 
vears  the  city  was  without  an  agricultui-al 
paper.  In  186G  Ur.  T.  A.  Bland  started  the 
Sorthivestem  Farmer,  and  in  April,  1871, 
this  came  under  the  editoi-ial  control  of  J.  (!. 
Kingslniry,  who  changed  the  name  to  The  In- 
diana Farmer,  and  made  it  the  leading  agri- 
cultural paper  of  the  state.  In  1872  J.  J. 
Hillingsley,  publisher  of  the  Drainacje  and 
Farm  Journal,  bought  an  interest  in  it;  and 
ill  1874  J.  B.  Conner  boutrbt  a  half  interest. 
Mr.  Conner  then  assumed  the  active  business 
matiiigement  i>f'  the  pajxT,  which  he  still  re- 
tains. 


!)S 


11IS-1(»|;V   (»!•'   (iltEATEH   JXDIA.NAI'OLIS. 


There  have  been  several  .short-lived  agri- 
cultural papers  started  at  Indianapolis,  such 
as  the  Agriculiural  Frrss,  by  Cyrus  T.  Nixon, 
and  Farm,  Herd  aitd  Home,  by  Austin  H. 
Brown  and  A.  Abromet;  and  in  the  later 
period  there  have  been  several  notably  suc- 
cessful ones.  The  American  Farmer,  which 
was  started  in  1885,  developed  remarkably, 
and  had  at  one  time  a  circulation  of  over 
200,000;  but  has  lost  some  in  the  last  few 
years  on  account  of  changes  in  postal  regula- 
tions. It  is  published  by  a  company,  of  the 
same  name,  of  which  Solon  L.  Goode  is  the 
largest  owner.  I'p-to-Date  Farmiiui  is  an  ag- 
ricultural semi-monthly  that  was  started  by 
J.  A.  Everitt  in  1898.  and  was  pidilished  by 
liim  till  January.  1909,  when  it  passed  into 
control  of  an  ineor])orated  company,  of  which 
he  is  the  chief  owner.  It  claims  125,000  cir- 
culation. The  Equiiij  Farm  Journal  is  the 
official  organ  of  the  American  Society  of 
E(juity,  and  is  devoted  more  to  agricultural 
l)uying  and  selling  than  to  the  science  of  cul- 
tivating the  soil.  It  was  started  in  Chicago  as 
an  independent  publication  in  November. 
1907,  but  was  acquired  by  the  society  and 
moved  to  this  point  in  January,  1908,  the 
headquarters  of  the  society  being  here.  Its 
circulation  is  about  60,000  and  is  rapidly  in- 
creasing. 

Clasely  following  Beecher's  Indiana  Farm- 
er and  Gardener  came  another  notable  pub- 
lication, which,  strange  to  say,  has  dropped 
entirely  out  of  sight  in  the  histories  of  In- 
diana. This  was  The  Common  Seltool  Advo- 
ratf.  fii-st  issued  on  October  1,  18-16,  as  a  semi- 
monthly, by  Henry  F.  West,  later  mayor  of 
Indianapolis,  and  the  founder  of  the  book 
store  now  known  as  The  Bobbs-ilerrill  Co. — 
or  rather  the  W.  K.  Stewart  Co.  This  edu- 
cational journal  is  not  mentioned  even  in  that 
very  thorough  work,  Boone's  History  of  Edu- 
cation in  Indiana,  and  yet  it  did  more  to  se- 
cure the  free  school  system  of  Indiana  than 
any  other  publication  in  the  stat(\  It  was 
fref(uently  (juoted  in  contemporary  jiajiers. 
and  it  no  doubt  won  the  fight  for  the  free 
school  tax  in  Indianapolis,  in  1847.  ])y  its 
vigorous  argtnnents,  one  of  which  was  a 
demonstration  that  the  illiteracy  of  Indian- 
apolis was  greater  than  the  average  illiteracy 
of  the  entire  state.  I  have  been  able  to  find 
in  exi.stence  only  (  iie  copy  of  it— the  second 


luunher — i)ound  at  the  back  of  a  volume  of 
Beecher's  Indiana  Fanner  and  Gardener, 
formerly  belonging  to  Judge  II.  V.  Biddle, 
and  now  in  the  Cit.y  Librarj^  at  Indianapolis. 
It  was  probably  discontinued  shortly  after 
the  battle  for  free  schools  was  finally  won  in 
1852,  as  that  was  its  mission. 

In  January,  1856,  the  Indiana  Seltool 
Journal  was  started  in  |)ursuance  of  resolu- 
tions adopted  by  the  State  Teachers'  As.so- 
ciation  ti)  publish  an  educational  journal  simi- 
lar to  that  published  in  Ohio.  It  was  con- 
ducted by  nine  editors,  appointed  by  the  as- 
sociation, one  of  whom  was  "ivsident  editor'', 
on  a  salary.  The  first  resident  editor  was 
(ieorge  B.  Stone,  then  Superintendent  of  the 
Indianapolis  schools.  He  was  one  of  the 
numerous  teachers  who  left  the  state  in  1858, 
after  the  Supreme  Court  had  held  the  school 
law  uneonstitntional.  He  was  succeeded  by 
W.  1).  Henkle  for  one  year,  when  he  also 
left,  and  O.  Phelps  was  ai)pointed.  Mr. 
Phelps  was  absent  fi-om  the  state  so  much 
that  he  could  hardly  be  said  to  "reside",  and 
the  work  of  issuing  the  paper  fell  chiefiy  on 
II.  II.  Young,  the  publisher.  The  paper  de- 
teriorated greatl.v  and  its  sub-scription  list 
fell  to  150.  In  the  spring  of  1862  the  Asso- 
ciation transferred  the  paper  to  Geo.  W. 
IIos-s,  then  of  the  faculty  of  Northwestern 
Christian  University  (Butler)  and  later  State 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instriu-tion.  who 
edited  it  for  eight  years,  and  put  it  in  good 
standing  once  more.  The  Journal  was  then 
consolidated  with  the  Indiana  Teacher,  and 
Wm.  A.  Bell  was  associated  with  'Slv.  Hoss  as 
chief  editor.  In  August.  1871,  :Mr.  Bell 
bought  the  interest  of  ^Ir.  Hoss.  and  for  the 
next  twenty-eight  years  was  proprietor  and 
editor  of  the  Journal. 

Wm.  A,  Bell  was  an  important  factor  in 
education  in  Indianapolis  and  Indiana.  He 
was  a  native  of  the  state,  born  in  Clinton 
Comity,  January  .SO,  1833 ;  and  attained  an 
education  by  his  own  effort,  graduating  from 
Antioch  College.  Ohio,  in  1860.  He  tried 
teaching  in  the  South,  but  returned  on  ac- 
count of  the  war,  and  in  1861-2  was  in  charge 
of  the  schools  at  Williamsburg,  Indiana.  In 
1863  he  was  made  principal  of  the  old  Sec- 
ond Ward  school  in  Indianapolis,  and  in  1864 
of  the  newly-organized  high  school.  In  1865 
he   was  superintendent   of  schools    at    Rich- 


HIS'TORY  OF   CltKATKIi    I  \  I  )1A  \.\  I'Ohl^,. 


399 


niontl.  liiiliiiiia,  and  in  18til)  rcturiU'd  ;i.s  prin- 
cipal I't'  the  Indianapolis  liiuli  scIiodI.  wlici'i'  lie 
continued  till  1871.  After  niiyinu-  the  Sclioo! 
Jotinial  he  was  president  of  the  State  Teaeh- 
ers"  Assoeiation  in  ISl'A,  and  from  that  time 
was  an  et!ieient  meml)er  of  the  Indianapolis 
School  Board  for  twelve  yeai-s.  1873-85,  and 
was  president  of  the  board  for  seven  years  of 
that  time.  In  June,  1899,  "Sh:  Bell  sold  the 
School  Journal  to  D.  ]\L  Geeting,  late  Super- 
intendent of  Puhlie  Instruction,  who  became 
editor,  with  K.  B.  Bryan  and  Geo.  W.  liass 
as  assistants.  In  1900  the  paper  was  con- 
solidated with  the  Iiihnid  Educator,  which 
was  started  in  Terre  Haute  in  1895,  and  has 
since  been  published,  as  The  Educator-Jour- 
nal, by  a  company  which  was  formed  at  the 
time  of  the  consolidation.  The  present  edi- 
tor is  Robert  J.  Aley,  State  Superintendent 
I  if  Public  Insti'uction. 

In  Decembfi'.  1897.  appeai'ed  the  first  num- 
ber of  The  Indianian,  a  rather  unifjue  semi- 
monthly devoted  especially  to  the  interests  of 
townshi]>  trustees.  It  was  publi.shed  by  The 
Indianian  Company,  the  chief  factor  in 
which,  and  the  business  manager  of  the  pub- 
lication, was  B.  F.  Blair.  The  managinii' 
'ditor  was  F.  W.  Van  Sicklen.  In  Octol)er. 
Is'.is.  W.  H.  Smith,  author  of  a  Historti  of 
Iiidiaiiii.  Ijcgan  editing  a  historical  (le])ai't- 
iiient  in  the  Tndiaiiiaii.  and  in  July.  1899.  he 
took  editorial  control,  the  principal  aim  of 
the  publication  thereafter  being  to  promote 
the  study  of  local  history  in  the  public 
schools.  It  was  got  out  in  good  st.vie,  witlt 
excellent  illustrations  and  descriptive  articles 
iif  various  counties  and  othci-  intcrr-sting  his- 
torical matter.  But  the  publication  was  too 
expensive  for  the  returns.  In  ()ctt)bei',  1900, 
.Mr.  Smith  was  dropped  as  editor,  and  in  De- 
ceinbci-  op  tlin  same  yeai'  The  ludiniii'iii  sus- 
pended. 

There  was  no  historical  jjcriodical  pub- 
lished in  the  city,  or  in  the  state,  until  1905, 
althoneh  the  Indiana  Historical  Soci(>ty  was 
organized  on  Di-cenibei-  11,  1830,  and  ii^ 
corpoi-ate(l  by  special  act  of  the  legislature 
on  January  10,  1831.  The  society  had  an 
iiitei-mittent  existence  for  over  half  a  century, 
suspendinir  and  being  revived,  but  inactive 
most  of  that  lime.  In  188fi  it  was  ivoi'ganized, 
and  since  then  has  b(>en  iriaintained  contin- 
uously, issuing  pamphlets  from  time  to  time 


until  it  has  now  conii)leted  I'oui'  \oluiiies  of 
its  i'ubliciitioHS.  As  there  had  been  several 
publications  prior  to  that  date,  those  of  188t) 
were  started  as  Volume  2,  ami  in  the  course 
of  the  next  ten  years  those  preceding  were 
gathered  up,  and  published  as  Volume  1. 
It  never  undertook  a  regular  periodical.  JNIr. 
George  AV.  Cottman,  of  Irviugton,  a  pleasing 
writer,  who  had  given  much  attention  to 
local  history,  became  convincetl  that  there  was 
a  field  for  an  historical  periodical,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1905  launched  the  Indiana  Quar- 
terly Maejazine  of  Histori).  He  continued  it 
for  three  years,  giving  it  up  on  account  of 
removal.  It  was  largely  a  labor  of  love,  as 
the  returns  were  very  little  more  than  the  ex- 
penses. But  by  that  time  a  niunber  of  per- 
sons were  satisfied  that  the  publication  was 
too  valuable  to  be  di-opped,  and  arrangements 
were  made  to  continue  it.  Prof.  C.  H.  Colc- 
nuin,  of  Butler,  undertook  to  edit  it:  State 
]jibi"irian  Demarchus  Brown  undertook  a 
large  i:)art  of  the  business  management;  and 
the  Indiana  Historical  Society  guaranteed 
expenses  to  the  amount  of  $150  a  year.  Un- 
der this  arrangement  the  publication  is  still 
continued,  and  the  matiazine  is  steadily  gain- 
ing an  independent  footin<>:  on  its  merits. 

One  I'eason  foi-  taking  1870  as  a  sort  of 
dividing  line  between  the  old  and  the  new  in 
Indianapolis  news])apers  is  that  it  was  the 
fii'st  year  of  a  pei-manent  afternoon  paper, 
and  one  that  had  the  press  reports— the  In- 
dianapolis Xeirs.  Its  fii'st  issue  appeared  on 
])ecend)er  7,  18t)9,  ami  its  low  ])i'ice— it  W'as 
the  first  2-eent  jiaper— clean  make-up,  con- 
tlensed  form,  and  refusal  to  i)rint  advertise- 
ments as  editorial  mattei-  soon  made  it  ]io]iu- 
lar.  It  was  well  edited.  Its  founder,  ]iro- 
prietor  and  editor  was  John  H.  Ilolliday. 
who  was  of  one  of  the  oldest  families  in  this 
i-egion.  His  gi'andfather,  Samuel  Hollida.y, 
was  one  of  the  associate  .iudgcs  at  the  Indian 
trials  at  Pendleton,  in  1824.  His  father. 
Kev.  "Wni.  A.  Holliday.  was  jiastor  of  the 
First  Pi-e.sbyterian  chui-ch  in  1832-4,  and  re- 
sided in  Indianapolis  from  1841  till  his  death 
December  16,  18(if).  exee])t  for  two  years, 
1864-6,  when  he  served  as  professor  of  Latin 
and  modern  languasres  at  Hanovei-  College, 
lie  was  a  nuui  of  nnieli  leai'ning.  and  for  a 
nuiiibei-  of  years  conducted  one  of  the  noted 
private  Schools  of  the  citv.    Jolui  II.  Ilolliday 


400 


HISTOKY  OV  GKEATER  IXDIANAPOLIS. 


gi'ew  up  in  ludianapolis,  was  educated  at 
Hanover,  and  had  several  years'  newspaper 
experience  on  the  Sentinel  and  other  city 
papers.  His  editorials  were  sane,  pithy,  and 
to  the  point,  as  a  rule.  His  one  failing  was 
in  not  realizing  how  important  and  valuable 
a  paper  he  had  established.  In  1884,  when 
the  News  was  the  chief  independent  news- 
paper of  Indiana,  Joseph  E.  McDonald  was 
a  candidate  for  the  Democratic  nomination 
for  the  presidency.  Mr.  HoUiday  con.sidered 
him  the  most  available  Democratic  timber  in 
sight,  aud  could  have  been  of  material  in- 
fluence b.y  simply  saying  so.  With  Mr.  Mc- 
Donald's approval  I  endeavored  to  get  him 
to  do  this,  but  the  resiilt  was  a  tame,  almost 
non-committal  article  that  was  not  of  the 
slightest  use  to  Mr.  McDonald  or  anyone  else. 
But  usually  no  one  had  much  trouble  in  lo- 
cating the  News,  though  it  was  at  times  in- 
consistent, notably  in  the  matter  of  preaching 
tai'iff  reform  and  generally  supporting  pro- 
tective tariff  Republicans  in  national  elec- 
tions. The  only  Democratic  candidate  for 
president  it  ever  supported  was  Horaci> 
Greeley. 

As  important  a  factor  in  building  up  the 
News  as  Mr.  Holliday  himself  was  Gideon  B. 
Thompson,  who  came  to  it  in  the  second  year 
of  its  life  as  city  editor.  Thompson  is  a  na- 
tive of  Ohio,  bora  August  i.  1839.  His 
father  was  a  Presbyterian  minister.  Gideou 
worked  at  the  printer's  trade  in  a  country 
office,  and  came  to  Indianapolis  to  perfect 
himself  in  the  trade  iu  the  winter  of  1856-7. 
He  worked  for  the  Sentinel  Company, 
which  then  had  the  state  printing,  till  I860: 
went  to  Kentucky  for  a  few  months;  then 
back  to  the  Sentinel,  and  later  to  the  Journal. 
when  it  got  the  state  work.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Shoup's  Independent  Zouaves,  and 
went  to  cauip  for  the  three  months'  service. 
but  took  sick,  became  delirious,  and  did  not 
come  to  himself  till  the  regiment  was  gone. 
But  he  went  out  in  August,  1861.  and  came 
back  in  1863,  broken  in  health.  He  married, 
but  soon  fell  ill,  and  for  years  was  unable  to 
do  a  ftdl  day's  work.  Nevertheless  he  worked 
in  the  Journal  composing-room,  setting  type 
for  an  hour  and  thou  sleeping  for  an  hour  on 
a  board  he  had  placed  under  his  case.  In 
the  winter  of  1868-9  he  besran  reporting  the 
council  for  the  Jottrnnl  and  Sentinel  to  help 


out  his  earnings;  and  then  went  on  the  Jour- 
nal as  repoi-ter.  His  most  noted  work  there 
was  a  defense  of  the  management  of  the 
Orphan  Asylum.  George  C.  Harding  who 
was  then  city  editor  of  the  Sentinel,  attacked 
tlie  management.  Mrs.  Newcomb,  wife  of 
Judge  H.  C.  Newcomb,  who  was  then  editor 
of  the  Journal,  was  one  of  the  members  of 
the  board.  Thompson  interviewed  her  and 
the  other  ladies  of  the  board,  and  they  talked 
very  spicily.  Harding  was  too  gallant  to 
come  back  at  the  ladies,  and,  not  su.specting 
Thomp.son,  he  replied  by  horsewhipping 
(feorge  Long,  the  city  editor  of  the  Journal, 
who  was  innocent  of  any  connection  with  the 
matter.  When  Harding  left  the  Sentinel, 
'Ihompson  took  his  place  as  city  editor,  which 
he  held  till  R.  J.  Bright  sold  the  paper,  and 
then  he  went  to  the  News. 

Jlr.  Thompson  has  long  been  known  as 
"Snacks",  many  people  not  knowing  him 
l)y  any  other  name.  He  picked  up  this  cog- 
nomen at  Danville,  Indiana,  where  he  worked 
for  some  months  before  coming  to  Indianapo- 
lis. He  took  the  character  of  "Snacks"  in  an 
amateur  play  there.  The  young  ladies  of  tlie 
place  were  interested  in  knowing  something 
about  him,  but  he  would  satisfy  their  curi- 
osity onh'  by  assuring  them  that  he  "came 
from  nowhere,  was  going  no  place,  and  had 
no  mission  in  the  world  that  he  knew  of". 
They  retaliated  by  christening  him  "Snacks", 
and  the  name  followed  him.  While  in  the 
army  he  iised  it  as  a  pen  name  in  his  cor- 
respondence for  the  city  papers.  In  a  paper 
on  "The  Reporter",  read  before  the  State 
Editorial  ^Association  in  the  early  seventies, 
Mr.  Thompson  described  the  requisite  quali- 
fications of  a  reporter  as,  (1)  "an  Argus 
nose  for  news",  (2)  "a  talented  pair  of 
legs",  and  (3)  "brains";  the  emphasis  be- 
ing laid  on  the  first  two,  and  the  third  being 
treated  as  of  small  importance.  But  he  had 
all  three,  and  one  of  the  most  attractive 
features  of  his  work  was  the  inven- 
tion of  unique  expressions,  with  a 
faculty  for  iteration  that  was  not  mo- 
notonous. Many  Indianapolis  people  re- 
member the  epithet  "the  commonest  kind 
of  a  common  deadfall",  which  he  applied  to 
a  "skin"  auction  room  on  South  Illinois 
street  until  he  fairly  ran  it  out  of  town.  He 
made    Street    Commissioner    Kennington    fa- 


Ilis-|()i;v    OF  (,|;K. \'n-:R   INDIAN. M'oi.is. 


tOl 


inous  as  "the  little  red  wa^ron  with  a  wart 
(111  it"".  But  perhaps  his  most  noted  expres- 
sion was  ""The  Slick  Six"",  which  he  applied 
to  Harry  Ailaiiis,  Koseoe  Hawkins,  John 
Leonard,  Dan  Kaiusdell.  Lee  IMothershead, 
and  Ot.  Hasseliiian.  (hen  tlie  "brains""  of 
the  loeal  Kepiihlitaii  niaeliiiie.  It  was  a 
clianee  sliot.  suii<icstcd  liy  "the  Big  Six"  who 
were  then  runnini;'  \ew  York  City,  and  wonld 
probably  have  spent  itself  with  tlie  one  use 
had  not  one  of  the  assailed  made  tlie  iiiistak(> 
of  askiiii,'  Thom|)son  not  to  use  it  aijaiii; 
wliereupon  he  nearly  lost  his  breath  iiettin^ 
back  to  the  office  to  use  it.  antl  kejjt  it  u]> 
until  it  became  an  established  political  epi- 
thet, outliving  the  memoi-y  of  its  original  ap- 
plication and  meaning. 

It  may  be  noted  here  that  one  element  of 
the  success  of  the  .\(  ics  was  employing  the 
best  writers  available  in  <'very  department. 
After  it  was  well  on  its  feet,  whenever  a  man 
.showed  ability  on  another  paper  the  Xtics 
went  after  him  and  usually  got  him  without 
trouble,  for  sane  newspaper  men  prefei-  day 
\Mirk.  Ill  its  reportoi'ial  force  it  took  on  such 
irieii  as  Chai'les  Dennis,  Hilton  1'.  Brown. 
Krm-st  B.  Bieknell.  .Meredith  Xieholsnii. 
James  I  loi'iiaday,  Harry  I'almer.  Mai-k  This- 
tlethwaite,  and  oth(>rs  of  little  less  loeal  note. 
To  its  editorial  force  were  called  Dan  Baine. 
a  writer  of  charming  verse  as  well  as  prose: 
.\rorris  Ross,  a  graceful  writer;  and  Louis 
1  lowland,  much  of  whose  work  is  of  magazine 
or  review  quality.  The  Nctcs  could  always 
l)iiast  III'  being  well-written  as  well  as  well- 
edited,  and  that  has  been  a  large  factor  in 
its  success.  One  of  its  first  victoi-ies  was 
swallowing  up  its  only  afternoon  rival.  Tin 
Kroiiiif/  Mirror,  which,  as  a  daily,  was  of 
alxnit  its  own  age.  It  was  started  as  a  Satur- 
day afti^rnoon  ])aper  on  December  22.  1867, 
by  (ieorgc  C.  Harding  and  AT.  ('<.  lleiirx'.  In 
a  year  oi-  two  Henry  sold  out  in  John  B. 
]\Iorton.  and  W'm.  B.  Vickers  also  entered  the 
firm.  In  the  winter  of  ISti!)  the  jiaper  began 
to  be  issued  as  a  daily,  but  fell  by  the  way, 
and  in  February.  1870.  was  sold  to  tlie  Xcirs. 
The  Weekly  Mirror  was  suspended  at  the 
same  time,  and  Vickers  soon  began  a  weekly 
in  its  [)laee.  called  Toini  Tall;,  which  did  not 
liust  lomr.  Mr.  Hardirm-  then  formed  another 
union  with  ^fr.  Vickers.  and  revived  the 
Mirror  as  a  weekly.  In  .\hi.\.  1870,  Harding 
Vol.  I— 2G 


sold  his  interest  to  Vickers  who  continued  it 
for  about  a  year,  when  Ik-  became  managing 
I'llitor  (if  the  Jdiinidl  and  sold  the  paper  to 
B.  ().  ;\Iullikeii.  .Mulliken  succeeded  in 
killing  it  in  a   few  weeks. 

(ieorge  V.  Harding  was  the  most  pieliir- 
es(|ue  character  that  ever  appeared  in  In- 
dianapolis .iournalism.  He  was  born  near 
Knox\ille.  Tennessee,  August  26.  182!),  ajid 
learned  nature  at  first  hand  in  his  boyish 
rambles.  Before  he  reached  bis  teens  his 
father,  who  was  a  lawyer,  movetl  to  Baris, 
Illinois.  Here  the  boys  named  him  "The  ("hei-- 
iikee"  on  account  of  his  swarthy  complexion 
and  wild  ways,  but  after  he  liad  thra.shed 
all  of  the  fighting  element  the  Indian  prob- 
lem was  solved.  At  fourteen  he  left  school 
and  went  to  woi-k  at  odd  jobs;  ran  otf  to 
St.  Ijouis.  wlience  lie  soon  returned  penni- 
less and  disheartened;  got  a  chance  to  learn 
the  ])rintei-'s  trade  on  the  Tern  Haute  Cour- 
ii  r,  which  he  accei)ted  with  .joy.  Here  he  be- 
gan writing:  and  on  compb'ting  his  api)reTi- 
liceshiji  he  went  to  aid  his  father,  who  had 
starte(l  the  I'reurie  Heaeon  at  Baris,  and 
wrote  more  extensively.  Then  the  ^fexican 
Wai-  broke  out.  and  after  a  desperate  effort 
to  enlist,  in  which  he  followed  the  troops  to 
.\ew  Orleans  on  a  fiat-boat,  he  fell  sick  and 
came  near  dying.  His  next  newspaper  ven- 
ture was  at  Charleston,  Illinois,  as  [lart  owner 
of  the  Courier,  a  warm  Kej)id)licaii  paper, 
which  is  said  to  have  been  the  fii-st  newspajier 
to  suggest  Fremont  for  president.  After  ex- 
|)erieiice  tliei-e.  and  on  the  ('ineiiiiiuli  Com- 
iiiireial.  he  became  associate  editor  of  the 
Houston  (Tex.~)  T< Ii f/rapli.  which  be  left  to 
come  north  .just  before  the  Civil   War  began. 

Hai-ding  enlisted  in  the  Twenty-first  In- 
diana (First  Heavv  Artillery)  under  Col. 
John  W.  ]\rc:\Iillaii.  "which  went  first  to  Balti- 
more, anil  then  to  theliiilf  l)ei>artment.  He 
was  promoted  from  the  ranks  to  secdnd 
lieutenant,  but  soon  after  resigned,  and  in 
1864  took  a  [wsitioii  on  the  .Vdc  Or/on/.-.- 
Tiniis.  Wliile  in  the  army  he  c(ii'res|)oiide(l 
for  the  Ciiieiniuiti  Coiiimereial.  and  his  let- 
ters attracted  much  attention.  In  1882.  after 
his  death,  these  lettei-s.  with  other  articles, 
were  jniblished  in  Imok  form,  at  Indianapolis, 
under  the  title.  "The  ^Miscellaneous  Writings 
(if  (ieorge  C.  Harding".  .After  six  months 
on    tile    Tliiiis   be    c;ime    iKirfli;    worked    for   a 


402 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


slicirt  tiiiii'  on  tlir  CIik  niiiaii  ConiiiK  rciiil :  and 
then  came  t(i  Imliaiiapolis.  where  most  of  the 
remainder  of  his  life  was  passed.  His  first 
work  here  was  as  local  editor  on  the  Journal, 
then  under  Lafe  Devlin  on  the  Herald,  and 
Dick  Bright  on  the  Sentinel.  Then  he  went 
to  the  Journal  ajiain,  and  was  managing  edi- 
tor of  the  shoi't-lived  evening  edition  of  that 
paper  in  1871.  After  the  failure  of  the 
Mirror,  his  next  venture  was  the  Saturday 
Herald,  which  was  a  great  success.  It  was 
first  issued  on  January  5,  1873.  ilost  of  its 
popularity  was  due  to  Harding's  work,  but  he 
was  ably  assisted,  especially  by  Jlrs.  Gertrude 
Garrison,  who  was  an  exceptional  writer,  and 
a   woman  of  fine  literary  judgment. 

Harding's  great  forte  was  as  a  para- 
grapher,  in  which  he  had  nnich  of  the  quality 
of  George  D.  I'rentice.  In  pereonal  on- 
slaughts he  was  jiersistent  and  merciless,  and 
the  public  really  enjoyed  seeing  a  victim 
squirm  when  he  gigged  him — he  did  it  so 
artistically.  The  only  pereon  on  record  who 
got  ahead  of  him  in  a  personal  controversy 
was  Frank  McDonald,  son  of  Senator  Joseph 
E.  McDonald.  Frank  was  a  keen  wit,  noted 
as  a  raconteur  and  natural  actor  of  high  abil- 
ity. Although  puny  and  deformed,  he  could 
assume  a  fierceness  that  was  almost  terrify- 
ing. On  one  occasion  Harding  made  an  on- 
slaught on  Senator  ilcDonald,  and  when 
Frank  met  him  he  fiercely  notified  him  that 
if  he  assailed  his  father  again  he  would  have 
him  to  settle  with.  This  was  the  food  Hard- 
ing fed  on,  and  the  next  issue  of  the  Herald 
had  all  the  mean  things-  about  Senator  IMc- 
Donald  that  he  could  study  up,  on  the  notice 
given.  In  due  time  Frank  appeared  at  the 
editorial  sanctum  and  sternly  said:  "I  told 
you,  sir,  that  if  you  assailed  my  father  again, 
you  would  have  to  deal  with  me.''  '"Well," 
said  Harding,  "what  do  you  propose  to  do 
about  it?"  "This,  sir!"  replied  Frank,  and 
plaring  a  box  of  fine  cigars  and  a  bottle  of 
choice  whisky  on  the  de.sk,  he  walked  out. 
leaving  the  astoni.shed  editor  to  swallow  his 
punishment.  The  next  issue  of  the  Herald 
contained  this  brief  paragraph:  "Frank  Mc- 
Donald certainly  knows  how  to  heap  coals  of 
firewater  on  the  heads  of  his  enemies";  and 
thereafter  Senator  ^IcDonald  was  allowed  to 
live  in  peace. 

Perhaps    the    most    attractiv<'     (|iiality     of 


Harding's  writing  was  its  originality.  He 
was  always  doing  something  novel.  In  187tJ, 
April  1  fell  on  Saturday,  and  the  Herald 
celebrated  the  day  with  a  very  plausibly 
written  story  of  the  discovery  of  Charley 
Ross  in  Indianapoli.s,  and  his  temporarj'  lo- 
cation at  the  Grand  Hotel.  It  was  a  great 
success.  Numbers  of  the  most  inquiringly 
pronunent  people  of  the  city  ha.stened  down 
to  call  on  the  long  lost  boy.  The  victims 
naturally  demnuiced  Harding  as  a  heartless 
monster,  but  they  got  little  sympathy.  But 
there  was  very  general  satisfaction  a  little 
later  when  Harding  himself  was  taken  in  by 
■'the  meteor  hoax",  which  was  the  most  suc- 
cessful thing  of  the  kind  ever  worked  in  In- 
dianapolis. On  January  16,  1879,  the  Jour- 
nal published  what  purported  to  be  a  special 
from  Crawfordsville  giving  an  account  of  the 
remarkable  death  of  I^eonidas  Grover,  a 
Fountain  County  farmer,  who,  while  asleep 
in  his  bed,  was  killed  by  a  twenty-pound 
aerolite  that  came  through  the  roof,  pa.ssed 
though  his  body,  and  on  to  the  cellar  where 
it  buried  itself  five  feet  in  the  ground.  There 
was  no  one  else  in  the  house  at  the  time,  and 
the  family,  who  returned  later,  did  not  dis- 
cover the  casualty  till  the  next  morning. 

The  story  was  as  complete  a  hoax  on  the 
Journal  as  on  outsiders.  It  was  found  on  the 
telegraph  editor's  desk  with  other  matter,  in 
the  usual  foi'm,  but  it  did  not  come  over  the 
wires.  The  authoi'  was  nevei-  discovered.  I 
was  charged  with  it  at  the  time,  and  numer- 
ous deluded  people  still  hold  me  guilty,  but 
I  never  saw  it  luitil  I  i-ead  it  in  the  News 
that  afternoon.  Xearly  everybody  believed 
the  story,  though  it  was  absurd  on  its  face. 
Meteors  do  not  fall  straight  down :  an<l  they 
become  intensely  heated  in  passing  through 
the  atmosphere,  many  being  conq>letely  con- 
sumed. That  one  should  pass  through  an  in- 
flammable building  without  setting  fire  to 
anything:  bury  itself  in  the  cellar,  without 
giving  otf  fumes  that  would  attract  the  at- 
tention of  a  family  entering  the  house  later: 
and,  most  of  all,  retain  the  "stains  of  blood", 
as  the  story  stated,  was  simply  prepostei'ous. 
But  the  learned  were  caught  also.  Profes.sor 
Cox,  the  State  Geologist,  hastily  sent  Major 
Palmer  to  the  scene  to  get  scientific  details 
and  secure  the  aerolite.  He  soon  discovered 
the  lack  of  facts.  Init   decided  "to  keep   up 


IlISTOUV   Ol--  (;i!i:.\'l'Kl!   IXDIAXAI'OMS. 


403 


lliL'  joke".  He  seeuivd  ;i  ciihljIe-stoiiL'  ol'  iip- 
[iropriate  size  and  c-Dlon^d  it  with  black  and 
ird  ink;  also  a  rustic  photo>i:raph  which 
serveil  for  a  portrait  of  the  mythical  (Jrover; 
and  prepared  ])lans  of  the  non-existent  house 
showing:  the  course  of  the  iniaiiiiiai'v  aerolite; 
all  of  which  he  j)ut  on  exhibition  in  Joe 
Perry's  drui^store.  then  at  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  I'ennsylvauia  and  AVashinutou  streets. 
where  they  were  viewed  by  wonderintr  hun- 
dreds. Perhaps  the  most  notable  result  was 
that  the  story  was  reproduced  by  Alexandei- 
Winehell,  the  noted  geologist,  in  one  of  his 
scientific    works.' 

The  story  appealed  to  Harding  and  he 
wrote  a  feeling  article  on  the  sti'ange  way 
in  which  death  had  come  to  this  man.  sleep- 
ing in  supposed  security.  It  was  published 
on  the  18th.  after  the  hoax  had  been  ex- 
posed, but  it  had  been  put  on  the  "inside". 
and  the  inside  was  printed,  so  it  had  to  go. 
The  next  Saturday  the  Hiruld  resumed  the 
subject  as  follows:  "We  take  it  back  in  its 
totality.  The  death  was  not  a  iihenomenal 
one.  The  aerolite  did  not  come  hurtling  from 
the  depths  of  space.  It  did  not  tear  a  ragged 
opening  through  the  roof  of  ^Ir.  (i rover's 
house,  nor  did  it  crash  through  his  breast  and 
then  j)a.ss  through  the  bed,  the  floor,  and 
so  on  into  the  earth,  five  feet.  IMr.  (Jrover's 
dauirhter  and  her  husband  were  not  away 
from  home  at  the  time  of  the  accident,  and 
they  didn't  fail  to  discovei-  his  death  until 
the  next  moi-ning.  He  didn't  die.  Hediilu't 
fret  hurt.  He  didn  't  even  get  frightened.  He 
wasn't  there:  he  isn't  anywhere  now.  Duru 
him.  If  Mr.  Leonidas  Grover  ever  should 
come  into  existence,  and  get  killed  by  an  aero- 
lite, he  will  have  to  yet  some  one  else  to  write 
his  obituary.  It  is  a  nice  enough  thing  to 
moralize  over,  and  it  furnishes  gi-eat  sco])e 
for  the  play  of  sentimental  fancy,  but  we 
despise  the  subject,  and  we  have  precious 
little  faith  in  thunder-stones,  anyhow.  The 
audacious  villain  who  invented  the  canard  is 
an  unmeasured  fi-aud  and  an  infinite  liar. 
Hell  gapis  for  him.  The  devil  beckons  to  him 
with  his  hands,  ami  horns  and  tail.  Ktei-nai 
cremation,  with  a  brimstone  aeeompaiiimeiit. 
is  his  doom." 

Naturally  Hardiui;   had    fre(|uent    Hings  at 


'Wiirlil  /,//'..  p|).  14-1.'). 


his  contemporaries,  one  of  which  was  Tlie 
People,  which  was  started  as  a  Sunday  paper, 
on  November  6,  1870,  by  Enos  B.  Read.  It 
wa.s  a  modei-ately  decent  paper  at  first,  but 
soon  degenerated  into  a  chronicle  of  crimes 
and  na.sty  scandals,  illustrated  occasioiuilly 
with  wood-cuts,  hand  made,  with  a  butcher- 
knife.  Nevertheless  it  had  a  clientele  among 
the  ought-to-be-submei'ged  ti'uth,  and  lived 
long  after  its  more  respectable  contempora- 
ries had  collapsed.  Read  was  a  j)ompous  in- 
dividual who  imagined  he  could  write  jjoetry 
and  grind  out  pure  literature.  He  also 
thouirht  he  was  a  sportsman,  and  made  a 
specialty  of  his  fisherman's  column,  but  his 
highest  ideal  of  sport  was  sitting  in  a  boat 
and  anijling  for  red-ej-es  and  sun-fish,  with 
worms.  He  used  the  editorial  "we"  always, 
even  in  local  items,  until  the  facetious  got 
to  calling  him  "AVe,  The  People".  He  tried 
to  cultivate  Harding,  and  for  some  months 
after  the  suspension  of  the  Mirror  Harding 
edited  a  column  in  The  I'eopic:  but  after 
Tlai'ding  got  a  i)a])er  of  his  own  he  took  a 
fancy  to  spear  Read,  and  broke  his  heart  by 
christening  him  "Piles,  the  Poet".  Read 
wailed  about  the  betrayal  of  friendship,  but 
he  quit  writing  poetry. 

But  not  all  of  the  a.s.sailed  were  so  mild. 
Among  them  was  ("alvin  A.  Light,  who  was 
a  very  radical  labor  leadei\  and  edited  a 
weekly  called  Tlu  [)(ino(riil.  He  made  him- 
self cons|)icuous  in  the  Railroad  Strike  of 
1S77,  and  after  it  heaix'd  unmeasured  con- 
demnation on  the  local  officials,  partic\darly 
]\rayor  Caven,  though  Caven  had  jierformed 
a  real  service  to  the  strikers  by  inducing  tliem 
to  dis[)erse  when  there  were  'j.OOO  regulai-s, 
militia,  and  armed  citizens,  including  a  large 
sprinkling  of  old  soldi(Ms.  reatl.v  to  attack 
tliem.  and  just  mad  enough  to  shoot  with  in- 
tent to  hit.  Harding  took  an  intense  di.slike 
to  Light,  and  on  one  occasion  ordered  him 
out  of  the  flerald  office— with  variations. 
After  that  there  was  some  exchange  of  civili- 
ties, which  reaclu'd  a  climax  in  the  spi-ing 
of  1879:  and  then  Harding  showed  his  one 
weak  spot  as  a  vei-b;d  puirilist.  lie  could  not 
take  punishment.  lie  had  called  Light  a 
"venomous  re()tile",  ntid  a  "pestilent  little 
beast",  and  just  because  Light  I'cferred  to 
him  as  "the  Ticper  of  the  Pi-ess"  he  got  mad. 
On  Mav  4  he  went  to  Li'.;lit  "s  house  and  tried 


404 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


to  shoot  him.  but  after  one  ineffective  shot 
was  di-ajri;ecl  away  liy  neijihbors.  The  next 
day  he  went  to  The  Democrat  office  and  shot 
at  Light  three  times,  but  only  succeeded  in 
woundini:-  a  printer  named  Lizins.  He  was 
duly  arrested  an>1  tried,  but  S'ot  off  on  a  plea 
of  insanity. 

Soon  after  he  sold  his  interest  in  the 
Herald,  and  went  to  Minnesota,  where  he 
started  a  country  paper.  But  he  longed  for 
Indianapolis,  and  was  soon  back,  quite  cured 
of  his  insanity.  On  October  31.  1880,  in 
company  with  Charles  Dennis,  he  started  the 
Saturday  h'cview.  They  made,  with  the  aid 
of  Gertrude  Gari'ison,  a  strong  joui-nalLstie 
team,  and  the  jiapei-  (piickly  gained  popu- 
larity and  circulation.  Its  prospects  were 
very  bright  but  he  was  not  to  reap  success. 
He  received  a  slight  wound  on  his  leg  from 
a  projecting  grating,  neglected  it.  and  died 
from  blood  poisoning  on  ^lay  8,  1881.  The 
Review  was  continued  for  a  couple  of  years 
by  Mr.  Dennis,  associated  at  tirst  with  A.  C. 
Jameson,  and  later  with  Bert  Metealf,  and  in 
1883  was  sold  to  John  0.  Hardesty,  an  old- 
time  editor.  He  first  made  it  a  political,  and 
then  a  G.  A.  R.  paper,  changing  the  name  to 
The  Veteran's  Eericir  on  December  13,  1884. 
It  discontinued  shortly  thereafter.  The 
Herald  passed  successively  into  the  hands 
of  Samuel  X.  Bannister.  A.  H.  Dooley.  J.  C. 
Ochiltree,  Lowry  &  Hyman,  and  the  Hymau 
brothers.  On  November  5,  1889,  it  appeared 
as  The  American  Implement  Herald, '  eon- 
ducted  by  a  company  with  D.  M.  Parry  as 
president,  and  "devoted  to  the  farm  imple- 
ment, vehicle  and  kindred  trades'";  but  as 
an  organ  it  was  not  a  success,  and  soon  sus- 
pended. 

After  Enos  B.  Read's  death  The  People 
passed  into  the  control  of  James  B.  Wilson, 
who  also  edited  a  liquor  paper  called  Free- 
dom and  Right.  "Wilson  appeared  to  be  do- 
ing a  thriving  business  when  the  U.  S.  au- 
thorities objected  to  some  of  his  publications, 
and  on  December  12.  1895  he  was  sent  to  the 
penitentiaiy  for  two  years,  for  sending  ob- 
scene matter  through  the  mails.  Wilson  had 
some  good  qualities,  with  others.  While  in 
prison  he  became  convinced  of  the  innocence 
of  Wm.  E.  Hinshaw.  a  life  prisoner,  con- 
victed of  the  murder  of  his  wife,  at  Belle- 
ville,  west   of   Indianapolis,   on   January   10, 


1895.  Wilson  said  that  every  man  in  the 
prison  believed  Hinshaw  innocent,  and  that 
convicts  were  never  deceived  by  pretended 
innocence.  After  his  release  he  devoted  con- 
siderable effort  to  advocating  Hinshaw 's  in- 
nocence. The  People  was  discontinued  after 
Wilson's  death  The  Hinshaw  ease  attracted 
as  much  attention  in  Indianapolis  as  any 
murder  case  that  ever  occurred  in  this  vicin- 
ity. Hinshaw  said  that  his  wife  was  killed 
by  burglars,  during  a  struggle  in  which  he 
was  cut  several  times  with  a  razor,  and  shot 
twice.  The  prosecution  maintained  that  liis 
wounds  were  self-inflicted,  and  the  burglar 
story  made  up  to  cover  the  crime.  He  was 
convicted  on  eircumstanial  evidence,  on  (Octo- 
ber 3;  and  on  October  6,  the  Sentinel  re- 
viewed the  ea.se  in  a  four-column  editorial 
and  declared  its  "belief,  from  the  evidence, 
that  the  defendant  is  a  wholly  innocent  man'". 
Its  chief  reasons  were  (^)  that  the  case  was 
tried  on  the  theory  that  she  was  shot  in  bed. 
and  the  .state's  medical  experts  said  that  the 
bullet  cut  an  artery  in  the  brain,  aiul  tliar 
the  wound  would  have  filled  with  lilood  and 
have  begun  to  discharge  extei-nally  in  eight 
seconds ;  but  there  was  no  blood  on  the  bed : 
(2)  that  the  last  shot  was  fired  across  a  street 
from  the  house,  and  the  revolver,  from 
which  it  must  have  been  fired,  and  with 
which  the  woman  must  have  been  killed,  if 
Hinshaw  did  the  shooting,  was  found  iiinety 
feet  away  from  that  point,  on  the  farther 
side  of  a  wood  shed  and  within  one  foot  of 
its  foundation,  where  Hinshaw  could  not  (los- 
sibly  have  put  it.  Noah  Baney.  a  confirwiiefl 
criminal,  afterwai'ds  confessed  that  he  and 
two  others  Avere  the  buriilars.  and  confirmei! 
Hinshaw 's  story,  except  that  he  said  ^Irs. 
Hinshaw  was  shot  on  the  back  steps  of  the 
house,  where  she  was  found  by  the  neiahbors 
with  her  head  in  a  pool  of  blood :  but  ho 
recanted  when  an  attempt  was  made  to  in- 
dict him.  Hinshaw  Avas  parolinl  on  January 
9,  1!H).").  by  (iovei'uor  Dui'bin,  but  was  sent 
back  (m  November  9,  190fi,  In-  Governor  Han- 
ly,  for  an  escapade  with  a  woman,  under  cir- 
cumstances that  proved  him  a  very  stupid 
man  to  have  concocted  the  story  he  told  about 
the  mijrder. 

Of  the  weekly  newspapers  that  have  main- 
tained their  existence,  the  oldest  i.s  the  Tn- 
d(  p()id<  III .    which    was    established    in     18S1. 


1  ■■ 

I 


IS'I'OIJV    {)]■    (MtKAT 


XniAXAI'ol.lS. 


405 


It  is  a  sprightly  sheet,  devoted  chieHy  to 
l(H'ai  polities,  and  publishing:  quite  ;ui  niiiount 
of  politieal  gossip  not  aecessihic  elsewhere. 
The  proprietoi-,  ^Ir.  Sol  Hathaway,  does  the 
greater  j)art  (if  the  reporting  for  the  paper, 
whieh  led  to  .Mayor  Rookwalter's  little  joke 
that  "the  Inch p(  nchnt  was  a  paper  whose 
editor  eireulated  more  than  the  paper". 
Thomas  (inielle,  former  editor  of  the  Labor 
Sigiiiil  has  assisted  in  the  editorial  work  of 
the  Indrpriideiit  for  .some  time  pa.st.  Another 
local  weekly,  but  on  a  county  basis,  and 
making  a  specialty  of  farming  interests,  is 
Th(  Marion  Counlij  Mail,  which  wa-s  estab- 
lished in  November,  1902,  by  Leo  K.  Fesler, 
and  has  a  circulation  of  3,700.  There  hav,' 
been  several  othei'  weeklies  that  died  in  child- 
hood. The  fiunddy  Morning  Call  was  begun 
in  November,  1(^7!),  by  Ned  Reed  &  Co.,  and 
contiinied  for  a  couple  of  year.s.  The  Soutli- 
sidf  was  .stai'ted  in  1878,  and  gave  especial 
attention  to  affairs  south  of  Washington 
.street.  In  1870  it  was  bought  by  J.  A. 
Dynes  &  Co.,  who  changed  the  name  to  Tlie 
Indianapolis  Republican,  and  published  it 
liir  five  or  si.x  years  longer.  The  first  issue 
of  Tlu  Wist  Side  Herald  was  on  Januai-y  5. 
1894.  It  was  devoted  to  affairs  west  of  the 
liver,  and  had  very  jiatent  iusi(h»s.  It  was 
(•cin(luet''d  by  ('lark  Bi'own,  Wni.  J.  Smith, 
and  Chas.  I."  Kiser  till  1897,  when  AVest  Tn- 
diana]iolis  was  annexed  to  the  city. 

The  pioneer  of  the  religious  press  appears 
'ii  ha\e  been  Tin  Christian  Record.  This  was 
■iri^'iiially  a  monthly  published  at  Blooming- 
tnii,  Ind..  by  -Tames  ^Mathes.  It  started  in 
1S48.  In  18o0  it  was  moved  to  Indiana])olis, 
;iiii!  Klder  Elijah  (Joodwin  became  the  editor. 
It  was  latei-  made  a  weekly,  and  was  pub- 
lished he7-e  until  1866,  when  it  was  consoli- 
dated with  Tlic  Christian  Standard,  of  Cin- 
cinnati. Soon  after  the  Record  came  Tlie 
Gospil  Herald:  and  after  it  The  Western 
I'mversalist  was  established  by  Manford  & 
•To>'ilan,  and  continued  foi'  two  or  three  years. 
Next  came  Tlu  Wilnfss.  a  liajitist  i)ubliea- 
tion,  edited  by  l)i-.  M.  (i.  ClarK-e,  wdiich  con- 
tituied  till  18(5(1,  and  was  then  merged  with 
/'/;(  Standard,  pidili.shed  at  Chicago.  While 
Eld(>r  doodwin  was  publishint;-  the  Uieord,  in 
18(i8.  :\Iis.  .M.  .\r.  Rassett  started,  at  Cincin- 
nati, Till  Chrisliiin  Monitor,  which  was  "the 
pioneer  mauazine  devoted  tii  the  sisterlmod  of 


the  current  refinnialinn,"  i.e.  Id  the  women 
of  the  Christian  (Disciples,  or  Campbellite) 
church.  The  editors  exchanged  ])iipers,  and 
their  writing  inspired  a  mutual  jia.ssion  which 
led  them  to  exchange  vows:  and  on  Jvuie  19, 
1863,  Polder  (ioodwin  and  i\[rs.  Bassett  were 
wedded.  The  Monitor  wa.s  then  moved  to  In- 
dianapolis, where  it  continued  a,s  The  Ladies' 
Christian  Monitor  until  1881-82,  when  it  was 
[lurchased  by  Mr,  and  Mi-s.  Smart,  and  re- 
moved to  St.  Loui.s.  It  was  continued  by 
them  then,  the  name  being  changed  later  to 
'The  Christian  Companion :  and,  a  few  years 
ago,  it  was  merged  with  'The  Christian 
Evangelist,  which  is  still  pid)lished  at  St. 
Louis.  In  1869  Jlrs.  (ioodwin  also  published 
The  Mother's  Monitor,  and  The  American 
Housewife,  at  Indianajiolis.  At  the  same  time, 
her  stepson,  Angelo  Q.  (ioodwin,  who  had 
learned  the  printer's  trade  in  the  Record 
office,  started  a  literary  paper  called  'The 
Sparl'ling  Gem,  which  sparkled  for  a  few 
months,  and  then  faded. 

When  the  Christian  Woman's  Boai'd  of 
]\rissions  began  the  publication  of  Mi.'ision- 
ary  Tidings  here,  in  ]\ray,  1883,  Mrs.  Good- 
win was  made  editor,  but  resigned  in  Sep- 
tember of  the  same  year  on  account  of  ill 
health.  She  died  at"  Cleveland,  Ohio,  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1885.  This  papei'  was  then  edited 
by  a  publishing  committee,  conijiosed  of  Mrs. 
S.  E.  Shortridge  and  Mrs.  L.  A.  IMoore.  for 
one  year,  when  Mrs.  Shortridge  took  the 
position  of  editor,  aiul  continued  till  her 
death  in  April,  189(1.  Folhnving  her,  the 
editors  have  been  Aliss  Lois  A.  White,  April, 
1890,  to  January,  1899:  :\[rs.  Helen  E.  Moses, 
January,  1899, 'to  ^hiy.  1905:  ^frs.  Ainia  K. 
Atwater,  :\Iay,  1905,  to  November,  1909 ;  and 
Mrs.  Efifie  L.  Cunningham  from  then  to  date. 
This  is  a  flourishing  paper,  with  over  33,000 
sub-scribcrs,  in  all  parts  of  the  United  States 
and  twenty  foreign  countries.  It  has  t-v- 
cently  been  moved  to  the  new  building  of 
the  Board  at  Irvingt.on. 

After  the  war  there  came  a  nulalilc  devel- 
opment of  pid)lication  liei-e  in  the  Chi'istian 
Church,  through  Rev.  Wm.  AVorth  Dowling, 
for  some  time  a  teaelier,  and  head  of  the 
]>reparatorv  dejiartmeut  nf  X<ii'th  Western 
Chi-istian  Universit.\-.  In  .lanuary,  1865,  he 
stai'ted  The  Liltli  Soirer.  the  tii-st  5>iniday 
School  pajiei-  jirinted  here,  and  the  first  one 


iOb 


HISTORY  OF  (JlJE.vTEK    1  XDI  ANA  I'OLIS. 


of  the  Christian  Church  juiywhere.  There 
was  some  opposititm  among'  the  ehurcli  head- 
ers to  Sunday  .School  papers  at  the  time,  on 
the  j^round  that  they  were  "unseriptural,"' 
as  introducing-  some  other  instrument  of  in- 
struction than  the  Bible,  so  the  work  began 
with  due  caution.  The  paper  was  a  monthly 
for  the  tirst  year,  then  a  semi-monthly  for 
three  years,  and  in  1869  became  a  weekly. 
It  continued  till  1884,  when  the  name  was 
changed  to  The  Sitiulaij  School  EvaiujcUiit. 
and  later  to  llu  Young  EvaiKjelist.  As  in- 
terest in  Sunday  School  work  grew,  a  paper 
was  needed  for  teachers  and  older  students, 
and  Mr.  Dowling  started  The  Morning  Watcli 
to  cover  that  ground.  Its  name  was  later 
changed  to  The  Cliristian  Sunday  School 
Teacher,  and  in  1891  to  Our  Young  Folks. 
under  which  title  it  is  now  i)ublished.  There 
was  also  a  call  for  a  primary  paper,  and  TIk 
Little  Watclivian  was  issued  for  that,  the 
name  afterward  becoming  llie  Sunny  Sidi. 
and  later  Our  Little  Ones.  There  was  also  a 
lesson  leaf  published  under  the  title  of  Good 
Seed,  which,  after  the  adoption  of  the  Inter- 
national Lesson  Leaf,  developed  into  a  (piai-- 
tei-ly  and  annual.  All  of  these  publications 
were  started  in  Indianapolis,  but  in  1877  the 
"Christian  Publishing  Company,"  with  j\Ir. 
Dowling  as  editor-in-chief,  moved  to  St. 
Louis,  where  they  are  still  continued,  with 
various  others.  The  success  of  Tlie  Little 
Sower  suggested  a  similar  publication  for 
dav  schools,  and  in  1868  !Mr.  Dowling  and 
Prof.  "a.  C.  Shortridge  started  The  Little 
Chief.  They  continued  it  for  two  years,  and 
Prof.  Shortridge,  and  Shortridge  &  Alden, 
kept  it  up  for  several  years  after  that. 

There  have  been  a  number  of  short-lived 
religious  papers  here,  among  which  ma.v  be 
mentioned  Tlie  Illustrated  CJiristian.  pub- 
lished also  at  Boston,  in  the  later  sixties.  It 
was  bought  by  A.  A.  Barnes,  the  name 
changed  to  Heart  and  Hand,  and  the  publi- 
cation continued  for  several  months,  with 
Rev.  E.  P.  Ingersoll  as  editor.  Mr.  Barnes 
then  turned  it  over  to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  under 
whose  care  it  soon  died.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
had  another  i)ub]ication  in  1873.  called  Our 
I'aper:  and  another  in  1876  called  The  Y .  .17. 
C.  A.  Review  and  Sahhatlt  .Magazine,  which 
also  died  young.  In  1869  Kev.  F.  C.  Ilolli- 
ilay   published    Tlie   W(stirn    Fireside,   which 


had  a  brief  career.  In  1871  Kev.  Thos.  A. 
tiood«in  started  the  Indiana  Christian  Advo- 
cate, which  lasted  for  a  couple  of  years,  and 
was  ehietly  devoted  to  the  temperance  cause, 
with  friendly  I'emarks  on  woman's  suffrage, 
and  hearty  opposition  to  state  institutions  of 
higher  learning— at  least  in  Indiana.  In  1875 
the  Journal  and  Messenger  was  started  by  the 
Central  Baptist  Press  Company.  Early  in  the 
eighties  came  The  Gospel  Trumpet,  published 
by  Daniel  S.  Warren,  The  Christian  I'niun. 
and  77k  Crown  of  Glory.  A  more  permanent 
[jublication  was  Tlie  Indiana  Baptist,  started 
in  1881  by  Elgin  &  Chaille,  brothers-in-law. 
Elgin  dropped  out  in  a  few  years,  and  the 
l)aper  having  become  somewhat  involved 
financially,  it  was  taken  over  by  a  company 
called  the  Baptist  Publishing  Company.  lu 
1902  it  was  reiiioved  to  Greensburg,  Ind.,  and 
is  still  published  there  as  the  Baptist  Ob- 
server. 

The  Catholic  Church  can  hardly  be  said  to 
have  church  papers  as  the  Protestant 
churches  have.  The  papers  known  as  "Cath- 
olic" are  private  ventures,  devoted  not  to  the 
di.scussion  of  doctrine,  but  to  the  publication 
of  news  of  interest  to  Catholics,  and  to  the 
promotion  of  the  welfare  of  the  church  and 
its  members.  There  was  no  Catholic  paper 
here  until  1875.  AVhen  Father  O'Donaghue 
came  here,  in  1874,  he  was  impi-essed  with 
the  desirabilit.v  of  such  a  paper,  and  advo- 
cated its  establishment.  As  a  result  a  stock- 
company  was  foi'ined  in  1875  which  began 
the  publication  of  Tlie  Central  Catholic.  It 
was  edited  for  a  short  time  by  Dr.  J.  W. 
Rogers;  then  bv  Capt.  Thos.  K.  Barrett; 
then  bv  Dr.  AYalters.  The  paper  was  .sold  to 
L.  H.  Bell  of  the  Louisville  Catholic  Advo- 
cate, who  continued  it  as  The  Central  Catho- 
lic Advocate.  In  1882  there  was  another 
eliange  of  ownei-ship.  and  the  name  was  made 
The  New  Record.  It  ne.xt  passed  to  Alex- 
ander Chomel.  who  made  it  The  Catholic  Rec- 
ord, and  published  it  till  1895,  when  it  was 
sold  to  The  Catholic  Columhian,  of  Colum- 
bus. 0.,  and  the  name  took  its  present  form 
of  The  Catholic  Columbian  Record.  The  vol- 
ume number  was  changed  in  1882  when  the 
paper  M'as  called  'The  Xrw  Record,  and  the 
tiles  would  indicate  its  origin  in  that  year; 
but  it  was  practically  all  one  paper  back  to 
1875.     The  only  other  Catholic  paper  here  V 


i 


IllsToItY   OF   CK'KATKK    I  \!  )|  A  XAI'OI.IS. 


40r 


The  Indiana  Catholic,  which  was  started  iu 
February.  1910,  by  J.  P.  O'-Mahony,  who 
had  been  for  several  years  the  manager  of  the 
Record. 

Of  the  later  religious  publications,  still 
continued.  The  India  nil  Reporter,  a  seiiii- 
montlily.  is  under  auspices  of  the  Seveutli- 
Day  Adventists.  The  Herald  <if  Light  is 
published  by  the  Pentecost  Band.  The 
Awakener  is  the  organ  of  the  Indiana  Sun- 
day School  As.sociation.  and  is  devoted  to  the 
extension  of  Sunday  School  work.  The  Epis- 
copaliajis  have  an  organ  in  The  CliureJt 
Chremiele.  This  is  a  monthly  publication 
which  was  begun  in  April,  189!).  by  the 
Woman's  Au.xiliary  of  the  Diocese  of  In- 
dianapolis, and  was  ably  edited  for  ten  years 
by  Jlrs.  \V.  D.  Pratt.  She  then  resigned  and 
the  paper  was  taken  over  by  Bishop  Francis. 
He  and  Kev.  (Jeo.  Burbanck  are  now  the 
editors. 

There  is  hardly  any  imaginable  .sort  of 
pap)er  that  has  not  been  ))ublislH'd  in  In- 
dianapolis at  some  time.  Humor  has  been 
represented  by  The  Humorist,  published  by 
Laudon  &  Hastings  in  I860:  the  Jolly  IIoo- 
sier,  by  A.  C.  Rooche  &  Co.  in  1870;  Scissors, 
started  by  the  Indiana  Publishing  Company, 
the  principal  iin'iiibcrs  of  which  were  the 
Hyman  brothers,  in  1888.  (his  last  with  car- 
toons of  the  '"Puck"'  oi-der.  Of  skeptical,  or 
"free-thought'"  jjapers  there  were  Monroe's 
Ironclad  Age.  a  rather  ably  edited  paper, 
and  Lamaster's  leonoelast,  which  was  bitterly 
opposed  to  everything  that  apyone  else  was 
in  favor  of.  Pajjcrs  of  fraternal  organiza- 
tions will  be  found  meiiti(med  in  the  clia])t('r 
treating  of  those  organizations;  but  it  may 
be  mentioned  in  jiassing  that  the  most  widel.\' 
circuhited  j)ai)er.  of  any  kind,  evei'  published 
here  was  the  Modern  Woodman,  whose  last 
issue  before  it  was  removed  to  Rock  Island, 
in  October.  1908.  was  of  1,040.000  copies. 
Of  paper's  of  the  colored  population  the 
pioneei'  was  Th(  Indianapolis  Leader.  ])ub- 
lished  by  Bagby  l^ros..  and  the  present  rej)- 
resentatives  ai-e  The  Indianapolis  World,  pub- 
lished by  (lurley  Brewer  and  A.  E.  ]\Tan- 
ning;  the  Hieordcr.  pid)li.shed  by  Oeo.  P. 
Stewart,  and  Ttic  Freeman,  published  by 
fieo.  L.  Knox,  of  licjunr  papers  there  liavc 
been  half  a  dozen,  the  most  striking,  in  name 
at  least,  being  liarrds  and  Bottl(s.  ])ul)lisiie(l 


by  \V.  0.  Bates.  Of  literary  papers— more 
or  less  literary— there  have  been  still  more, 
of  which  the  pioneei's  ma.v  be  considei-ed  The 
Olire  Branch,  published  by  .Miss  Carrie  1). 
F.  Bush,  and  ^liss  Dill's  (lazette,  published 
liy  Lizzie  St.  C.  Dill,  in  18fi().  The  most  pre- 
tentious venture  in  this  line  was  Thi  Reader 
Magazine,  published  by  The  Bobbs-^Mei'i-ill 
Co.  from  November,  1902,  to  Februai-y,  1908, 
and  then  consolidated  Avith  Putnam's  Maga- 
zine. This  was  published  as  I'utnam'n  and 
The  Reader  for  a  year,  and  thereafter  as 
I'ut  nam's. 

The  Hrst  medical  i)aper  hei'i  was  published 
by  Dr.  Theophilus  Parviii.  He  had  been  as- 
siK'iated  in  the  ownership  and  publication  of 
the  Cincinnati  Journal  of  Medicine,  and  in 
June,  1867,  acquired  the  entire  ownership. 
He  removed  it  to  Indianai)o]is.  the  July  num- 
ber being  issued  here  as  The  Western  Jour- 
nal of  Mcelicine.  Dr.  Parvin  was  a  man  of 
tiie-h  culture,  and  of  the  fii'st  rank  in  his  i)ro- 
fession.  His  paper  was  a  high-grade 
monthly,  with  64  pages  of  reading  matter, 
issued  by  Robert  Clarke  &  Co.  of  Cincinnati 
at  the  same  dates  that  it  appeared  here. 
After  several  years  the  name  of  the  i)aj)er 
was  changed  to  Tlie  American  I'ractition(  r. 
and  Dr.  Yandell,  of  Louisville,  was  associated 
in  the  publication.  He  stood  as  jiigh  in  Ken- 
tucky as  Dr.  Parvin  did  in  Indiana,  and  at 
the  time  wa.s  lecturing  here  at  tiie  Indiana 
Medical  College,  while  Dr.  Parvin  was  also 
lecturing  at  Louisville.  In  1880  it  was  the 
leading  medical  .iournal  of  Indianaj)olis.  In 
:\lay.  1870.  Dr.  Thad.  :\r.  Stevens,  a  nephew 
of  the  celebrated  Pciinsylvanian  of  the  same 
name,  started  a  monthly  called  The  Indiana 
Journal  of  Medicine,  which  was  contiiuied 
foi"  several  years.  There  were  two  or  thi-ee 
short-lived  medical  papers  in  this  jH'i'iod. 
among  them  the  Medical  Rerien-.  published 
by  Dr.  J.  A.  Bi-own  in  1S77.  and  Lilxral 
Medicine,  published  by  Dr.  Frank  A.  Wi-ight. 
Joseph  Perty  also  issued  for  some  innntlis  a 
paper  called  the  I'harmaeisl. 

In  Septendier,  1S82.  Di-s.  Fi-aiik  I-'eiiiusoii 
and  A.  W.  Brayton  began  jiublisliing  '/'/((• 
Indiana  Medical  Journal,  which  has  proven 
the  most  lasting  of  all.  Dr.  Ferguson  dropped 
out  in  a  year  or  two  and  the  publication  was 
continued  by  a  stock  company,  with  Dr. 
Bravton    as  editor.      Dr.    i5ra\t(iii    is   an    all- 


408 


HISTOIJY  OF  GKHATKU   INDIANAPOLIS. 


round  sc-iiMitist  and  litterateur,  as  well  as  a 
medical  man.  and  made  the  Jouniul  of  in- 
terest to  many  pei'sons  outside  of  the  profes- 
sion. In  June.  1898.  the  Medical  and  Sur- 
gical Monibir  was  started  by  a  stock  com- 
pany, with  Dr.  Samuel  E.  Earp  as  editor. 
In  YMi  Dr.  Earp  became  editor  of  the  Ceu- 
(ral  States  Medical  Magazine,  published  at 
Ander.son.  Ind. ;  and  the  Monitor  was  edited 
by  Dr.s.  A.  E.  Sterne  and  S.  P.  Scherer.  In 
1905  these  two  papers  were  combined,  ami 
published  at  Indianapolis  as  The  Ventral 
States  Medical  Monitor,  with  Dr.  Earp  as 
editor.  In  January,  1909,  arrani;enients 
were  made  to  combine  this  with  the  Indiana 
Medical  Journal,  and  the  resultant  is  now 
published  under  that  name,  with  Drs.  Earp 
and  Brayton  as  editors,  and  Drs.  Saul  C. 
Norris  and  S.  P.  Scherer  as  a.ssociates.  Xor- 
ris  was  the  original  editor  of  the  Central 
States  Medical  Magazine,  and  Dr.  Scherer  of 
t\\&  Monitor,  so  that  The  Indiana  Medical 
Journal  now  represents  all  the  interests  of 
the  old  school,  except  the  students  at  the 
Medical  College  of  Indiana,  who  have  been 
publishing  The  Medical  Student  since  Octo- 
ber, 1902. 

The  other  schools  were  not  inactive.  In 
June,  1874,  the  State  Physio-iMedical  conven- 
tion adopted  resolutions  to  publish  a  paper. 
A  publishing  conunittee  was  appointed,  and 
in  Januai'y.  187i),  the  first  number  of  the 
I'hiisio-M<  dieat  Journid  apjieai-ed.  In  1878 
Dr.  (ieorge  Hasty,  the  founder  of  the  local 
Physio-]\ledical  College,  became  editor,  and 
did  much  towards  building  the  paper  up.  It 
continued  till  1897.  In  that  year  the  Plnjsio- 
Medical  Record  was  started,  with  Dr.  Hag- 
gard and  the  Drs.  Anthony  as  editors,  and 
still  continues.  In  the  later  seventies  the 
Eclectics  got  busy.  They  established  a  med- 
ical college  at  Indiana  avenue  and  California 
street,  whose  first  class  graduated  in  1881. 
In  1878,  Dr.  Geo.  W.  Piekerill  started  the 
Indiana  Medical  Eclectic  Quarterly,  which 
lasted  only  a  year  or  so.  In  January.  188:i. 
Piekerill  started  the  Indiana  Eclectic  Med- 
ical Journal,  which  was  more  hardy.  In 
July  of  the  same  year  Dr.  K.  C.  Kelsey 
started  the  Medical  Free  Prc.ts,  which  was  an 
iM?lectic  monthly.  Dr.  Kelsey  being  dean  of 
the  college.  In  1890  the  'Eclectic  Medical 
Journal    combined    with    the    Medical    Free 


Press,  and  the  paper  was  contiiuied  uudtr 
the  latter  name. 

The  legal  profession  ha.s  managed  to  get 
along  most  of  the  time  without  a  local  paper, 
there  being  comparatively  little  occasion  for 
one.  The  chief  current  i)rofessional  informa- 
tion is  the  decisions  of  the  Appellate  courts 
which  are  largely  furnished  by  the  various 
i-eporter  publications,  and,  long  before  these 
were  instituted,  digests  of  the  decisions  were 
I'onunonly  printed  by  the  daily  papers  as 
news  matter.  On  ;\Iaieh  "25.  1881.  J.  C.  and 
Frank  L.  Wells  started  a  jiublication  called 
The  Indiana  Law  Hi  porter,  devoted  almost 
exclusively  to  the  publication  of  court  deci- 
sions, which  was  discontinued  after  a  few 
months.  They  were  not  wholly  discouraged, 
however,  and  in  ^lay,  188:5.  began  publishing 
The  Indiana  Law  Ma(/aziu(.  This  was  on  a 
slightly  broader  basis,  and  was  continued 
through  five  semi-annual  volumes.  The  next 
legal  periodical  was  Th(  Indiana  Law  Stu- 
dent, started  by  the  students  of  the  Indian- 
apolis Law  School  in  189().  but  their  vaulting 
ambition  lasted  for  less  than  a  year.  In  Jan- 
uary. 1898,  the  Indiana  Law  Journid  was  be- 
iiun.  with  ^^^  p.  Fishback  as  editor,  and  Wm. 
F.  Elliott.  Charles  W.  :\loores  and  Wm.  P. 
Kappes  as  a.ssociate  editors,  but  they  found 
little  in  the  venture  but  work  and  expense, 
and  it  was  discontinued  aftei-  a  year  or  so. 
The  only  other  publication  approaching  this 
chai-acter  was  Tin  i'uhlic  Ojjiiiat.  which  was 
Ik'uuu  in  189.").  aii<l  ran  tlii-dugh  three  vol- 
umes. 

A  publication  which  was  uni(iue  at  the 
time  of  its  beginning  in  1891,  was  Pavinfj 
and  Municipal  Engiueering.  It  was  an  out- 
growth of  the  paving  exposition  held  by  the 
Connnercial  Club  in  1890.  There  were  so 
many  inquiries  sent  here  concerning  it  that 
Mr.  AViliiam  Foi-tune.  secretary  of  the  club, 
conceived  the  idea  of  stai'ting  a  ])ai)er  to  sup- 
ply information  on  such  sult.iects.  ]\Ir.  Wni. 
P.  Bobbs  associated  with  him  as  business 
manager  and  the  magazine  was  launched. 
^Ir.  Bobbs  disposed  of  his  interest  in  Deceni- 
licr,  1892.  and  the  papei-  was  continued  by  a 
stock  company  controlled  by  ^fi-.  Fortune. 
The  first  two  volumes  were  animals  and  the 
succeedinir  ones  semi-annual.  In  July.  1896, 
the  word  "Paving"  was  drop|)e(l  from  the 
title,    and    it    has    since    been    |)ublislied    as 


HISTORY  OF  GKEA'JKi;    I  \  DIAX  Al'OLIS. 


409 


Miiniciptd  Kiigiiu  (  ring.  In  \S'.H>  Mv.  C'luirk's 
(J.  Brown  IjccaiiK'  editorial  writfi-,  and  in 
1901  editof.  The  jrreat  l)(idy  of  the  niattei- 
lias  always  been  specially  prepared  by  con- 
tributors, usually  by  recognized  experts. 
This  characteristic,  as  well  as  its  efficient 
editing,  has  given  it  an  authoritative  stand- 
ing, and  it  now  has  a  widely  scattered  circu-- 
lation  of  over  .j.tiOd. 

Another  successful  |)ublication  of  its  own 
cla.ss  was  Thr  Ihiih/  R(pori(r,  which  Ix'gan 
publication  Sc])tcnil)er  H.  1895,  nominally  liy 
tlie  Keportei-  Publishing  Co.,  but  the  moving 


I..    I'urdy.    formerly   of  the   iS'io/.   and   appar- 
I'Mtly  continues  its  old-time  prosi)erity. 

There  has  been  no  form  of  temperance  agi- 
tation that  has  not  been  represented  by  an 
Indianapolis  jjublication,  and  prohibition  has 
had  its  i-i'])rcsentntive  since  1884.  In  that 
year  .M.  K.  .Shicl  moved  the  Monitor-Journal 
—  a  i)a])er  published  at  Srymour,  Ind.. 
formed  by  a  ciniiliinatinn  of  the  Monitor  and 
the  Rril  h'il)l)on  .lournal  —  to  Indiaiuipolis  and 
united  with  the  Snn.  a  South  Bend  temper- 
ance paper,  nndei-  the  luune  of  Tlie  Fhiilaiix. 
It  was  owned  by  a  stock  company,  and  soon 


THE    SENTINEL   OFFICE,   1850. 
(From    an   old    cut.) 


spirit  of  the  enterprise  was  Joseph  T.  Klliott, 
•Jr.  Its  specialty  was  connnei'cial  reporting. 
aJid  incidentally  i)romotin,g  the  interests  of 
the  Indiana  Banking  Assofiation.  On  May 
lid.  i;)U.'J,  the  name  was  changed  to  The  In- 
lianaijolis  Vommercial  licportcr.  From  the 
start  the  paper  gave  very  full  and  accurate 
reports  of  markets,  legal  jiroceedings  and 
otiier  business  matters,  and  liecame  the  chief 
local  medium  fo!-  legal  a<l\ei'tisements.  In 
19()S  :srr.  Elliott  sold  his  interests  and  re- 
moved to  California.  On  April  11,  1908,  the 
name  of  the  paper  was  changed  to  the  In- 
(liannpolis  Cotnmercial.  and  its  scope  was 
sliirhtlv  enlarged.     It  is  now  edited  bv  Fred 


irained  a  i-eputation  as  a  spicy  anil  vigorous 
|)ublicati(>ii.  In  1891  it  i)asscd  into  the  con- 
trol of  Will.  \'\  and  F.dward  \V.  Clark,  who 
have  since  ])ublishid  it.  The  name  was 
changed  in  IS'Xi  lo  The  I'atriot  Phalanx. 
From  the  Phalanx  office  is  also  issued  Clean 
Politics,  a  paper  on  a  national  basis,  pub- 
lished by  a  stock  company,  with  W.  JI.  Li- 
kins  as  manager  and  Chas.  ^M.  Fillmore  as 
a.ssociate  editor.  It  was  started  in  July,  1909, 
and  attained  over  8."),000  circulation  in  six 
months.  It  is  a  weekly,  published  at  50  cents 
a  year. 

There  liave  been  two  or  tliicr  attempts  at 
society  papers  here,  such  as  Mudnni.  but  none 


410 


HlS'l'ol.'V   OF  (il.'EATER  IN  DIAN  AJ'ol.lS. 


of  tlu'iu  that  lasted  long.  The  most  notable 
paper  that  might  be  included  in  this  class 
was  The  Indiana  Weekly,  which  was  started 
November  9,  1895.  by  E.  E.  Stattord.  It  was 
rather  broader  than  a  mere  society  paper, 
and  j)reserved  quite  an  amount  of  biography 
in  its  sketches  of  local  characters.  In  the 
fall  of  1900  Mr.  Stafford  sold  it  to  Lieutenant 
Governor  Haggard  and  John  Reichman. 
Within  a  year  they  sold  it  to  Geo.  McCulloch, 
who  cdutinued  it  two  or  three  years  longer. 

On  July  14,  1881,  appeai-ed  a  new  morning 
daily  called  The  Indianapolis  Times.  It  was 
a  two-cent  paper,  published  at  the  old  Jour- 
nal oiitice,  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Circle 
and  ]\Iarket  streets.  It  was  published  by  a 
company,  the  chief  factor  in  which  was  Wm. 
R.  Holloway,  who  is  a  newspaper  man  by 
both  heredity  and  environment.  His  father 
wa.s  for  years  editor  of  the  Richmond  Palla- 
dium, with  occasional  political  prefennent, 
having  sei-ved  for  a  term  as  commissioner  of 
patents.  William  learned  the  printer's  trade, 
and  before  he  w-a.s  of  age  worked  as  com- 
positor on  a  Cincinnati  paper.  When  his 
brother-in-law,  Oliver  P.  Morton,  became 
Governor.  ]\Ir.  Holloway  became  his  private 
secretan*,  and  served  in  that  capacity  to 
1864,  when  he,  with  others,  bought  the  Jour- 
nal, and  remained  its  editor  \intil  the  winter 
of  1866.  In  1869  he  was  appointed  postmas- 
ter, and  retained  the  position  for  twelve 
years,  during  which  time  he  dabbled  a  little 
in  newspaper  work,  and  on  leaving  the  office 
started  the  Times.  Charles  ^I.  Walker,  one 
of  the  best  known  newspaper  men  in  Indian- 
apolis, who  had  been  editor-in-chief  of  the 
Journal,  was  made  editor  of  the  new  paper, 
and  served  until  he  went  to  Washington  as 
chief  clerk  of  the  postoffiee  department,  un- 
der Judge  Greshara,  in  1882.  But  the  Times 
was  not  a  money-maker,  and  its  last  issue 
appeared  on  August  9.  1886,  the  paper  being 
sold  to  the  Journal  Company — nominally 
consolidatetd  in  the  Indianapolis  Journal 
Newspaper  Company  with  John  C.  New-, 
Henry  New,  and  Oliver  T.  Morton  as  direc- 
tors. The  United  Press  franchise,  which  had 
been  held  by  the  Times,  was  sold  to  the 
Evening)  Neivs. 

Up  to  this  time  the  Journal  had  absorbed 
everytliing  in  the  form  of  an  evening  paper 
that  had  appeared,  excepting  the  News.     As 


mentioned,  The  Citizen,  started  in  1857,  had 
been  merged  with  Tlie  Atlas;  and  in  1861 
The  Atlas  was  sold  to  the  Journal.  In  1867 
the  Journal  bought  the  Evening  Gazette,  and 
in  1870  'The  Daily  Times,  which  had  been 
started  nominally  by  Dynes  &  Chene.v,  but 
really  by  James  H.  Woodard,  a  correspon- 
dent, widely  known  as  "  Jayhawker. "'  In 
1871  the  Jemrnal  bought  The  Evening  Com- 
niereial,  which  had  been  started  in  1867,  and 
made  it  the  evening  edition  of  the  Journal, 
with  George  Harding  as  managing  editor. 
This  was  regarded  as  an  effort  to  displace 
the  News  in  the  afternoon  field,  but  it  was 
not  successful,  and  was  an  expensive  luxury; 
and  after  a  convincing  trial  of  the  experi- 
ment, the  Journal  was  glad  to  confine  itself 
to  its  morning  issue. 

The  only  paper  that  ever  proved  able  to 
hold  a  place  in  the  afternoon  field  against 
the  Xeics  is  the  Sun.  This  was  started  on 
^larch  12,  1888.  by  a  company  of  five  news- 
paper men  who  had  worked  together  at  Cleve- 
land, Ohio.  The  chief  stockholder  and  finan- 
cial backer  of  the  paper  was  J.  S.  Sweeny, 
of  Detroit,  a  member  of  the  Scripps-]\IcRae 
Company,  who  did  not  take  up  residence  here. 
The  others  were  Fred  L.  Purdy,  who  edited 
the  paper;  Charles  J.  Seabrook,  who  was 
business  manager;  Wm.  S.  Speed,  who  had 
charge  of  the  book-keeping  and  office  work; 
and  A.  C.  Keifer,  who  looked  after  the  cir- 
culation. It  was  a  one-cent  paper,  supplied 
with  the  Scripps-^McRae  telegraph  service, 
and  soon  found  a  field  in  which  it  was  very 
successful  for  a  number  of  years.  Mr.  Purdy 
is  largely  an  editor  of  the  old  school  train- 
ins,  but  with  all  the  new  school  trimmings. 
He  was  born  at  Bellaire,  Ohio,  January  22, 
1859;  and,  after  getting  a  rudimentary  edu- 
cation in  the  conunon  schools,  entered  the 
office  of  the  Free  Press,  a  country  paper  in 
Chemung  County,  N.  Y.,  at  the  age  of  13,  to 
learn  the  printer's  trade.  At  18.  having 
learned  his  trade,  he  went  to  the  Elmira  Free 
Press,  where  he  set  type  and  incidentally 
edited  telegraph  till  1882.  A  printers' 
strike  then  came  on.  and  he  edited  a  paper 
j>rinted  by  the  strikei-s  till  it  reached 
the  usual  "bust.''  He  then  went  to  Cleve- 
land and  got  a  .iob  as  marine  reporter 
on  the  Pre.^s;  and  in  due  time  rose  to  the 
position    of  city   editor,    which    included   the 


ISTOKV   OF   CRKAT 


IXDIANAl'Ol.lS. 


411 


functions  of  niatia;j:iug  I'^litur.  Ki-om  tlifiv 
he  came  to  luilianapolis  to  .stai't  the  Sun. 
In  Dccenibei',  1904,  when  he  sold  the  Star. 
George  ileCulloch  inade  a  contract  under 
which  he  controlled  and  operated  the  Sun. 
with  option  to  purchase  tlie  stock.  The  build- 
ing in  which  it  is  published  belongs  to  J.  S. 
Sweeny.  I'uder  its  new  nianageiiient  the 
Suu  wa.s  (piite  severely  atHicteil  with  Ilearst- 
itis,  which  has  usually  proved  fatal  in  this 
climate.  Giving  iriore  si)ace  to  headlines  than 
to  matter,  and  printing  editorials  in  display 
type  is  too  much  like  holding  an  ordinary 
conversation  through  a  megaphone  to  be  pop- 
ular in  sober  Indiana|iolis.  Early  in  191(1 
the  Sun  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Kudolidi 
Leeds,  of  Richmond,  and  j)assed  to  a  finan- 
cial basis  that  is  sound  enough  for  any  news- 
paper, as  well  as  to  an  improved  condition. 

But  the  Sun  is  hardly  a  competitor  of  the 
Xeu:s:  The  most  serious  competition  the 
yews  ever  had  was  from  the  Press:  and  that 
was  not  so  serious  as  it  looked,  because  the 
Press  was  too  largely  handicapped  to  have 
any  real  chance  for  success.  On  ^fay  12, 
1892.  John  11.  HoUiday  sold  the  controlling 
interest  of  the  Xc^^•s  to  AVm.  Henry  Smith, 
widely  known  as  majiager  of  the  Associated 
Press.  His  son-in-law,  Chai-les  R.  Williams, 
then  became  editor-in-chief  of  the  paper. 
^Tr.  Williams  is  a  man  of  wide  culture.  Born 
in  New  Yoi-k.  April  16,  1853,  he  was  honor 
graduate  at  Pi-inceton  in  1875,  with  i)ost- 
graduate  woi'k  at  Goettingen  and  Lei|)zig. 
He  wa.'i  tutor  in  Latin  at  Prim-eton  and  pro- 
fessor of  Greek  at  Lake  Forest.  He  was 
editor  of  Potter's  American  Monthlij ;  liter- 
ary- editor  of  the  New  York  World,  and  as- 
sistant ireneral  manager  of  the  Associated 
IVe.ss  from  18S;i  to  1892.  On  the  death  of 
Mr.  Smith  on  July  27,  18tl().  his  son,  Delavaii 
Smith,  became  the  i)iMnci])al  owner  of  the 
I)aper.  It  has  been  widely  believed  that  Sen- 
ator Charles  W.  Fairbanks  was  ai  part  owner 
of  the  \eu-s,  but  this  is  not  the  fact,  lie  is 
a  first  coiisin  of  Delavan  Smith,  and  their 
relations  are  naturally  close.  In  conscfpienee 
the  Xfirs  has  commonly  been  regarded  as  a 
Fairbanks  "organ,"  thousrh  it  has  not  been 
one  in  the  usual  sense  of  the  term. 

Mr.  Holliday's  chief  rea.son  for  srlliiig  the 
Xeu's  was  impaired  health,  which  he  attribut- 
ed to  the  close  confinement  of  editorial  woi'k. 


He  founded  the  liiion  Trust  Go.  in  1883  and 
became  its  i)resident.  He  regained  his  health 
and,  like  most  men  who  have  become  accus- 
tomed to  newspaper  woi-k.  both  he  and  Major 
Richards  desired  to  return  to  it.  They  ac- 
cordingly decided  to  start  the  Press,  and, 
after  elaborate  i)reparatioiis  the  fii-st  number 
was  issued  on  December  13,  1899.  They  un- 
deaiook  to  make  it  from  the  first  a  larger 
and  better  paper  than  the  Xetis.  but  tlu?  lat- 
ter at  once  met  the  competition,  and  both 
were  soon  issuing  bhudiet  sheets  resembling 
the  ordinary  Sunday  paper.  In  this  the 
News  had  nnich  the  advantage.  It  had  the 
monopoly  of  the  United  Pi-ess  service,  and 
of  the  afternoon  franchise  of  the  Associated 
Press,  and  these  furnish  the  cheapest  high- 
grade  news  matter  known  in  this  country. 
It  had  a  large  established  eii'culation  and  a 
large  line  of  profitable  advertising  contracts, 
while  the  Press  had  to  build  up  a  circula- 
tion, and  take  advertising  at  such  rates  as  its 
circulation  justified.  It  had  not  exactly  a 
monopoly  of  "classified  ads."  but  a  great 
lead  ovei-  all  the  rest  of  the  city  i)apers  com- 
bined, and  which  all  the  other  papers  had 
nuide  vain  efforts  to  rival.  Gonsecjuently  the 
News  was  ahvays  able  to  make  the  better 
showing  of  ctirrent  news,  and  had  enough 
advertising  to  carry  its  inci'cased  reading 
matter  without  serious  lo.ss.  The  Press  kept 
up  the  fight  for  si.xteen  months,  but  it  was 
swallowing  money  so  rapidly  that  its  owners 
took  council  of  discretion,  and  on  Ai)ril  Ki, 
1901,  suspeiuled.  Mr.  Plolliday  "beconnng  a 
member  of  the  News  copartnership"  and  Mr. 
Richards  retiring.  Both  have  since  taken 
[n-ominent  parts  in  financial  affairs,  Mr.  Hol- 
liday  being  re-elected  president  of  the  Union 
Trust  Co.,  and  ]\Ir.  Richai'ds  becoming  vice- 
president   of  the  Union  National  Bank. 

.\fter  the  i)urchase  of  the  Jnurnal  by  Tlas- 
selnian  and  Fishl)ack  in  1870.  W.  R.'llollo- 
way  bought  a  si.xth  interest;  Mr.  IIas.selman 
l)re.sented  a  si.xth  to  his  son  Otto:  and  Thom- 
as D.  Fitch  botight  a  sixth.  In  January, 
1872,  these  sold  to  a  Journal  Company  in 
which  Jonathan  i\I.  Ridenour  and  (Jen.  Na- 
than Kind)all,  former  State  Treasiirer,  were 
the  chief  ownei-s.  '{"hey  improved  the  me- 
elianical  department,  and  l)ought  a  Bullock 
pei-fecting  i)ress,  the  first  bi-ouirht  to  the 
state.     In  1875  Nicholas  [^l,•kle.  ex-sheritV  of 


412 


HISTOUV  OK  GKEATER  IXDlAXAl'oLIS. 


the  couiitN',  obtained  a  coutrolliiiy  interest. 
and  Mr.  Ritlenour  retired.  In  1876  the  i)aper 
was  sold  to  E.  B.  ilartindale  and  AY.  R.  llol- 
loway,  the  .job  office  being  retained  liy 
Kuckle,  who  later  sold  it  to  Ha.sseliiian  & 
Co.  The  new  ]iroprietors  moved  the  paper 
to  the  new  Journal  office — now  tlie  American 
Central  Life  Ijuilding- — and  later  to  "ilar- 
tindale  Block' '  —  remodeled  Roberts  Chapel, 
where  the  Lemcke  bnilding  now  stands.  In 
1880  the  paper  was  purchased  by  John  C. 
New  and  his  son  Harry,  who  had  started  in 
as  a  reporter  undei-  the  IMartindjile  miuuige- 
ment,  and  they  li(>l(l  it  for  twenty-two  years. 

This  last  ciuarter  of  a  century  of  the  Jour- 
nal was  its  best  period.  The  earlier  jiart  of 
it  was  under  the  editorial  inanai>ement  of 
Elijah  W.  Halford,  one  of  the  best-known 
newspaper  men  of  Indianajiolis.  lie  is  an 
Englishman,  born  at  Xottinghani.  September 
8.  1843.  His  family  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1847.  settling  first  at  Cincinnati,  and 
in  18.51,  at  Hamilton,  Ohio.  Here  Elijah  got 
his  education  in  the  common  schools,  and 
served  an  apprenticeship  of  six  years  in  the 
printing  trade.  He  came  to  Indianapolis  in 
December.  ISfil.  and  worked  fii-st  in  the  job 
office  of  John  Fahnestock.  and  later  at  Bra- 
den's,  where  lie  attracted  the  attention  of 
Dan  Paine,  who  recommended  him  to  the 
editor  of  the  Journal,  and  he  was  employed 
as  a  reporter.  He  rose  to  the  position  of 
city  editor,  and  when  John  Young  Scannnon 
started  the  Chicago  Inler-Occan  in  1872.  Hal- 
ford  was  called  to  it  as  managing  editoi-. 
After  two  years  he  returned  to  the  Joiiriiul 
went  from  it  to  the  Xcws  during  ^[r.  Ruckle's 
ownership,  and  back  again  after  John  C. 
New  bought  the  paper.  He  did  effective  work 
for  the  nomination  and  election  of  General 
Harri.son,  and  was  made  private  secretaiy  by 
the  president  soon  after  his  election.  Just 
before  the  close  of  President  Harrison's  term 
^Ir.  Halford  was  made  a  paymaster  in  the 
army~a  life  position  with  a  comfortable  sal- 
ary. ■ 

After  "S\v.  Ilalford's  departure  Thomas 
Steele  took  his  place  as  managing  editor. 
Halford  had  written  only  a  part  of  the 
editorial  when  in  charge,  most  of  it  being- 
written  by  Charles  'SI.  Walker  and  Berry 
Sularove.  'Sir.  Steele  wrote  still  less.  He 
had   come   u|)    fi-om     the     jirinter's    case,     as 


proof-reatler  ami  lelegra|)h  etlitor,  and  was  an 
excellent  judge  of  matter,  and  a  wise  man- 
ager, ^[iss  Anna  Nicholas  began  writing  on 
the  Journal  umlei-  Halford;  was  with  it  to 
the  eiul,  and  went  to  the  !<t<rr  when  the 
Journal  su.si)ended.  She  is  a  clever  and  in- 
dustrious writer  and  has  given  much  of  the 
I'haracter  to  the  editorials  of  both  the  Journal 
and  the  Star.  Her  brothers  preceded  her, 
John  D.  Nicholas  being  managing  editor  of 
the  Journal  during  the  Ruckle  ownership, 
and  Will  Nicholas,  now  of  New  York  City, 
ha\'ing  been  for  some  time  one  of  the  bright- 
est writers  on  the  Journal  staff.  They  were 
from  .Meadville,  Penn.  I'nder  Mr.  Steele's 
uuuuigement  Col.  Z.  A.  Smith  became  the 
jiolitical  editorial  writer.  In  the  winter  of 
1902-3  the  proprietors  .sold  the  paper  to 
Charles  L.  Henry,  who  continued  it  till  the 
sununer  of  1904.  when  he  sold  it  to  George 
MeCulloeh  of  the  Sinr.  The  papers  were  an- 
nounced to  be  continued  as  The  Star  and 
Journal,  hut  the  name  "Journal"  was  merely 
added  in  small  type  to  the  regular  large  head 
of  the  Star,  and  on  October  27,  1904,  even 
this  was  dropped,  and  the  Journal  became 
only  a  memory. 

The  .S7r/;-ha'.l  b.-eii  started  June  (i.  190;?.  by 
George  IMcCulloeh.  with  Earl  ]\[artiu  as 
editor.  It  was  jjriiited  at  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  Circle  and  ^Market  streets,  and  was 
"one  cent  a  day.  seven  days  in  the  week." 
Later  it  -ivas  made  a  two-cent  paper,  with  a 
five-cent  Sunday  edition.  In  October,  1904. 
the  Star  was  sold  to  a  comjtany,  in  which 
Daniel  Reid  of  New  York  was  the  chief  stock- 
holder. At  this  time  llr.  Ernest  Bross  was 
secured  as  editor.  He  is  a  native  of  ilichi- 
gan,  bom  in  1860.  He  was  educated  at 
Doane  College,  Nebraska,  and  had  newspaper 
training  on  several  papers,  especially  the 
Omaha  Iirp'ihliran.  In  1887  he  went  to  Port- 
land, Oregon,  to  take  charge  of  the  Oregou- 
ian.  where  he  attained  a  wide  notability  as 
an  editorial  writer.  He  is  still  the  chief  edi- 
torial writei'  of  the  Star.  The  Star  was 
edited  and  published  in  the  building  at  the 
southwest  corner  of  ^larket  and  Circle  streets 
until  July.  1907.  when  it  was  removed  to  the 
building  .specially  erected  for  it  at  the  north- 
east corner  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania 
streets.  In  April.  lOOS.  :\rr.  K'eid  applied  to 
the   I^.    S.    Court    for   ,'i    I'ci-eivei-   foi'   the   Star 


lusTonv  ni-^  (;i;i;.\'i'i".ii  ixdiaxapoi.i.s. 


413 


"chain."  including  the  Muncii  Slur  jiiid 
Tcnr  Haute  Star,  both  owned  by  the  same 
eonipany.  on  the  ground  of  insolvency.  There 
were  .$650,000  of  outstanding  bonds.  $500,00(1 
of  6  per  cent  preferred  stock,  and  $500,000 
of  eoninion,  besides  a  demand  note  to  him  for 
.$220.()40.86,  and  past  due  interest  of 
•tlti.lKJ.fM.  The  paper  had  not  earned  divi- 
dends, ayd  it  was  alleged  it  could  not.  On 
April  30  Judge  Anderson  appointed  as  re- 
ceiver (ieo.  \V.  Hitt,  the  veteraji  business 
manager  of  the  Journal,  and  in  twenty 
months  from  tlien.  to  December  31.  1909.  he 
reported  snrj)lus  net  earnings  of  $140,731.11. 
after  paying  all  fixed  charges  due.  Moral : 
If  not  prosperous,  go  into  the  hands  of  a 
receiver. 

On  July  1.  1886.  the  control  of  the  Scu- 
tinel  passed  to  W.  J.  Craig,  with  Gus  Mat- 
thews as  editorial  writer.  Craig  was  one  of 
the  most  courteous  men  as  an  employer  1 
have  ever  known,  but  he  took  a  very  serious 
view  of  the  Sentinel's  responsibility  as  the 
organ  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  he  did 
not  believe  in  "weak-kneed  polities."  and 
that  was  what  caused  the  worst  "break"  the 
Scntinr]  ever  made.  In  the  campaign  of 
1886.  the  office  of  Lieutenant-Govei-iior  l)einu 
vacant,  both  parties  nominated  candidates. 
and  the  Republican  candidate,  R.  S.  Koberl- 
son,  was  elected.  The  only  per.son  who  oh- 
.iected  to  a  nomination  by  the  Democrats  was 
A.  (i.  Smith,  later  Attorney-CJeneral.  who 
had  been  elected  president  pro  tem.  of  the 
Senate  at  the  preceding  session,  and  who  in- 
sisted that  a  lieutenant-governor  cotdd  not  be 
elected  until  1888,  under  the  constitutional 
provision  for  an  election  once  in  four  years. 
After  the  election  he  announced  his  intention 
to  hold  as  |)i'esiding  officer  of  the  Senate,  and 
as  the  leLHsiature  was  very  close,  the  Tve|)uli- 
licans  holding  the  House,  and  a  L'nited  States 
Senator  was  to  be  elected,  the  Democratic 
leaders  decided  to  support  him.  A  ca.se  was 
prepared  and  huri'ied  to  the  Supreme  Court, 
but  the  court  i-efused,  on  January  4.  1887. 
to  decide  the  f|uestion  on  the  gi'ound  that  it 
had  no  jurisdiction  of  tli<'  case,  as  the  consti- 
tution made  each  house  the  jtidge  of  the  elec- 
tion of  its  members  and  officei-s,  atul  that  it 
was  not  proper  for  the  court  to  decide  what 
was  tlie  law  unless  it  had  jurisdiction  in   th.' 


case  at  bar.  -iudges  Miteliell  and  llowk  dis- 
sented. 

As  the  majority  of  the  court  \vas  Demo- 
cratic, the  Democrats  were  naturiilly  indig- 
nant at  this  evasion  of  tlie  (juestion.  and  none 
more  so  than  ]\Ir.  Craig  lie  luul  .Matthews 
write  a  scathing  editorial  denunciation  of  the 
court,  antl.  after  reading  it.  added  the  intro- 
ductoiy  sentence.  "Danui  their  cowardly 
souls."  This  furnished  water  for  the  Re- 
publican mill,  with  a  vengeance,  and  for  some 
days  the  merits  of  the  case  were  completely 
eclipsed  by  criticism  of  this  assault  on  the 
highest  court  in  the  state.  I  had  been  sub- 
stituting occasionally  for  ^latthews  as  edi- 
torial writer,  and  I  assured  him  that  his  edi- 
torial position  was  well  taken,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  opening  sentence.  The  ques- 
tion involved  was  not  merely  of  the  election 
of  a  presiding  officer  of  the  Senate,  but  of  a 
lieutenant-govei'nor,  who  would  succeed  as 
irovernor  in  case  of  the  death  of  that  official. 
The  hesitancy  about  stating  the  law  where 
a  supreme  court  has  not  jurisdiction,  or 
where  the  question  is  not  j)roperly  presented, 
was  all  rot.  Although  it  is  not  often  a  com- 
mendable thing,  all  courts  make  such  state- 
ments when  they  like,  and  the  reports  of  the 
Indiana  courts  were  full  of  "obiter  dicta." 
But  further  than  that,  there  was  a  very 
strong  line  of  decisions  to  the  ett'ect  that  in 
time  of  public  excitement  and  threatened 
disturbance  over  a  disputed  question  of  law, 
it  was  the  duty  of  the  court  to  state  the  law. 
even  if  it  coidd  not  give  it  the  force  of  a 
decision.  At  the  request  of  ^latthews  I  pre- 
pared an  editorial  on  these  lines,  taking  sev- 
eral days  to  collect  authorities,  but  when  it 
was  i>repared  Ci-aig  was  so  much  intimidated 
that  he  decided  not  to  ]>ubli.sh  it.  And  there 
he  lost  his  ehanc(>  of  at  least  partial  vindica- 
tion, for  within  two  months,  on  rehearing, 
the  court  practically  reversed  itself  and  gave 
the  statements  of  the  law  which  it  had  held 
improiier;  and  the  iqiinions  sustained  Smith's 
position.* 

In  February.  1SS8.  the  conti-ol  of  tlH>  Sin- 
linrl  was  pui'chased  liy  Samuel  E.  ^loi-ss.  and 
this  marked  an  epoch  in  its  existence.  I 
think   he  was  one   of  the   strongest  editorial 


"Robertson  vs.  The  State  ex  rel.    109  Ind. 
p.  79. 


414 


HISTOKV  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAl'OLIS. 


writers  Indiaiia])()lis  ever  had,  if  uot  the 
strongest,  and  eertainly  he  was  the  readiest, 
lie  was  bold  and  outspoken ;  made  up  his 
mind  on  new  questions  very  quickly,  and  sel- 
dom decided  erroneously.  He  was  born  at 
Ft.  Wayne.  Dec.  15,  1852,  and  had  only  a 
common  school  education,  which,  however,  he 
broadened  by  extensive  and  solid  reading. 
He  began  work  as  a  boy  on  the  Ft.  Wayne 
Gazette,  and  after  growing  np  bought  the  Ft. 
Wayne  Sentiticl.  This  he  sold  to  his  partner 
in  1880,  and  went  to  Kansa.^  City.  There  he 
established  the  Star,  but  did  not  reap  the 
benefits  of  tliat  ureat  newspaper  success,  foi- 
overwork  brought  a  nervous  breakdown,  and 
in  1882  he  sold  and  went  to  Paris  for  treat- 
ment by  a  nerve  specialist.  H(?  returned  in 
the  winter  of  1888-4  much  improved— tlumtili 
he  never  fully  recovered — and  went  on  the 
Cliicago  Times  as  editorial  writer,  and  later 
Washington  coi'respondent.  From  there  he 
came  to  the  Sentinel. 

It  was  a  national  campaign  year,  with  Gen- 
era] Harrison  as  the  Republican  candidate. 
Both  sides  were  enthusiastic  and  confident. 
The  Republicans  carried  the  state  by  a  small 
7)lnrality  in  response  to  General  Harrison's 
apjieal  that  he  did  not  want  to  be  elected  and 
failed  to  carry  his  own  state.  The  slogan  was 
"get  one  vote,"  and  this  resulted  in  the  most 
extraordinar>'  individual  effort  ever  known 
in  Indiana.  The  Se)itinel  made  a  gallant 
fitrht,  and  thoujih  beaten  it  exposed  the  Dud- 
ley frauds  and  inspired  the  party  with  the 
desire  for  honest  elections.  The  legislature 
was  Democratic,  and  the  Sentinel  began  its 
fitrht  for  election  reform  inunediately  after 
the  election,  the  results  of  which  are  detailed 
in  the  chapter  entitled  "A  Political  Epoch". 
But  that  was  not  all.  Morss  was  a  natural 
reformer,  for  the  simple  reason  that  he  be- 
lieved in  good  uovernment.  Anything  that 
promised  improvem(>nt  appealed  to  him.  He 
took  up  Oscar  jrcCulloeli's  bill  for  a  State 
Board  of  Charities  and  Corrections,  Repre- 
sentative Pleasant 's  bill  for  a  state  school 
book  system.  Senator  Barrett's  street  im- 
pi-ovement  liond  bill.  Senator  Byrd's  bill  to 
abolish  ''pluck-nie  stores"  in  the  coal  i-e- 
gions,  and  made  earnest  campaigns  for  them. 
The  Icffislatiire  of  1889  went  on  record  as  the 
greatest  reform  le<rislature  in  tlie  history  of 
the  state,  and   th(>  Sentinel  received  and  de- 


served much  of  the  credit.  A  similar  course 
was  followed  in  the  legislature  of  1891  with 
the  city  charter,  tax  law  and  other  measures. 

In  1892  there  was  the  iLsual  Democi'atic 
figuring  for  a  "favorite  son"  on  the  na- 
tional ticket,  but  'Sir.  ^[orss  was  convinced 
that  the  party  sentiment  of  the  state  was 
overwhelmingly  for  Cleveland,  and  boldlj* 
said  so.  The  result  was  an  Indiana  delega- 
tion for  Cleveland  in  the  national  conven- 
tion. In  1893  Mv.  ^lorss  was  appointed  Con- 
sul-General  to  Paris,  and  left  the  editorial 
department  of  the  pai)er  in  my  charge — I 
having  been  associated  in  it  since  1888.  ^lat- 
tei-s  went  smoothly  enough  till  the  campaign 
of  1896.  Both  ]\Ir.  Morss  and  myself  were 
international  bimetallists  by  conviction,  and 
as  between  a  gold  standard  and  "free  silver" 
considered  the  latter  the  lesser  evil.  All  that 
the  Sentinel  could  do  to  hold  the  party  to 
international  bimetallism  was  done,  but  after 
Bryan  was  nominated  Mr.  ]\Iorss  cabled  me 
to  support  the  ticket.  I  did  so  to  the  best 
of  my  ability.  It  did  not  do  much  good,  but 
the  paper  was  at  least  made  obnoxious  to  the 
opposition.  That  campaign  ruined  the  Sen- 
lind  financially.  The  i;reat  majority  of  busi- 
ness men  acquired  the  delusion  that  if  Mr. 
Bryan  were  elected  their  property  would  be 
practically  confiscated.  The  feeling  was  in- 
tense—  far  beyond  anything  ever  known  be- 
fore or  since,  over  an  economic  question.  The 
boycott  on  advertising,  begun  during  the 
campaign,  wa.s  continued  long  after.  It 
made  the  Sentinel  a  losing  proposition  on  the 
business  side,  and  it  never  recovered  from 
that  condition.  There  was  no  compensation 
from  the  other  side.  Indeed,  some  of  the 
Democratic  leaders  assiduously  claimed  that 
their  worst  obstruction  in  the  campaign  was 
the  Sentinel's  concession  that  fire  coinage  by 
this  country  alone  must  result  in  a  silver 
staiulard. 

]\rorss  made  an  earnest  effort  to  overcome 
his  difficulties,  but  only  succeeded  in  making 
more.  He  convinced  himself  that  the  morn- 
in<r  paper  was  out  of  date,  and  on  May  18, 
1903.  brought  the  Sentinel  out  as  a  one-cent 
evening  paper.  The  morning  edition  was 
continued  nominally  for  a  few  days,  under 
the  name  of  the  Indianapolis  (llohe,  to  pro- 
tect the  Associated  Press  franchise,  but  this, 
which  was  perhaps  the  most  valuable  asset  of 


HI.STORY  OF  GEE  ATE  i;   INDIAN"  A  I'Ol.lS. 


415 


thi-  p;ipi>r.  was  sold  to  the  fouiidcrs  of  the 
ISIar.  wliich  started  in  .Time.  But  the  even- 
in<;'  was  no  Ix'ttcr  than  the  morning',  and  tlie 
financial  situation  slowly  grew  worse  luitil 
the  unfortunate  death  of  ^Ir.  ]\Iorss  by  a  fall 
from  the  third  story  of  the  Sentind  building 
on  Ootober  21.  1!1():5.  The  paper  was  contin- 
ued by  A(iuilla  Q.  Jones  as  administrator, 
aided  by  Thomas  Taogart.  who  had  an  in- 
terest. For  some  months  it  wa.s  eondueted  by 
Harme.ver  and  Alien,  two  Chieairo  newspaper 


men.  who  took  an  option  on  it  and  gave  it  up. 
It  was  then  managed  by  Frank  Tarkington 
Baker,  who  made  it  such  a  ghastly  imitation 
of  a  Hearst  pai)er  that  it  was  really  a  relief 
to  have  the  poor  old  thing  put  out  of  its  mis- 
ery, wliich  occurred  on  February  25,  1906. 
The  Sundajj  Sentinel  was  purchased  by  the 
Stnr,  and  the  daily  and  plant  went  to  the 
owners  of  the  Xews.  And  so  ended  the  lineal 
successor  of  the  first  newspaper  in  Indian- 
apolis. 


CHAPTER  XXXllI 


rXDKH    THE    CHAKTER. 


The  task  of  inaugurating  the  new  govern- 
ment under  the  city  charter  of  1891  fell  upon 
]Mayor  Thomas  L.  Sullivan.  The  law  took 
effect  on  its  passage,  and  continued  in  oifiee 
the  mayor,  clerk  and  councilmen  ;  the  alder- 
men, and  other  officials  not  pitjvided  for  in 
the  new  charter,  dropping  out.  The  most 
important  of  the  new  ofiSces  were  the  City 
Controller  and  the  Board  of  Public  Works, 
and  the  appointments  to  these  were  an- 
nounced as  soon  as  the  ilayor  learned  that 
the  law  was  signed,  which  occurred  just  be- 
fore noon  on  ilarch  6.  The  neW  government 
dates  from  March  7,  though  it  was  actually 
inaugurated  ]March  9  in  the  new  departments. 
For  Controllei'.  I\[ayor  Sullivan  chose  an 
ideal  man  in  William  Wesley  Woollen,  an 
old-time  banker  who  had  been  manager  of 
the  local  clearing-house  since  its  establish- 
ment, and  who  for  two  years  had  been  chair- 
man of  the  Finance  Committee  of  the  Coiu]- 
cil.  The  Board  of  Public  Works  was  com- 
posed of  .\lleii  W.  Conduitt,  Adolph  Scherrer 
and  ]Morris  ^I.  Defi-ees.  In  accordance  with 
the  provisions  of  the  charter  an  election  was 
held  on  October  13,  1891,  at  which  Mayor 
Sullivan  was  re-elected,  defeating  Wm.  "W. 
Herod.  14,320  to  11,598.  His  service  was 
therefore  two  years  and  eight  months,  and  in 
this  time  the  practical  forms  of  the  new  sys- 
tem were  very  fully  established.  Among 
these  may  be  noted  that  while  the  charter 
provided  for  an  annual  statement  from  the 
Mayor  to  the  Council  of  the  finances  and  gen- 
eral condition  of  the  city,  it  did  not  require 
departmental  i-eports,  and  flavor  Sullivan 
originated  the  custom  since  followed  of  de- 
tailed reports  from  the  various  departments. 

At  the  beginning  of  1891  the  area  within 
the  city  boundaries  was  7,927  acres,  or  12.39 
square  miles.     By  the  onlinance  of  Ai>ril  18. 


1891,  this  was  increased  to  9,610  acres,  or 
15.03  squpre  miles.  Extensive  preparations 
for  street  improvement  had  begun.  The 
Connnercial  Club  held  its  street-paving  ex- 
position in  Tomlinson  Hall,  April  1-5,  1890, 
and  55  contraetoi-s  and  manufacturers  of 
paving  material  made  exhibits.  It  gave  a 
general  education  to  citizens  in  rational  jiav- 
ing,  and  was  visited  hy  official  delegations 
from  a  number  of  other  cities.  One  thing  it 
taught  was  the  desirability  of  proceeding 
systematically,  and  especially  with  reference 
to  sewer  improvements,  which,  of  course,  had 
to  be  made  first  to  avoid  tearing  up  the  im- 
proved streets,  as  also  the  laying  of  adequate 
gas  and  water  mains.     At  the  beginning  of 

1891  the  city  had  1.632  miles  of  asplialt 
streets,  1.69  of  vulcanite,  1.90  of  cedar  block. 
2.22  of  macadam.  In  1891  were  constructed 
4.118  of  asphalt  and  1.90  of  brick;  and  in 

1892  2.96  miles  of  asphalt  and  3.94  miles  of 
brick  streets  with  .99  mile  of  l)rick  alleys. 
There  were  a  little  over  10  miles  of  graveleil 
ami  bowldered  streets  completed  in  the  two 
years,  and  15  miles  of  brick  and  cement  side- 
walks. 

But  obviously  the  first  thing  to  adjust  was 
the  sewer  system.  In  1869,  when  the  city 
council  first  decided  on  underground  .sewers, 
a  new  committee  on  sewers,  sewerage  and 
water  works  was  ci-eated  on  June  11,  and 
John  Marsee.  C.  E.  Whitsit  and  Erie  Locke 
were  appointed  members.  The  conuiiittee  in- 
vited to  this  city  R.  C.  Phillips,  city  engineer 
of  Cincinnati,  and  Jacob  Wirth,  ex-city  eii- 
ijineer  of  Cincinnati,  to  aid  in  devising  a  gen- 
eral sewerage  i>lan.  They  did  .so.  and  the 
plan  was  reported  on  August  23.'  For- 
tunately, before  adojUing  this  ])lan  tiic  eoiii- 


^Conncil^  Procn  (Jinqx.  p]i.   349.  353. 


IK) 


Jiis'i'(»i;v  (II-  (;i;i:ATEii  IxXDIaxai'oi.i 


417 


niittee  called  in  Mcisi's  Jjaiic,  wlio  was  thuu 
Ihe  higlu'st  authority  in  the  United  States  ou 
sewerage,  with  possibly  the  exception  of  his 
partner,  E.  S.  Chesbrough  (w^ho  also  visited 
Indianapolis,  and  approved  of  the  plans)  ; 
and  he  modified  it  in  several  respects,  most 
notably  as  to  the  Washington  street  main 
sewer  which  had  been  designed  to  run 
straight  west  to  the  river.  The  Lane  plan, 
which  was  adopted,  made  the  Washington 
street  and  Kentucky  avenue  sewer  the  main 
one  of  the  city.  It  began  at  Pogue's  Run  and 
ran  7  feet  in  interior  diameter  to  Noble 
street;  then  7i/o  feet  to  Pennsylvania  street; 
then  8  feet  to  Illinois,  where  it  turned  into 
Kentucky  avenue  and  followed  it  to  the 
river,  without  change  in  size.  The  main 
branch  was  the  South  .street  sewer,  which  was 
4I/0  feet  interior  diameter  through  Fletcher 
avenue  and  South  street  to  East;  5  feet  to 
Meridian ;  and  51/.  feet  to  Kentucky  avenue, 
where  it  emi)tied  into  the  main  sewer.  The 
region  south  of  ^IcCarty  street  was  to  be 
drained  by  the  Kay  street  sewer,  which  had 
already  been  constructed.  There  was  also 
another  soiithside  branch  on  Merrill  street 
which  was  not  expected  to  be  built  for  some 
time.  On  the  north  side  there  w^ere  to  be 
laterals  on  Mississippi,  Illinois,  Penn.syl  vania 
and  Noble  streets. - 

This  report  also  ])rnposed  the  drainage  of 
the  region  west  of  the  canal,  as  also  that 
north  of  First  street  (now  Tenth  street)  into 
Fall  Creek,  but  with  provision  in  view  for 
an  interceptor  which  should  carry  the  sewage 
to  the  river  at  a  point  below  Wa.shington 
street.  It  also  mentioned  the  feasibility  of 
turning  Pogue's  ]\'un  into  Fall  Creek  north 
of  the  city  and  making  a  main  sewer  in  its 
bed.  The  Lane  iilan  was  adopted,  with  the 
addition  of  a  latei-al  in  Alabama  street,  and 
the  sewers  constructed  under  it  are  still  in 
use,  except  the  one  in  Alabama  street,  which 
had  to  be  rebuilt  some  twenty  years  later. 
The  Ray  street  sewer  had  been  built  by 
Samuel  Ilanway  and  Samuel  Lefever;  the 
South  strecl  sewer,  and  Uic  Kentucky  avenue 
sewer  were  built  by  Jacob  Wii-th  &  Co.  of 
Cincinnati.  The  Washington  street  sewer 
from  Pogue's  Run  to  Illinois  street  encoun- 
tered  most   serious   opposition,   probably   be- 


cause it  was  paid  fur  by  assessments  of  bene- 
fits and  damages  instead  of  by  a  general  tax. 
Neai-ly  all  the  property  owners  protested, 
and  Councilman  II.  S.  Bigham  1  popularly 
known  as  "Little  Big")  made  a  thrilling  re- 
port against  it  as  an  impediment  to  business 
while  in  construction,  and  a  menace  tu  health 
and  comfort  when  completed;  besides  all 
which  the  main  sewei-  ought  to  be  put  in  the 
bed  of  Pogue's  Run.-  But  a  .small  ma,iority 
of  the  council  were  determined  to  proceed, 
and  an  ordinance  was  finally  passed  for  a 
.sewer  from  Illiaois  to  Pennsjivania  street,  in 
Washington,  and  the  contract  was  let  on 
May  25,  1874,  to  Bruner  &  Riner,  who  did 
the  greater  part  of  the  sewer  construction  of 
the  citj-  for  some  years  after. 

It  may  be  noted  here  that  the  conflict  of 
opinion  at  that  time  as  to  the  desii-able  loca- 
tion of  sewers  is  not  at  all  strange,  for  it  is 
ilifficult  for  the  average  man  to  dissociate  his 
idea  of  an  underground  sewer  from  the  sur- 
face configuration.  The  earliest  known  ])ro- 
posal  for  an  underground  sewer  .system  in 
Indianapolis  was  made  by  the  Locoiiiotive  on 
Maj'  7,  1859.  It  suggested  two  plans.  One 
was  to  construct  sewers  in  New  Jersey,  Penn- 
sylvania and  Illinois  streets,  from  Market  or 
Ohio  street  to  Pogue's  Run.  The  other  was 
to  make  a  large  sewer  in  Washington  or 
.Maryland  street,  from  New  Jersey  to  the 
river.  It  observed :  "One  of  these  two  plans 
must  eventually  be  adopted.  Which  is  the 
best?  The  best,  that  will  accomplish  the  ob- 
.ieets  desired,  for  the  present  and  futui-e 
drainage  of  the  city,  is  the  cheapest,  no  mat- 
t(>r  what  the  cost  of  construction  may  l)e." 
In  this  suggestion  the  Ijocomoihu  contem- 
plated only  disposing  of  surface  water  from 
rains;  and  if  you  are  disi)osed  to  criticise  its 
short  sight,  pause  and  reflect  if  our  present 
sewer  system  is  not  one  that  will  have  to  be 
abandoned,  or  so  modified  as  to  prevent  the 
flow  of  sewage  into  White  River.  Is  it  not 
manifest  that  it  can  be  but  a  short  time  until 
this  making  sewci-s  of  running  streams  must 
be  wholly  discontinu(>d'.' 

By  the  time  of  the  adojition  of  the  new 
city  charter  the  city  had  const  I'uctcd  a  total 
of  26.66  miles  of  sewer,  varying  from  1  to  8 
feet    in    interior    diameter,    of    which    '-^.32 


-Council  Proceedings.  ts:n.  jip.  SS'2-nO. 
Vol.  1—27 


'Council   Prorifdimis.   IS'/.-^-l.  p.   lf)21. 


-lis 


HISTORY  OF   GIJKATEU   INDIAXAPOLTS. 


miles  \\ei-e  brick,  and  .3.34  miles  pipe.  Most 
of  this  ^\as  serviceable  but  it  was  overtaxed, 
partly  on  account  of  extensions  and  partly 
on  account  of  improvements;  for  roofs  and 
street  pavements  serve  equally  to  prevent 
the  rain  reachinij'  and  being  soaked  up  by  the 
natural  soil,  and  turn  it  into  the  artificial 
drainage  ways.  This  was  generally  realized. 
A  committee  of  the  Commercial  Club  recom- 
mended the  adoption  of  a  comprehensive  sys- 
tem to  begin  with.  The  new  Board  of  Pub- 
lic Works,  composed  of  A.  W.  Conduitt.  M. 
^r.  Defrees,  and  A.  Scherrer,  the  last  two  be- 
ing professional  engineers,  decided  to  submit 
the  problem  to  the  best  talent  obtainable. 
They  selected  Kudolph  Ilering.  who  had 
])een  the  sewerage  exj)ert  for  New  York,  Chi- 
cago and  Philadelphia,  and  who  had  two 
years  earlier  been  called  to  Washington  by 
President  Harrison  to  devise  a  sewerage  sys- 
tem for  that  city.  Previous  to  his  coming, 
extensive  surveys  were  made  by  City  Engi- 
neer ]\lansfield,  and  the  data  for  the  investi- 
gation collected  as  far  as  possible.  Mr.  Her- 
ing's  services  were  secured  on  February  12, 
1892,  and  on  June  14,  he  made  an  elaborate 
report  covering  the  entire  subject.'' 

Hering  divided  the  city  into  five  main 
drainage  districts,  following  the  natural  divi- 
sions as  modified  by  the  work  already  done. 
The  first  was  the  territory  north  of  Fall 
Creek ;  the  second  the  natural  drainage  area 
of  the  State  Ditch  and  the  region  between  it 
and  Fall  Creek;  the  third,  covering  most  of 
the  city,  was  the  natural  drainage  area  of 
Pogue's  Run;  the  fourth  the  i-egion  west 
of  the  canal ;  and  the  fifth  the  natural  drain- 
age area  of  Pleasant  Run.  The  third  and 
fourth  districts  only  were  covered  in  Lane's 
]ilan.  The  sewage  from  the  firet  and  second 
districts  was  to  be  brought  to  a  common 
main  running  through  the  river  bottom  west 
of  the  main  city  to  a  point  below  Washing- 
ton street,  while  the  storm  water  of  the  sec- 
ond was  diverted  to  Fall  Creek  through  the 
Belle  street  interceptor.  The  fifth  was 
wholly  independent  of  the  others,  and  a  mat- 
ter for  future  treatment,  as  the  district  was 
sparsely  settled.  The  third  and  fourth  re- 
tained and  wei-e  ba.sed  on  Lane's  work,  ex- 
cept that   the  outflow   of  these  districts  was 


*('ih)  AniuKil  li't  j'orls.  ls'):J.  pp.  T:!-!!."). 


diverted  lu  ■"the  ri\er  interceptor"",  and 
carried  to  a  point  farther  down  the  river. 
The  sewer  work  since  that  time  has  been  on 
the  lines  laid  down  by  Mr.  Hering,  and  up 
to  January  1,  1909,  there  had  been  com- 
pleted 224.23  miles.  The  26.66  miles  con- 
structed prior  to  1891  cost  $726,157.73.  The 
total  cost  of  sewers,  including  this,  to  1909, 
is  a  little  in  excess  of  $3,000,000.  None  of 
the  later  sewers  are  larger  than  the  AVash- 
ington  sti-eet  sewer  except  the  State  Ditch 
.sewer,  on  Twentieth  street,  and  the  Harding 
street  sewer  in  West  Indianapolis,  both  ol' 
which  are  semi-circular  in  construction,  8  feet 
high  by  12  feet  4  inches  broad  at  the  base, 
with  about  the  capacity  of  a  circular  sewer 
10  feet  in  diamefei'. 

A  notable  achievement  of  ]\Iayor  Sullivan's 
administration  was  the  construction  of  the 
Virginia  avenue  viaduct.  For  several  years 
there  had  been  great  complaint  over  the  divi- 
sion of  the  city  north  and  south  by  railroad 
tracks,  but  no  feasible  form  of  relief  ap- 
peared until  1886  when  the  railroad  coni- 
jianies  desired  to  construct  the  new  Union 
Station.  This  necessitated  the  closing  of  Illi- 
nois .street,  and  some  other  street  vacation, 
in  compensation  for  which  the  Union  com- 
pany agi'eed  to  pay  .$30,000  towards  the  con- 
struction of  a  tunnel  under  the  tracks  at 
Illinois  street,  and  to  l)uild  a  viaduct  over  the 
tracks  in  the  first  alley  east  of  ^Meridian 
street.  The  viaduct  was  to  have  a  grade  of 
7  feet  in  100,  to  be  50  feet  wide,  and  the 
alley  was  to  be  widened  accordingly.  The 
work  on  the  tunnel  was  beuun  promptly,  and 
on  May  7,  1888.  the  City  Engineer  reported 
it  complete  except  liowjdering  the  north  ap- 
proacli.  which  had  been  omitted  because  the 
company  desired  to  asphalt  it.  The  viaduct 
dragged.  Suits  were  brought  to  prevent 
closing  .Meridian  sti-eef,  and  in  connection 
with  the  wideninu'  of  the  alley.  After  Mr. 
Sullivan  became  mayci-  he  took  up  the  mat- 
ter with  the  raili'oad  authorities,  especially 
with  ]\Iessrs.  Ramsey  and  Ingalls  of  the  Big 
Four,  and  insisted  on  action.  They  pointed 
to  the  .suits  and  .said  they  wei'e  anxious  to 
proceed,  and  were  willing  to  build  elsewhere. 
This  proposal  was  advantageous  to  the  city, 
for  nobody  di^sired  an  alley  crossing,  and  it 
was  too  near  the  Illinois  street  tuiuiel  to  be 
as  serviceable  as  it   might  be.   for  the  gi'eat 


HISTORY   OF  GEEATEU  IMJIA.N Al'OLlS. 


419 


■»|)rc;ul  of  tlii>  city  he\'oii(l  tlie  tracks  wa.s  to 
I  111'  suiithcast.  Filially  they  came  to  au  airivc- 
iiieiit  for  a  eoiu'ciit ration  of  tracivs  at  Vir- 
ginia avenue — renioving:  those  formerly  on 
Louisiana  street— and  a  viaduct  as  at  pros- 
iiit,  flO  feet  wide  in  the  ai)proaches  and  7U 
feet  in  the  bridiic  lint  ^Mayor  Sullivan  in- 
sisted on  a  grade  of  not  over  4  feet  in  100; 
Mr.  Ramsey  for  the  railroads  put  5  feet  in 
1(1(1  as  the  limit.  At  leiiiith  the  railroad  peo- 
ple submitted  a  pi'o|)()sition  that  a  grade  of 
4  feet  would  cost  $10,000  more  than  a  grade 
of  .")  feet,  and  if  the  city  would  pay  -i^o.OOO 
it  would  make  the  change.  As  the  street  rail- 
way comjiany  was  vitally  interested  in  this 
matter.  Mayor  Sullivan  laid  the  matter  be- 
foiT  Mr.  Shart'ei-.  then  president  of  the  street 
railway  company,  and  he  agreed  to  pay  the 
city's  $5,000.  The  work  then  proceeded  and 
was  completed  in  the  summer  of  1892,  the 
viaduct  being  formally  opened  with  great 
Democratic  rejoicing  on  September  23.  1892. 
The  Columbia  and  ^Marion  Clubs,  and  the  Re- 
publican speakers  invited,  all  declined  to 
participate  on  the  ground  that  the  ceremony 
had    been    postponeil    for    political    purposes. 

Under  ]\Iayor  Sullivan,  a  new  contract  was 
made  with  the  Water  Company  by  whicli  it 
was  to  furnish  water  free  for  fountains  in 
the  pai'ks;  to  reduce  the  rate  for  water  for 
city  buildin'JTS  from  10  cents  to  5  cents  per 
l.(io(i  iralbms:  and  to  lay  20.000  feet  of  mains 
annually,  if  i-erpiii-ed.  instead  of  7.000.  An 
iiripuitant  contract  was  made  with  the  In- 
dianapolis HiMi-sh  Electric  Light  and  Power 
Co.  to  light  the  streets  with  electricity— they 
had  been  lighted  with  gas.  This  contract 
was  notable  for  introducing  the  principle  of 
iMimpensation  from  ])ublic  service  corpora- 
tions for  use  of  thc>  streets.  It  ])rovided  for 
payment  by  the  com])any  into  the  city  treas- 
ury of  21  i.  per  cent  of  its  gi-oss  receipts  till 
January  1.  1896.  and  '>  jx'i'  cent  thereafter. 
Street  sweeping  was  inaugni'ated  for  im- 
pi-oved  .streets.  ;ind  a  system  of  street  sprin- 
kling paid  for  by  property  owners;  street 
name  signs  were  ])ut  up.  the  streets  rennm- 
liered.  and  there  was  a  general  advance  of 
the  city  government  on   business  lines. 

Hut  the  defeat  of  the  city  admiiiisti-dioii 
on  other  lines  w;is  made  inevitable  by  a  com- 
bination of  circumstances.  In  the  middle  of 
•Faiiiiai-v.  1892,  a  strike  occuired  <iii  the  street 


railway.  The  men  had  been  furnished  with 
baducs  entitling  the  wearer  to  free  transpor- 
tation, and  on  complaint  that  these  wei'c  be- 
iiiL;-  loaned  to  others  not  entitled  to  them, 
John  P.  Frenzel,  the  president  of  the  com- 
j)any.  ordered  them  taken  up.  It  was  tem- 
j)orarily  ad.pisted  by  an  agreeiiuMit  to  arlii- 
trate  and  service  was  resumed  on  .Jatmary 
14.  But  no  settlement  was  reached,  and  on 
February  21  the  men  struck  again,  and  de- 
manded the  removal  of  Frenzel  fi-om  the 
presidency.  What  made  the  sitiuition  serious 
was  politics.  The  Xrirs  stated  it  very  accu- 
rately on  February  24:  "The  whole  thing 
reeks  with  politics.  The  very  decency  and 
safety  of  living  in  Indianapolis  are  involved 
by  politics.  The  Lincoln  LeasiiU',  with  dele- 
g;(tes  from  different  ])arts  of  the  state,  meet- 
ing here  before  the  strike  began,  insulted  the 
memory  of  the  name  it  bore  by  adopting  a 
resolution  espousing  the  cause  of  the  strikers 
in  advance.  The  Reiiubliciin  primaries  meet- 
ing on  the  eve  of  the  strike  systematically 
adopted  resolutions  urging  the  men  on  to 
stake  their  living  in  (|uittin<i-  their  woi'k.  The 
maycu'  of  the  town  for  offset  abdicates  his 
sworn  dntj'  under  the  law.  and  openly  an- 
nounces that  the  Republican  j)oliticians  are 
l)laying  a  game,  and  the  city  (i.  e..  Demo- 
cratic control)  does  not  propose  to  help  them 
play  it."  The  city  government  did  not  run 
the  ears.  aii<l  the  situation  emitinneil  till 
everybody,  the  iiublic  included,  was  mad.  and 
all  blaming  someone  elsi\ 

On  February  29,  \Vm.  P.  Fishbaek  a|)iilied 
to  the  Superior  Court  (Juduc  X.  H.  Taylor  i 
foi-  a  receiver  "in  his  own  behalf  and  in  be- 
half of  thousands  of  other  citizens  of  said 
city".  The  complaint  charged  that  the  com- 
pany was  a  monopoly,  and  that  it  desii'cil 
an  extension  of  its  chartei-;  that  it  had  made 
Frenzel  president  because  he  claimed  to  con- 
trol the  J iKlidiiiipolis  News,  and  could  ob- 
tain the  (li>sired  franchise  extension:  that  by 
his  arbitrai-y  acts  he  had  caused  the  sei-vid 
to  be  stopp<'d  and  plaiiititV  to  he  daiiiMgi'd. 
etc.''  Judge  Taylor  ;ip|)ointed  W.  T.  Steele 
receiver,  and  the  cars  wi-ie  started.  The 
liadges  wi'i-e  at  first  I'etnrned  to  the  men.  but 
wei'c  given  up  tiy  direction  of  the  <Miiirt  en 
March  '■].  subject  to  I'litiin'  .-idjusl  meiit  of  tin 


'•Xnrs.  March   1.  1892 


420 


HISTORY  OF  (JREATER  I^fDIAXAPOLIS. 


question  between  the  meu  and  the  company. 
On  Marcli  4  an  appeal  wa.s  allowed,  and  the 
property  was  restored  to  the  company.  The 
whole  matter  was  settled,  but  the  News  de- 
nounced the  manner  of  settlement,  and  there- 
after eritici.sed  the  administration  as  strongly 
as  it  had  formerly  approved  it.  There  were 
others,  who  did  the  same,  as  was  natural,  for 
the  doctrine  invoked  was  rather  novel.  But 
it  set  the  whole  country  to  tliinkina:,  and 
the  conviction  that  the  public  has  a  tangible 
interest  in  the  service  contracted  for  by  a 
public  service  corporation  is  much  more  gen- 
erally acce})fed  now.  And  in  connection  with 
the  street  railway  company  it  may  be  noted 
here  that  the  Sullivan  administration  deter- 
mined on  a  new  franchise  which  should  give 
better  returns  to  the  pulilic.  On  April  19, 
1893,  bids  were  received  on  a  franchise  pro- 
viding for  rapid  transit :  six  fares  for  25 
cents  with  universal  transfers;  paving  be- 
tween the  tracks,  and  payment  to  the  city  of 
a  share  of  gross  receipts  ranging  from  10  per 
cent  the  first  five  years  to  141/2  per  cent  the 
last  five  of  the  thirty  years  of  the  franchise. 
The  Citizens'  Coiupany  made  no  bid,  but  a 
new  company — the  City  company — (U'ganized 
here,  did  bid,  and  the  contract  was  approved 
by  the  council  on  April  24.  Naturally  the 
Citizens'  Company  was  in  politics  and 
against  the  administration  thereafter.  The 
subsequent  disposition  of  the  City  franchise 
is  presented  elsewhere. 

The  panic  of  1893  hurt  the  city  administra- 
tion— the  national  administration  being 
Democratic — but  there  was  a  local  complica- 
tion that  added  to  its  effect.  In  1893  there 
were  $21,000  of  Sellers  farm  bonds  falling 
due  on  April  1,  and  .$600,000  of  funding 
bonds  falling  due  on  July  1.  The  $21,000  of 
bonds  were  taken  up  at  maturity,  and  on 
May  26  bids  were  taken  for  $621,000  of  41/0 
per  cent  "refunding"  bonds,  to  replace  the 
total  amount.  The  best  bid  was  from 
Coifin  &  Stanton  of  New  York,  who  offered 
par  for  the  lot,  and  were  awarded  the  bonds. 
The  panic  prevented  their  placing  them,  and 
they  could  not  meet  their  contract,  which 
they  abandoned  on  the  ground  that  the  issue 
of  the  $21,000  was  illegal,  as  not  being  "re- 
funding", and  invalidated  the  entire  is.sue. 
They  had  deposited  a  five  per  cent  forfeit 
($31,500),  and  afterward,  in  a  suit  to  recover 


tliis  Judge  Woods  su.stained  their  contentiou 
and  ordered  the  money  repaid.®  City  Con- 
troller Woollen  hastened  to  New  York  and 
made  arrangements  with  Winslow  Lanier  & 
Co.,  by  which  they  were  to  take  up  all  bonds 
presented,  and  carry  them  at  the  same  rate 
of  interest  (7.3  per  cent)  until  the  cit.y  could 
arrange  for  their  payment,  so  that  the  city 
maintained  its  record  of  never  defaulting  an 
obligation.'  In  one  sense  the  occurrence  was 
fortunate,  for  after  the  financial  stringency 
had  eased  the  city  placed  the  $600,000"  in  4 
per  cent  bonds  at  a  premium  of  $10,187.50. 
on  February  15,  1894,  which,  with  the  saving 
in  interest,  was  over  $100,000  better  for  the 
city  than  the  sale  that  failed.  There  was  no 
real  cause  for  blame  of  the  city  authorities, 
but  the  Journal  made  lurid  charges  of  man- 
ijiulation  under  malign  influences,  for  eam- 
[laigu  purposes.'*  and  though  no  one  who 
knew  ]\Ir.  Woollen  believed  them,  there  were 
many  persons  who  did  not  know  I\Ir.  Woollen. 
The  Republican  city  platform,  adopted  on 
July  22,  did  not  mention  this  bond  matter, 
but  denounced  "the  Democratic  policy  which 
closes  our  manufactories  and  business  enter- 
prises and  throws  thousands  of  men  out  of 
employment". 

Nor  did  this  platform  mention  the  street 
railway  strike.  It  had  a  paragraph  pledging 
"a  strict  enforcement  of  all  laws,  city  and 
state,  in  the  interest  of  public  order  .and  th;' 
preservation  of  public  rights":  but  this  was 
construed  to  refer  to  liquor  and  gambling 
laws,  and  the  campaign  was  fought,  nomi- 
nally at  least,  almost  wholly  on  that  issue. 
To  read  the  papers,  especially  the  Xcivs,  one 
might  have  supposed  the  city  had  entered  on 
an  era  of  wild  debauch,  under  the  control  of 
Sim  Coy  and  Charley  Polster,  saloon  keepers, 
and  Bill  Tron,  gambling  capitalist.  In  real- 
ity the  conditions  were  the  same  that  they 
had  been  in  the  earlier  part  of  Sullivan's  ad- 
ministration, when  the  Nncs  was  supporting 


vs.  the  City,  No.  8888  U.  S. 
Journal.    Julv 


;>. 


•Coffin  et  al 
Circuit  Court. 

'Woollen 's     .statement 
1893. 

Mounml.  July  6  and  12,  1893.  See  also 
Journal  editorials  Septendiei'  8  and  9,  1892, 
and  Woollen's  card  in  Journal,  September  9, 
1892. 


msTdltV   OF  (iRKATKR,   I XDTAXAPOLIS. 


421 


him.     The  administration  of  the  liquor  laws 

had  always  been  "liberar",  i.  e..  the  Sunday 

.■losing  and   eleven   o'clock     laws    were    not 

Nti-ietly   enforced;    but    that   there    was  tiny 

-.pecial    development     of     law     violation,     or 

irrcciiient  for  it.  wa.s  absurd.     As  the  result 

if  the  combined  influences,  Caleb  S.  Denny. 

the    Republiean    candidate    for    mayor,    was 

elected  on  October  10  bv  a  vote  of  1G,328  to 

13,250  for  Sullivan. 

!Mayor  Denny  proceeded  in  y;ood   faith  to 

■  ■arry  out  the  platform  pledges  on  which  he 
had  been  elected.  As  soon  as  he  took  office  he 
sent  for  Superintendent  Colbert  of  the  police 
force,  and  directed  him  to  see  that  all  saloons 
were  closed  on  Sunday  and  after  11  o'clock, 
and  that  gambling  was  suppressed."  In  fact 
this,  and  the  attempted  su])pression  of  the 
social  evil  were  the  distinguishing  features  of 
the  administration.  George  AV.  Powell,  who 
was  in  the  fullest  sympathy  with  this  policy, 

■  :is  made  Supci'intendent  of  Police  and  he 
•I  rtainly  spared  no  effort  to  enforce  the  laws 
in  full.  In  his  report  of  January  1,  1895, 
he  said:  "Hou.ses  of  prostitution  have  been 
n'gidated,  places  used  for  assignation  pur- 
l)0ses  have  been  closed,  and  the  professional 
caniblci',  who  lives  upon  his  ill-gotten  gains, 
debauches  tlic  youth  and  causes  the  ruin  of 
iiicn  has  been  taught  that  he  can  not  ply  his 
vocation  in  this  cit.y,  and  gambler  and  gani- 
Itling  furniture  have  been  removed  to  towns 
and  cities  more  congenial.  The  battle  against 
violations  of  the  liciuor  law  has  been  a  con- 
stant and  relentless  one.  and  will  be  con- 
'iiuied  "  There  were  many  who  doubted  the 
accuracy  of  this  statement  of  the  results  at- 
tained—  who  maintained  that  the  evils  had 
in  fact  only  been  scattered,  aiul  put  on  a 
more  secret  basis— but  there  was  no  (lucstion 
of  the  sincerity  of  the  eiVort. 

The  business  affaii-s  of  the  cit.v  progressed 
smoothly  on  established  lines.  Preston  C. 
Truster,  a  capable  man,  was  appointed  Con- 
troller, and  Milder  the  improved  financial  con- 
ditions soon  [uit  the  city  on  a  satisfactory 
basis.  The  .tfiOO.OOO  of  refunding  bonds  were 
placed  advantaueouslv,  as  above  mentioned, 
and  also  $100,500  of  Southern  (Garfield) 
Park  purchase  bonds  which  matured  on  Janu- 
ary 2(1,   l.sii:;.     All   Ihesi'  i)()iids  ])ore  7.3  per 


cent  interest,  and  were  refunded  at  4  per 
cent.  Most  people  were  desirous  of  improve- 
ments and  this  work  was  pu.shed.  In  1894 
there  were  20.02  miles  of  sewer  completed, 
and  in  1895  15.99  miles,  a  total  three  times 
that  of  the  preceding  three  yeai*s.  There 
were  3.99  miles  of  asphalt  street  made  in 
1894,  and  8.3()  miles  in  1895;  4  miles  of  brick 
street  in  1894  and  1.77  miles  in  1895;  1.07 
miles  of  wooden  block  street  in  1894  and  l.fiO 
nnles  in  1895;  9.05  miles  of  cement  sidewalks 
in  1894  and  11.77  miles  in  1895.  Additions 
were  made  to  the  city,  on  the  north,  east  and 
west,  during  1895;  bringing  the  total  area  at 
the  close  of  that  .vear  to  19.38  square  miles. 
It  was  charged  by  the  Democrats  in  their 
platform  that  this  was  a  taking  in  of  Repub- 
lican territory  to  affect  the  city  election,  but 
if  so  the  results  did  not  indicate  it.  During 
the  sununer  of  1895  ar  effort  was  made  for  a 
readjustment  of  the  street  railway  situation, 
by  a  new  franchise  to  the  Citizens'  Company, 
on  terms  less  fa\'(n'able  to  the  city  than  those 
of  the  City  Company's  franchise.  The  Sen- 
tinel made  a  bitter  fight  against  this  move- 
ment;"* and  it  was  finally  killed  by  an  appli- 
cation for  an  in.iunction  against  the  proposed 
action  made  by  Fi'ank  ^laus  and  Williain 
(iordon,  on  August  19.  Judge  Brown  took 
the  case  under  advisement  till  September  2. 
and  then  held  that  the  court  could  not  inter- 
fere with  the  exei'cise  of  discretionaiy  execu- 
tive power.  But  the  suit  ended  the  negotia- 
tions, and  also  caused  the  removal  of  Mr. 
^laus  from  the  Park  Board. 

On  December  3.  1894.  on  account  of 
charges  in  the  press  of  defective  work  and 
frauds  in  the  depai-tment  of  Public  AVorks, 
the  Council  apjiointed  a  connnitfee  to  inves- 
tigate that  depai-fnumf.  It  was  composed  of 
(Jeo.  JFerritt,  J.  U.  Allen,  A.  A.  Young,  Jas. 
H.  Costello  and  W'm.  Ilennessy.  It  held 
eighteen  public  meetings  for  the  taking  of 
testimony,  and  on  January  28,  reported  that 
there  had  been  "no  dishonesty  or  corruption 
on  the  part  of  the  Board  of  Public  Works 
or  any  mend)er  thereof,  or  on  the  pai-f  of 
any  suboi'dinatc  or  employe  of  such  Board", 
but  there  had  been  "errors  of  .iudgment, 
irregularities  and  negligence,  aiul  it  is  also 
clear  that  there  has  been   in  some  cases  im- 


^Ncirs.  Oeldbei-   12.  1893. 


^"Sentinel,  August  5  to  SeptemixM-  5. 


423 


HISTORY  OF  GEEATEK  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


perfect  exeeution  of  correct  plaiLs"."  The 
committee  considered  the  plan  of  lettinu' 
street  sweeping:  contracts  by  districts  instead 
of  streets  an  "error",  and  that  the  inspection 
of  work  had  been  of  little  value.  As  to 
sewers  there  was  some  defective  construction 
bnt  the  evidence  was  conflicting  as  to 
whether  it  would  "jeopardize  their  durabil- 
ity". As  to  catch-basins,  "the  specifications 
were  not  followed,  and  many  catch-basins 
were  villainous  frauds".  There  was  "much 
imperfect  work  in  making  house  connec- 
tions", and  "much  of  the  cement  sidewalk 
work  has  not  been  constructed  in  accordance 
with  specifications".  On  January  31,  the 
membei-s  of  the  Board  of  Public  Works  re- 
signed, and  a  new  board  was  appointed,  the 
resigning  members  issuing  a  .statement  in  de- 
fense of  their  course. '" 

On  August  3.  1895.  the  Republicans  nomi- 
nated City  Controller  Trusler  for  mayor,  and 
on  August  29  the  Democrats  nominated 
Thomas  Taggart.  There  were  obviously  nu- 
merous causes  for  dissatisfaction  with  the 
existing  regime,  but  by  far  the  most  potent 
was  enforcement  of  the  liquor  laws.  Then- 
were  hundreds  of  Republicans  who  had  voted 
for  Mr.  Denny  who  did  not  want  his  plat- 
form pledges  redeemed,  and  the  revolt  of  the 
"liberal  element"  was  the  chief  factor  that 
gave  Taggart.  on  October  S,  a  vote  of  17,491 
against  13.769  for  Trusler.  Taggart  was  re- 
elected in  1897,  defeatino-  Wm.  N.  Harding 
by  a  vote  of  20,005  to  16.191.  In  this  elec- 
tion C.  P.  Smith,  an  independent  candidate, 
received  464  votes.  Smith  had  allowed  him- 
self to  be  filled  with  the  tales  of  a  number 
of  irresponsible  liars  about  street  railway 
"deals",  and  became  a  candidate  on  that 
issue.  He  got  out  a  campaign  sheet,  which 
was  a  source  of  much  entertainment;  and 
in  it  he  charged  that  the  city  press  had  been 
bought  up  in  the  attempted  "settlement" 
under  'Mayor  Denny.  He  included  in  this 
charge  the  Snifiiirl.  which  had,  as  before 
mentioned,  opposed  this  settlement  proposi- 
tion, and  defeated  it.  After  the  election,  on 
October  17,  the  Scnthul  demanded  a  retrac- 
tion, which  was  promptly  made  on  October 
19.     The    Srnfhul  took  the  matter  under  ad- 


^'C'ouncH    i'ro(( (diiijis.   p.    452. 
'-Journal.  Februarv  1. 


visement,  and  on  October  27  proposed  that 
if  Mr.  Smith  would  withdraw  his  retraction, 
as  to  it,  it  would  bring  suit  for  libel  and  ask 
no  damages  beyond  attorneys'  fees  and  costs. 
I)Ht  Smith  preferred  to  "stay  apologized", 
and  so  the  matter  dropped.  On  October  10, 
1899.  Mayor  Taggart  was  re-elected  for  a 
third  term,  receiving  20,388  votes  to  20,041 
I'di-  Chai-les  A.  Bookwalter.  The  S(iitiii(i 
crlclirated  the  occasion  on  October  12.  by 
putting  all  its  editorial  in  doggerel  verse. 

The  six  years  of  Mayor  Taggart 's  admin- 
isti'ation  were  yeai-s  of  steady  develojunent 
in  the  improvement  of  the  city.  The  mileage 
of  constructed  sewers  grew  from  48.41  to 
]28:  asphalt  streets  from  26.88  to  43. Oil; 
brick  streets  from  15.76  to  25.75 ;  woixlen 
block  from  1.60  to  15.77:  cement  walks  from 
34.91  to  154.99.  The  total  co.st  of  public 
works  in  the  six  years,  1896-1901, .  inclusive, 
was  .i>4.01 5,090.42.  In  ('(uinection  with  the 
extension  of  block  pavement,  it  should  be 
noted  that  the  Ijlocks  then  laid  were  "creo- 
soted"".  i.  e.,  treated  with  oil  of  coal  tar,  be- 
f(ue  laying,  to  prevent  decay.  This  was  a 
new  pi'ocess,  introduced  at  this  time.  In 
1897  the  towns  of  Haughville,  Mt.  Jackson, 
Brightwood  and  West  Indianapolis  were  an- 
nexed to  the  city,  with  much  interlying  ter- 
ritory, the  area  of  the  city  inei'easing  from 
19.38  stpmre  miles  Januaiy  1,  1906,  to  28.15 
sijuare  miles  January  1,  1902.  In  1899  the 
policy  of  constructino-  permanent  bridges  was 
adoi)ted  and  contracts  were  let  for  the  ^lelan 
arch  bridges  over  Fall  Creek  at  Illinois  and 
^feridian  streets.  This  construction  was 
adopted  on  account  of  cheajuiess  of  construc- 
tion and  the  nppoi'tnnity  it  gives  for  a  bridge 
between  comparatively  low  banks  without  ob- 
structing the  channel  of  the  stream  with  nu- 
merous piers.  The  Illinois  street  bridge  cost 
*50,000  and  the  JMeridian  street  bridge  $55.- 
000.  They  are  of  concrete,  with  10-iiicli  "I" 
beams  running  Jengthwise  through  the 
arches.  3  feet  apart,  and  are  faced  with  Bt'd- 
ford  limestone. 

A  most  notable  step  of  Mayor  Tauirart's 
administration  was  the  park  purchases.  The 
$500,000  of  Belt  Railroad  bonds  which  the 
city  had  issued  were  paid  at  maturity,  in 
1896,  by  the  railroad  company,  thus  releasing 
the  city's  credit  to  that  extent.  The  appli- 
cation of  a  lai'ge  part  of  this  to  park  pur- 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIAN  A  I'ol.ls. 


423 


piist's  \\;is  l;ii-t;('l.\-  due  to  S.  E.  .\loi-ss.  whose 
i>('\vsi)ni)('r  position  made  liiiii  very  intlucntial 
with  the  aihiiinistration.  aud  who  simply 
insisted  on  a  park  system.  Tlierc  was  need 
for  extensive  impi-ovement  in  tJie  fire  and 
police  departments,  and  $150,000  of  bonds 
were  issued  foi-  that  purpose  on  June  1, 
1897.  By  ordiiuinee  of  ^lareh  4.  LS!)7.  .t:5-')0.- 
000  of  park  bonds  were  issued,  of  the  pid- 
ceeds  of  whieh  ij^.'JOO.OOO  wa.s  to  be  used  for 
tlie  pnrcha.se  of  park  lands,  and  the  balance, 
with  any  premium  obtained,  for  their  im- 
provement. The  park  bonds  brou<;ht  a  pi-e- 
minm  of  $23,485  and  the  public  safety  bonds 
a  ]iremium  of  .^lO.fiOO.  It  had  been  intended 
to  purchase  lands  for  a  larue  jiark  alonu'  Fall 
Creek,  but  the  ownei-s  of  the  land  found  it 
so  valuable  that  it  i;ot  beyond  the  city's 
reach.  What  had  oriijinally  been  apprai.sed 
l)y  the  city's  appraisers  at  $157,825  was 
raised  bv  the  owner's  experts,  on  appeal  to 
the  Board  of  Public  AVorks,  to  .$339,790.  On 
•Tune  3,  the  Sentinel,  for  the  pur])ose  of  in- 
ducinpr  a  more  reasonable  view  of  the  matter 
by  the  land-owners,  sus>;ested  that,  the  park 
be  located  on  White  River,  north  of  Fall 
Creek,  and  a  boulevard  be  built  along-  Fall 
Creek,  for  which  the  owners  of  the  vahiable 
land  there  could  help  pay.  A  number  of  land 
owners  on  White  River  jumped  at  this  pro- 
posal, which  had  not  been  made  with  expec- 
tation of  action  :  and  befoi-e  the  Fall  Creek 
people  realized  the  situation,  a  salisfactorj' 
pr'oposal  was  iriade  by  the  Whit<'  River  peo- 
I>lc.  and  was  scon  acce])ted.  On  .Inly  9  the 
couiii'il  authoi'ized  the  purchase  of  953  acres 
in  what  is  now  Riverside  Park,  and  82  acres 
in  Brookside  Park,  with  Tlishland  Square 
and  Indianola  Scpiare  in  West  Indianapolis. 
The  Riverside  lands  cost  $230.(100:  Brook- 
side  $25,000:  Uitihland  Sipiare  .$23,500:  and 
Indianola   S.piarc   $8,000. 

Fp  to  this  time  Indiana|)olis  had  no  ])ark 
of  any  size  except  Garfield  Park,  and  it  was 
rather  a  .joke  as  a  park.  It  was  orisinally 
known  as  the  Sonthei-n  Di-ivinsr  Park,  havini;' 
been  pui'chascd  li,\'  llic  "Indianapolis  Fair 
Association",  and  arranufcd  foi-  horse  racinir 
—  the  membei-s  beiny  dissatisfied  with  the 
provisions  at  the  State  Fair  'grounds,  .\ftcr 
on(>  i-eally  jxiTat  meet  in  1872,  at  which  (Joid- 
.smith  Alaid,  Judye  Fullerton  and  Red  Cloud 
were   the  chief   ;it1  inactions   in   hoi'seHcsh,   the 


venture  was  aliandom-d  as  a  (iuancial  failure, 
and  the  '.\1  acres  of  land  sold  to  the  city 
for  $109,500;  for  which  bonds  were  issued 
January  26,  1874,  for  20  years,  bearing  7.3 
per  cent  interest.  These  were  refunded  in 
1894  at  4  per  cent  for  30  years.  There  was 
no  street  car  line  to  this  i)ark  until  1895,  and 
pi-obably  a  ma.joi-ity  of  the  jicople  of  Indian- 
apolis had  never  seen  it.  In  trutli  there  was 
no  jrreal  call  for  i)arks  uji  to  this  time.  Alex- 
ander Ralston,  indeed  h;id  urged  the  people 
to  .secure  land  for  parks  while  it  was  cheap, 
hut  the  settlers  who  were  then  trying  to  get 
land  cleared  for  roads  and  fields  probably 
thought  him  mildly  insane.  All  i>ark  pur- 
poses of  the  pei-ioil  before  1870  were  served 
by  the  ^Military  Reservation,  the  State  House 
and  Court  House  squares,  and  University 
Square,  Anyone  who  wanted  more  rural  sur- 
roiuidings  co)dd  easily  reach  "the  counti'y'' 
in  any  direction.  In  the  spring  of  1868  the 
heirs  of  Calvin  Fletcher  offered  to  donate 
the  city  30  acres  of  land  at  its  northeast  cor- 
ner, if  it  would  dedicate  it  to  park  pur|)Oses, 
and  expend  $30,000  for  its  improvement 
within  a  cei-fain  time:  but  the  suspicious  saw 
in  tliis  a  scheme  to  advance  the  value  of  ad- 
.jacent  property  at  the  expense  of  the  city, 
and  the  offer  was  refused.  A  correspondent 
made  an  eloquent  appeal  for  a  "suburban 
pai"k",  in  the  vicinit.v  of  "the  five-mile 
bridge"  ovei'  White  River,  in  the  Journal  of 
May  19,  1870,  but  no  sentiment  was  aroused. 
In  fact  the  pai-k  sentiment  had  little  food 
for  development  in  the  conditions.  Indian- 
apolis had  no  congested  residence  ((uarter,  no 
slums.  Its  broad  streets  and  large  building 
lots  made  the  whole  city  almost  a  i>ai-k,  as 
was  often  noted  b.v  visitors  to  the  city.  Even 
in  1898  the  intei'cst  taken  in  the  park  projio- 
sals  was  chiefl.v  due  to  the  supposc^l  inlluence 
if  a  park  location  on  neiuliboi-iiii;-  real  estate. 
.\nd  there  was  an  abundance  of  criticism  of 
the  locations  selected,  oi-iginating  largely 
with  people  who  wanted  other  locations;  ami 
taken  up  by  papers  and  orators  foi-  jiolitical 
pui'poses.  The  city  campaign  of  1S99  was 
actuidl.x'  Fought  on  the  ch;\ruc  thai  the  cit.v 
had  s(piandei-(>d  vast  sinus  fiu-  "bog  lands" 
at  Riverside  and  Brool<side  parks;  inei'edible 
as  it  may  seem  to  one  who  visits  those  parks 
t(iila.\'.  Public  opinion  is  (piite  generally  set- 
iled    now    in    the   belief   that    these  two   i)ai-k's 


424 


HISTORY  OF  GRHATEK  INDIANAPOLIS. 


O 

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UTSTOUV  OF  GREATER  IXOIAXAI'OI.IS. 


425 


ronijjrise  tlio   ludst   lU'.sirablc   pavk    lands   ad- 
jaeont  to  the  city. 

Perhaps  the  most  notable  episode  of  the 
Ta^'trart  administration  was  the  settlement 
.if  the  street  railway  franchise  difficulty 
which  was  in  bi'ief  as  follows:  On  January 
18.  186-4,  the  Citizens'  Street  Railroad  Coni- 
[)any  was  i;ranted  a  franchise  for  W  years, 
.ind  in  1880  the  Council  extended  this  7 
..ears,  to  January  18,  1901.  In  1893,  as  be- 
fore mentioned,  the  Cit.v  Attorney  crave  an 
opinion  that  this  exti'usion  was  invalid,  and 
a  fi'anehise  was  iri-antcd  to  the  City  Railway 
Company,  on  terms  much  more  favorable  to 
the  city.  When  the  latter  undertook  work, 
the  Citizens'  Company  asked  an  in.junctiou 
in  the  Federal  Court,  alleging-  that  its  fran- 
chise was  perpetual,  sub.iect  only  to  termina- 
tion by  the  Legislature.  Judge  AVoods  sus- 
tained this  claim  and  granted  a  perpetual  in- 
.iunetion.  The  (^ase  was  appealed  to  the  U. 
>^.  Supreme  Court,  which  decided  that  the 
Citizens'  Company  held  at  least  until  Janu- 
ary 18,  1901.  and  reserved  its  opinion  on  the 
i|uestion  of  a  perpetual  franchise.  The  legis- 
lature of  1897  undertook  to  dispose  of  the 
pei-]ietual  franchise  by  what  was  called  the 
'"\ew  Act",  terminating  the  franchise  on 
January  18.  1901.  It  also  passed  a  stringent 
three-cent  fare  law  for  "cities  liaviiig  a  popu- 
lation of  more  than  one  hundred  thousand", 
which  applied  to  IndianajKilis  alone.  The 
Central  Trust  Co.  of  New  York,  trustee  for 
the  bondhokleis  of  the  Citizens'  Company, 
at  once  asked  an  in.iunction  in  the  Federal 
Court  to  prevent  the  enforcement  of  the  3- 
eent  fare  law.  and  Judge  Woods  called  Judge 
Showalter  of  Chicago  to  hear  the  case.  He 
decided  the  law  unconstitutional  as  special 
legislation,  and  the  "New  Act",  which  was 
also  restricted  to  cities  of  over  100,000  popu- 
lation, fell  nnder  the  same  principle.  A  few 
weeks  later  the  Supreme  Court  of  Indiana 
took  till'  o))posite  view  and  held  the  3-cent 
fare  law  <'oustitutionid.'''  Judge  Showalter 
was  then  asked  to  dissolve  the  iii.junction  and 
follow  the  riding  of  tlie  State  (^ouit.  but  re- 
fused to  do  so.  Apjieal  was  taken  to  the  Cir- 
cuit Court  of  Appeals,  composed  of  Judge 
Woods    and    Judires    Jenkins    and    Rui-n    of 


Wisconsin,  and  it  held  that  it  had  no  juris- 
diction to  review  Judge  Showalter 's  decision. 
About  this  time  the  city,  in  an  effort  to  get 
a  decision  of  the  whole  matter,  brought  suit 
against  both  eomi)anies,  alleging  their  fran- 
chise contracts  to  be  void.  It  w^as  heard  by 
Judge  Xeal  of  the  Hamilton  Circuit  Court, 
on  change  of  venue,  and  he  held  that  the 
City  Company's  contract  was  void,  as  against 
public  policy;  that  the  "New  Act"  was 
valid;  and  that  the  Citizens'  Company's  fran- 
chise exi)iivd  January  18,  1901.  .\ppeal 
was  taken  to  the  State  Supreme  Coin-t,  which 
on  December  16.  1898,  reversed  Judge  Xeal's 
decision  as  to  the  City  Company,  holding  its 
lliirty-year  franchise  valid,  and  sustained  his 
I'uling  that  the  franchise  of  the  Citizens' 
('ompany  expired  on  January  18,  1901.  Soon 
after  this  decision  was  given,  by  a  divided 
court,  the  three  .iudges  who  had  concurred 
in  it  went  out  of  office  by  the  expii-atiou  of 
thi'ii-  terms,  and  the  new  court  granted  a 
])etition  for  a  rehearing.'*  This  was  the  situ- 
ation when  the  leuislature  of  1899  met. 

Meanwhile  the  control  of  the  Citizens' 
Company  had  changed,  and  'Sir.  Hugh  Me- 
(iowan  had  been  sent  here  to  untangle  the 
snarl.  He  succeeded  in  getting  eonti-ol  of 
the  City  Company,  and  in  securing  the  pas- 
sag(>  of  an  act  of  the  legislature  I'cmoving 
most  of  the  difficulties,  and  authoiMzing  the 
city  to  enter  into  a  new  fi-anchise  contract.'"' 
Th"  franchise  was  to  be  limited  to  34  years: 
fares  were  not  to  exceed  i)  cents,  with  6 
tickets  for  a  quarter  and  2o  for  a  dollar,  and 
universal  transfers-  the  i-iglit  was  to  be  re- 
sei-ved  to  substitute  new  modes  of  i)r()pulsion 
to  insure  first  class  sei-vicc:  the  company  was 
to  pave  between  the  ti'acks  and  18  inches 
outside:  it  was  to  allow  the  use  of  its  lines 
for  interurban  cars  to  the  center  of  the  cit.v 
on  a  reasonable  basis;  and  it  was  to  surren- 
der as  a  part  of  the  purchase  price  all  exist- 
ing franchisi's  or  claims  to  franchises.  This 
la.st  provision  was  of  special  impoitancc.  for 
aside    fi'om    the   (luestion   of   jx'rpetual    I'raii- 


'■"CitN'  of  ln(Iiaiia))olis  v;.  Xaviu.  1-"il    Tnd.. 
!>.  139.' 


'■"Till'  relii-aririii  was  not  bad  on  aeeouut  of 
the  new  leuislation.  and  for  this  reason  the 
decision  dees  not  appeal-  in  the  Supreme 
Court  renorts.  It  will  be  found  in  the  N(u-th- 
eastern  Reoorter.  Vol.  .")2.  p.  ir)7. 

'•Acts  1V!I9.  p.  2()0.' 


426 


IIISTOKV  OF  GiiEATEK  IXDIAXAruLlS. 


chise,  the  Citizens'  Company  luul  50-year 
I'rauchises  iu  all  the  suburban  towns  that 
had  been  annexed  to  the  city;  and  it  had 
been  yranted  perpetual  franchises  over  a 
number  of  important  roads,  by  the  County 
Commissioners,  parts  of  which  were  already 
far  within  the  city  limits.  On  April  6,  1889, 
the  Board  of  Public  AVorks  entered  into  a 
carefully  drawn  contract  with  the  Citizens" 
Company,  includiu';-  all  the  provisions  of  the 
state  law,  with  numerous  safeg\iards  in  the 
way  of  citj-  supervision  and  control  of  the 
service  rendered,  and  with  a  further  provi- 
sion for  a  flat  payment  of  $30,000  a  j'ear  to 
the  city  for  27  years,  and  $50,000  a  year  for 
the  remainiu]!;-  7  years  of  the  franchise.  The 
company  also  obligated  itself  to  s|)end,  as 
rapidly  as  needed,  not  less  than  $1,000,000  in 
the  improvement  of  tlie  plant  and  etjuipment. 
There  was  not  a  little  wild  talk  and  rumors 
of  corruption  and  "hold-ups"  at  the  time, 
in  connection  with  the  matter,  as  "to  which 
the  full  truth  will  probably  never  be  known, 
but  it  is  scarcely  questionalile  that,  all  things 
considered,  Indianapolis  got  a  more  advan- 
tageous contract  than  any  street  car  fran- 
chise then  existing  in  the  country.  The  chief 
point  of  legitimate  criticism  is  that  the  fran- 
chise provisions  have  never  been  carried  out 
as  to  a  cross-town  line  and  paving  between 
the  tracks,  and  these  are  largely  due  to  the 
city  administi-ations  which  have  not  insisted 
on  compliance  with  those  provisions,  in  the 
exercise  of  the  supervising  powers  held  by 
them. 

But  the  singular  thing  is  that  the  chief  is- 
sue in  the  city  campaign  was  not  any  impor- 
tant economic  question  that  had  come  up,  but 
"the  59-cent  tax  levy"— an  issue  that  de- 
veloped as  great  a  display  of  stupidity  and 
iml)ccdity  as  was  ever  shown  in  a  civilized 
community.  Mr.  Taggart  had  declined  to  be 
a  candidate  for  another  term,  and  the  Demo- 
crats nominated  Charles  ]\[aguire.  who  had 
been  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Public  Works, 
by  direct  primary  on  August  26.  Charles 
A.  Bookwalter  had  been  nominated  at 
the  Republican  primaries  on  July  23. 
The  contest  was  of  necessity  largely  based 
on  IMayor  Tagsrart  's  7-eeord,  and  a  not- 
able feature  of  the  campaiirn  was  a  series  of 
letters  from  ^Mayor  Taggai-t  in  his  own  de- 
fense, published  in  the  X<  (*■<   from    Septem- 


ber 20  to  October  2,  and  later  iu  pamphlet 
form.  The  tax  levy  issue  began  in  1898.  In 
every  year  up  to  that  time,  since  the  adoption 
of  the  new  charter,  the  citj'  tax  levy  had  been 
(iO  cents  on  $100,  except  the  year  1893  when 
it  was  61iv:  cents.  In  1898  there  was  an  esti- 
mated increase  of  $127,568.60  in  city  ex- 
pen.ses,  of  which  $61,510  w-as  for  improve- 
ment of  the  new  parks,  and  the  remainder 
for  extended  public  service  due  to  the  an- 
nexation of  the  suburban  towns.  City  Con- 
troller Johnson  and  jMayor  Taggart  recom- 
mended a  tax  levy  of  70  cents,  and  it  was 
adopted.  This  was  promptly  criticised  as  e.x- 
travaganee,  especially  by  the  News,  which 
had  fallen  out  with  ilayor  Taggart  after  sup- 
porting him  for  four  years.  In  1899  Alayor 
Taggart  decided  to  meet  this  criticism  by  a 
counter-move  and  the  tax  levy  was  reduced 
to  59  cents  for  current  purposes,  with  1  cent 
added  as  required  by  law  for  the  firemen's 
pension  fund. 

The  criticism  now  turned  quite  as  fiercely 
to  the  proposition  that  this  levy  was  not 
high  enough,  and  this  was  speedily  taken  up 
for  political  purposes.  In  the  election  of 
1899.  although  ]Mayor  Taggart  was  re-elected, 
the  Republicans  carried  the  council,  and  the 
chief  energies  of  the  council  were  directed 
to  making  it  appear  that  the  levj^  was  too 
low.  Every  impediment  possible  was  put  in 
the  way  of  the  financial  administration. 
Evei-ything  that  woidd  increase  the  city's 
receipts  was  refused.  In  this  line  the  most 
absurd  action  was  the  refusal  to  levy  the  tax 
of  3  cents  a  foot  on  natural  gas  mains,  which 
by  the  contracts  of  the  comi)anies  could  be 
imposed  at  any  time  after  July  13,  1896. 
This  would  have  given  a  revenue  of  about 
$50,000  a  year  to  the  city,  and  would  ]irob- 
nbly  have  caused  the  property  of  the  Con- 
sumers' Trust  to  jiass  to  Iho  city  without  cost, 
instead  of  going  into  the  hands  of  speculators 
who  made  a  nice  thing  from  it.  The  $409,- 
061  paid  to  the  Eureka  Company  for  the  old 
Consumers'  Trust  property  just  about  covers 
what  the  city  should  have  received  in  taxes 
on  the  natiu'al  gas  mains — the  direct  cost 
of  "putting  Taggart  in  the  hole".  The  city 
was  entitled  to  it  because  the  companies 
did  more  than  that  amount  of  damage  to  the 
streets  when  they  put  in  their  mains.  Tlie 
stockholders    of    the    Consumers'    Trust    had 


TIlsrORY  OF  r.RKATER  INDIAXAPOLIS. 


427 


received  the  amount  of  their  investment  witli 
8  per  cent  intei'est,  which  was  all  their 
"stock"  called  foi-,  in  additinn  to  cheap  gas. 
The  Indianapolis  Company  had  made  at  least 
an  equal  jirotit.  There  was  no  reason  why 
they  shoukl  not  have  been  held  to  their  eon- 
tract  for  a  tax  of  A  cents  per  foot  on  their 
mains,  hut  the  most  stu|)id  (|uality  of  small 
politics. 

The  action  as  to  brewery  licenses  w'as 
worse  in  principle  thongh  there  was  not  so 
much  involved.  The  city  had  instituted  a 
lii-ewery  license  in  189],  and  it  had  been  sus- 
tained by  the  Supreme  Court."'  On  Septem- 
ber 18,  IftOO.  the  coiuicil  repealed  this  license 
ordinance,  under  which  ovei-  .$tir),0(X)  had 
been  paid  into  the  city  treasury,  and  substi- 
tuted for  it  a  wholesaler's  license,  which  was 
invalid,  and  was  so  held  by  the  courts.  This 
action  cost  the  city  $12,000  a  year  for  the 
next  five  years,  for  that  time  elapsed  before 
the  old  ordinance  was  re-enacted  and  put  in 
force.''  Rut  without  nnich  rejiard  to  the 
is.sues  presented,  the  people  wanted  a  change; 
and  on  October  8,  1901,  Charles  A.  Book- 
waJter  was  elected  by  a  vote  of  21,513  to 
19,3:^8  for  :\Iaguire.  '  :\rr.  Bookwalter's  vic- 
tory was  largely  due  to  his  personal  qualities. 
lie  is  one  of  the  most  persuasive  stump 
speakei's  ever  known  in  Indianapolis,  and  of 
a  genial  chai'acter  that  makes  him  "a  good 
iiiixei'". 

Partly  on  accoinit  of  delay  in  issuing  the 
annual  reports,  and  partly  because  he  found 
it  more  convenient  to  review  the  city's  work 
in  connection  with  the  animal  estimates, 
JIayoi-  Bookwalter  never  followed  the  custom 
of  till'  other  mayors  of  making  a  detailed 
Ktatement  in  connection  with  the  annual  de- 
partmental reports.  ITis  contributions  to 
these  are  brief  messages,  and  his  reviews  of 
the  city  work  will  be  found  in  the  Council 
Proceedings  instead  of  the  Annual  Reports. 
Mayor  Bookwalter's  first  task  was  with  the 
financial  situation  of  the  city,  which  was 
theoretically  bad  on  account  of  "temporary 
loans"  made  in  anticipation  of  tax-payments. 
In  reality,  here,  as  generally  in  America, 
legislation    has   been    made   to    favor   the   lax- 


'"City  vs.  Bieler,  138  Tiid..  p.  30. 
"A  full  history  of  tlu>  brewery  license  is 
in  the  City  Controller's  report   for  llt03. 


payer  until  taxes  are  much  belated.  To  il- 
lii.strate,  the  taxes  of  1908  were  assessed  in 
the  spring  of  1908,  and  levied  in  the  fall  of 

1908,  but  the  first  half  was  not  due  until 
May,  1909.  and  the  second  half  in  Xovember, 

1909.  Ill  reality  a  muiiici])ality  that  meets 
its  bills  without  loans  is  a  year  in  advance 
of  its  revenues.  The  times  when  municipali- 
ties run  short  of  funds  are  before  tax-paying 
times,  the  loans  not  running  over  3  months. 
Consequently  the  interest  charge  is  for  about 
(J  months  in  the  year.  But  ilayor  Bookwal- 
ter had  promised  to  make  no  temporary  loans, 
and  he  kept  his  promise  by  issuing  $195, 000 
of  "emergency  bonds"  hearing  31/0  per  cent, 
to  replace  an  equal  amount  of  temporary 
loans  at  3  per  cent — in  other  words  made  an 
interest  pajTnent  of  $6,825  to  replace  one  of 
$2,925— and  this  was  actually  applauded  by 
those  who  had  denounced  "the  59-cent  tax 
levy". 

But  this  was  not  the  only  step  in  the  line 
of  the  argument  of  the  campaign.  In  1900 
the  tax  levy  had  been  made  73  cents— 1  cent 
of  this  for  firemen's  pen.sion  fund— on  Mayor 
Taggart's  recommendation.  In  1901  it  was 
made  75  cents,  of  which  2  cents  was  for  the 
sinking  fund  provided  by  the  last  legislature, 
and  2  cents  for  the  jiolice  and  firemen's  pen- 
sion fund.  In  each  of  these  years  the  levy  of 
the  brewery  and  natural  gas  mains  taxes  was 
urged  by  the  ^Mayor.  which  would  have  re- 
duced the  levy  5  cents.  In  1902  the  estimates 
of  expenses  were  increased  over  $200,000,  and 
Mayor  Bookwalter  recommended  a  tax  levy 
of  86  cents,  with  4  cents  additional  for  pen- 
sion and  sinking  funds.  The  Republican  ma- 
jority of  the  council  committee  on  finance 
recommended  a  reduction  of  2  cents  from 
this,  which  was  adopted,  the  Democratic 
minority  advocating  a  reduction  of  8  cents. 
In  1903  the  assessment  of  citv  property  hav- 
ing been  raised  from  $132,927,210  to  "$142,- 
846,065,  Mayor  Bookwalter  recommended  a 
reduction  of  the  city  levy  to  78  cents  with  4 
cents  achlitioiial  for  jiension  and  sinking 
funds  which  was  adopted.  The  emergency 
bonds  were  issued  as  of  T)(>cember  14.  1901, 
makinir  the  bonch^d  debt  on  .Tannarv  1.  1902. 
$2,446,600.  There  \y,'ro  added  in  1903,  $30.- 
000  of  Market  lions,,  bonds,  $100,000  of 
Boulevard  Bdids.  and  .$25,000  of  Bridge 
bonds-  with    pri  vision    for    $-1(1.(1(10     more  — 


428 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIAXAL'OIJS. 


making  the  bouded  debt  on  January  1,  1904, 
$2,537400.  Of  this  increase  $11,500  was 
due  to  the  annexation  of  Irvinnton  in  1902, 
with  a  bonded  debt  of  $19,000.  of  wliich  $7,- 
500  was  paid  in  1902  and  1903. 

The  anne.xation  of  Irvington,  witli  tlie  in- 
terlying  territory  brought  the  area  of  the 
city  to  29.35  square  miles.  The  work  of  pub- 
lie  improvement  was  carried  forward  at  a 
moderate  pace,  the  chief  work  being  on 
sewers,  of  wliich  10.36  miles  were  completed 
in  1902  and  G.9  miles  wei'c  completed  in  1903. 
An  attempt  was  made  to  repair  the  Wash- 
ington street  bridge  over  "White  River,  but 
.just  after  the  repairs  had  been  completed,  on 
January  16,  1902,  the  bridge  collapsed,  drop- 
ping three  street  cars  and  four  wagons  into 
the  stream,  with  11  men  and  4  teams  of 
horses.  Fortunately  no  one  was  killed  and 
only  one  person  seriously  in.jured.  The 
principal  franchise  concessions  were  to  the 
internrban  roads,  with  the  Indianapolis  ter- 
minal. Franchises  were  granted  to  8  inter- 
urban  roads  in  1902,  the  only  compensation 
to  the  city,  aside  from  approved  service,  be- 
ing a  payment  of  1  cent  per  round  trip  for 
each  ear  entering  the  cit.v.  The  city  tri]is  are 
made  over  the  lines  of  the  Indianapolis  Trac- 
tion and  Terminal  Company,  lessee  of  the  old 
Indianapolis  Street  Railway  Company,  and 
it,  by  contract  with  the  city  on  August  15, 
1902,  through  the  Union  Traction  Company, 
bv  contract  of  the  same  date,  pays  the  cit.v 
5  cents  per  car,  per  round  trip,  to  November 
4,  1908;  15  cents  to  NWember  4.  1918;  and 
25  cents  per  cai-  thereafter.  The  payments 
are  not  \eiy  heavy,  the  total  /of  them,  in 
1907,  reaching  only  $4,386.25.  The  city  also 
granted  a  franchi.se  to  the  Indianapolis  & 
Southern  Railway  Company  on  Ajnil  11, 
1902;  and  one  to  the  Lulianapolis.  Logans- 
port  and  Chicago  Railway  Company  on  Sep- 
tember 8,  1903.  The  lattci'  has  "not  been 
built,  and  by  its  terms  the  franchise  is  for- 
feited if  the  road  is  not  built  in  five  years. 
"Upon  the  proper  written  resolution  of  said 
Board  of  Public  Works".— which  has  not 
l)een  made. 

The  city  campaign  of  1903  was  under  a 
notable  change  of  Democratic  management. 
The  old  organization,  popularly  known  as 
"the  Taixgart  machine",  which  had  been  in 
control  for  a  dozen  years,  was  overthrown  in 


the  primaries,  and  James  L.  Keach  became 
the  city  chairman.  On  July  25  the  Demo- 
crats nominated  John  L.  Holtzman  for  mayor, 
and  their  jilatforni  made  the  most  explicit 
charges  of  cori-ui)tion  and  maladministration 
against  the  Hookwalter  administration  that 
were  ever  made  in  a  city  platform.  The 
moral  issue  was  made  prominent  in  the  cam- 
paign, especial  emphasis  being  put  on  the 
toleration  of  wine-rooms.  But  what  devel- 
oped into  the  most  serious  political  obstacle 
for  the  Republicans  was  their  early  conven- 
tion. The  primaries  for  organization  were 
held  on  ]\Iarch  7.  on  three  days'  notice,  which 
was  complained  of  by  the  anti-administration 
forces;  and  the  eitj'  convention  was  promptly 
called  by  Chairman  Logsdon  for  ]\Iarch  28, 
The  antis  made  an  effort  in  the  primaries, 
but  with  so  small  elTect  that  they  made  no 
fight  in  the  convention  beyond  a  motion  to 
postpone;  and  ^Mayor  Bookwalter  was  renomi- 
nated by  acclamation.  The  "snap  conven- 
tion" was  made  the  basis  for  an  open  bolt 
by  a  number  of  Republicans,  and  the  cam- 
paign was  further  enlivened  by  the  move- 
ments of  the  Citizens'  League.  This  body 
undertook  to  expose  the  city  administration 
through  a  detective  imported  from  St.  Louis, 
but  instead  of  trapping  anyone  he  got  ar- 
rested for  an  attempt  to  bi-ibe  a  city  official, 
and  his  trial  added  to  the  picturesque  feat- 
ures of  the  season.  At  the  election,  on  Octo- 
ber 13,  ilr.  Holtzman  was  successful,  by  a 
vote  of  20,528  to  Bookwalter's  19,702,  and 
5,470  for  Hitz.  the  independent  candidate. 

The  most  important  problems  of  the  Holtz- 
man administration  were  track  elevation  and 
cheap  gas  to  take  the  place  of  the  exhausted 
natural  gas ;  and  it  was  hampered  in  its  work 
by  a  Republican  council,  for  the  unexpected 
had  again  happened,  and  a  council  whose 
ma.jority  diflfered  from  the  mayor  in  politics 
had  been  elected.  There  was  no  mode  in 
which  track  elevation  could  be  obtained  but 
by  agreement  with  the  railroads,  and  in  Octo- 
ber, 1904,  the  Board  of  Public  Woi-ks  reached 
an  agi-eenient  with  the  ]Monon,  L.  E.  &  W. 
and  Big  Four  roads  for  elevation  at  IMassa- 
chusetts  avenue  and  Tenth  streets,  by  which 
not  more  than  one-fourth  of  the  expense 
should  be  borne  by  the  city.  On  November 
21  the  Board  asked  the  council  foi-  an  appro- 
priation of  $25,000  to  carry  out  this  contract 


HISTOIIY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


429 


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430 


HISTORY  OF  GKEATEli  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


which  involved  a  partial  depression  of  streets, 
but  action  was  not  taJjen  until  January  "2:5, 

1905,  when  the  ordinance  was  passed,  and  the 
work  proceeded.     It  was  completed  early  in 

1906,  the  expense  to  the  city  being  $24,558.0-J. 
Meanwhile  the  legislature  of  1905  had  met 
and  adopted  a  law,  prepared  by  the  city  ad- 
Miinistration,  authorizing-  the  city  to  require 
track  elevation  under  certain  restrictions: 
(1)  it  could  nut  require  more  than  $400,000 
cost  of  elevation  in  one  year;  (2)  the  rail- 
road or  roads  affected  wei-e  to  pay  75  per 
cent  of  the  expense,  which  was  to  include 
any  alteration  in  the  grade,  pavang  or  drain- 
age of  the  streets  affected,  and  the  salary  of 
the  city  engineer  while  engaged  in  the  work, 
but  not  the  cost  of  rails,  ties,  ballast  or  track- 
laying;  (3)  if  the  crossing  was  used  by  a 
street  railroad  it  was  to  pay  5  per  cent  of  the 
cost,  the  city  14  per  cent,  and  the  county  6 
per  cent ;  but  if  not  used  by  a  street  railroad 
the  city  was  to  pay  17  per  cent  and  tln' 
county  8  per  cent.  There  was  some  criticism 
of  requiring  the  city  to  pay  any  of  the  cost. 
but  the  public  generally  i-ealized  that  the 
railroads  owned  their  franchises,  and  in  fact 
had  obtained  most  of  them  when  there  were 
no  crossings;  and  also  that  these  terms  were 
more  favorable  than  prevailed  generally  in 
.\nierican  cities.  As  soon  as  this  law  went 
into  effect,  the  Board  of  Public  AYorks 
adopted  a  resolution  for  the  elevation  of  the 
Vaudalia,  Big  Four  and  Union  railway 
tracks  over  Kentuclrv  avenue,  at  AVest  street. 
This  work  was  completed  in  November,  1908, 
the  total  cost  being  over  $500.0(X),  and  the 
city's  share  !t;8:3,091.(ll.  The  Board  of  Works 
next  ordered  the  se]iaration  of  grades  at  the 
Big  Four  ci'ossing  of  Thirtieth  street,  ,iust 
east  of  Rivei'side  T'ark.  but  before  work  was 
begun  the  railroad  company  practically  aban- 
doned the.se  tracks  for  a  new  line  west  of  the 
city,  and  removed  its  l)ridge  over  AVhiti' 
River,  so  that  the  work  became  nnnecessai'y. 
It  also  ordei-ed  an  elevation  and  subway  at 
Ihe  Big  Foui-  crossint;-  of  YalK\v  avenue, 
which  was  coniiilcted  in  1908.  at  a  cost  of  a 
little  over  -i^'iO.dOO,  the  citv's  expense  licinu' 
.$6,133.79. 

There  was  nothinii-  left  of  the  city's  ritrhts 
under  the  natui'al  i;as  contracts  of  1887  but 
the  city's  option  to  i)ui-cha'-e  the  "entire 
plant "   of   the   Consumer's   Trust,   and   there 


was  a  widespread  desire  that  this  be  ntilized 
to  secure  the  mains  for  the  distribution  of 
cheap  artificial  fuel  gas.  The  Citizens'  Gas 
Company  was  therefore  projected,  and  active 
efl'orts  were  made  to  secure  the  subscriptions 
to  its  proposed  .$1,000,000  of  stock.  On  Au- 
gust 25,  1905,  the  Board  of  Public  Works 
granted  a  franchise  to  this  company  through 
its  trnstees  Alfred  F.  Potts,  Fi'ank  D.  Stal- 
naker  and  Lorenz  Schmidt  and  gave  them  a 
liurchase  option  on  the  city's  option.  This 
was  ratified  by  ordinance  of  August  30,  1905, 
and  the  mains  of  the  Consumer's  Trust 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  new  company 
under  this  agreement.  In  1905  the  Board  of 
i'uhlic  Works  induced  the  Water  Company  to 
lay  a  36-inch  main  from  its  j)um])ing  station 
northwest  of  the  city  to  Ohio  street,  and  30- 
iuch  mains  thence  to  the  business  district, 
giving  a  direct  pressure  reinforcement  to  the 
water  service  of  the  whole  city. 

Tlie  great  floods  of  ]March,  1904,  did  a 
lartic  amount  of  danuige  to  public  property, 
destroying  bridges  and  roadways,  and  float- 
ing oft'  several  block  pavements.  On  this  ac- 
count an  issue  of  .$125,000  of  flood  bonds  was 
made  on  May  1.  1904.  These  were  the  only 
bonds  issued  under  ]\Iayor  Holtzman,  except- 
ing .$40,000  of  bridge  bonds  which  had  been 
ordered  by  the  preeedinu-  administration,  and 
not  sold  for  want  of  bidders;  and  .$45,000  of 
lefunding  bonds,  issued  July  1,  1905,  to  re- 
place a  like  amount  of  old  bonds  whose  pay- 
ment was  optional.  All  three  issues  were 
sold  at  a  premium,  and  the  refunding  bonds 
bore  314  per  cent,  interest  while  the  bonds 
they  replaced  bore  4  per  cent.  An  ordinance 
I'equiring  a  license  of  $1,000  from  breweries 
was  adopted  in  April,  1904,  and  the  city 
that  year  began  receiving  $10,000  annually 
from  that  source.  On  January  1,  1906,  the 
city's  total  bonded  debt  wa.s * $2,585,800  as 
against  $2,537,400  on  Januaiw  1,  1904;  and 
the  available  cash  was  $224,048.63  a.s  against 
$64,848.94  (m  January  1,  1904.  In  Sei)tem- 
ber.  1905,  the  tax  levy  was  reduced  to  85 
cents.  There  were  a  number  of  expenditures 
in  1905  outside  of  the  ordinaiy  current  ex- 
penses, among  which  were  $37,000  for  grounds 
at  Kentucky  avenue  and  ^laryland  street  for 
a  new  central  engine  house ;  $14,764.24  for 
the  Raymond  sti-eet  eneine  house;  $9,000  for 
openini;-  Jackson   place,   to   give   ati    enti'ance 


IIISTdliY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLI 


431 


l(j  tlie  riii(iii  St.-itic^i  from  Alfridian  strtx' t ; 
and  >f2o.0W)  for  the  purehase  of  the  Deaf  and 
Dumb  Asylum  ^louuds,  for  a  park. 

lu  the  (•ami)aiiin  of  190o  there  was  a  de- 
eidol  |)olitieal  ehauue  tliat  hail  notliini;'  to  do 
with  city  busiue^s.  Mr.  Hooi<\v;ilter  decided 
to  be  a  candidate  auaiu,  and  was  renominated 
at  the  I\e])ubliean  |)rimaries  on  June  :i().  190."), 
defeatinj;-  Frank  1).  Stalnakei-  l)y  a  vote  of 
V2,'2'21  to  i'.TfJtl.  This  disposed  of  any  claim 
of  irrefrularity  of  nomination,  which  had  been 
damayini;-  two  yeai's  before.  The  Democrats 
were  weaker  for  the  disappointments  of  a.spir- 
auts  to  office,  and  also  by  a  develojjment  of 
local  factional  eontrc.versies,  and  ^Ir.  Holtz- 
nian.  wlio  was  i-enominated  on  Aaisust  26,  un- 
']iiestii;n;d)ly  ditl  not  receive  his  full  jiart.v 
\iiti'  -Mr.  Hitz  for  .some  mysterious  i-eason 
iiiiaLiined  it  wa.s  a  trood  time  for  him  to  run 
ayain.  The  election  on  Xovendjer  7  resulted, 
Hcokwalter  25,988;  Iloltzman  24,827:  and 
Hit/.  l.liO:!.  It  is  hai'dly  questionable  that  a 
lai-ye  part  of  the  vote  that  went  to  Hitz  in 
190.8,  from  the  Republican  side,  was  ca.st  for 
BiKikwalter  in  ]9<i.").  The  dati'  of  election 
was  charmed  from  ()ctobei'  to  .November  by 
law  ill  1905, '"  and  the  same  law  made  the 
ti'rms  of  city  officers  four  years,  instead  of 
two,  bejrinnins'  on  the  first  Monday  in  Jan- 
uary following'  theii'  election,  with  further 
provision  that  they  should  be  ineliiiible  to 
succeed  themselves. 

Mayoi-  Hookwalter's  second  administration 
was  rather  stormy.  The  eit.v  had  for  a  nuni- 
li"r  of  years  had  its  offices  in  the  basement  of 
ilie  eoui't Jiouse.  but  county  officers  claimed 
that  tile  room  was  neede(l  for  county  business, 
especially  after  the  creation  of  two  new  su- 
perior courts  by  the  leirislature  of  1909,  and 
inv^istcd  that  the  city  move  out.  The  city 
otiices  found  lodsintr  in  various  buildinn-s 
niakiui;-  the  transaction  of  cit.v  business  in- 
i-onvenient,  aiul  ^layor  Bookwalter  deter- 
mined to  build  a  city  hall.  His  oi'ifrinal  i)lan 
was  to  build  a  eily  hall  in  conjunction  with 
a  Colosseum,  for  lar'.>'e  i)ublic  sathei'injis.  This 
was  to  be  placed  ovei'  a  pai't  of  the  market- 
house,  and  involved  a  partial  depression  of 
the  lowei'  story  used  for  market  purposes. 
When  this  was  announced,  a  nundier  of  mar- 
ket  men   objected.      Two   actions   for  injunc- 


tion wei-e  hroughl,'-'  both  of  which  resulted  in 
i.ecisions  against  the  plaintiff's  on  the  ground 
that  the  action  was  prenuit\ire.  A  third  suit 
was  brought,  after  a  contract  for  the  building, 
at  a  cost  of  $614,000,  had  been  signed.  'I'his 
was  heard  by  Judge  Carter  of  the  Superior 
Court,  who,  on  June  26,  1907,  decided  that 
the  city  could  not  build  a  hall  for  public 
gatherings  not  connected  with  city  business; 
that  it  could  not  contract  foi-  a  building  for 
$614,000  because  that  would  exceed  the  debt 
limit;  and  that  the  city  could  not  put  any 
building  on  the  nuirket  square  which  would 
interfere  with  its  use  for  market  purjxises. 
This  ended  the  colosseuni  project,  and 
.Mayor  Hookwalter  then  anntuuiced  that  he 
would  build  a  city  ludl  to  cost  not  less  than 
.H;500,000.-"  It  was  at. first  proposed  to  put 
it  on  the  north  side  of  the  Court  House 
sipiare,  making  virtiudly  the  extension  of  the 
coui't  house  which  was  contem])lated  in  the 
ordinal  plans.  This  could  have  been  done, 
with  the  co-operation  of  the  county,  but  ob- 
jections were  made,  aiul  on  Octobei-  80,  1907, 
a  site  was  purchased,  at  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  Ohio  and  Alabama  streets,  for 
$115,000.  I'.y  this  time  the  pro<-eeds  of  the 
.$800, 000  of  bonds  issued  for  the  colosseum 
had  been  largely  exh;ius1ed.  Mayor  Book- 
waltei-  stating  the  use  as  follows:  Temi)orary 
sheds  for  market  $11,881;  architect's  fees 
$S,000;  site  for  new  hall  $115,000;  Fall  Creek 
boidevaril  $45,000;  repaii-ing  Riverside  dam 
$15,000;  (^ity  Hospital  improvements  $51,000; 
a  total  of  $245,881;  leaving  $54,619  of  the 
bond  proceeds,  with  $22,000  that  had  been  ap- 
l)i-opriated  from  the  city  treasury.  It  was 
thei'efore  neeessai'y  to  have  additional  funds, 
and  on  Xovembei'  17  the  council  authorized 
the  issue  of  $(iOO,00()  of  city  hall  Iwiuls, 
which  was  then  allowable  becau.se  the  eit.v 
assessment  had  been  increased  to  $176,665,190, 
making  the  city's  2  per  cent,  debt  limit 
$8,583,308,80,  These  bonds  were  issued  on 
January  15,  1909,  but  with  a  i)rovision  that 
the  purchaser  need  not  take  the  whole  is- 
sue till  the  cit.v  wanted  the  money,  and  that 
the  interest  should  not  begin  to  riui  initil 
they  were  actuall.v   taken   and  iiaid   for.     It 


[els    1911.-.   p.   219. 


'"Cook  vs.  City.  No.  15,188,  Circuit  Court; 
Cook  vs.  City,  No,  72.914,  Superior  Court. 
-"Nin-s.  Jiilv  S;  S7<(/-.  Julv  16.  1907. 


-132 


HISTOIIY  OF  GREATER  IXDIANAPOLIS. 


should  also  be  mentioned  that  the  tempdraiy 
uiarket-sheds.  erected  along:  ^Market  and  Ala- 
bama streets  in  preparation  for  work  on  the 
eolosseum,  were  not  a  total  loss,  as  the  city 
retained  the  lumber,  and  used  it  in  making 
sheds  for  the  street-sweeping  vehicles. 

Plans  for  the  new  city  hall,  prepared  by 
Kubush  &  Hunter,  were  adopted  on  Novem- 
ber 3,  1908:  and  protests  against  hasty  ac- 
tion on  them  were  then  made  by  the  i\Iunie- 
ipal  Art  League,  and  the  Merchants  Asso- 
ciation."' No  action  was  taken  for  some 
months,  and  the  plans  were  put  on  exhibition, 
and  public  criticism  was  invited.  On  j\Iarch 
6,  1909,  suit  was  brouuht  in  the  Circuit  Court 
by  Otto  Stechhan  and  Frank  AV.  Planner  of 
the  Marion  County  Taxpayers  League  to  en- 
join the  city  from  letting  a  contract  on  these 
plans.  Their  contention  was  that  the  plans 
of  themselves  indicated  fraud.  The  ca.se  was 
heard  by  Judge  Remster,  who,  on  April  8, 
1909,  decided  for  the  defendants,  holding  that 
mere  opportunity  for  fraud,  without  evidence 
of  actual  fraud,  or  intent  to  commit  fraud, 
was  not  sufficient  to  sustain  an  injunction. 
The  contract  was  then  let,  and  the  work  pro- 
ceeded with  no  further  interruption  but  a 
labor  strike  in  September,  1909. 

In  railroad  elevation,  the  Bookwalter  ad- 
ministration ordered  no  new  work  in  1906, 
but  continued  the  work  ordered  in  1905.  In 
1907,  on  March  17,  it  ordered  the  elevation 
of  the  Big  Four  and  C.  H.  &  D.  tracks  at 
Washington  and  Decatur  streets  in  West  In- 
dianapolis, and  also  the  Belt  tracks  at  Mor- 
ris street.  The  latter  order  was  abandoned, 
and  the  former  was  completed  at  a  cost  of 
about  $150,000,  the  city's  share  being 
$25,406.46.  In  1908  it  ordered  tlie  elevation 
of  the  Belt  tracks  at  Ea.st  Washington  street 
as  part  of  an  elevation  of  the  Belt  road  about 
two  miles  in  extent,  reaching  from  East  Tenth 
street  to  Prospect  street  and  providing  sub- 
ways at  East  Michigan  street.  East  New  York 
street.  Southeastern  avenue,  and  the  Pan- 
handle tracks.  The  elevation  at  Washington 
street  was  opened  for  traffic  October  7,  1909, 
and  cost  about  $110,000.  The  remainder  is 
to  cost  $600,000  to  $700,000.  and  tn  be  com- 
pleted in  1910  and  1911. 

On    February    11,    April    27.    and    ^lay    4. 


1906,  the  trustees  of  the  Citizens  Gas  Com- 
pany demanded  the  ti'ansfer  of  the  city's  op- 
tion to  purchase  the  Consumers  Gas  Trust 
mains  as  contracted  for  by  the  preceding  ad- 
ministration. On  the  last  occasion  they  sent 
an  open  letter  reciting  the  histoiy  of  the  mat- 
ter, and  stating  that  unless  an  answer  was 
received  by  ]\Iay  8  they  would  understand 
that  the  city  refused  to  carrj'  out  its  con- 
tract.-- On  May  25  the  trustees  sued  the  city 
for  specific  performance  of  the  contract.-" 
The  case  came  before  Judge  Carter,  and  was 
disposed  of  on  January  26,  1907,  by  his  over- 
ruling the  demurrer  to  the  complaint;  which 
was  practically  a  decision  that  the  option 
must  be  transferred.  After  some  small  addi- 
tional stipulations  it  was  transferred  on  Jan- 
uary 30,  1907.  The  legislature  of  1907  also 
took  up  the  gas  question,  and  a  bill  intro- 
duced by  Senator  Linton  Cox  was  passed 
limiting  the  price  of  heating  and  lighting 
gas  to  60  cents  per  1,000  feet  in  Indianapolis, 
and  regulating  the  quality  of  the  gas  fur- 
nished.-^ Under  this  law  the  citizens  have 
been  receiving  60-cent  gas  since. 

.\side  from  governmental  atfaii's,  the  year 
1907  was  memorable  as  a  year  of  donations. 
It  began  early  by  raising  $95,000  by  public 
subscription  for  Butler  University.  The  Y. 
M.  C.  A.  and  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  were  both 
desirous  of  new  quarters,  and  also  appealed 
to  the  public,  in  organized  campaigns.  The 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  began  first,  and  in  a  whirlwind 
campaign  of  17  days,  closing  March  1,  ob- 
tained pledges  of  $273,000.  General  enthu- 
siasm was  aroused,  and  dozens  of  business 
men,  some  of  them  having  no  connection  with 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  gave  their  time  and  effort  to 
the  work.  As  soon  as  this  was  finished  most 
of  them  volunteered  to  help  the  Y.  W.  C.  A., 
which  began  work  on  March  2,  and  completed 
a  ten  days  campaign  on  March  11,  with 
pledges  of  $140,000.  This  made  a  total  of 
over  half-a-million  dollars  raised  for  public 
purposes  in  Indianapolis  in  less  than  three 
months.  The  Y.  ]\I.  C.  A.  sold  its  old  build- 
ing on  the  east  side  of  Illinois  between  Mar- 
ket and  Washington  streets— now  removed  — 


''^Star,  November  8,  1908,  \).   10. 


--News,  May  4.  1906. 
-^  Citizens  Gas  Co.  vs.  City 
.\(i.  71. ■'124  Superior  Court. 
-*Actx  of  1007.  p.  149. 


of  Indianapolis, 


IllSIOi.'V    ()|-   (IlIKAl'Kl!    INDl.WArol.H.  4;« 

for  .+---''AIIH).  ami  juit  .$400,000  into  its  iires-  of    iiiachiiic   cdiitrol.      'riicrc    wert-   also   more 

I'lit  nuai'tei's  at  Illinois  aud  New  York  streets,  votes  than  usual  in  tln'  |uini:iries,  thoufjli  li'ss 

I'm-  huiUlini;  and  irrounds.     The  buildino;  was  than    two-thirds   of  tlie    nund)er   cast   in   the 

dedicated  tlu'on)ih  the  week   FeluMiafv  18-20,  election.      For  canditiates  for  mayor,  the  Re- 

1909.     The  \.  W.  C.  A.  already  owned  a  site.  publican   vote   was   1:^270  for  Samuel   Lewis 

with  ji  buildini;'  on  the  rear  which  met  a  ])art  Shank  and   o.OO.S   foi-   Win.   X.   Harilini;:  the 

of  its  needs,  but  witii  a  debt  of  some  $27,000.  Democratic    vote    was    8,6(58     for    Cha.s.    A. 

Tt  paid  its  debt,  and  erected  its  present  main  (ianss;  ."),08(i  for  Chas.  B.  Clarke;  and  1,013 

l)uildin}i:,  which  cost  .$1.")0.00(),  furnished.     It  for  Win.  K.  Ki'oll.    The  most  sinjrular  feature 

was  dedicated  on  July  2(i.  1!)08.  of  the  result   was  thi'  make-up  of  the  Demo- 

The   city   tax    levy    in    lilOG    was   made    88  ciatic  ticket,  all  of  the  candi<lates  on  which, 

cents  on  .$100;   in   1907   it   was  92  cents;   in  but  two.  were  Catholics.     This  was  not  a  re- 

1908  it  was  91  cents;  and  in  1909  it  was  91  suit  that  was  son-rht  for,  but  was  due  to  the 

cents.      Included    in    these    levies    each    year  fact  that  the  avei-aije  man,  without  any  spe- 

are  1  cent  f(U'  fire  and  police  pension  funds;  cial    inducement,   votes   for  the  candidate  he 

")   cents   for   sinkins;   fund;   aiul   4   cents    for  knows   Inst,   in   either  a   primary  or  an  elec- 

track  elevation.     The  legislature  of  1907  fi.xed  tinn.    pnividint;    he   does   not   know  him    un- 

a  tax  of  not  less  than  4  cents  nor  more  than  favorably.     Of  the  Democratic  candidates  the 

8   cents    foi-   parks   and    boulevards,   and   the  most    active  and    widely   known    hajipened  to 

les'islatui'e  of   1909  inereasc>d  this  to  not  less  be   Catholics.      The    result    caused    iuuuediate 

than  .")  cents  noi-  more  than  9  cents.     The  law  sur])rise  and  some  consteriuition.  as  much  or 

of  1909  also  irives  the   Park   Hoai-d   power  to  more    amonu'    Catholic    politicians    as    among' 

assess   benefits   and    dMina^cs    foi-   new    boule-  others.      In    a    convention,    expei'ienced    lead- 

vards  and  parks,  by  disti'icts.  to  the  amount  ers    are    always    cai'cful    to    disti'ibute    their 

of  .$1.2')0,000  in  ten  years,  liut  not   more  than  tick<'t    as    unich    as    possible,    freojiraphically 

.$200,000  in  any  oni'  year.  and  with  reference  to  race  and  relifrion  and 

Another  law  of  I'lOl).  introduced  by  Sen-  other  larire  controlline:  features.  This  feature 
at(H'  Cox,  red\iciHl  the  city  council  to  nine  of  the  ticket  ])i-ob;d)ly  <lefeated  it,  for  it  had 
members,  nominated  from  districts  but  elected  been  uiMierally  believetl  for  some  months  be- 
by  vote  of  the  entire  cit\'.  StilL  another  pi'o-  foi'e  the  pi'imaries  that  the  Democrats  were 
vided  for  the  nomination  of  ])arty  candidates  sure  to  carry  the  election.  The  result  of  the 
by  direct  primaries.  The  pi-inmrics  were  held  election  was  Shaid<  27.0M8.  and  (ianss  ■£.">. 40:i 
on    .'Xu^ust   .').    and    were    uncpiestioiuiblx'   mil  with  2,1(i7  scalterinp. 


Vol.  1—28 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


'IIK  SLBLHBAN  TOWNS. 


Indianapolis  had  "suburbs"  from  a  very 
early  date.  One  of  the  earliest  was  "Water- 
loo"" which  was  the  region  between  the  Blutf 
road  (now  South  Meridian  street),  and  the 
river  bottom,  for  some  distance  below  the  Belt 
Iiailroad,  which  was  once  a  rather  tough  neigh- 
borhood.' "Kinderhook"'"  was  not  a  suburb, 
but  a  name  given  to  the  triangular  l)l()ck  be- 
tween Maryland,  and  Alal)ama  streets  and  Vir- 
ginia avenue,  after  the  old  Kinder  House  was 
moved  there.^ 

A  real  suburb  was  "Cotton  town'",  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Canal,  about  Sixteenth  street, 
where  Natlianiel  West  put  up  his  cotton  mill, 
and  caused  a  number  of  operatives  to  locate 
about  it.  In  the  early  fifties  the  name  "German- 
town""  was  given  to  the  region  about  North 
Noble  street,  where  a  number  of  the  German 
immigrants  settled.  "Stringtown"'  was  for 
years  the  region  along  the  National  road  west 
of  the  river,  ^luch  later  we  had  "Cerealine- 
town'"  which  grew  up  about  the  cerealine  fac- 
tory, north  of  Fall  Creek.  ''Bucktown'"  de- 
velo])ed  from  tlie  influx  of  negroes,  during  and 
after  the  war,  in  the  region  about  Indiana 
avenue,  west  of  the  canal.  ''Sleighgo'",  or 
"Sleigho,  under  the  Hill"  was  the  colored  set- 
tlement, east  of  Broad  Cut  and  west  of  tiic 
gravel  ])it,  where  the  awful  Purdue  wreck  oc- 
enred.  "Peedee""  was  a  name  early  conferred 
on  I'ike  Township,  and  later  transferred  to 
other  things  in  that  direction.''  After  the  city 
bounds  were  extended  to  Sixteenth  street  (olil 
Tinker,  or  Seventh  street)  the  school  house 
that  stood  west  of  Illinois  on  the  south  side  of 
Tinker,  was  known  fur  years  as  "the  Peedee 
school  house." 


'^Noirland's  Jiciiiiinsrrncps,  |)p.  1(i!)-lO. 
•Xrir.t.  July  l!t.   ISrO,  p.  2. 
^Locomotive,  .hine  5).   1855. 


But  none  of  these  localities  ever  developed 
into  a  town  with  an  independent  governnu'nt, 
anil  it  was  not  until  the  boom  times  of  the 
early  seventies  that  a  real  surburban  town 
appeared.  The  first  of  these  was  Irvington, 
wliich  was  platted  on  November  7,  1870  by 
Jacob  B.  Julian  and  Sylvester  Johnson.  The 
plat  covered  304.47  acres,  and  was  designed 
as  a  residence  suburb,  being  about  four  miles 
east  of  the  city  by  rail.  The  avenues  were 
laid  out  on  curved  lines,  and  two  circles  were 
made — Irving  Circle  for  a  park,  and  College 
Circle  for  a  female  college.  The  place  was 
named  for  Washington  Irving,  and  it  was  de- 
signed to  place  a  statue  of  him  in  Irving  Cir- 
cle, but  this  has  never  been  done.  All  deeds  of 
lots  contain  this  clause:  ''The  trrantee  accepts 
this  deed  from  the  grantor  with  the  express 
agreement  that  he,  his  heirs  and  assigns  will 
not  erect  or  maintain,  or  suffer  to  be  erected 
or  maintained,  on  the  real  estate  herein  con- 
veyed any  distilkrv,  brewerv,  soap-factory 
pork-house,  slaughter-house,  or  any  other  e.^- 
tablishment  offensive  to  the  people,  and  that 
he  will  not  erect  or  maintain,  or  suffer  to  be 
erected  or  maintained,  on  said  premises,  any 
stable,  liog-pen,  privy,  or  other  offensive  build- 
ing, stall,  or  shed  witliin  fifty  feet  of  any  ave- 
nue in  said  town,  and  that  he  will  not  sell  or 
suffer  to  hi'  sold  on  said  premises  any  intoxicat- 
ing liquors  except  for  medicinal,  sacramental 
or  mechanical  purposes  strictly,  and  lie  ac- 
cepts this  deed  on  the  further  asrecnient  that 
the  right  to  enforce  and  compel  compliance  of 
the  above  conditions  rests  not  only  in  the 
grantor,  his  heirs  and  assigns,  but  in  all  the 
)iroperty-liolders  and  inhabitants  of  said  town." 
Additions  made  later  were' covered  by  a  similar 
condition.  The  early  locations  in  the  new  sub- 
urb were  cliiefly  by  ]iersons  more  or  less  inter- 
ested in  the  site  but  there  was  a  satisfactorv 


4:14 


HISTOKV    OF  GHKATKi;   1  XDIAXAPol.lS. 


435 


uiowtli  for  tho  first  thnv  ye:ii>.  mikI  on  March 
11.  18"3,  a  petition  for  inroiporalion  was  jnadc 
ici  till."  Board  of  L'Diiiity  (  oniiniHsiontTi^,  wliicli 
•rdercd  an  ulcctiou  on  .Marili  'il.  The  vole 
Mir  incorporation  was  nearly  nuauinious,  and 
an  election  of  otlicers  was  ordered  for  April 
•  1.  It  resulted  in  the  choice  of  Jacob  B.  Julian. 
Levi  Rittcr  and  ('has.  W.  Brouse  for  trus- 
tees. Sylvester  Johnson  for  assessor  and  treas- 
urer, and  Ferdinand  Wann  for  marshal.  The 
tin-tees  met  on  Ajjril  T  and  adopted  four 
ordinances;  (1)  re(|uirinL;'  lot  owners  to  jirade 
ilieii-  sidewalks  and  plant  shade  trees;  {'i)  ])ro- 
hiliitin;;'  hogs  running  at  large;  (.3)  prohibit- 
ing the  use  of  Hre-arnis  within  the  town  lim- 
its: (4)  prohibiting  the  killing  of  "any  bird 
within  .said  town."  The  last  stringent  provi- 
sion was  never  construed  to  a]i])ly  to  domestic 
fowls.  On  April  21,  an  ordinance  was  adopted 
to  ]irohil)it  cattle  running  at  largt'.  On  Oc- 
tober 1,  an  issu(>  of  .$1.").(J0()  for  school  pur- 
poses was  orderecl.  An  ambitious  school  build- 
ing was  undertaken,  and  on  A])ril  tiS.  I.STI. 
.$1(1.110(1  more  of  l)onds  wei'c  ordered  to  com- 
plete  it. 

Jn  the  spring  of  ls;:>  the  directors  of  Xortli- 
wostern  Christian  (Butler)  I'niversity  detided 
to  select  a  new  site  for  the  institution.  There 
Were  Several  competitors,  and  the  pro])rietors 
of  Irvington  and  adjoining  property,  made  an 
'itfer  of  2it  acres  of  ground  for  a  campus  and 
S|.")().()00  for  bdildings.  This  was  formally 
accepted  on  June  1*.  \S',  {  ;  and  the  main 
building  was  begun  that  fall — a  three-storv 
brick,  135  x  To,  with  steam  heat  and  all  mod- 
ern conveniences.  Instruction  in  the  new  build- 
ing was  begun  in  the  full  of  1875.  and  from 
iliat  time  on  Irvington  was  '"a  college  town". 
.•Vnd  it  was  fortuiuite  in  being  so,  for  the  col- 
lege life  not  only  helped  it  weather  the  finan- 
cial stress  of  the  seventies,  but  gave  it  an  in- 
telle(-tual  atinos|)here  that  has  made  the  place 
attractive  for  residence.  The  .Vthenaeum  has 
always  ranked  with  the  best  literary  societies 
of  Indiana[)olis.  The  crowning  service  in  this 
line  came  with  the  Bona  Thom]ison  library,  in 
1003.  for  while  it  was  given  to  Hutler  its 
donor  very  wisely  ])rovi<led  for  its  free  ]iub!ie 
use. 

The  college  life  also  aided  in  solving  the 
trans|iortation  ])roblem.  which  was  one  of  the 
ino<t  serious  of  the  earlv  days,  for  nuinv  of  the 
students  lived  in  town.     .\t  first  the  onlv  serv- 


ice was  by  the  railroads,  the  I'anhandle  lia\iug 
Its  station,  and  tho  C.  11.  \-  I),  stopping  at 
the  college  for  aceoniniodation.  In  18.S1  an 
extension  of  the  "mule-car"  service  was  made 
out  English  avenue,  with  ears  leaving  hourly, 
and  arriving  more  nearly  daily.  For  awhile 
in  the  seventies  a  bus  line  was  tried,  out  Wash- 
ington street,  with  a  horn  and  other  stage- 
coach accompaniments  outside  the  city  limits. 
In  1893  the  Washington  street  car  line  was 
secured.  It  was  then  a  mule-car  line,  but 
soon  after  a  ilummy  steam  motor  was  imported 
from  Muncie,  and  used  till  it  ran  otf  the  tracks 
into  a  ditch,  near  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  School, 
injuring  several  passengers.  There  was  never 
any  satisfactory  service  to  any  of  the  suburbs 
until  the  street  railway  lines  were  electrified. 

.\s  a  natural  result  of  the  conditions,  early 
life  in  Irvington  was  very  quiet  and  peaceable. 
There  were  no  saloons  to  stimulate  the  ag- 
gressive, or  attract  the  boisterous  from  the 
city.  The  most  alarnung  noise  was  the  college 
yell,  and  the  only  times  that  could  be  called 
exciting  were  elections,  when  tlie  pacific  burgh- 
ers .seemed  to  let  out  all  their  |)ent-up  exuber- 
ance. 

The  wildest  excitement  that  ever  developed 
was  in  1877.  Owing  to  the  failure  of  newly 
elected  school  trustees  to  ipialify.  there  de- 
velo])ed  two  school  boards,  each  claiming  con- 
trol, the  old  board  consisting  of  (Jeo.  \V.  Julian 
and  J.  O.  Ilo|)kins,  and  the  new  board  of 
Sylve.<ter  Johnson  and  Dr.  James  A.  Kruni- 
rine.  The  old  br)ard  emi)loyed  Miss  l.ydia 
li.  I'liliiam,  who  had  been  teaching  in  is;ii. 
to  conduct  the  School  in  hSTT;  but  Ijcfore  the 
.-ehool  opened  Hopkins  resigned,  and  William 
II.  II.  Shank  was  elected  by  the  town  board  on 
August  'i.  He  alliliated  with  the  new  boanl. 
and  they  notified  Miss  Putnam  that  lu'r  serv- 
ices were  not  wanted.  She  replied  that  under 
her  written  contract  they  wen'.  She  bad  the 
keys  to  (he  building,  so  the  lU'w  board  bad  new 
locks  put  on  ;  and  on  Seoteinber  .3,  when  school 
was  to  open,  they  were  on  hand  to  maintain 
their  autbiu-ity.  l^ikewise  came  Miss  I'lilnam 
to  nniintain  hers.  Tlu'  board  ordered  bee  out. 
but  she  went  not.  Then  they  put  her  out.  the 
witnes.ses  stating  that  Johnson  and  Kniinrine 
each  held  an  arm  while  .Shank  brought  up  the 
rear  "boosting  with  his  knee."  Before  the\  bad 
recovered  front  their  exertions  .Miss  I'utnam 
had  irot  in  again  at  the  i)ack  door,  and  the  work 


436 


HISTORY  01'  (iHKA'l'Kll   I  MHAXAI'ol.IS. 


had  all  to  be  done  over.  This  time  the  teai-her 
got  hold  of  a  staple  in  the  wall,  and  hung  on 
for  some  time,  but  the  allies  finally  got  her 
out,  and  held  the  house. 

For  the  next  two  weeks  the  Indianapolis  pa- 
pers were  full  of  "the  Irvington  war",  and  the 
comnuinieations  from  the  two  faetions  that  de- 
veloped were  nothing  if  not  spiey.  But  the  pro- 
ceedings were  not  confined  to  the  papers.  Miss 
Putnam  liad  the  board  members  arrested  for 
assault  and  battery,  and  the  case  was  tried  by 
a  jury  in  Justice  Glass'  court  on  September  11 
and  12,  with  a  crowd  in  attendance,  and  a 
formidable  array  of  legal  talent.  The  de- 
fendants were  fined  $15  and  costs  each.  Then 
.Miss  Putnam  lirouglit  suit  for  damages  for  the 
manner  in  which  she  had  been  "bruised  and 
lacerated"".  As  the  Neivs  said:  "War  to  the 
knife  has  been  declared,  and  no  quarter  will 
be  given  or  taken.  The  amenities  of  suburban 
life  are  enchanting."'  She  won  again,  getting 
judgment  for  SiSOO.  The  case  was  taken  to  the 
Supreme  Court,  which  affirmed  the  jiulgment. 
and  so  "the  Irvington  war""  was  closed.'' 

Irvington  maintained  its  separate  existence 
longer  than  any  of  tlie  surburban  towns,  but 
the  increasing  population  after  the  advent  of 
the  electric  railway  desired  city  conveniences 
that  were  not  accessible  to  the  town.  Electric 
lighting  had  been  oVifained  liy  threats  to  put 
up  an  independent  lighting  plant,  which  caused 
an  extension  tn  Irvington.  The  town  also  se- 
cured the  important  concession  from  the  rail- 
roads of  maintaining  electric  lights  at  their 
crossings,  which  was  both  valuable  and  un- 
usual. But  it  was  still  without  water  service, 
and  intimations  of  the  grant  of  a  water  fran- 
chise were  supv)osed  to  have  hastened  the  coun- 
cil's action  on  annexation.  Kesidents  of  the 
territory  lying  between  Irvington  and  the  city 
were  desirous  of  annexation,  especially  in  the 
region  of  Tuxedo  Park,  and  efforts  were  made 
in  1900  to  annex  it,  but  without  success.  On 
December  2,  1901  an  ordinance  was  introduced 
for  the  annexation  of  l)oth  Irvington  and  the 
interjacent  territory,  which  was  )iassed  on  Feb- 
ruary 7,  and  approved  February  17,  1902.  Irv- 
ington had  no  debt  when  annexed  but  its  school 
house  bonds,  $19,000.  and  these  were  assumed 
by  the  city. 

When    the   collef'e    removed    to    Irvington    it 


Mohnson  ct  al.  vs.  Pntnam.  9.")  Ind..  p. 


ua^  the  \orth  Western  t.'hristian  University. 
On  February  28,  1877,  the  name  was  changed 
to  Butler  L'niversity  in  recognition  of  the  bene- 
factions of  Ovid  Butler.  As  the  original  uni- 
versity plan  was  never  fully  developed,  and  on 
account  of  the  movement  for  the  University  of 
Indianapolis,  the  jiame  Butler  College  was 
adopted  on  April  8,  189ti,  to  designate  lin- 
academic  department,  which  is  located  at  Irv- 
ington. The  University  of  Indianapolis  did 
not  fully  develop,  but  Butler  is  affiliated  with 
the  Indiana  Law  School,  and  with  the  In- 
diana Dental  College,  a  prosperous  institution 
wiiich  owns  its  own  building  at  Ohio  and  Dela- 
ware streets.  In  addition  to  the  main  building, 
wiiicii  has  18  recitation  rooms,  offices,  chapel, 
and  halls,  the  college  lias  Burgess  Hall,  with  G 
recitation  rooms,  museum  and  laboratories;  a 
college  residence  for  girls;  a  fine  gynniasium 
building  with  exercise  hall  35  x  58,  baths,  etc.; 
and  the  Bona  Thompson  ^lemorial  Library 
building.  This  last  was  donated  in  190:1  l)y 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  C.  Thompson  in  memory  of 
their  dausrhter  Bona,  who  graduated  at  the 
college  in' 1903.  The  library  has  12,000  vol- 
umes, and  is  also  a  station  of  the  Indianapolis 
Public  Librarv.  The  college  has  its  own  Y. 
^l.  C.  A.  and"  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  and  the  students 
publish  a  weekly  paper,  The  Biitlrr  {'ollcijinii. 
The  college  maintains  a  summer  school,  and 
has  a  Teacher"s  CoUetre  Department  for  tin- 
training  of  school  teachers.  In  1907  an  addi- 
tion of  $250,000  was  made  to  the  endowment 
of  the  college.  Joseph  Irwin,  of  Columbus 
ofTcrcd  $100,000  if  $150,000  additioiuil  were 
raised.  ^larshall  T.  Beeves,  of  Columbus,  con- 
tributed .$:!0,0n().  ami  Andrew  Carnegie  agreed 
to  give  the  last  $25,000.  .Vn  enterprising  local 
campaign  secured  the  remaining  $95,000. 

An  important  addition  to  Ivvington  was 
made  in  1909  by  the  location  there  of  the  gen- 
eral offices,  publication  department,  and  mis- 
sionary training  school  of  the  Christian  Wom- 
an"s  Board  of  ilissions.  'llie  year  1909  was 
celebrated  as  the  centennial  of  the  church,  be- 
ing the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  "dec- 
laration and  address""  of  Thomas  Campbell, 
and  was  made  the  occasion  of  donations  for 
tho  establishment  of  this  institution  as  a  per- 
manent memorial  of  the  event.  The  largest 
single  gift  was  of  .$25,000  from  ^frs.  C.  ft. 
Fi'rris,  daughter  of  Sarah  Davis  Deterding.  in 
acknowledijement  of   which   tlic   new   school    is 


iii>;toi;y  ok  (niKATKi;  imh w aimh.is. 


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4:^8 


lIlsroKV  OF  (JKKATER   IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


naiiu'tl  The  Sarah  Davis  Deterding  ilissimi- 
ary  Training  .Sciindl.  The  object  of  the  sclmnl 
is  not  to  duplicate  tlie  worlv  of  colleges  and 
academies,  but  to  give  special  training  to  per- 
sons who  propose  to  go  into  the  missionary  field. 
not  only  in  a  general  way,  but  with  special 
reference  to  the  countries  in  which  they  pr,;- 
])Ose  to  locate,  their  peoples,  their  religions, 
tlieii-  manners  and  customs  and  laws.  A  part 
of  the  work  will  be  practical  training  in  home 
missionary  work  in  Indianapolis,  especially 
among  the  foreign  element.  The  centennial 
conti-ibiitions  amounted  to  some  $90,000,  whicii 
has  been  put  into  the  Ijuilding  and  grounds, 
and  about  $10,000  more  will  be  raised  to  coni- 
jiiete  the  work  on  them  as  originally  contem- 
jilatcd.  The  building  is  now  occupied  by  the 
offices  and  publication  department,  and  tlic 
school  is  expected  to  open  in  the  fall  of  1910. 
The  town  of  Brightwood  was  original  I  v 
platted  (in  September  17,  18:2,  by  W.  D.  WWx. 
1).  11.  Wiles,  C.  A.  Greenleaf  and  John  L. 
Mothershead.  On  May  -27.  18:4,  an  amended 
plat  was  filed,  which  included  E.  T.  Fletcher's 
First  Addition  to  the  town.  Tlie  action  wa- 
a  result  of  a  decision  to  locate  there  the  plants 
of  the  Greenleaf  Mamifaeturing  Company, 
which  manufactured  a  patent  turn-table,  and 
the  foundry  of  ilothershead  &  ^Vlorris,  wlm 
were  doing  business  in  Indiana])olis.  In  tiv,' 
winter  of  1874-.">,  the  interests  of  the  Green- 
leaf Manufacturing  Company  were  ])urchased 
l)y  the  "Bee  Line"  Kailroad  Company,  which 
removed  its  Michigan  street  shops  to  that 
point  in  1877.  On  account  of  the  prospective 
change  it  was  decided  to  incorporate  the  town  : 
and  on  June  9,  187o,  a  petition  was  filed  fo- 
that  purpose  with  the  Board  of  County  Com- 
missioners by  Isaac  X.  Hoover.  J.  .T.  Bickncll 
and  others.  It  showed  that  the  proposed  tow  i 
had  at  that  time  132  inhabitants.  The  county 
commissioners  ordered  an  election  to  be  held 
"at  the  door  of  the  postoffice"  on  June  26.  The 
town  was  duly  incorporated,  but  some  contro- 
versies arose:  and  the  )ieople  also  found  that 
they  had  accumulated  an  elephant  by  taking  i'l 
a  township  school  that  they  were  unable  lo 
support.  Accordingly  the  incorporation  was 
abandoned,  and  a  second  petition  was  filed  on 
April  n.  1876.  An  election  was  ordered  f  t 
^lay  1.  which  was  favorable  to  incorporatio'>. 
there  being  2.3  votes  in  the  affirmative,  and 
none  against. 


The  election  of  officers  was  held  on  June  111. 
and  a  spirited  contest  occurred,  which  resulted 
in  ibi'  clioice  of  Joseph  E.  Ayers,  Eichard  At- 
tridge  and  Willis  E.  Miner  for  trustees;  John 
Henry,  marshal;  Luke  Wells,  assessor;  James 
Hclnies,  treasurer;  and  Isaac  X.  Hoover,  clerk. 
For  a  nundjer  of  years  the  elections  were  theo- 
retically non})artisan,  with  a  "citizens'  ticket" 
and  an  "independent  ticket",  but  the  former 
was  usuall\  Eepublican  and  the  latter  Demo- 
cratic, and  more  recently  they  dropped  their 
jiiasks  and  appeared  in  their  hideous  nakedness. 
The  most  interesting  question  of  local  politics 
was  the  water  works,  for  Brightwood  is  the  only 
part  of  Indianapolis  that  ever  tried  municipal 
ownership  of  a  public  service.  The  water  wm-ks 
construction  was  in  1895-6  and  was  installed 
with  a  tire  department  of  two  hose  reels.  It 
has  extended  until  there  are  now  5  miles  of 
mains.  The  water  su])ply  is  from  deep  wells 
(■"iOO  feet)  and  there  is  a  reservoir  of  40. (too 
gallons  capacity.  In  December,  1906  a  report 
was  made  on  the  plant  by  Brossman  &  King, 
engineers.  They  count  the  capacity  of  the 
mains  for  domestic  supply  at  10  times  their 
]iresent  use,  and  the  fire  capacity  sufficient  for 
2  lines  of  hose,  with  II/4  inch  nozzle,  for  1% 
hours. 

From  th.e  financial  standpoint  they  estimate 
tlie  waterworks  as  self-supporting  since  1904, 
Itut  not  before  that  date,  allowing  credit  for 
five  hydrants  at  $4.t  ]ier  year.  This  is  a  fair 
credit  for  .Ire  protection  since  the  annexation 
of  the  town,  for  it  is  the  rate  the  city  pays  U>v 
hydrants.  It  omits  the  consideration,  however, 
that  the  extension  of  the  city  mains  to  Bright- 
wood  woiild  call  for  a  number  of  additional  hy- 
drants. .\nd  it  seems  obvious  that  this  was 
not  a  fair  measure  of  the  value  of  fire  protec- 
tion to  the  town  prior  to  annexation.  Under 
the  existing  system  of  six  grades  in  insurance 
rates,  the  difference  between  a  town  with  no 
(ire  protection  and  one  with  the  protection 
Brightwood  liad  is  at  least  two  grades ;  and 
tlie  difference  in  insurance  is  13  per  cent  a 
grade  on  buildings  and  2  to  8  per  c-ent  on  good>. 
Tlie  allowance  for  Brightwood's  40  hydrants 
at  $4.5  is  only  $1,800  a  year,  and  that  would 
soon  he  eaten  up  by  an  increase  of  2(i  iier 
cent  in  insurance:  and  that  would  not  repre- 
sent half  the  difference  in  a  fire  loss,  for  town 
insurance  averages  under  TtO  per  cent  of  valu- 
ation.    It  is  firettv  safe  to  sav  that  the  Bright- 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


439 


wooil  water  \vork<  was  a  good  investment  for 
fiiv  pvotuction.  The  water  ^'upply  for  doniestie 
])iiri)oscs  is  imieh  apjireeiated  by  tlie  people. 
iiiui  tlu'V  have  always  strongly  resisted  any  pro- 
posal to  abandon  the  system. 

The  greatest  snp])ort  of  Brightwood  is,  of 
course,  the  railroad  company,  which  pays  there 
iiiuuially  -iiinething  over  $500,000  in  wages. 
There  have  always  been,  however,  several  man- 
ufacturing enterjirises  giving  em[)k>ynienl  to 
a  mimbi'l'  of  men.  The  life  of  the  town  has 
been  largelv  independent,  with  its  own  churclies. 
fraternal  organizations  and  other  social  fea- 
tures. The  "Town  hall"'  is  a  3-story  building 
that  was  erected  in  1890  by  an  association,  com- 
posed originally  of  members  of  the  Ivnights  of 
Honor,  but  with  stock  held  outside  now.  The 
first  story  is  i-ented  for  business  purposi's ;  llii' 
second  is  the  hall  :  and  the  third  is  used  for 
sncietv  ineeting>.  Aiiother  quasi-public  builil- 
ing  is  the  \.  M.  ('.  .V.,  which  was  erected  in 
the  winter  n(  1902-3,  at  a  cost  of  about  $20,- 
iMKi,  (if  which  til ree- fourths  was  paid  by  the 
raili-oail  eoiiipaiiy.  and  the  balance  by  pnpulai- 
<ubscri|)tic>n.  it  is  designed  chieiiy  for  the 
us(  of  men  in  the  railroad  company's  service, 
and  is  furnishe(l  with  restaurant,  dormitory, 
baths,  ])ool  room,  and  other  equipments  of  a 
modern  Y.  ^I.  ('.  A.  house. 

Its  independent  ccnidition  made  Brightwood 
the  largest  of  tlie  suburban  towns  in  1880,  its 
po|inlation  being  ()T9.  By  the  census  of  1S90 
it  bad  grown  to  1.38;.  It  was  fairly  well  off 
in  transpoi-tation.  a<  the  railror.d  ran  special- 
morning  and  evening  trains  for  its  men,  and  it 
was  one  of  the  first  suburban  towns  to  get  an 
exfensioii  of  the  ■'miile-car"  street-railway  sys- 
tem. This  line,  however,  was  not  electrilii'd 
fni-  xiirir  time  after  the  others;  and  the  Jiright- 
wonil  (  ai-  \ia-  fur  mnnths  pulled  as  a  trailer  by 
the  Columbia  aveniu'  ear,  being  switched  off 
where  the  two  lines  separate,  and  hauled  the 
remaiTiing  two  miles  bv  mules.  The  town  was 
antiexed  to  Indiana])olis  by  ordinance  of  March 
I.'),  189:.  The  town  debt  "at  the  time  was  $18,- 
(HKi;  all  water-works  bonds. 

W huff  I'lace  is  the  one  suburb  of  Indian- 

apojis  that  has  avoided  annexation,  although 
eiitirelv  surrounded  by  the  city.  It  was  ]ilatt<d 
Oi'tober  ■.*.  is:-.',  bv  .1.  ().  Woodruff  and  wa>  ile- 
sigiied  for  a  park  residence  section.  A  re-er- 
vation  of  two  feet  all  around  the  boundarv  was 
made   for  a  (Mimmon  fence,  and   ]iro\  ision   was 


nuide  in  the  deeds  |ireventing  any  "stiiulure" 
within  fi.\ed  distance  from  the  streets.  The 
streets  were  laid  out  with  central  grass  plots, 
with  flower  beds,  fountains,  and  iron  statuary, 
■■hand-ptunted."  It  has  always  maintained  this 
distinctive  character.  In  the  spring  of  187G, 
not  being  able  to  secure  city  advantiiges  of  fire 
and  police  protection,  the  people  of  Woodruff 
I'lace  decided  to  incorporate  independently. 
Their  petition  foi'  incorporation  was  heard  on 
March  1(>,  IS'Iti,  and  was  op[)osed  by  City  .\l- 
torney  Byfield,  who  considered  that  it  would 
be  injurious  to  have  an  independent  munici- 
pality practically  within  the  city.  On  consulta- 
tion it  was  decided  that  the  matter  should  go 
over  to  the  next  teim,  and  meanwhile,  Mr. 
Byfield  woidd  try  to  secure  fire  and  police  pro- 
tection fnmi  the  city:  in  case  oi  success  the 
petition  was  to  be  withdrawn.  The  matter  was 
presented  to  the  city  council,  and  the  .hnliciary 
Comnuttec  was  directed  to  act  with  M  i-.  Uylield 
in  an  eti'ort  to  secure  some  satisfactoiy  adjust- 
nii'iit.  This  coidd  not  be  done,  and  >()  the  op- 
position was  withdrawn.  The  incorporation 
election  was  lield  on  .Inly  VIL  and  resulted  six 
in  ra\or  <d'  incor])oration.  and  none  against; 
and  so,  on  August  8  the  town  was  incorporated. 
The  separate  government  system  was  not 
without  its  troubles.  The  new  town  obtained 
lire  ])rotection  by  paying  for  a  main  connecting 
them  with  the  city  system :  and  secured  the 
service  of  the  city  fire  department  by  iloiialing 
$50  to  the  pension  fund  wlicii  tliere  is  a  lin^  <all 
from  Woodruff.  The  school  proiilem  was  man- 
aged for  some  years  by  the  Woodruff  I'lai-e  pu- 
|iils  paying  tuition  in  the  public  schools;  but 
in  1891.  a  contract  was  made  bv  which  the 
town  levied  25  cents  im  $100  school  tax,  and 
paid  ibe  pi-oceeds  to  the  Indianapolis  School 
Board,  and  in  return  the  children  were  allowed 
the  Si'.me  school  privileges  a<  llnwe  (d  tin-  citv. 
This  proved  so  satisfactory  that  Ibe  same  ar- 
rangcmcTit  has  been  continued  ever  since.  The 
people  of  Woodruff  I'lace  have  always  resisted 
annexation,  the  reason  being  that  they  desireil 
to  preserve  their  i)ark  features,  and  feared  that 
the  city  would  not  keep  them  no  if  annexed. 
Since  the  park  board  has  assumed  work  id'  thai 
kind,  there  is  not  the  sentiment  ai;ainst  annex- 
ation that  formerlv  existed,  and  that  will  prob- 
ablv  result  in  due  time.  The  population  of 
WoodrufT  riace  was  20  in  ISSO;  liil  in  1890; 
and   i:r  in    1900. 


440 


HISTOKY  OF  (iKKATKi;    1X1)1  AXAI'OLIS. 


West  Jii(liaiia|iolis  was  a  by-product  ot  the 
Stock  Yards  and  several  factories  that  were 
located  along  the  line  of  the  Belt  Railroad. 
'J'he  stock  yards  wei-e  opened  for  bnsiness  No- 
vendier  1'^  1877,  with  grounds  covering  1'^' 
acres  and  eajiacity  for  tlie  care  of  4,000  head  of 
cattle  and  ;35,000  hogs.  The  business  connect- 
ed with  it  made  almost  a  town  of  itself,  but  ol' 
cour.^e  it  was  largely  transacted  hv  resident*  of 
the  city  and  transients.  Jleanwhile  a  village 
grew  up  to  the  north  of  it  that  was  known  as 
Belmont.  In  the  spring  of  1882  it  was  decided 
to  incorporate,  and  on  .March  5  a  petition  was 
filed  for  the  incorporation  of  the  town  of  West 
Indianapolis.  It  covered  a  territory  of  1,565 
acres  and  had  a  resident  population  of  471. 
The  petition  was  favorably  considered,  and  an 
election  was  called  for  April  4.  At  this  the 
400  did  not  vote  and  the  71  cast  their  votes 
solidly  for  incorporation.  The  election  for  of- 
ficers was  set  for  Jlay  3,  and  at  it  David  John- 
son, Joseph  McClain  and  George  W.  Jinks 
Avere  elected  trustees;  John  C.  Williams,  clerk, 
Charles  F.  Kisner,  treasurer,  and  Charles  Shell, 
marshal.  The  trustees  organized  on  ilay  (I. 
electing  David  Johnson  iiresident.  The  first 
ordinance  was  of  "rules  and  regulations  for  the 
town  government,"  and  among  other  things 
it  provided  that  the  board  should  meet  each 
-Monday  evening  at  "Room  42,  Union  Stock 
Yards  Building,"  at  7:30  p.  m.  from  Ajiril  1 
to  October  1.  and  at  (i  p.  m.  fnun  October  1 
to  April  1. 

There  was  iu)tliing  very  striking  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  town.  It  developed  rapidly  and 
steadily  in  population.  Of  course  it  does  not 
appear  in  the  census  of  1880,  but  in  1890  it 
had  outstripped  all  the  other  suburbs,  and  had 
a  population  of  3,527.  In  1894  it  was  decided 
to  incorporate  as  a  city,  and  the  trustees  divided 
the  town  into  3  wards  and  7  jjrecincts  in  prep- 
aration for  the  election  on  ilay  1.  The  electinn 
was  on  national  party  lines,  and  the  Re])ubli- 
cans  succeeded  in  electing  their  entire  ticket 
except  the  councilmen  in  the  third  ward.  The 
officers  elected  were  A.  B.  Tolin,  mayor:  ().  K. 
Williamson,  clerk:  Walter  S.  IIoss,  treasurer, 
and  Thomas  Peri-y.  niarshal.  It  was  clainuMl 
on  both  sides  that  •'boddle"  was  freelv  used,  am! 
it  is  ]iot  recorded  that  anyliody  denuinded  proof. 
Air.  Tolin  continued  to  bold  the  office  of  mavor 
until  West  Indianapoli>  was  annexed  in  1S9;. 
He  was  the  senior  mendiei-  of  a  live  stock  com- 


mission firm  operating  at  the  stock  yards. 
West  Indianapolis  was  annexed  to  the  city  by 
ordinaiue  of  March  15,  1897.  At  the  time  of 
annexation  its  debt  was  $7  9,000,  which  was 
much  larger  than  that  of  any  of  the  towns  that 
have  been  annexed  :  but  then  West  Indianai)olis 
was  a  city. 

Haughville  is  a  little  older  than  West  In- 
dianapolis, but  was  a  little  slower  about  iu- 
corjjoration.  It  came  into  existence  as  a 
manufacturing  suburb.  In  1856,  Levi  B.  Will- 
iamson and  Emmanuel  Ha  ugh  started  a  little 
factory  for  the  manufacturi'  of  iron  railings  on 
Delaware  street,  opposite  the  court  house.  In 
1863  the  establishment  passed  to  the  ownership 
of  Benj.  F.  Haugh,  who  had  lieen  foreman  of 
the  factory,  and  F.  Schowe.  The  business  de- 
veloped steadily,  the  firm  style  changing  several 
times,  and  the  establishment  moving  to  South 
Pennsylvania  street,  where  it  manufactured  jail 
a)id  court  house  fittings  and  architectural  work. 
In  1875,  Haugh  iV  Co.  (Oenj.  F.  Haugh  and 
Joseph  R.  Haugh).  icmoved  their  works  across 
the  river  to  Michigan  street,  west  of  Germania 
avenue.  In  1881,  owing  to  financial  complica- 
tions, the  firm  was  reorganized  as  Haugh, 
Ki'teham  &  Co.,  and  in  1885,  it  w'as  incorporat- 
ed as  the  Haugh.  Ketcham  &  Co.  Iron  Works. 
A  village  grew  up  aliout  the  works,  and  on 
December  16,  1882,  a  petition  was  filed  by 
"Tliomas  Afoi-row  and  31  others,"  for  the  in- 
(  oi|i(inition  of  the  town  of  Haughville.  The 
election  was  set  for  .January  10,  1883,  "at  the 
store  of  Thomas  ]•:.  Spafi'onl  and  W.  P.  Can- 
field,"  and  resulted  in  40  votes  for  incorpora- 
tion w'ith  none  against.  The  town  had  several 
.seasons  of  disquiet  owing  to  labor  and  race 
troubles,  having  a  large  foreign  element  and 
also  a  considei'able  colored  population.  Al- 
though not  incorporated,  its  population  was 
ir|iorfed  70  by  the  census  of  1880.  In  1890, 
it  was  ^.lll.  making  the  suburb  second  only 
to  West  Indianapolis.  The  town  was  annexed 
to  Indianapolis  by  ordinance  of  March  15,  1897. 
.\t  the  time  of  annexation  its  debt  was  $18,300 
of  school  and  to\\  n  ball  Iwnds.  There  had  been 
unsuccessful  etforts  to  .secure  its  annexation  for 
two  or  three  years  ])reviously. 

Xorth  Indianapolis  was  never  an  ineor|)orat- 
eil  touii,  although  its  ])opidation  is  gi\en  in  the 
cen-us  of  1890  as  a  town.  The  residents  were 
then  1,479.,  but  exactly  what  extent  of  terri- 
lorv  was  included   is  iinkiunvn.     The  town  was 


iiis'iom'  oi'  {;i!i:A'rEi!  i.ndi.wai'oi.is. 


441 


(iriirinally  platted  October  •.'().  Us;:!,  by  Wju. 
Hiaik'ii,  .lolin  ('.  Sboemaker.  II.  \{.  Allen.  A. 
J,.  Roaclie,  and  Thos.  F.  Evan,  'rhi.s  subdivi- 
.sion  of  parti-  of  section.^  2(i  and  27,  extended 
only  from  the  Canal  to  Kadev  street,  e.xcepi 
between  Arni.*tron<;-  and  Eusvne  streets,  where 
it  readied  east  to  the  Michigan  road.  The  new 
suburb  ])inn(d  its  faith  to  tlie  Udell  Ladder 
Works,  which  located  there  that  year,  the  Xorth 
lndirtna[)olis  W'auon  Works,  and  the  Henry 
Ocow  Manufacturing-  ("oin|iany,  whicli  made 
l)ent  wood  furniture.  ])ai'ticularly  the  "improved 
gothic  cradle".  It  was  made  the  Western 
tenninus  of  the  Hell  Kailroad,  and  has  always 
been  a  manufacturing  suburb,  thougli  since 
electric  transportation  came  into  use,  it  has  be- 
come quite  jiopulai'  for  residence  pur])oses.  The 
Ocow  ilanufacturing  ('om]iany  Imrned  out  and 
discontinued;  but  the  Xorth  Indianapolis 
Cradle  Works,  which  makes  cradles  for  agri- 
cultural instead  of  infantile  purposes,  came  in 
and  remained.  The  wagon  works  also  burned, 
but  othei'  factories  came,  and  Xorth  Indian- 
ajiolis  spreail  until  it  lnH-ame  a  sulistaiitial  town 
in  its  independent  life. 

Mt.  Jackson  was  the  oldest  in  name  of  the 
-uburljs,  for  it  was  given  to  his  farm  at  thai 
point  by  George  Smith,  the  first  newspaper 
pro|)rietor  and  editor  of  Tndiauapolis.  in  bonor 
of  the  great  .Vndrew.  The  nanii'  mllici-cd.  but 
there  was  iu)t  much  of  a  town,  and  not  uuub 
occasion  for  oiu'.  when  the  ])etition  for  its  an- 
iu'xation  was  tiled  on  Se|)tember  3,  18SS,  bv 
"W.  W.  Webb.  II.  M.  Carpenter  and  twenty- 
five  others".  On  December  I.  the  remon- 
strance of  "Christian  Titisb  and  olhers"  was 
tiled,  and  on  Decend)er  I  I  an  election  was  or- 
dered to  be  held  on  -January  o,  18S9,  at  "tlie 
grocery  store  of  Dorus  J.  Baker'".  It  was  a 
warm  election,  but  of  the  (II  votes  cast.  ;iT 
favored  incor])oration  and  "iT  opposed,  and  so 
the  advance  was  made.  The  town  was  blesscil 
with  a  "business  administration"  from  the  start. 
The  first  business,  after  organizing  on  February 
Vi.  of  the  town  board,  composed  of  ^fessrs. 
■lobn-on.  Startling  and  Taylor,  was  to  provide 
for  hiring  a  lawyiu'.  On  Febnuiry  "'t,  the 
board  instructed  the  clerk  to  "arrange  with 
S(piire  Martin  to  investigate  taxes".  On  March 
1."),  it  adopted  an  ordinance  for  a  $10(1  liquor 
license  and  a  dog  license,  tbu-  providing  the 
uecessarv  lubrication  for  the  wheels  of  govern- 
ment.    In   further  cn  idencc  nf  it<  \\  ise  inanage- 


meiit  may  be  mentioned  the  fact  that  when  an- 
nexed, by  the  ordinance  of  .March  i5,  189T,  it 
brotight  to  the  city  a  debt  of  only  $700,  which 
was  for  a  school  house. 

]\Iapleto7i  was  never  an  organized  town.  It 
was  platted  as  an  addition  to  the  city  by  Han- 
nah C.  and.  Tlu!0(lore  1'.  Haughey  on  May  4. 
1889.  It  took  its  name  from  the  growth  of 
sugar  maples  in  the  vicinity,  and  the  country 
cliureh,  'which  had  been  there  for  some  years, 
was  commonly  known  as  Sugar  throve  Church. 
The  growth  of  the  place  was  uneventful,  and 
quite  slow  until  the  electric  car  lines  brought 
it  within  reach. 

The  latest,  ami  what  bids  fair  to  be  the 
greatest  of  the  sidnirbs  of  lndiana])olis  is 
I'eech  Grove,  southea.st  of  the  city,  a  result  of 
the  location  of  the  construction  and  re))air 
shops  of  the  X\'W  York  Central  road.  When, 
in  1!HH),  it  was  announced  that  this  company 
would  invest  here  $.1,000,000  in  "the  greatest 
loc<)motive  hospital  in  the  world",  there  were 
few  wlio  had  any  coiu'cption  of  what  it  meant. 
The  average  human  mind  does  not  grasp  mil- 
lions, liut  when  one  sees  all  the  woiulers  of 
massive  electrical  machinery  that  were  shown 
in  the  last  great  world's  exposition  in  [n-ae- 
tieal  operation,  the  conce])tion  becomes  clearer. 
Five  of  the  princi])al  buildings  have  been  com- 
pleted. One,  the  Machine  and  Erecting  Shop, 
is  320  X  'u'>  feet,  ami  as  one  enters  this  mam- 
moth room,  without  a  partition,  and  sees  a 
120-ton  electric  crane  pick  a  locomotive  off  its 
trucks  and  place  it  where  desired,  he  realizes 
that  he  is  among  the  latest  and  greatest  achieve- 
ments in  .seientific  machinerv.  Tn  addition  to 
this  the  Blacksmith  ShoD.  '  154x30  feet:  the 
Boiler  Shop,  12(!x.")(M  feet:  the  Store  and  Of- 
fice Building,  7()\24 1  feet  and  three  storio 
high;  and  the  Power  House,  IKi.xl  10  feet,  have 
liecn  completed.  In  addition  to  these  there  are 
14  other  shops  in  the  jilanned  works,  the  snntll- 
est,  a  ])aint  shop,  .■)8x()0 ;  with  round  botises  ami 
other  minor  btiildings.  and  yards  with  swit<'h 
accommodation  for  over  Ki.OOd  cars.  The 
]dant  is  now  em])loying  l.ood  men  ami  when 
in  comi)lete  operation  will  require  more  than 
three  times  that  number.  .\t  present,  most  of 
the  emploves  are  not  residents  of  the  stiburb, 
but  (iOO  to  700  of  them  are  brought  to  their 
work  bv  sjjccial  train-:. 

Earlv  in  liHX;,  Wocber  Bros,  were  instructed 
to  ]>urcbase  '  III  ai  res  of  land   for  these  shops; 


448 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


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H18T0UV  OF  (iUKA'lKi;    I  X  DI  ANA  I'ol.lS. 


443 


and  tlicv  alno  took  opt  ion.-;  on  soiuc  l.GOO  iu-rcs 
additional,  and  adjai-ent,  and  organized  the 
Hec'i;-ii  CiroNc  I  ni|ir<ivi>niont  Company,  t<i  liandir 
it.  with  $;J00.()0()  of  prcfunvd  stock  and  .$;i()().- 
(100  of  common  stock.  Tlie  main  part,  or 
"Section  A."  "was  platted  on  November  ].'3, 
];»(!() :  with  additions  known  as  "Section  B."  on 
Viigust  (i.  liiOT,  and  "Section  C,"'  on  OctohiT 
-.'S.  ]!)(»:.  On  June  7.  IDOtl,  "Louis  McMains 
and  y2  otiicrs""  filed  their  ])etition  for  the  in- 
corjjoration  of  l."80.5  acres  as  the  town  of 
Beech  (irove.  The  petition  showed  that  tluic 
were  TM  residents  of  the  tract,  of  whom  (il 
were  heads  of  families.  The  county  commis- 
sioners ordered  tjie  election  to  he  hchl  "at  the 
residence  of  John  Tacoma.  on  Sherman  Drive." 
on  June  1!'.  A  part  of  the  residents  were 
farmers  wlio  had  iiivcn  options  on  their  land 
without  heing  told  of  the  proposed  location  of 
the  shojis — there  were  SO  farms,  large  and 
small,  included  in  the  tmrehase — and  most  of 
them  o]ipose(l  the  incorporation,  hut  the  in- 
corporators won.  The  op])osition  tlicn  contest- 
ed the  election,  and  remoiist  I'ated  in  the  County 
Coinmissioners"  Court.  On  July  14.  the  com- 
missioners sustained  this  remonstrance,  and 
held  the  election  invalid  ou  the  grouiul  that 
the  tickets  used  liv  the  incorporators  were  in- 
valid in  form.  The  incorjiorators  then  appealed 
to  the  Circuit  Court,  which  reversed  the  com- 
missioners on  October  20,  190(),  and  declared 
the  town  incor])orated.''  The  costs  were  assessed 
to  Eugeiu'  crueller  and  the  other  remonstrants, 
who  took  some  steps  for  an  appeal,  but  never 
perfected    it. 

The  first  town  election  was  held  on  \ovem- 
her  9,  1906,  and  John  Wocher.  Louis  ^Ic- 
ifaius  and  Herman  11.  Weelburg  were  chosen 
as  trustees,  and  Harry  K.  ^[arsli  as  treasun^r 
and  clerk.  The  town  has  grown  with  consider- 
able rapidity  although  so  many  of  the  employes 
reside  outside.  The  resident  ])opulation  is 
now  estimated  at  1.000— the  vote  at  ,the  last 
town  election.  Novendier  2.  1909,  was  ISl.  It 
is  probable  that  there  have  been  many  loca- 
tions ])revented  by  the  lack  of  street  railway 
connection  with  the  city;  and  a  company  has 
been  formed  to  supply  this  deficiency,  and  has 
begun  work,  the  company  being  under  contract 
to  have  the  line  in  operation  liy  .\pril  2T.  IfllO. 


•''Li  lie  Incorporation  of  Beech  tii'ovc.  ('ausc 
Xo.   15,273,  Circuit  Court. 


Business  establishments  have  been  attracted  by 
the  shipping  facilities,  the  most  notable  being 
"ihe  mammoth  elevator  of  the  Cleveland  Grain 
Company,  which  cost  $3.50,000,  and  has  a  ca- 
pacity of  a  million  bushels.  The  company  has 
wisely  provided  for  parks,  and  a  modern  school 
building  has  been  erected,  7G.\94,  with  ac- 
•omniodations  for  200  pupils.  It  has  a  base- 
ment with  play  I'oom,  etc.,  and  is  constructed 
with  a  view  to  adding  a  second  and  third  stories 
if  di'sircd.  Presbyterian  and  Bajjfist  churches 
ha\e  been  built  and  occupied.  The  (Jatholics 
ha\e  put  up  a  handsome  parsonage,  and  have 
bought  land  for  a  church  and  a  school,  for 
which  plans  have  bi'cn  adopted  that  call  for  an 
expenditure  of  $100,000.  The  Sisters  of  St. 
l-'rancis  have  bought  a  block  of  30  lots,  ou 
which  thev  propose  to  build  an  .$S0.000  hospi- 
lal. 

There  is  another  suburb,  not  exactly  a  town, 
which  may  be  mentioned  here,  and  that  is  Fort 
Benjamin  Harrison,  the  United  States  Army 
Post,  imrtheast  of  the  city.  The  army  [wst 
was  something  that  was  worked  for  a  long  time 
liefore  it  was  secured.  It  became  apparent  in 
the  nineties  that  the  government  was  going  to 
abandon  the  arsenal,  which  was  merely  a  stor- 
age institution,  and  the  Indianapolis  people 
thought  thev  should  ha\e  something  at  least 
t'qually  good.  Congressman  Overstreet  and  the 
Indiana  Senators  took  an  intt'rest  in  it.  and 
there  was  some  persistent  and  etfectivc  work 
for  it  by  Harry  New.  and  also  by  .\ddison  C. 
Harris.  Bv  1S99,  the  prospects  were  looking 
.-o  bright,  thai,  by  Joint  resolution  of  March 
I  of  that  yi'ar.  the  legislature  ceded  Jurisdiction 
to  the  United  States  of  any  lands  bought  or 
to  be  bought  by  the  Fnited  States  for  an  army 
post.  The]-c  \\a-  (piitc  a  warm  competition 
for  the  site.  In  .\ugust,  1903,  a  board  of 
armv  oflicers  \isitcd  Indianapolis  to  examiii' 
the  five  sites  offered,  and  report  on  the  same. 
Later  in  th(>  year  it  was  announced  by  the 
llcpartnicnt  of  War  that  il  wnubl  purchase  the 
site  near   Lawrence',  containing   1  ,S33  acres. 

In  the  summer  of  1903.  the  site  had  its  first 
baptism  of  theoretic  blood.  The  state  militia 
were  in  cam])  at  the  state  fair  ground  thai  year. 
and  on  the  last  night  of  July  they  stole  awav 
from  their  tents  and  on  .\ugust  1.  fought  a 
"battle"  at  the  new  grounds.  Possibly  this  had 
xuuething  to  do  with  their  selection,  for  army 
men  rcirard  the  local  ion  as  ideal  for  nianeu\ers. 


411 


HISTOKV  OF  GREATER  INDIAN^APOLIS. 


Ill  U)Oi.  the  militia  held  their  L-aiui)  uf  iu.slnir- 
tioii  at  the  army  post  site  from  July  2T  to 
August  5.  anil  the  Twenty-seventh  United 
States  Infantry  joined  in  the  exercises.  From 
that  time  forward  it  has  been  the  scene  of  an 
annual  meeting;-  lor  instruction  iu  large  mili- 
tary movements,  the  tirst  extensive  one  being 
in' 1906.  On  July  1.5  of  that  year,  2,(I(M) 
regulars  began  their  march  to  Fort  Benjamin 
Harrison  from  Fort  Sheridan  (Chicago),  F'ort 
Wavne  (Detroit).  Fort  Thomas  (Newport, 
Kv.").  Fort  Brady  (.Michigan),  and  Jefferson 
Barracks  (St.  i.ouis).  to  take  part  in  the 
maneuvers. 

Meanwhile  the  luvjmrations  for  ]iermaiient 
occupancy  were  ])roceeding,  and  on  June  •.'o, 
190.5,  Captain  Cheatham,  in  command  of  the 
])ost,  announced  the  awards  of  contracts  for  the 
buildings — commanding  officer's  quarters,  $1"2,- 
SOO;  four  field  officers"  quarters,  .$45,v'(l(i: 
bachelor  officers"  (|uarters,  .$29,900;  two  non- 
comnrissioned  stafl'  officers"  cpiarters.  $:!.l(»(l-. 
hospital,  $;n,400;  band  barracks,  $13,900  :  ad- 
ministration building,  $18,900  ;  stable,  $l(i,400  : 
wagon  shed,  $3,.500  ;  fire  engine  house,  $2,200  ; 
bakery,  .$8,300;  granary,  $10,000:  six  double 
l)arracks,  $235,000;  quarternuisters"  and  s\di- 
sistonce  storehouse,  $25,500;  eight  double  cap- 
tains' quarters  and  six  double  lieutenants" 
quarters,  $217,800;  guard-house,  $19,000;  with 
smaller  l)uildings,  making  an  aggregate  of 
$868,346.31.  The  post  appears  to  be  growing 
in  po])ularitv  with  army  men,  and  there  has 
been  a  sentiment  manifested  to  enlarge  it;  and 
also  to  make  it  a  center  for  the  purchase  and 
training  of  horses  for  the  army.  The  post  is 
connected  with  the  city  by  electric  interurban 
line,  with  special  cars  running  at  regular  in- 
tervals. The  reservation  now  contains  2,030 
acres,  and  is  the  station  of  the  Tenth  infantry. 

One  other  sulmrb  remains  to  be  noted,  which 
is  quite  unique  in  character.  Early  in  1902. 
Wm.  L.  Elder,  submitted  to  White  River  Con- 
ference of  the  Cbui-ch  of  the  Fnited  BrethiTii 
in  Christ,  a  proposition  to  donate  to  the  church 
8  acres  of  cam])us  ground  and  a  college  build- 
ing, costing  $40,000,  if  the  church  would  fur- 
nish huvers  of  446  lots  in  an  addition,  to  be 
known  as  T'niversitv  Heights,  south  of  tlu'  city. 


in  which  the  college  «as  lo  be  located.  In  that 
\ear,  White  River  Conference  voted  to  accept 
the  offer  if  one  other  Indiana  conference  would 
co-operate,  which  St.  Joseph  Conference  did 
two  weeks  latei' ;  and  Indiana  Conference  joined 
in  the  year  following.  The  work'  was  ]n'osecut- 
.'(!  vigorously,  and  the  college  building  was 
ciinipleted  and  occupied  in  the  year  1905-6,  the 
I  instees  receiving  a  deed  to  the  entire  property 
"11  June  13,  1906.  The  church,  prior  to  this 
lime,  had  no  institution  of  higher  education  in 
Indiana,  and  has  entered  into  this  work  with 
enthusiasm,  supplementing  the  original  move- 
iiicut  Ijy  the  three  conferences  agreeing  to  raise 
:M\  amount  equal  to  $1  a  year  for  each  member, 
I'or  three  years — or  $150,000 — for  an  endow- 
ment fund.  Jn  addition  to  this,  there  have  been 
numerous  individual  gifts  and  pledges.  The 
institution,  known  as  Indiana  Central  Universi- 
ty, is  now  soundly  established  in  a  ])rasperous 
career,  with  15  professors  and  instructors,  and 
about  200  students.  It  has  a  diversified  and 
thoi'oughlv  up-to-date  curriculum,  and  an 
academy  has  been  added  for  preparation  for  the 
college  course.  The  college  property  is  luiw 
valued  at  $90,000. 

The  original  theory  of  the  movement  was 
that  the  establishment  of  the  college  W(uild 
necessarily  create  a  settlement  about  it,  and 
that  the  advance  in  the  value  of  lots  would 
more  than  compensate  the  purchasers,  so  that 
the  church  would  get  its  institution  with  ]>rac- 
tieallv  no  expense  to  the  purchasers.  This  an- 
ticiiiation  has  already  been  largely  realized. 
The  ])lat  of  University  Heights  was  filed  on 
May  9,  1904;  and  on  May  7,  1907,  a  jK-tition 
was  filed  for  the  incorporation  of  the  town.  At 
the  election,  on  ^lay  21,  17  votes  were  cast  for 
in(^)rporation,  and  1  against;  and  so  the  muni- 
(■iy)al  government  was  instituted.  The  present 
officials  are  Robert  Hostettler.  .1.  .\.  Cummins. 
Jr.,  and  Oliver  ^lumaw,  trustees;  and  W.  C. 
Brandenburg,  clerk.  The  town  is  oik'  mile 
from  the  city  limits,  and  is  reached  in  twenty 
minutes  from  the  center  of  the  city  by  the 
Columbus  and  Southern  Traction  Company's 
line.  It  thus  presents  the  ideal  combination 
for  collegiate  life  of  country  surroundings  with 
easy  access  to  all  the  atlvantasres  of  tb(»  city. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 


"THE  DEMON  RUM." 


When  JaiiR's  Ulakc  was  about  to  open  tlic 
first  Washington  Hall  tavern,  in  partnersliip 
witii  Samuel  Ilcnderbou,  Calvin  Fletcher,  on 
December  4,  1S'i'.i.  entered  in  his  diary,  "I  do 
not  prophesy  that  a  very  great  advantage  will 
result  from  the  connection".  Commenting  on 
tliis.  Hev.  J.  C.  Fletcher  says:  "We  can  .see  that 
this  tavern  did  not  result  to  any  very  great 
advantage  to  the  writer  on  the  :i.-)th  of  Decem- 
ber, when  he  naively  records  the  following: 
'December  •^^.  i  visited  ilessrs.  Henderson  & 
Blake"s  in  the  a.  m.  Drank  rather  too  much 
whisky  and  brandy,  and  ate  too  much  sweet 
cake".  (Then  follow  a  lot  of  dashes  with  r"s 
between  them.)  'r — r,  r — -r,  came  lunne  and 
went  to  bed*.  The  'sweet  cake'  was  too  much 
for  the  writer  .  .V  few  years  later,  when  he  made 
a  profession  of  religion,  he  banished  all  wines 
and  liciuons  from  his  house,  and  became  a  tem- 
perance man  from  principle".^  This  was  not 
an  unusual  ex])erience,  for  in  the  earliest  days 
practically  everybody  drank,  and  indeed,  it  was 
the  very  general  belief  that  was  necessary  to 
do  so  in  order  to  prevent,  or  alleviate,  fever 
and  ague.  .\t  the  old  settlers'  meeting  in  IH", . 
Ifr.  Fletcher  told  how  when  starting  to  help 
survey  the  Ft.  Wayne  road,  "he  stopped  at 
Washington  Hall  and  took  some  egg-nog,  and 
filled  his  pocket  pistol,  which  they  all  carrie(l 
in  those  days  to  keep  out  the  chills".  .\t  the 
same  meeting.  Demas  McFarland  told  of  his 
e.xperience  with  chills,  and  said,  "Old  rye. 
with  salts,  was  his  remedy,  and  although  the 
disease  was  bad,  the  remedy  was  not  hard  to 
take — in  fact  it  was  always  a  legal  tender,  and 
the  principal  circulating  medium".-'  There 
were  some,  however,   who  doubted   the  cftiiacN 


^Ncws,  September  10.  IStil. 
•LocomoHrr,  June  1.'?.  IS.")?. 


of  whisky.  Sairiuel  .Meirill.  in  commenting  nn 
the  extensive  malarial  sickness  of  1821-.'5,  says: 
"When  the  sickness  first  commenced,  those  w-ho_ 
drank  spirits  mostly  escaped,  and  it  was  a  mat- 
ter of  frequent  boasting  among  them  that  they 
"kept  above  fever  heat".  Hut  they  were  soon 
after  attacked  much  more  severely  than  others, 
and  their  taunts  WH're  then  returned  with  iu- 
terest"".-' 

But  as  a  general  proposition,  the  condition 
is  very  accurately  portrayed  by  Rev.  T.  .\. 
(ioodwin:  "Whisky  was  the  prevailing  drink. 
Whisky  raw  and  whisky  sweetened,  whisky  hot 
and  whisky  cold,  and  sometimes  whisky  watered, 
and  often  whisky  medicated.  Roots  and  herbs, 
and  barks,  when  steeped  in  whisky  had  wonder- 
ful i-urative  properties.  Snake  bites  and  milk 
sickness,  rheumatisms  and  agiu's,  alike,  yielded 
to  the  thousand  and  one  preparations  which 
the  hardy  men  of  those  days  knew  how  to  make 
with  whisky;  and  a  birth  or  death,  a  wedding 
or  funeral,  a  log-rolling  or  shucking,  or  a  rais- 
ing or  a  quilting,  was  incomplete  and  unsatis- 
factory witliout  it.  Egg-nog  or  toddy,  or  both. 
was  much  more  certain  at  an  afternoon  visit- 
ing i)arty  of  women  than  'store  tea"  was  for 
su]iper:  and  well-to-do  ilethodists,  and  Bap- 
tists, and  New  Ijights,  and  other  good  pcoi)le, 
wcni  as  thoughtful  to  supply  it  for  their  guests, 
even  their  [)reachers,  as  were  other  peojjle. 
*  *  *  -Ml  churches  tolerated  it~s  use,  and  many 
a  good  pioneer  had  a  license  from  the  state  to 
kee]i  a  tavern,  meaning  a  license  to  sell  whisky, 
and  at  the  same  time  a  license  from  his  church 
to  |n-ea(h  :  and  they  were  ])reachers  of  no  mean 
re]iute.  cither,  as  well  as  good  tavern  keeiM-rs. 

''The  Methodist  church  made  special  provi- 
-ion"in  her  discipline  I'M-  lu'r  members,  re(|uir- 


'Ind.  Gazette 


P- 


445 


44G 


HISTOKY  OF  GlfEATEK  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


ing  them  to  kci'i)  orderly  liouses,  and  iu  tlieorv. 
not  jjermittiug  her  loeal  preachers  to  retail  at 
all.  But,  like  her  inhibition  of  slave-holding, 
this  was  in  practice  a  dead  letter,  for  many  of 
her  best  local  preachers  kept  tavern,  to  put  it 
mildly,  and  many  of  them  liberally  patronized 
their  own  bars.  Many  of  the  early  preaching 
jilaces  for  all  deiioininations  were  in  the  bar 
rooms  of  these  taverns.  Good  men  bought  and 
.■^old  and  drank,  but  bad  men  also  engaged  in 
the  business,  and  kept  dens  of  dissipation ; 
hence  those  provisions  of  the  early  laws  which 
re(|uired  all  apjdicants  for  license  to  prove 
that  they  were  of  irood  behavior,  and,  later,  of 
good  moral  cliaracter.  Every  store  that  kept 
tea  or  cofPee  kept  whisky  by  the  quart,  and  as 
there  was  then  no  law  against  giving  it  away, 
the  barrel,  or  bottle,  was  free  to  all  custom- 
ers. Whisky  was  cheap  then,  and  merchants 
were  liberal.  It  is  no  wonder,  therefore,  that 
with  saich  business  and  social  habits,  men  died 
of  delirium   tremens   in   large  numbers,   called 


then,  brain  fevei 


*  It  was  not  until  about 


1800  that  men  began  to  associate  together  for 
the  purpose  of  checking  the  tide  of  dissi|iation 
which  was  swee]»ing  over  the  country''.* 

There  was  jjrobably  as  little  drinking  in 
Indianapolis,  in  the  early  years,  as  in  any  place 
of  the  same  size  in  the  country,  l)ut  there  was 
very  little  of  scruple  about  drinking;  and  In- 
dianapolis did  its  share.  The  Journal  of  Oc- 
tober 2,  ]827,  reported  that  there  had  been  21:'! 
barrels  of  whisky  purchased  by  Indianapolis 
merchants  from  outside,  and  71  barrels  of  home 
product,  within  the  past  year.  A  census  of  the 
town  on  Xovember  2.5,  1827,  showed  a  total 
of  l,Ofif>  inhabitants,  of  whom  50.1  were  fe- 
males, and  4."')4  were  under  1.")  vears  of  age. 
Mention  has  been  made  of  the  hilarious  ci'lebra- 
tion  of  Christn\as.  1821,  when  the  fiivl  political 
campaign  was  inaugurated,  and  of  the  free 
use  of  whiskv  at  the  first  election  on  .\|iril  1. 
1822,  when,  ^Ir.  Fletcher  says,  "the  ((uantities 
drunk  must  be  reckoned  in  barrels"'."'  It  ma\' 
be  questioned,  however,  if  even  these  can  wre~t 
the  rank  of  "a  hot  time  in  the  old  town",  from 
llie  night  of  February  17,  1827 — the  day  on 
which  was  received  the  news  of  tlie  ratification 
of  the  Potawatoniie  treat v  in  182(1.    Tliis  treatv 


gave  to  the  state  a  strip  of  land  100  feet  wide, 
so  far  as  the  Indians  were  concerned,  running 
from  Indianapolis  to  Lake  Michigan,  for  a 
state  road,  and  with  its  ratification,  the  citizens 
seemed  to  see  the  road  opened  and  the  town 
leaping  forward  under  the  impetus  it  gave. 
The  coming  of  the  capital  had  helped  growth 
sonu'what,  liut  the  crying  need  was  for  roads, 
and  here  was  a  new  outlet  to  the  great  lakes, 
and  water  connection  to  the  ocean.  The  rati- 
fication, as  the  Gazette  said,  gave  "a  road  from 
Lake  ilichigan  through  this  place,  to  the  Ohio 
River,  a  section  of  good  land  being  given  for 
the  purpose  of  making  each  mile  of  said  road". 

It  mentions  that  the  news  "was  received  with 
tile  most  lively  enthusiasm  by  our  citizens, 
on  Saturday  last,  which  was  more  fully  demon- 
strated by  an  illumination  of  the  town  on  that 
evening.'" "  But  a  more  detailed  and  inter- 
esting account  is  given  by  Mrs.  Betsey  Martin 
(then  i[rs.  Goldsberry)  who  was  a  witness  of 
the  joyous  occasion.  Her  early  newspaper 
training  had  given  her  an  appreciation  of  news, 
and  a  facultv  for  presenting  it.  She  savs  of 
it: 

"In  1827  the  treaty  was  ratified  between  the 
United  States  and  the  Indians,  and  the  Mich- 
igan road  was  granted,  to  Lawrenceburg.  Well, 
we  had  a  grand  turn-out  of  all  the  citizens, 
with  lanterns  of  every  design,  and  mottos  ap- 
pro])riate  for  the  occasion,  and  music,  and 
everything  to  make  it  grand  and  enjoyable. 
^Ir.  Goldsberry  carried  a  Imrning  tar  barrel 
on  a  high  pole  till  it  was  burnt  through.  It 
spoilt  a  new  suit  of  clothes  that  Aunt  Co.\'  had 
just  made  of  blue  casinet.  After  marching 
through  the  streets,  or  the  main  ones,  which 
were  Washington  and  ^leridian,  they  man4ied 
down  to  old  Dunning"s  tavern  on  the  river,  aiul 
all  got  tight  and  had  a  dance.  ITncle  Nat  Cox 
and  Governor  Rav  danced  a  nigger  jig.  There 
was  not  one  but  di-ank  too  much.  Mr.  Golds- 
berry came  honu'  as  tight  as  a  brick,  carrying 
a  big  transparcncv  which  he  took  after  the 
tar  barrel  burned  out.  He  was  very  jolly,  and 
when  I  oiiened  tlic  door  he  pulled  me  out 
in  the  mud  to  see  his  transparency.  That  was 
the  only  time  he  drank  too  much,  and  he  was 
excusable  when  the  Governor  was  tight,  and 
all  concerned.     Tlure  were  a  lot  of  sick  folks 


*Seventv-Six  Yea 
pp.  4-6. 

^New?.  April    12.   Mav 


Tussli'  With  the  Trallic. 


Ill,   18:;). 


'■(Idzettr.    Frbniarv   20, 
■  Mrs.    Xaihan'(4    Cox. 


1827. 


HISTOHY  OF  GKEATER  IXDIAXAPUI.IS. 


447 


llir  next  (lay,  for  iiiauy  ol'  tliciii  had  never 
ilnink  too  much  before.""  The  eoiiipleteness  ol' 
the  celehratiou  may  be  inferreil  rinin  the  fart 
that  at  the  time  Mr.  (iohlsl)cn-y  \va>  miv  of  the 
pilhirs  of  the  ilcthnilist  Chiifeh.  ami  a  viTv 
exemplary    citizen. 

But  reform  w;i^  on  the  way.  The  earliest 
iiKivcment  for  teinpei'auee  in  this  country  was 
among  the  physicians,  witli  Dr.  Benjaniiu  Kush 
as  the  chief  factor.  For  years  it  was  devoted 
chiefly  to  urjfinf;  moderation,  and  the  reform 
made  little  progress  until  in  1837  the  country 
^va^  stirred  by  an  address  of  Jonathan  Kit- 
tredge,  one  of  the  ablest  jurists  of  his  day, 
who  urged  that  all  drunkards  were  devel()|)ed 
from  moderate  driidvers — "'have  become  drunk- 
ards by  the  lemiierate.  moderate,  and  haldtual 
use  of  anient  spirits,  just  as  you  use  them 
iHiu-.  Wcie  it  not  for  this  use  of  ardent  spirits, 
«c  ^lioiild  not  now  hear  of  drunken  senators 
and  drunken  magistrates,  of  drunken  lawyers 
and  drunken  doctr)rs ;  eburcbes  would  not  iu>vv 
lie  mourning  over  drunken  ministers  and 
drunken  members;  parents  would  not  now  be 
weeping  over  druidien  children,  wives  over 
drunken  husbands,  bu.sbands  over  druid<eii 
wives,  and  angels  over  a  drunken  world."  In 
Xovember,  lS'i7,  the  Massachusetts  Society  for 
lite  Suppression  of  Intemperance,  wbicb  bad 
been  advocating  moderation  since  ISl."?,  recom- 
mended total  abstinence.  The  American  So- 
ciety for  the  Promotion  of  Temperance,  which 
had  been  organized  at  Boston  on  February  1;>, 
]8?n.  soon  followeil.  Kittredge"s  address  was 
(initiated  broadcast  by  the  American  Tract 
Society,  and  other  literature — notably  Lyman 
Keecbcr's  "Six  Sermons''— by  the  temperance 
society. 

Indianapolis  respondeil  i^arlv.  On  Oclnber 
:i.  1S-2S.  a  meetitig  was  held  at  "the  ^[(^bodisl, 
Me(ting  Housi "",  with  I?ev.  John  Strange  a- 
chairman  and  .lames  .M.  I'av  ;is  secretary,  and 
the  "TemiK'rance  Society  of  Marion  County" 
Wit-  organized.  Its  object  was  "to  discontinue 
lb(  \\<i'  nt'  ardettt  spirits,  except  as  a  medicitic. 
both  b\  ])recept  and  example."  Ebenezef 
S)i;ir|ie  was  made  president:  James  Givan  and 
Henry  Hradlev,  vice-presidents:  James  "SI.  T?ay, 
secretary:  with  a  committee  of  correspondence 
eomiMKcd  of  Daniel  Yande>.  Caleb  Scttdder. 
T-^aac  \.  j'bii)ii<.  dnlm  (J.  Rcown.  Cha-.  1. 
Hand.  (;i.iifi:e  I'.n-li.  .lolm  W'dkiti-.  (Jeor'ie  IIol- 

lo":l\.     \\'illi;llll      li'ectol,      N:iai'     Cor     iMlll     .lollll 


Walton.  I'rovision  was  made  for  a  meeting 
on  the  first  Saturday  in  January,  at  which  ad- 
dresses were  to  be  made  by  "the  President, 
Ebenezer  Sharpe,  Esq.,  on  the  objects  of  the 
Society,  the  encouragement,  and  the  objections 
iigainst  it.  Hev.  George  Bush,  on  the  moral 
()bIigati(Jiis  re(juiring  exertion  in  the  cause. 
l{ev.  Edwin  Itay  on  the  demoralizing  effects  of 
intemperance.  Dr.  Isaac  Coe  on  the  destiiic- 
live  effects  of  inteniiJerance  on  the  human  .sys- 
tem. James  M.  Eay  on  tlie  expense  of  the 
manufacture  and  consumption  of  ardent  s])ir- 
its."  '  The  next  niwetiug  was  actually  held  cni 
December  20,"  and  the  society  met  i|narterl\ 
thereafter. 

At  its  meeting,  Xovember  'i'.\,  IS'.'l),  the 
.-oeiety  adopted  residutions,  "that  entire  absti- 
nence is  the  only  course  which  promises  success 
in  suppressing  intemperance"',  "that  the  prac- 
tice of  selling  liquor  to  the  intemperate  does 
not  onlv  in  its  injurious  consequences  immedi- 
ately artect  the  purchaser,  but  in  an  imminent 
degree  the  morals  and  means  of  the  commu- 
nity"", and  "that  it  is  ex|jedient  to  form  a  State 
Tem])erance  Society,  auxiliary  to  the  Ameri- 
can Temperance  Society."  Among  the  new 
names  that  appear  at  this  meeting  are  Uev. 
Thos.  S.  Hitt,  Alfred  Harrison,  Robert  A 
Taylor,  Douglass  ilaguire,  Rev.  Joseph  Merrill, 
Robert  Brenton  and  Joseph  Catterlin.  The 
proposed  state  society  was  duly  organized  on 
December  9,  1829,'"  but  no  account  in  detail 
was  ]iublished.  At  the  first  annual  meeting, 
on  December  13,  1830,  Jeremiah  Sullivan,  of 
Jefferson  County,  presided,  and  J.  F.  D.  Lanier 
— subsequently  of  Winslow,  Lanier  &  Co.,  bank- 
ers— acted*  as  secTetary.  Dr.  Sylviin  ilorris 
presented  a  resolution  "that  the  habitual  use 
of  ardent  spirits  is  injurious  to  health,  de- 
structive to  the  mental  faculti(¥,  and  tends  to 
^borten  human  life",  which  after  an  address 
liy  him  was  unanimously  adopted.  Hon.  Beth- 
uel  F.  Morris  presented  and  spoke  for  the 
following  resolution,  which  was  unanimously 
rtdo)ited:  "Resolved.  That  the  custoimiry  and 
fashionable  use  of  ardent  spirits  is  dangerous 
to  the  civil  institutions  of  our  country."  Rever- 
end Sickl(>s  presented  the  following  resolution, 
su[)porte(l    by    himself    and    Reverend    Lewis, 


".Journal.  October  K!,  1828. 
■■'■/uiinnil.    December   17,    182fi. 
'"■loiirinil.  December  l(i,  1829. 


448 


liLSTOUY   UF   GHKATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


which  was  unanimously  adopted :  "Resolved, 
that  the  use  of  ardent  spirits,  either  oeeasion- 
ally  or  habitually,  exerts  a  demoralizinji'  influ- 
ence and  is  injurious  to  public  and  tloniestic 
happiness."  Hon.  Wm.  Sheets  presented  a 
resolution,  supported  by  himself  and  lion. 
Stephen  S.  Harding — later  Governor  of  Utah — 
"that  the  formation  of  temperance  societies, 
on  the  principle  of  entire  abstinence,  is  the 
only  effectual  preventative  of  intemperance  and 
its  evils",  which  was  unanimously  adopted. 
The  society  then  elected  officers :  President,  Jer- 
emiah Sullivan  ;  Vice-Presidents,  Milton  Stapp 
of  Jefferson,  David  H.  Ma.xwell  of  ^lonroe, 
Edwin  Ray  of  Vigo,  James  Morrison  of  Marion 
and  Stephen  C.  Stevens  of  Switzei»land ;.  Sec- 
retary, James  M.  Ray ;  Executive  Committee, 
B.  F.  Morris,  Isaac  Coe,  Rev.  John  R.  More- 
land,  John  T.  Mclvinney,  Rev.  Thos.  S.  Hitt. 
James  Blake,  Isaac  N.  Pliipps,  Daniel  Yandes, 
Horace  Bassett,  John  Hendricks,  Sylvan  B. 
Morris,  and  David  Wallace. 

It  is  thus  evident  that  at  this  early  date  the 
reform  idea  had  so  spread  that  the  best  men 
in  the  commonwealth  stood  openly  for  total 
abstinence,  and  most  of  them  were  men  in 
active  political  life.  It  was  a  notable  change 
from  but  a  few  years  earlier.  No  one  could  call 
it  "fanaticism"  for  it  was  a  change  of  view  of 
men  wlio  had  formerlv  used  liquor  themselves 
if  they  felt  occasion  for  so  doing.  And  tbci' 
had  been  some  sentiment  aroused.  Jeremiah 
Johnson,  an  eccentric  local  character,  having 
attacked  tlic  Temperance  Society  in  the  Gazette. 
was  answeird  bv  a  correspondent  who,  among 
other  things  averred  that  "the  practise  in  re- 
S])ectable  stores  of  kceiiing  liquor  free  on  tli(^ 
heads  of  barrels  has  been  cheeked,  that  tav- 
ern-keepers admit  their  sales  have  been  sensibly 
diminished,  and  that  an  entire  abstinence  from 
the  use  of  it  has  been  observed  bv  the  members 
almost  universally."'  The  truth  is  that  the 
things  had  begun  to  happen  that  make  people 
hate  liquor,  and  the  change  of  sentiment  was 
due  to  an  observation  of  the  evils  that  intem- 
perance carries  in  its  train.  This  is  plainly 
visible  in  the  accounts  that  have  been  left  to 
later  generations,  as  for  examnle,  the  followinsr 
comment  on  the  earliest  developments  of  the 
liquor  traffic  bv  Mrs.  Betsey  Martin : 

"In  the  spring  of  1S22.  Jerry  Collins  ojiened 


a  small  shanty  built  out  of  poles  and  clap- 
boards, and  had  the  first  whisky  shop  in  town. 
He  had  a  barrel  of  whisky  and  some  tobacco 
and  segars.  There  was  no  license,  and  he  made 
money,  and  he  also,  as  now,  made  drunkards. 
1  well  remember  two  men  burnt  to  death  while 
under  the  influence  of  that  cursed  liquor.  One 
was  an  old  hatter  named  Shunk.'-  He  fell 
with  his  head  against  the  kettle  and  his  should- 
ers in  the  mouth  of  the  furnace:  and  he  was 
roasting  all  night.  In  the  morning  someone 
called  and  found  him.  .\s  1  have  told  you, 
he  was  not  quite  dead.  They  took  him  ti* 
his  boarding-house — he  boarded  at  old  Jolm 
Van  Blaricunvs — and  the  doctors  did  all  they 
could  for  the  poor  old  man,  but  he  died  that 
same  night.  He  was  roasted  brown  half  way 
down.  The  work  of  the  whisky  seller!  The 
other  was  Big  Smith — he  was  called  'Big'  to 
distinguish  him  from  the  rest.  He  was  over 
six  feet,  and  large  and  well  formed,  and  would 
have  been  a  useful  man  unless  for  that  awful 
habit.  Smitii  and  some  other  men  of  the  same 
stripe  went  into  a  iield  back  of  where  Mr. 
Blake  now  lives,'"  and  were  drinking  and  play- 
ing cards.  They  had  set  tire  to  an  old  stand- 
ing dry  tree,  and  Smith  was  too  drunk  to  go 
when  the  others  left.  He  went  to  sleep,  and 
the  tree  burnt  and  fell  close  to  his  back  and 
shoulders,  and  he  was  too  drunk  to  move ;  so 
be  had  to  roast :  and  he  did,  for  his  shoulders 
iiiid  back  were  a  perfect  cris]).  He  only  lived 
a  few  hours  after  he  was  taken  home.  Well, 
from  that  time  till  now,  I  can  trace  nearly 
all  the  murder  and  every  other  crime  to  that — 
the  worst  thing  in  the  world — whisky!  It 
brings  poverty,  disease  and  death!" 

But  there  is  one  thing  more  appalling  than 
the  drunkard  who  meets  a  sudden  and  shocking 
death,  and  that  is  the  dnmkard  who  drags  out 
a  miserable  life.  The  first  "fi'ightful  example" 
in  Indianapolis  was  Dr.  Jonathan  Cool.  He 
came  here  in  1831,  a  talented  young  fellow, 
and  better  educated  than  the  doctors  that  were 
here.  He  had  graduated  at  Princeton,  where 
he  was  a  classmate  of  Judge  Blackford,  and 
had  also  taken  his  degree  in  medicine,  and 
had  served  for  a  time  as  surgeon  in  the  United 


"Jnurual.   Deccm!)cr   S.    1S20. 


'-John  Shunk,  see  Xoirlnnd's  rtemiiiiscenceg, 
pp.  49-51. 

*'('.  e..  the  northwest  corner  nf  Capitol  ave- 
nue and  Xorth  street. 


HISTORY  OF  GRKATKi;    INDIAN  AIM  » LIS. 


449 


States  army.  Ho  was  the  first  physician  hew 
to  protest  against  the  heroic  doses  of  medicine 
— especially  of  calomel — that  were  given  in  the 
early  days.  This  brought  him  into  a  conti'o- 
versy  with  Dr.  Isaac  Coe,  who  was  one  of  the 
most  heroic  in  his  treatment,"  and  he  stated 
his  case  in  a  poem,  one  verse  of  which  is  still 
preserved — 

"Oh.  Dr.  (or:  Oil.  Dr.  Coe! 
Why   do  3'ou   dose  your   patients   so? 
Slow  to  cure,  and  quick  to  kill; 
There  is  no  man  alive  can  tell 
The  awful  power  of  calomel. 
And  dead  men  tells  no  tales." 

But  Cool  took  his  own  poison,  and  in  the 
(•our.se  of  a  few  years  became  a  lio]ieless  sot. 
He  retained  some  of  his  characteristics,  how- 
ever. He  was  always  very  polite,  and  very  fond 
of  quoting  poetry,  but  an  evident  sense  of 
shame  made  liim  shun  the  society  of  ladies, 
nf  which  he  had  been  fond ;  and  there  were  some 
ladies  who  would  gladly  liave  tried  to  reclaim 
him  if  they  had  had  opportunity.  Tn  the 
course  of  his  downfall.  Cool  made  an  arrange- 
ment with  Jerry  Collins  by  which  he  was  to 
have  three  drinks  a  day  in  return  for  medical 
services — morning,  noon  and  night.  One  morn- 
ing Cool  came  in  for  his  noon  drink  about 
11  o'clock,  and  when  Jerry  called  his  atten- 
tion to  the  hour  was  sadly  depressed.  Then  a 
happy  thought  struck  him,  and  with  true  ]iathos 
he  exclaimed :  "For  the  love  of  God,  Jerry, 
loan  me  an  hour."  The  loan  was  made.  But 
there  was  greater  need  for  eloquence  when  the 
doctor  was  overcome  bv  "the  Great  Thirst" 
and  called  for  an  extra  drink.  On  these  occa- 
sions there  was  usually  a  profound  discussion 
which  resulted  in  Cool  getting  the  drink,  for 
Collins  was  not  a  bad-hearted  fellow,  in  his 
way.  In  the  accompanying  cut  Jim  D\inlap 
has  presented  one  of  these  arguments  with 
Jerry  on  the  defensive  behind  the  bar,  and  the 
dilapidated  doctor  making  his  plea.  His  most 
efFective  appeal  was  on  this  line:  "Jerry  Col- 
lins, you  know  that  whisky  costs  you  only  20 
cents  a  gallon,  and  there  are  .56  drinks  in  a 
gallon.  Will  you  refuse  to  relieve  the  suffer- 
ings of  a  fellow  huMian-being  when  you  can  do 
it  for  less  than  two-fifths  of  a  cent?"     Poor 


Dr.  Cool !  He  was  not  one  who  owed  his  repu- 
tation for  mental  brilliance  to  the  fact  that 
he  was  a  drunkard ;  and  when  he  finally  came 
to  his  death  in  1840  there  were  many  who 
sighed  for  his  ruined  life. 

Another  victim  of  the  early  period  who  was 
often  spoken  of  by  the  older  citizens  was  Hugh 
0"Xeal.  He  came  here  a  boy  with  his  father, 
Thomas  O'Xeal,  in  ]S"21;  and  grew  up  on  his 
father's  farm,  just  north  of  what  is  now  Morton 
Place.  He  was  an  ambitious  boy,  who  at- 
tained a  fair  education  chiefly  by  his  own  eft'ort, 
read  law,  and  had  an  excellent  standing.  Says 
Nowland :  "No  young  man  in  the  state  bid 
fairer  to  rise  to  eminence  and  distinction  than 
he  did.  When  the  California  mania  was  rag- 
ing, in  1849,  his  ambition  prompted  him  to 
risk  his  chances  for  fortune  in  that  golden  re- 
gion, and  it  was  there  he  fell  a  victim  to  that 
destroying  demon  (intemperance)  that  anni- 
hiliates  all  that  is  good  and  virtuous  in  our 
natures,  and  sends  us  to  an  early  grave,  un- 
honored  and  unsung."  '=  And  there  were 
others,  so  many  of  them  that  it  were  out  of 
question  to  call  them  all  up.  and  there  is  no 
need  for  it;  for  there  are  few  of  the  living  who 
cannot  recall  some  ease  within  the  circle  of 
their  own  acquaintance.  Yet  one  I  will  men- 
tion, for  his  memory  haunts  me,  and  that  is 
"old  Colonel  Blake",  as  he  came  to  he  known  in 
his  later  years. 

As  a  young  man  John  W.  Blake  was  con- 
sidered to  be  of  great  piomise.  He  was  a 
lawyer  in  Clinton  County,  and  represented 
that  coimty  in  the  legislature  of  1857.  where 
he  is  said  to  have  been  an  important  factor  in 
the  great  senatorial  controversy  of  that  year. 
He  entered  the  Fortieth  Indiana  as  lietiten- 
ant-colonel,  was  ])ronioted  to  colonel  in  186"2, 
and  .served  through  the  war.  .After  the  war 
he  located  at  Indianapolis,  living  at  the  north- 
east comer  of  ^\'alInlt  and  Tennessee  streets. 
His  boys  were  my  playmates.  His  wife  was 
an  excellent  lady,  respected  by  all  her  neigh- 
bors ;  and  they  had  a  sweet  little  girl  who  was 
generally  admired.  Blake  became  a  hard 
drinker,  and  went  to  pieces.  The  family  wa.s 
obliged  to  move  to  less  attractive  neighborhood. 
The  two  boys  became  drunkards,  and  were 
both  killed  on  the  railroad  tracks,  while  drunk. 
The  girl  grew  up  and  married  a   conductor — 


''InrJ.  Tli.'^t.  Snr.  P«/).«..  Vol.   1.  p.  3.31. 
Vol.  1—29 


"'Enrli/  Rrmlinsrnircs.  p.   111. 


4  -"id 


ISTOltV  ()|-   (iKKATKi;    IXDlAXArOT.TS. 


C|Q^RS^ 


JERRY   COLLINS  AND  DR.  COOL. 
(From   a  sketch  li.v  James   B.   Dunlap.) 


J 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


451 


a  very  excellent  man.  He  came  home  unex- 
pectedly one  night  and  found  her  with  a  man 
she  had  picked  uj)  at  a  saloon  on  .Masj^acluuselts 
avenue.  The  hu>il)and  shot  him.  A  jiublie 
scandal  and  separation  followed.  Things  weni 
from  had  to  worse.  Blake  became  almost  a 
public  nuisance,  and  his  family  would  have 
suffered  but  for  his  pension. 

On  April  4,  1904,  a  notable  company  left 
Indianapolis  for  the  dedication  of  the  Indiana 
n'gimental  monuments  at  Shiloli.  Governor 
Durbin  and  statf  were  there  in  gorgeous  uni- 
forms, and  a  throng  of  old  soldiers  and  prom- 
inent citizens  were  at  the  de])i>t  to  accompany 
them.  Old  Colonel  Blake  appeared  at  the  de- 
pot. He  had  served  with  credit  at  Shiloh. 
His  portrait  is  in  the  monument  commissioirs 
report,  and  his  nanu'  on  the  monument  of  the 
Fortieth  regiment,  '{"here  was  a  wistful  look 
in  his  bleared  eyes  as  he  approached  various 
members  of  the  party,  hoping  for  an  invita- 
tion to  join  them,  lint  none  came.  He  watihed 
the  train  ])ull  out.  and  turned  to  resume  the 
downward  jjath  ihat  iiiihd  only  with  the  grave, 
five  years  later,  on  Ajiril  'J,  1!)0!).  If  some 
Zola  could  write  the  story  of  that  life,  just 
as  it  was,  with  its  baleful  effects  on  his  fam- 
ily, it  would  make  a  temperance  .-toi-y  b\  the 
side  of  whicli  T/.\ssoniinoir  would  be  insig- 
nificant. 

In  the  earliest  temperance  societies  "ardent 
spirits"'  was  not  understood  to  include  wine, 
beer,  hard  eider,  and  such  light  drinks,  and  it 
is  said  that  not  infrequently  a  "total  abstainer"' 
would  become  intoxicated  from  the  use  of  these. 
It  was  not  until  the  .second  national  Temper- 
ance Convention,  at  Saratoga,  on  August  A. 
]8:5(j,  that  a  general  stand  was  made  against 
these,  and  even  that  was  not  universally  ac- 
cepted. Goodwin  says  that,  "As  late  as  1811, 
Hie  Christian  Advocate  and  Journal,  the  obl- 
r<t  and  most  influential  organ  of  the  ^f.  !•]. 
Cliurch.  opposed  'tectotalisnv  editorially,  as 
contradicting  the  acts  of  the  Savior  and  the 
ndvice  of  Paul."'  It  had  been  adopted  by  some 
niendiers  of  temperaiu-e  societies  ])rior  to  1S."!(I, 
and  the  word  "teetotal"'  is  said  to  have  orig- 
inated from  distinguishing  such  members  on 
the  society  rolls  by  tlie  letter  "T".  st-anding 
for  "total",  while  0.  P. — standing  for  "nld 
pledge" — designated  the  other  members:  and 
from  the  use  of  T-total  grew  teetotsil.  Ilnw- 
pver  that  may  be,  the  idea  spread  widely,  and 


the  lU'W  "teetotal""  societies  supplan/ted  'the 
earlier  ones  in  many  places,  but  its  ett'ects 
were  not  much  iu  evidence  here;  althougti 
there  was  increased  activity  in  temperance 
work  at  the  time,  and  a  Young  Men's  Tem- 
perani-e  Society  was  organized  on  April  "2. 
183t)."'  Our  early  laws  dealt  only  with  "spir- 
ituous or  strong  liquors'",  and  iu  18."i9  the 
Supreme  Court  decided  that  port  wine  was  not 
within  the  law,  saying:  "Spirit  is  the  name  of 
an  inflammable  liquor  produced  by  distilla- 
tion. Wine  is  the  fermented  juice  of  the  grape 
(u-  a  pre[iaration  of  other  vegetables  by  fer- 
mentation."' '^  It  was  not  until  1852  that 
the  phrase  "intoxicating  liquor"  appeared  in 
the  general  law,  although  it  had  been  used 
in  some  laws  essentially  local ;  and  it  was  not 
until  185!)  that  it  broadened  to  "spirituous, 
vinous  or  malt  liquor,  or  any  intoxicating 
liquor."'  And  under  that,  it  was  required  to 
l>rove  that  the  liquor  was  "intoxicating"",  the 
Supreme  Court  holding,  in  18T6,  that  "beer"" 
was  not  even  presumptively  intoxicating,'"  and 
in  1877  the  same  as  to  "malt  liquors."  '"■' 

The  controversy  over  the  use  of  wine  un- 
questionably caused  a  lull  in  the  temperance 
movement,  but  it  was  soon  overcome  by  the 
\\'ashingtonian  movement,  which  originated  in 
Baltimore,  in  1840,  from  a  sudden  resolve  of 
a  party  of  convivial  drinkers  to  reform.  The 
society  grew  and  was  so  beneficial  that  in 
1841  members  were  sent  to  New  York 'and 
Boston  to  hold  meetings.  These  were  tremeu- 
doiis  successes,  and  the  movement  spread  o\cr 
the  country.  It  reached  Indianapolis  in  l-'eb- 
i-uarv.  184";;,  when  "a  reformed  inebriate,  a 
W'ashingtonian  fnim  Illinois,  on  his  way  to 
Ohio",  gave  it  a  start.  The  missionary,  who 
is  named  only  as  "Mr.  .Matthews'",  held  his 
first  meeting  on  l-'ebruary  28,  when  a  W'ash- 
ingtonian Society  was  formed,  and  ]0(i  signed 
the  pledge  of  total  abstinence  from  "intoxicat- 
ing li(piors''.  He  was  persuaded  to  stay  a  da.v 
longer,  and  on  the  evening  of  March  1.  lltl 
moj-e  names  were  added:  .-md  "Matthews  was 
induced  to  stav  one  more  day  when  the  mem- 
bership went  tip  to  .118.  The  meetings  had  to 
adjourn  to  the  Fast  Market  Ifousc",  liecaiise  no 


'"Jnvninl,  March   10  and   April  :W.   18:i(;. 
'■State  v.s.   ^Inaro.  5  Blackford,  ji.    IIS. 
"  .Schlosser  vs.   State,  55  Ind.,  p.  82. 
'"  Shaw  vs.  State,  50  Ind..  ji.  188. 


453 


HISTUKV   OF   CKKATER  IMJJ A.\ APULIS. 


room  in  the  city  would  hold  the  crowds.  The 
secretary  announced  that  "about  15  of  those 
who  have  signed  the  pledge  have  been  until 
very  recently,  and  some  up  to  the  present  time, 
considered  degraded,  confirmed  drunkards ;  a 
very  large  number  of  them  only  moderate  or 
gentlemanly  drunkards."-"  The  officers  of  the 
society  were :  Carey  H.  Boatright,  president ; 
Nathan  Davis  and  John  McGinnis,  vice-presi- 
dents :  Joshua  Soule,  Jr.,  secretary :  and  James 
M.  Sharpe,  assistant  secretary :  Joshua  Stev- 
ens, treasurer.  "Committee  of  Vigilance" — 
west  of  Meridian  street,  George  Durham,  Xa- 
than  Lister  and  Ezekiel  C.  Boyd — east  of 
Meridian  street,  James  M.  Smith,  William 
Campbell,  and  William  Biddle. 

Matthews  wa*  followed  on  March  2Ct  by 
"Mr.  Patterson,  a  reformed  inebriate  from 
Pittsburgh,"  who  had  been  "a  drunkard  for 
more  than  20  yeare";  and  on  April  19  the  so- 
ciety announced  that  it  had  458  members. 
They  evidently  went  into  the  work  with  a  vim, 
for  on  April  5  the  Journal  said:  "At  a  sale 
held  yesterday,  the  Washingtonians  disposed  of, 
at  a  great  sacrifice,  the  remains  of  a  distillery 
which  they  had  lecently  purchased  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  this  place.  This  was  done  with  the  ex- 
press understanding  that  the  articles  sold  were 
not  again  to  be  used  for  the  manufacture  of 
intoxicating  drinks  of  any  kind  whatever." 
The  meetings  of  the  society  were  frequent, 
and  on  the  Fourth  of  July  they  joined  the 
procession  in  a  body  and  a  special  temperance 
meeting  was  held.  There  were  no  strong  drinks 
at  the  dinner  that  day.  In  the  fall  a  Wash- 
ingtonian  camp-meeting  was  held  near  Green- 
castle,  with  prominent  speakers  from  all  parts 
of  the  state. '^  In  Indianapolis  "the  winter 
campaign  against  King  Alcohol"  was  opened 
on  Xovember  11,  at  the  Second  Presbvterian 
Church,  with  "an  address  by  H.  W.  Beecher,  a 
member  of  the  society."  -- 

The  decadence  of  the  Washingtonians  as  ac- 
tive societies  was  largely  due  to  the  organiza- 
tion of  secret,  fraternal,  temperance  societies. 
The  first  of  these,  the  Sons  of  Temperance, 
was  started  September  29,  1842,  in  New  York. 
It  was  followed  in  1845  by  the  Templars  of 
Honor  and  Temperance:  and   in    1851   by  the 


'"Journal.  March   9.  1842. 
"'Journal.  October  -4,   1842. 
--Jnvrnnl,  Xovenilvr  1.  1842. 


Order  of  Good  Templars.  Tlie  decade  was  one 
of  great  progress  in  temperance  sentiment. 
Suib  speakers  as  Dr.  Charles  Jewett,  Rev. 
Tbo^.  P.  Hunt  and  Theodore  L.  Cuyler  canu> 
into  prominence.  The  Hutchinson  family  of 
tfiii])enince  singers  came  into  prominence  in 
18-i;i.  John  B.  Gough  had  joined  the  Wash- 
iuiitonians  in  1842,  but  fell  from  grace,  and 
in  1S44,  having  again  reformed,  leaped  into 
fame  at  the  eighth  anniversary  of  the  American 
Tcm))erance  Union,  in  New  York  City,  to 
icniain  in  active  temperance  work  till  his  death 
in  188(5.  Father  Theobald  Mathew.  after  start- 
ing his  great  work  in  Ireland  and  England, 
came  to  this  countn'  in  1849,  and  was  re- 
ceived with  the  highest  honor  evervwhere.  He 
was  invited  to  Indianapolis  but  could  not 
cnnie. 

The  Sons  of  Temperance  were  first  organ- 
ized in  Indiana  in  the  eastern  and  southern 
])arts  of  the  state,  and  "Washington  Division. 
Xo.  10"  was  instituted  at  Indianapolis  on 
.V|)ril  24,  1846,  with  John  D.  Defrees,  William 
Hannaman.  W.  T.  Hatch,  R.  A.  McCluer.  H. 
B.  Hibbon,  Wm.  Campbell,  Jolm  Evans,  James 
Hall,  J.  E.  Kingsbury  and  Robert  Martin  as 
officers.-^  This  organization  was  the  great 
agency  of  temperance  for  the  next  decade.  In 
less  than  five  years  over  400  divisions  had  been 
organized  in  Indiana.  At  first  it  kept  clear 
of  politics  and  devoted  itself  to  reform  work. 
The  legislation  of  the  state  had  for  more  than 
a  decade  been  a  curious  hotch-potch  of  local 
temperance  laws,  varying  in  the  different 
counties,  townships  and  towns,  from  plain 
license  to  practical  prohibition.  In  1847  a  gen- 
eral law  was  passed  that  a  majority  vote  for 
"no  license""  in  any  township  should  insure  no 
license  for  one  year.  At  the  annual  meet- 
ing of -the  Grand  Division  of  the  Sons  of  Teni- 
])erance  at  South  Bend,  in  July,  1848,  a  pm- 
]>osal  to  memorialize  the  legislature  to  amend 
the  law,  so  that  no  vote  should  be  counted  for 
license  unless  expressly  so  cast,  was  voted  down 
!iv  a  large  majoritv.  But  a  change  soon  came. 
Xine  months  later,  at  Evansville,  the  Grand 
Division  voted  unanimously  to  take  steps  for 
prohibition,  and  it  did  not  rest  till  that  end 
was  attained.  In  1852  tlie  Grand  Division 
started  a  paper  at  Indianapolis  called  the 
Tempei-ance  Chart.    It  was  edited  by  Jonathan 


■Mnuniiil.  Ajn-il  29,  184fi. 


iiis'i'ouv  OF  (;kl:atkr  i.\1)1anai'()lis. 


4.- 


W.  (iordon,  tlii'ii  a  doctor,  and  it  will  not  be 
iicccsfiarv  to  inrorm  anyone  who  knew  Gordon 
hat  it  wa?  a  live  paper.     It  wa.s  continued  for 
[uiir  or  five  years. 

'Hie  constitution  of  18.51  havinji  done  away 
u  itli  the  system  of  local  and  special  legisla- 
tion, the  temperance  sentiment  was  strong 
i-m.ugh  to  secure  the  passage  of  the  stringent 
local  option  law  of  March  4.  1853.  It  pro- 
N  idcd  for  submission  of  the  ([uestion  of  license 
r  no  license  at  the  April  township  elections, 
lie  majority  to  govern,  and  no  vote  to  count 
inr  license  unless  expressly  so  stating.  It  was 
strict  in  other  respects,  and  contained  a  pro- 
visicui  that  anyone  selling  liquor  who  should 
■■(iiiisc  the  intoxication  of  any  person,  shall 
board,  keep  aiul  take  care  of  such  person  un- 
til lie  shall  be  able,  without  assistance,  safely 
111  return  to  bis  home";  and  on  failure  so  to 
do  anyone  else  might  perform  the  service  and 
recover  reasonable  compensation  for  it  from 
I  he  seller,  with  ."id  j)i'r  cent  damages.  The 
ricction  in  Center  'rownship  was  held  on  April 
I.  rtTid  resulted  in  a  majority  of  196  for  no 
license  out  of  ■.'.!"((  \iitc>s.  At  the  city  elec- 
tion on  ^lay  '■).  the  Democrats  put  up  a  party 
ticket,  all  of  whom  were  defeated  except  Ben- 
jamin rilhean.  the  candidate  for  marshal.  The 
law  was  not  enforced.  On  August  (i,  an  "East- 
endcr"  comjilained  to  the  Locomotive  that  there 
were  ten  establishments  retailing  liquor  in  one 
.<(piare  in  bis  neighborhood.  On  August  18  a 
public  meeting  was  held  which  denounced  the 
non-enforcement  of  the  law,  requested  the  resig- 
nation of  the  of  the  officials  responsible,  de- 
clared for  prosecution,  and  apiiointed  an  inves- 
tigating committee,  comfiosed  of  Tfobert  .\. 
Taylor,  .\ndrew  Bnnise,  Dr.  (J.  ('.  Becks,  .lames 
Blake,  and  Daniel  Yandes.  On  September  1, 
the  committee  reported  "a  list  of  40  house< 
they  bad  visited  where  liquor  was  sold  wilb 
the  iiamc«  ntul  jilaces" :  and  a  resolution  was 
)iassed  calling  for  the  resignation  of  the  mar- 
shal and  bis  deputy  or  Ibeir  removal  by  the 
Citv  Coiuu-il.  No  action  was  taken,  however. 
and  on  Xovember  20  tlie  Supreme  Court  de- 
clared tlu'  local  ojition  feature  of  the  law  un- 
constitutional, leavii\g  the  yv<\  of  it  to  stand 
as  n  -iimijle  licetise  law.-"^ 

The  efl'ect  of  this  was  to  determine  the  tem- 
perance  |ieo)ile   for  absohite  probibit ion.     Meel- 


-*  ^Ini/.e  vs.  the  St;ite.    I    Ii 


|,.  :i|-.'. 


ings  were  held  through  the  >tate,  and  delegates 
selected  to  a  state  convention  which  met  at 
Indianapolis  on  .January  11,  18.54.  It  issued 
an  address  to  the  people  in  favor  of  a  prohibi- 
tory law,  and  declared  "that  no  prohibitory 
law  will  satisfy  the  temperance  sentiment  of 
this  state  which  does  not  contain  the  principles 
of  seizure,  confiscation  and  destruction  of 
liquors  kept  for  illegal  sale."  With  this  the 
Democratic  State  Ccmvention  on  May  24  took 
square  issue,  declaring  opposition  ''to  any  law 
that  will  authorize  the  seaching  for,  or  seizure, 
confiscation  and  destruction  of  private  prop- 
erty." As  a  result  many  temperance  Demo- 
crats left  the  party,  as  also  did  many  who  ob- 
jected to  its  attitude  towards  slavery.  On 
.Tuly  13  "the  Peonle'-;  Convention"  met  at 
Indianapolis.  It  was  .i  strange  mixture  of 
former  Whigs,  Democrats,  Know-nothings  and 
temperance  men,  but  they  agreed  on  two  things, 
opposition  to  slavery  and  opposition  to  intem- 
perance, and  that  made  up  their  platform. 
The  convention  declared  for  "the  passage  of  a 
judicious,  constitutional  and  efficient  prohibi- 
tory law,  with  such  penalties  as  shall  effectually 
suppress  the  traffic  in  intoxicating  liquors  as 
a  beverage."  The  camjiaign  was  fought  on 
fbese  issues,  and  tlie  result  was  a  victory  for 
the  People's  partv  by  12,^00  majority.  They 
carried  Clarion  Countv  by  fi50,  and  Center 
Township  by  200. 

Tlie  next  legislature  pas.^ed  a  strict  ])robil)i- 
tion  law,  prohibiting  the  manufacture  or  sale 
of  intoxicating  li(iuors  except  for  medical, 
scientific  and  sacramental  purposes,  and  that 
was  to  be  doTie  by  agents,  on  a  dispensary  ha.sis. 
The  law  applied  expressly  to  "Ale,  Porter.  Malt 
Beer,  Laser  Beer,  Cider,  all  Wines,  and  fer- 
mented li(|Uors  which  will  ]iroduce  intoxica- 
tion, and  all  mixed  liquors  of  which  part  is 
spirituous  or  intoxicating  liquor."  It  was  a 
l)rohibition  law  that  lu-obibiled,  for  the  time 
being.  The  following  statement  by  Goodwin 
concerninir  it  is  historicallv  accurate:  "It  was 
to  take  effect  on  the  ]2tb  of  .Tune  and  it  took 
effect!  On  the  morning  of  the  13th  every 
saloon  in  Indiana  was  closed  :  and  not  a  single 
saloon  was  onened  for  piil)lic  bn<iness  from 
that  day  till  the  Sth  dav  of  the  following  Xo- 
vember. Speaking  of  the  workings  of  the  law 
in  Indianapolis,  the  Tndianai)ol's  SenllneJ  of 
the  15th  of  .Tune  said:  'The  temiierance  law. 
so  far,  has  been  iiniversallv  and  faithfiilh'  ob- 


454 


HISTORY  OF  CJKEATER    IXDI AXAPOLIS. 


MTvcd.  Wr  lirar  nl'  no  disposition  to  violati; 
it;;  provisions.'  And  the  local  editor,  the  same 
day,  said :  'The  new  liquor  law  has  knocked 
police  items  into  a  cocked  hat.  Not  a  single 
item  is  to  be  obtained  now  on  account  of  John 
Barleycorn'.  Eecurring  to  the  subject  again 
ou  the  20th  it  said :  'That  the  people  of  Indiana 
desire  and  will  have  a  reasonable  and  constitu- 
tional law  for  the  suppression  of  the  evils  of 
intemperance,  none  are  blind  enough  to  deny.' 
Recurring  again  to  the  same  subject,  on  the 
28th  of  June  it  said:  'During  the  past  fifteen 
days  there  has  not  been  a  single  commitment 
to  the  county  jail  for  the  violation  of  city 
ordinances,  and  in  the  way  of  arrests  by  tlie 
city  police  there  is  little  or  nothing  doing.' 

"The  Indianapolis  Locomotirc,  of  the  23d 
of  June,  said :  'There  has  not  been  a  single 
arrest  or  commitment  to  prison  since  June 
12th.  The  ]\Iayor  sits  quietly  in  his  official 
chair,  and  the  night  watch  doze  on  the  store 
boxes.'  Such  was  the  peace  and  order  which 
followed,  that  on  the  12th  of  July,  just  one 
month  after  the  t;iking  effect  of  the  law,  the 
Indianapolis  Council  reduced  the  night  watch 
one-luilf.  Referring  to  this  fact,  the  Loco- 
motive of  the  21st  of  July,  said:  'The  tem- 
perance law  has  nearly  abolished  rioting,  drunk- 
enness and  rowdying,  and  the  tax  payers  are 
reducing  their  expenses".  The  Journal  refer- 
ring to  this  reduction  in  its  issue  of  July  24th, 
said:  'The  reduction  of  the  night  watch  was  on 
account  of  the  diminution  of  disturbance  and 
drunkenness  from  the  enforcement  of  the  ])rii- 
hibitorv  law.'  The  Indianapolis  Evcniny  h'f- 
puhlicaii.  of  the  20th  of  June,  said :  'Runimeys 
no  longer  perambulate  the  streets,  making 
niglit  hideous:  and  the  watchmen  have  little 
to  do.'  The  Jovnial  of  August  20th  said:  'The 
law  diminished  crime,  reduced  drunkenness, 
saved  money  and  emptied  jails  until  the  Su- 
preme Court  took  hold  of  it.'  It  was  the  same 
everywhere."  -^ 

Preparations  for  fighting  the  law  had  begun 
I  Mr! v.  and  eminent  counsel  had  been  retained 
to  make  a  test  case.  On  Julv  2  Roderick  Beebe. 
an  Iiidiana|i()lis  saloon-ke(>per  openly  violated 
llic  law:  and  was  at  once  arrested  and  fined 
$")()  i)y  the  mavor.  Ii(>fusing  to  pay  he  was 
committed  to  jail  and  immediately  sued  out  a 
writ  of  habeas  corpus  in  the  Court  of  Commnii 


Picas.  That  cinirt  sustained  the  law.  and  an 
appeal  was  taken.  The  Supreme  Court  had 
adjourned  for  the  summer  vacation,  but  it 
was  called  together,  and  on  July  9  the  argu- 
ment began  on  appeal.  The  state  had  not  had 
the  time  for  preparation  that  the  appellant's 
lawyers  had,  and  asked  time  to  file  briefs :  and 
the  case  went  over  to  November.  Judge  Per- 
kins tried  to  call  his  colleagues  in  ou  August 
23d  to  decide  the  case,  but  Judges  Stiuirt  and 
Gookins  refused  to  attend.  On  August  25  the 
Marion  County  Democratic  Convention  de- 
nounced the  law  and  called  for  a  prompt  de- 
cision. On  August  27  a  convention  of  leading 
Democrats  was  held  at  Indianapolis,  which 
adopted  some  resolutions,  but  did  not  mention 
till'  liquor  law.  The  Jounml  treated  each  move 
as  significant  only  of  the  rivalry  between  Jesse 
D.  Bright  and  Governor  Wright,  who  had 
signed  the  law;  and  in  a  protest  against  a  de- 
cision of  the  question  in  August,  which  it 
said  would  be  for  political  effect,  it  said:  "That 
the  decision  will  he  adverse  to  the  law  is  well 
understood."  In  reality,  however,  it  was  in 
some  douijt.  About  November  1,  Judges  Stu- 
art and  Gookins  asked  for  reargument  on 
some  jioints. 

On  November  8  a  boy  named  Herman  vio- 
lated the  law.  He  was  arrested,  fined  by  the 
nuiyor.  sent  to  jail,  released  on  habeas  corpus 
liy  Judge  Perkins  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and 
brought  before  him,  in  chambers,  for  hearing, 
liy  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  But  even  this 
did  not  e(]ual  the  s])eed  with  which  the  case 
was  dis|)ost'd  of.  Bv  agreenu'nt  it  was  sub- 
mitted on  the  argument  already  made  in  the 
Beebe  case.  The  judge  made  an  off-hand  de- 
cision, ciuling  with.  "The  law  is  void:  let  the 
]nisoner  be  discharged."'  This  was  the  decision 
that  ended  the  enforcement  of  the  prohibition 
law.  and  not  the  decision  in  the  Beebe  case, 
made  on  December  20.  as  is  commonly  su[)- 
posed.  The  decision  was  jirinted  in  full  by  tli'' 
Sciiiiiirl  ou  November  12.  and  by  the  Jonninl 
— "revised  liy  the  autlior" — on  November  K^. 
It  was  not  included  in  the  Supreme  Court  re- 
liorts  at  the  time,  having  properly  no  ])lace 
tlicrr:  liiit  it  was  insert<'d  as  an  ap])endix  twi) 
\cars  later.-''  A  most  lingular  thing  al)out  this 
is  that  the  decision  is  dated  October  30.  1855 — 
ten  (lavs  before  the  case  was  heard,     .\fter  this 


-■'>V'/v'/////->'/.r  Yiars'  'l'ii\sli\  pp.  1  1.  !.">. 


S    liid..    ]i.    545. 


HISTOKY  OF  GKEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


455 


deci:?ion  im  attention  was  paid  tn  the  lii|iiiir 
law.  Druuk.s  became  conuiioii  ajiaiii,  and  lor 
some  clays  the  Journal  printed  its  items  of  tiiis 
kind  under  the  headline,  "Perkins." 

The  temjierance  agitation  of  1853-.5  gave 
ri.-e  to  some  heat  and  some  disorder,  but  it  was 
so  mixed  witli  tlie  '"Ivnow-nothing"  controversy 
that  it  is  hard  to  separate  tliem.  Tlie  com- 
mittee of  ISiui,  wiiich  reported  places  where 
liquor  was  sold  in  defiance  of  law,  gave  the  na- 
tionalitv  of  the  sellers  as  follows:  "German  iJ.'i. 
Irisii  ;j'  French  2,  Hoosier  2,  Colored  4,  Total 
44."-'"  The  meaning  of  this  is  that  it  was  "a 
beer  proposition"  in  the  main,  and  the  chief 
location  of  trouble  was  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  city,  where  the  German  immigrants  had  set- 
ilfd.  The  nearest  approach  to  any  serious 
trouble  was  on  the  night  of  August  1,  1855, 
when  three  night  watchmen  who  had  arrested 
two  disturbers  of  the  iieace  were  set  upon  by  a 
dozen  or  more  men  who  undertook  to  release 
the  prisoners.  A  light  ensued  in  which  pistols 
were  used  freely,  but  no  one  was  killed,  and 
only  one  man  wounded.  The  watchmen  held 
their  men.  and  the  next  morning  J.  P.  ^[iehael. 
.1.  JIattlcr,  A.  Xaltner  and  Michael  Esser  were 
arrested  and  taken  before  .Justice  Sullivan  on 
iharges  of  riot.  The  Join-iial  treated  it  as 
a  liquor  insurrection  and  riot;  and  the  Sriiliiii'l 
as  resistance  of  citizens  to  unwarranted  af- 
fronts by  Know-nothings.-"  TJoth  ])apers 
ch-oppcd  the  <nliject  in  a  few  days,  giving  no 
account  of  the  disposition  of  the  cases,  and  the 
Locomotive  did  not  mention  the  subject  at  all. 
The  f'ity  Connril  iiidoi-sed  tlie  walcbnicn.  and 
■■o  did  a  meeting  of  eitizens  held  on  .VugusI, 
s.  After  the  li(|Hor  law  was  bebl  unconstitu- 
tional, the  council,  on  .Fannarv  21,  lS.-)(!,  created 
a  police  force  of  10  men.  1  for  each  ward  and 
3  at  large — with  a  captain.  This  was  grad\i- 
ally  increased  from  time  to  lime,  and  in  lS(i3, 
on  request  of  the  eity,  the  militarv  authoi'itics 
provided  a  provost  gnarrl,  which  was  continued 
till    tlu>   elo<e   of   tlie   war.      Ill    ISd.'    the    force 


il  roll 


2    detectives,    and    Ki 


included    2"'    pairoinieii. 
s])ecial  officers. 

The  decision  of  the  Beebe  case  settled  the 
proliibitorv  law.  for  though  the  court  was  di- 
vided, and  the  ipicstion  of  "search  and  seizure" 
was  not   before  it.  the  indires  announced  orallv 


"Loromotirr.  September  10.   IS."". 
-"JourDdl,  August  2;  Sinliiicl.  August  3.  11, 


that  they  uoiild  hold  those  provisions  uncon- 
stitutional when  brought  uj).  The  temperance 
people  were  defiant,  and  jiroposed  to  change  the 
constitution.  The  Republican  platform  of  1856 
called  for  jirohibition  in  about  the  same;  lan- 
guage as  in  1854,  but.  of  course,  that  was  hope- 
less without  an  amendmt'iit  of  the  constitution. 
The  subject  was  hardly  mentioned  in  the  cam- 
paign, ami  the  Democrats  carried  the  state. 
From  tlieii  on  interest  centered  so  completely 
in  slavery  and  the  war  that  temperance  was 
almost  lost  sight  of.  In  lS(>,s  a.  State  Tem- 
perance Alliance  was  organized,  and  temper- 
ance sentiment  was  revived  and  unified  throu<jli- 
out  the  state,  so  much  so  tliat  the  legislature 
of  1810,  without  any  s]X'cial  preliminary  issue 
on  the  subject,  jiassed  the  Baxter  law  for  the 
restriction  of  the  sale  of  liquor.  This  was 
practically  a  local  option  law,  requiring  one 
who  wanted  license  to  present  a  petition  signed 
by  a  majority  of  the  voters  of  the  ward  or 
township.  It  yirohibited  sales  on  Sundays  and 
holidays,  ■ind  between  the  hours  of  9  p.  m.  and 
<!  a.  111.  It  required  the  seller  to  pay  the  ex- 
pense of  caring  for  one  whom  he  had  made 
drunk.  It  gave  broad  rights  of  action  to  rela- 
tives, guardians  and  employers  for  damage  re- 
sulting from  drunkenni'ss.  and  aiitliorized  suit 
by  the  townshi])  trustee,  for  the  benefit  of  the 
poor,  if  no  one  else  sued.  This  caused  a  polit- 
ical upheaval.  The  Democrats  elected  the  next 
legislature,  which  sulistituted  the  liberal  li- 
cense law  of   18T5. 

It  is  ]u-oblciiiatical  to  what  c\lcnt  llii>  re- 
>iili  came  from  the  W'omcnV  ('riisadi' — wbellier 
it  strengthened  or  weakened  Icinperance  sen- 
timent among  the  men.  It  certainly  caused 
considerable  disquiet  while  it  was  in  progress. 
Thv  movement  had  begun  about  Christmas, 
18';;!,  almost  simullaiu  (iU'-l\ ,  at  liillsboro,  Ohio 
and  Shelbyville,  Ind..  by  two  prayer  circles, 
entirely  independent  of  and  not  knowing  of 
each  other.  The  movement  was  started  here 
by  meetings  in  fcnir  of  the  churches  on  Feb- 
niarv  22,  IS" 4,  followed  by  other  meetings  for 
consultation.  On  March  '^  the  local  Womeirs 
Christian  'T('tu])erance  Union  was  organized, 
and  on  ^farch  G  the  movement  was  indorsed 
by  a  meeting  of  men  at  Masonic  Hall.  The 
first  work  was  canvassing  by  wards  to  prevent 
signatures  to  petitions  tinder  the  Baxter  law. 
This  was  followed  by  visitations  to  saloons, 
and    by    putting   watches   at   the    doors   of   sa- 


456 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDJAXAl'OLIS. 


loon?.  Tlie  inai)i  purpose  of  tlie  campiiigii 
failed.  The  sensation  soon  wore  off,  most  of 
the  women  got  tired  of  the  work,  and  it  was 
abandoned.  But  some  permanent  good  had 
Ijoen  accomplished.  A  number  of  drunkards 
had  reformed  and  the  community  had  been  well 
stirred  iij)  on  the  matter  of  law  enforcement. 
The  W.  C.  T.  U.  had  been  organized,  and  re- 
mains an  effective  force.  On  the  other  hand 
it  was  a  heav}'  cross  to  many  of  the  women 
who  went  into  it  from  a  sense  of  duty ;  and  it 
created  a  prejudice  against  aggressive  tem- 
perance work  in  many  men. 

Xotwithstanding  the  reversals  of  1874-5,  the 
temperance  forces  rallied  quickly.  The  In- 
diana Prohibition  l.eague  was  formed  in  No- 
vember, 1876:  and  its  work  was  immensely 
forwarded  by  the  Blue  Ribbon  movement  of 
Francis  Murphy,  which  began  in  Pittsburgh 
at  about  the  same  time — or  at  least  made  its 
great  start  there,  there  being  G0,000  pledges 
signed,  and  300  saloons  closed.  In  October, 
1S79,  the  Grand  Council,  composed  of  tem- 
perance men  and  women  of  all  organizations, 
was  organized  in  Indiana,  and  was  chiefly  in- 
strimiental  in  bringing  iip  the  proposed  con- 
stitutional amendment  of  1881.  Petitions  for 
an  amendment  for  prohibition,  signed  by  some 
4C,0()0  voters,  were  presented  to  the  Republi- 
can legislature  of  1881,  which  adopted  such  an 
amendment,  and  also  one  j)roviding  for  wora- 
e7i's  suffrage.  In  the  campaign  of  1882  the 
Democrats  vigorously  opposed  the  prohibition 
amendment  and  the  Republicans  ran  away  from 
it.  declaring  in  their  platform  that  the 
amendments  were  nonpartisan,  and  should  not 
be  treated  as  party  measures.  As  a  result,  the 
Reiniblienn  plurality  of  6, .50.')  on  the  state  ticket 
in  1880  clianged  to  a  Democratic  plurality  of 
10,924  in  1882;  and  the  amendments  were 
dropped  bv  the  legislature  of  1883.  It  was  in 
1882  that  the  Liquor  League  was  organized, 
and  became  a  force  in  politics  as  an  organiza- 
tion. It  made  the  ])olitical  mistake  of  trying 
to  dominate  absolutely  when  it  came  into 
power,  and  bv  its  course  probably  contributed 
more  to  the  development  of  anti-saloon  senti- 
ment in  the  next  ten  or  fifteen  years  than  any 
other  influence. 

In  1895  came  a  surnrise  to  the  liquor  power. 
If  anyone  had  iiredicted  in  advance  that  the 
letrislature  of  1895  would  pass  such  a  meas- 
ure as  the  Xicholson  law,  he  would  have  been 


lauglied  at,  even  by  members  of  the  legisla- 
ture, for  no  such  issue  had  been  presented,  and 
the  party  leaders  on  both  sides  were  against 
it.  But  a  movement  started  in  Indianapolis 
that  did  the  work.  Colonel  Eli  P.  Ritter 
wanted  a  local  option  law  that  would  ''hold 
water"',  and  he  had  put  in  months  preparing 
one.  It  was  based  on  the  principle  of  taking 
provisions  from  the  laws  of  other  states  that 
liad  been  upheld  and  construed,  with  the  view 
that  the  courts  would  hold  the  "legislative  in- 
tent" to  be  taking  sixch  laws  with  their  con- 
struction. After  it  was  prepared  Mr.  S.  E. 
Xicholson  representing  Howard  County,  came 
to  the  city  anxious  to  do  something  for  the 
temperance  cause,  and  after  some  consultation 
it  was  arranged  that  he  should  introduce  the 
liill.-"  ^leanwhile  Captain  Ritter  had  asso- 
ciated with  two  other  gentlemen  and  formed 
"the  Citizens'  League",  which  had  arranged 
for  backing  by  the  clergrv  of  the  state,  the 
Epworth  League,  the  Christian  Endeavor  so- 
cieties, and  some  other  agencies.  As  soon  as 
the  bill  was  introduced,  10,000  copies  were 
printed  and  sent  out,  with  5  petitions  with  each 
copy  of  the  bill  asking  for  its  passage,  by 
name  and  number.  Within  a  few  days  they 
liegan  to  come  in  to  every  member  of  the 
legislature  in  such  number  and  strength  that 
they  could  not  be  disregarded,  and  the  bill 
became  a  law.  It  lias  never  been  fully  en- 
forced or  it  would  practically  have  ended  the 
retail  liquor  business,  but  the  remonstrance  fea- 
tures of  section  9  have  been  acted  on  until 
much  the  greater  ]iart  of  Indiana  has  no  sa- 
loons. 

The  liquor  people  realized  that  they  had 
l)een  caught  napping,  hut  made  a  strong  effort 
to  overthrow  the  law  in  tlie  courts.  There  wi've 
over  two  dozen  of  the  best  lawyers  in  the  state 
acting  for  them  at  the  hearing  in  the  Supreme 
Court,  and  their  argument  was  presented  by 
throe  ex-judges  of  the  Supreme  Court — El- 
liott. Hammond  and  Zollars.  The  state's  case 
was  ))resented  bv  W.  A.  Ketcham,  Attornev- 
(Jeneral.  Charles  W.  Smith  and  Eli  F.  Ritter. 
Ritter  was  assigned  specially  the  defense  of 
section  9,  which  was  the  most  questionable 
fi'aturc  of  the  law.  On  June  19,  189fi,  the 
court  filed  its  decision  sustaining  the  law  in 
Into,    with    two    judges    dissenting    in    part    as 


-'■'Joiininl.  April   21.    190;]. 


Jll!=^TOi;V  OF  OKKAIKl!    I  \'1)I  \\  AI'ol.IS. 


to  station  2  only.""  Under  this  law,  with  the 
su])|)leinentarv  J[oore  law  of  1905,  and  the 
county  option  law  of  1909,  the  process  of  vot- 
ing out  license  lias  proceeded  until  on  Novem- 
ber 1,  1909,  there  w-ere  70  dry  counties  out  of 
'J2.  and  of  the  remaining  22  thi^re  was  only 
line — Vanderburgh — in  which  there  were  not 
one  or  more  drv  townships.  Out  of  a  total  of 
1.01  r>  township's  922  were  dry.  Out  of  89 
cities  G3  were  dry.  Out  of  3fi0  towns  330  were 
dr>'. 

Much  (if  this  Work  has  been  due  to  the  Anti- 
Saloon  League,  which  aims  to  work  indepen- 
dent of  party  lines,  on  an  "onini-partisan"' 
basis.     It  originated  at  Obcrlin.  Ohin.  in  Sep- 


tember, 1893;  and  a  national  organization  was 
etfected  at  Washington  City,  December  18, 
1895.  A  state  organization  was  made  in  In- 
diana in  October.'  189S.  by  Eev.  W.  C.  Helt, 
who  was  sent  here  liy  the  national  organiza- 
tion for  that  pur))()se.  ""'rhe  Citizens"  League", 
which  had  been  enlai'ged  after  tlie  passage  of 
the  Nicholson  law.  was  practically  merged  in 
this  new  organization.  In  fact  the  Anti-Sa- 
loon League  is  practically  a  combination  of 
the  forces  that  had  formerly  been  working  I'or 
temperance  outside  of  the  Prohibition  jtarlv. 
That  state-wide  prohilntion  mu>t  eventually 
come,  and  that  at  no  distant  day.  is  little 
doubted  by  anyone  wlio  keeps  watch  of  politi- 
cal movements. 


"'The  State  vs.  Oerhardt.  145   Iiid..  439. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 


THE  THEATElt  AXD  THEATEICALS. 


Aftei'  the  chilly  reception  of  the  Smiths  in 
18'J4-5.  no  theatrical  company  visited  these 
inhos])ital)le  shores  until  the  winter  of  1837-!^, 
when  William  l>in(lsay's  Company  came  in  by 
wagon  from  Cincinnati  bringing  their  scen- 
ery, costumes  and  properties  with  them.  All 
that  was  lacking  was  a  theater,  and  that  was 
soon  provided  in  the  wagon-shop  of  Mr.  Olle- 
man — father  of  "Weary"  Ezra  Ollcman — which 
was  across  Washington  street  from  the  Court 
House,  just  west  of  the  alley.  The  seats  were 
two-inch  planks  without  backs,  and  the  theater 
was  lighted  by  tallow  candles,  which  also,  placed 
in  tin  sconces  served  as  foot-lights.  The 
scenery  was  in  rolls,  and  adapted  itself  to  any 
sort  of  room.  The  orchestra  consisted  of  two 
fiddles,  Avhich  discoursed  the  popular  airs  of 
the  dav,  such  as  "Hang  On",  "Broad  Ripple", 
"Jay  Bird",  "Devil's  Dream",  and  "Fishers 
Hornpipe".  The  troupe  included  Mr.  and  ^frs. 
Lindsay,  who  did  the  leading  parts;  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bailey,  who  did  juveniles,  and  also  pre- 
sented living  statuary  between  plays;  Jim  TJn- 
ton,  a  really  good  comedian  and  fine  singer ; 
and  several  of  no  esjiecial  note  who  filled  (Uil 
the  casts.  The  performance  began  with  some- 
thing heavy,  and  during  the  season  the  cniii- 
panv  gave  "Macbeth",  "Douglass",  •'Hichanl 
III".  "The  Stranger".  "Bertram",  and  Hob- 
ert  Dale  Owen"s  "Pocahontas'",  which  had  re- 
cently appeared  in  ])rint.  After  this  came  two 
or  three  specialty  numbers  usually,  at  least 
a  comic  song,  and  sometimes  living  statuary 
or  a  recitation.  The  performance  closed  with  a 
farce,  among  those  given  being  "Turn  Out". 
"Lottery  Ticket".  "Jercmv  Diddler",  and 
"Swiss  Cottage".  At  this  time  the  National 
Road  and  Central  Canal  had  brought  enough 
floating  population  to  the  )dace  to  give  fair 
encouragement  to  the  jilayers.  and  T^indsav  re- 


turned in  the  winter  of  ls:)l)-40  with  sonic  ad- 
ditional players. 

On  this  second  visit  the  company  played  in 
the  dining  room  of  Browning's  Hotel,  which 
stood  where  the  Xew  York  store  now  is.  The 
performances  were  of  the  same  character  as 
before,  but  were  made  notable  by  the  engage- 
ment of  ]\Irs.  Alexander  Drake — •'rcengage- 
ment",  the  Democrat  called  it,^  though  there 
is  no  record  of  her  being  here  before.  "The 
Honeymoon",  "The  Golden  Farmer"'  and  sev- 
eral other  plays  were  added  to  the  list  at  this 
time.  Mrs.  Drake  was  a  star  actress,  at  this 
time  in  her  prime,  and  she  was  certainly  "a 
link  among  the  years"'  in  Indiana  theatricals. 
.She  was  a  ^liss  Denny,  and  made  her  first  ap- 
|i(';ii'ance  on  the  stage  at  Cherry  Valley,  Xew 
York,  as  "Amelia  Wildenheim"".  Later  she 
married  Alexander  Drake,  and  with  him  went 
west  with  a  theatrical  comjiany  in  181.5.  In 
1S21  Drake"s  comijany  visited  Vincennes,  where 
they  took  on  Sol  Smith — uncle  of  Sol  Smith 
Russell,  and  a  piniicer  in  Indiana  theatricals. 
Her  last  appearance  in  Indianapolis  was  dur- 
ing the  Civil  War,  when  her  son-in-law,  Harry 
Chapman,  was  managing  the  old  ilctropolitan 
theater.  Her  first  husliand.  Alexander  Drake, 
whii  was  tlio  must  noted  nctor  and  manager  of 
bis  dav  in  the  Ohio  A'alley,  died  on  the  stage 
at  Cincinnati  while  singing  the  celebrated  old 
comic  song.  "Xear  Fly  ^larket  Lived  a  Dame". 

The  legislature  was  in  session  at  the  time  of 
this  engagement,  and  among  its  members  was 
Ceorge  W.  Cutter,  of  Tigo  County,  who  de- 
\i'l<i]ied  a  great  ]iassion  for  ^[rs.  Drake,  and 
she  apparently  reciprocated,  althotigh  old 
eno\igh  to  lie  his  mother.  Cutter  was  an  orator 
of    the    high-flying    type,    which    was    natural 


Wemocrnt.  December  •?!.  18.39. 


458 


HISTORY  OF  GIJEATEU  IXDIANAroLlS. 


4.")!l 


enough,  for  he  was  a  ))oet,  and  a  very  credit- 
able one.  His  "E  Pluribus  Umuu"  was  a  very 
pojJiihir  pot'iii  in  liis  (hiy.  and  so  was  his  "Song 
of  the  Sleanf" — 

"Fetter   liie   douu    witii    ymw    iron    iiands. 
Be  sure  of  your  curb  and  rein. 
For  1  scorn  tlie  power  of  your  puny  hands 
As  the  tempest  scorns  a  chain."" 

In  t'iu-t  the  laticr  was  popular  long  after 
his  (lay.  and  rank>  with  standard  jicietry  now. 
])uring  this  sessinii  ajipeared  his  "Elskwata- 
wah".  an  e|iic  on  the  fortunes  of  the  Shawnee 
Prophet,  whitli  was  his  most  lengthy  produc- 
tion. Cutter  was  ardent  in  his  devotion.  He 
and  Mrs.  DraJ<e  both  boarded  at  Browning's 
Hotel,  and  every  night  he  accompanied  her 
to  the  iheater.  and  stood  in  the  wings  while 
she  performed.  One  night  she  fell  on  the 
stage,  and  he  rushed  to  the  rescue,  embraced 
her  with  words  of  r-ndearment,  and  kissed  her 
back  to  lilr.  to  the  intense  amusement  of  the 
audieiue.  That  settled  it,  if  there  was  any 
douht  before.  'I'hey  were  married.  As  the 
first  theatrical  marriage  in  Indiana])olis.  the 
record  is  of  ])assing  interest.     It  is  as  follows: 

"Be  it  known,  that  on  January  -.'-.M.  184(1. 
a  marriage  license  issued  to  George  W.  Cutter 
and  Mrs.  Frances  A.  Drake,  he  being  of  Vigo 
County,  and  she  of  Marion  County,  where  she 
has  resided  one  month  immediately  preceding 
this  date,  proved  hv  affidavit  of  E.  K.  Brown 
tiled,  and  both  of  lawful  age. 


-Tl 


le  niarnai 


if  wh 


is  thus  cert  ilicd.  to- 


wit: 

"I  hereby  ecrtify  that  on  'i'hursilay.  .lain. 
23,  1840.  I  joined  in  marriage,  according  to 
hiw.   .Mr.   (;.  '\y.   Cutter  &:  :^[rs.   .\.    Drake. 

"H.    W.    Beecher." 

The  I-".  K.  Brown  who  made  the  afliilavit 
was  a  portrait  painter.  Tliink  of  it!  'J"h<' 
most  notable  Indiana  |iwt  of  his  day,  married 
to  the  star  actress  of  the  Ohio  Valley,  with  an 
artist  for  witness,  and  TTeniT  Ward  Beecher 
for  minister!  What  cinild  be  more  charmingly 
Bohemian?  But  it  diil  n<il  impress  the  public 
tiiat  way.  and  the  legislature  proeeeded  to  "have 
fun""  witli  ^fr.  Cutter,  until,  r)n  Feiiniary  .'?, 
the  Journal  reported  a  passage  between  ^fr. 
Cutter  and   Afr.   Eceles.  in   which    it    said   that 


.Mr.  Eceles  "alluded  very  improperly  to  the 
former's  recent  marriage.""  Then  Cutter  made 
an  indignant  denial,  and  Eceles  hastened  to 
explain:  "It  is  notorious  that  .Mr.  Cutter  has 
been  treated  (as  I  thought)  improperly,  by 
knocking,  laughing,  etc.,  when  speaking"';  and 
that  he  had  rebuked  this  levity,  stating  that, 
"if  we  had  no  respect  for  Mr.  Cutter,  we  ought 
to  respect  the  jjeople  of  the  county  from  which 
he  came".-  Tlie  Journal  also  explained  that  it 
did  not  mean  that  .M^r.  Eceles  used  any  im- 
jjroper  expressions,  lint  that  it  was  improper  to 
refer  to  the  private  life  of  a  member. 

The  theater  itself  did  not  escape  the  atten- 
tion of  the  watch-dogs  of  morality  on  this  oc- 
casion. On  January  10,  1840,  "Old  Sub- 
scriber" carded  the  Journal,  which,  by  the 
way,  did  not  advertise  the  theater,  saying: 
".\s  there  mav  be  much  misapprehension  among 
the  jieople  in  other  jiarts  of  the  state,  as  to 
eitizens  of  Indianapolis  encouraging  or  su>- 
taining  a  Theater,  which  it  is  said  cannot  find 
even  temporary  snpjjort  in  any  other  town  in 
the  state,  be  so  good  as  to  insen  the  fcdlowing 
explanation  from  a  late  New  \ nyV  paper  of 
the  sources  of  such  su[)port,  excn  in  large  cities 
— which  may,  in  some  degree,  ndieve  our 
eity  from  a  reputation,  on  this  >ubji'ft.  which 
a  large  majority  of  us  liy  no  means  covet." 
The  inclosure.  whieh  the  Journal  jjrinted,  was 
a  lengthy  and  severe;  reflection  on  the  charac- 
ter of  the  people,  who  built  theaters,  and  a  dec- 
laration that  their  support  in  New  York  came 
chiefly  from  "visitors  from  the  country'',  add- 
ing that  "liut  very  few  respectable  families  in 
Xew  York  visit  the  theater  at  all,  and  these 
few  go  too  rarely  to  afford  much  support''. 

To  this  'Sly.  Lindsay  rejdied  in  the  Dcnio- 
rrat,  charging  that  the  alleged  extract  from  a 
Xew  York  pa])er  was  a  pretended  one.  Then 
"Old  Subscriber"  came  back  in  the  Journal  of 
January  2S).  stating  that  the  Xew  York  paper 
in  (piestion  had  been  left  at  the  Journal  office. 
He  also  gave  an  extract  from  a  Louisville 
paper  commending  the  authorities  of  Arobil(> 
for  del  hiring  a  theater  a  nuisance;  and  an  ex- 
tract from  the  Philadelphia  Saturday  Evcnimj 
I'oxt,  on  theaters,  wliidi.  among  other  things, 
said:  "We  consider  them  as  the  most  fruit- 
ful source  of  crime,  profligacy  and  misery 
to   he    found    in   our  great    cities,   ami    we  have 


'Jniirnal,  Fcliruar\'  .">.  IS  1(1. 


-I(i0 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


resolved  that  our  iutiuenou  shall  be  exerted 
against  them.  They  shall  never  be  noticed  in 
this  paper  but  for  the  purpose  of  censure." 

This  season  of  1839-40  was  also  made  famous 
by  the  presentation  of  "Pocahontas"',  under  the 
])ersonal  supervision  of  Robert  Dale  Owen,  the 
author.     Tlie  late  Austin  H.  Brown  gave  this 
account  of  it :  "A  company  of  strolling  players, 
some   of  them  talented  and  successful  actors, 
under   the   management    of   William    Lindsay, 
was  then  playing  in   Indianapolis  for  a  brief 
season.    Mr.  Owen  enlisted  the  services  of  these 
.plavers   and    in    addition    those    of    James    G. 
Jordan   and   Joseph  F.   Bro\\'n,   two   amateurs 
wlio  had  appeared  on  some  occasions  with  the 
strolling  company.     In  this  way  the  principal 
parts   were    filleii.      Browning's    Hotel    dining 
room  was  engaged,  and  a  crude  stage  and  scen- 
ery  were  placed    therein   on   a   raised   floor  at 
one    end    of    the    room.      The    footlights    and 
sidelights  were  supplied  with  tin  sconces,  each 
holding  a  lighted  candle.     Mr.  Owen  gave  his 
personal  attention  to  the  preparation  and  stag- 
ing of  the  play  in   everv  detail,  and  frequent 
consultations  were  liad  with  Jordan  and  Brown 
in   the   State   Lil)rary,   and   I   was   present    at 
most  of  them.-'     Tlie  play  was  gone  over  care- 
fully, and   a  large  portion  of  it  cut.   and  re- 
duced into  an  acting  play  of  about  two  hours" 
length.     There  was  in  the  original  an  under- 
plot carrying  with  it  a  love  story  in  the  wilder- 
ness,   and    that    was    entirely    cut    out.     ^ly 
mother,    as    an    accommodation    to   my    T'ncle 
Joe.  assisted  in   the   preparation   of  the  ward- 
robe.    Finally  it  was  thought  the  play,  after 
frequent    rehearsals    was    ready,    and    a    night 
was  fixed  for   its  presentation.     The  Legisla- 
ture was  then  in  session  and  was  well  repre- 
sented in  the  audience,  which  was  considered 
a  large  one  for  tlie  times.     The  character  of 
Capt.  John   Smith   was  assumed  l)v  James  G. 
Jordan  and  that  of  Joliii   Ratelitfe  by  Joseph 
F.  Brown,  while  the  otlier  parts  were  played  by 
the   members  of   tlie   strolling   company,   Mrs. 
Lindsay  taking  that  of  Pocahontas. 

"Tlie  drama  was  considered  to  have  been 
well  acted,  and  the  next  vear  a  society  of  home 
Thespians  iceiiacted   it  two  or  three  times  in  a 


rude  frame  building  where  the  .Medical  College 
of  Indiana  now  stands,*  the  principal  charac- 
ters in  the  cast  being:  'John  Ratcliffe,'  Joseph 
F.  Brown :  'Capt.  John  Smith,'  James  G.  Jor- 
dan;  'Powhatan."  James  McCreadv;  'Pocahon- 
tas,' William  Wallace;  'Xoniony,'  her  sister, 
Lewis  Wallace.  *  *  *  j^  those  days 
women  did  not  take  part  iu  amateur  theatricals. 
Hence  it  was  that  the  two  Wallace  boys,  then 
about  eighteen  and  sixteen,  respectively,  as- 
sumed the  female  parts,  and,  barring  their 
voices,  one  could  not  tell  from  dress  or  action 
that  they  were  not  young  girls.  Mr.  Jordan 
died  many  years  ago.  It  was  said  of  him  that, 
had  he  taken  up  the  theatrical  profession,  he 
would  have  achieved  success  and  honor  as  a 
tragedian."  The  other  members  of  that  memora- 
ble company  were  better  known,  William  Wal- 
lace as  law  partner  of  Gen.  Benjamin  Har- 
rison, and  postmaster  of  Indianapolis;  Gen. 
Lew  Wallace  of  national  fame  as  soldier  and 
author ;  Jose])h  F.  Brown  long  a  deputy  in  the 
County  Clerk's  office;  and  James  McCready 
as  third  mavor  of  Indianapolis,  who  outlived 
all  the  rest  and  died  October  9,  1909,  at  the 
ripe  age  of  93. 

The  Thespian  Corps  was  the  first  amateur 
theatrical  organization  in  Indianapolis,  and  it 
had  a  number  of  other  notables  in  it,s  mem- 
bership. There  were  no  ladies  in  it.  The  male 
characters  were  taken  bv  SpofEord  Edward 
(Xed.)  Tyler,  William  Hite,  Nat  and  John 
Cook.  ]\Iontserrat  and  ^lartin,  in  addition  to 
those  named,  while  in  addition  to  the  Wallace 
boys.  Davis  Miller.  J.  McCord  Sharpe,  James 
McVey  and  William  Snt^d  did  female  parts. 
The  organization  was  inspired  by  the  Lindsay 
season  of  1839-40.  and  Lindsay  rented  the 
amateurs  part  of  his  scenery  wliile  he  went  off 
on  a  tour  to  other  towns  of  the  state.  The 
first  announced  plav  was  "Douglass,  or  the 
Xolilo  Shepherd,"'  on  :March  28,  1840.=  and 
for  this  venture  they  sent  to  Logansport  for 
Nat  Cook,  who  had  taken  subordinate  parts  at 
"Shire's    Garden"    theater,    at    Cincinnati,    to 


"Mr.  Bro\vn"s  lather.  Hon.  Win.  J.  Broun. 
was  then  Secretarv  of  State,  and  ex-officio  State 
Lilirarian.  but  the  duties  of  tbi'  latter  office 
were  performed  by  "I'licle  Joe""  Brown. 


*  Northwest  corner  of  ^Market  and  Senate 
avenue.  The  old  building  was  built  for  a 
foundry  and  stood  east  of  what  was  commonly 
known  as  "the  hay  press."  having  lieen  put  up 
for  the  purpose  of  baling  hay  for  the  flat  l">at 
trade,  down  the  river. 

'•Democrat .   .March  ■?•"'>.   1S40. 


i[TSToi;v  OF  (;t^k.\'ii;ii  ixnTAXAi'oi.is. 


461 


take  the  charactor  of  youiii;-  "'Xiii'val,'"  which 
lie  (lid  very  well,  though  his  playing  was  eon- 
sidered  to  be  surpassed  by  Jordau's  "Glenal- 
von."  Cook's  younger  brotlier  John  took  a 
part  in  the  I'aree  afterpiece.  They  were  sons 
of  John  Cook  who  became  State  T^ibrarian  the 
next  year,  after  having  that  Dtlici'  made  iiuk'- 
peiident  and  tlie  duties  of  custodian  of  the 
State  Ca])itol  and  grounds  added  to  it.  Tlieik 
was  another  of  the  Cook  boys,  Aquilla,  who 
ajJjM'ared  in  some  of  the  plays,  and  who  went 
to  Cincinnati  about  1844  and  married  a  danci"'- 
at  Shire's  Garden.  He  shot  the  treasurer  of 
the  theater  on  a  charge  of  insulting  his  wife. 
and  escaped  and  disa])]>eared.  Jordan  was  al 
the  time  a  law  student,  later  city  clerk,  and 
then  secretary  of  the  liellefontaine  Railroad 
Company  when  Oliver  H.  Smith  was  ]iresident. 
The  Thespians  gave  "Pocahontas"  oftener 
than  anything  else.  It  is  not  much  of  a  play, 
but  it  was  an  excellent  thing  for  "breaking  in" 
a  moral  town,  as  it  was  full  of  philosojihy  and 
moral  sentiment,  and  abounded  in  good 
-peeches,  such,  for  example,  as  this  of  ('apt. 
.lohn  Srhith: 

"Oil!  they  an-  wondrous  wise,  the.se  merchant 
rulers. 

Considerate — most  considerate,  i"  faith! 

Merciful — so    that    mercy    tills    their    |uii-ses; 

Just — and  if  justice  would  but  turn  to  gnld. 

With  every  virtue  under  the  sun 

That  will  but  yield  the  profit  of  a  vice. 

I'm  sick  of  will — and  will  not — gentry,   I : 

Men    who   would   at  once   be  both   black   and 
whitt' ; 

\\'(imIiI    jiluck    the    fruits   of    Hell,   on    mad    to 
I f eaven  ; 

Wdtild  serve  two  masters,  and  take  hire  from 
l)oth ; 

Men  who  will  scorn  a  brazen-conscienced  cut- 
throat. 

Then  grumble  that   tliey've  not   a  cut-tbroal"s 
pay : 

Expect  the  I'nd,  while  tbey  disclaim  the  means; 

Covet  the  rich  reward  a  villain  earns, 

.And  deprecate  the  villainy  that  earns  it; 
.  Would  buy  damnation  in  the  Devil's  market, 

Yet  higgle  at  the  price  the  Devil  asks." 

In  fact  when  the  jilay  appeared  early  in 
ls:i7  from  the  New  York  press  of  George 
Dearborn,  some  of  the  eastern  papers  I'xpressed 


astonishment  that  so  truly  Shakesperian  a  pro- 
duction should  emanate  from  Indiana.  It  w^as 
produced  at  several  points  in  the  West  for  a 
short  time  but  soon  dropped  out  of  use.  The 
Thespians  gave  several  plays  that  called  for 
greater  histrionic  ability,  such  as  "Pizarro,'' 
"Douglass,"  "The  Brigamls"'  with  Jordan  as 
"Massaroni"  and  his  song  "Love's  Ritornella," 
and  "The  (iolden  Farmer."  Tlie  last  was  a 
great  favorite.  The  cast  was,  "Golden  Farmer," 
.Joseph  F.  Brown;  "Harry  Hammer,"  James  G. 
Jordan;  "Old  ^lob,"  James  McCready ;  "Jem- 
my Twitcher,"  Ned  Tyler;  "Elizabeth,"  James 
MeVey.  Tyler  made  a  great  hit  as  "Jemmy 
'I'wi teller."  and  it  was  freely  predicted  that 
he  would  make  his  fortune  if  he  would  take 
to  the  stage.  The  bovs  made  a  very  good, 
but  rough  theater  of  the  old  foundry  building. 
The  stage,  about  fifteen  by  twenty  feet,  was 
at  the  north  end,  and  the  scenery  was  very 
fair,  through  the  generous  aid  of  Jacob  Cox. 
There  was  no  floor,  and  the  plank  seats  rose 
gradually  to  the  south  end,  on  ^larket  street. 
-Vdmission  was  twenty-tive  cents,  but  mer- 
chantable articles  were  frecpiently  accepted  in 
lieu  of  cash.  The  organization  was  maintained 
for  three  or  four  years,  and  was  a  source  of  no 
little  entertainment  to  the  community.  In  re- 
gard to  the  make-up  of  the  Corjis  it  should 
be  added  that  Jordan  was  stage  manager  and 
Enoch  ]\Iay — a  printer  commonly  called  "Bos- 
ton" _May.  father  of  Edwin  .Afay  the  architect — 
was  prompter. 

The  season  of  1843-4  brought  to  Indianap- 
olis .Tohn  Powell,  with  the  best  troupe  In- 
dianapolis had  seen;  and  Powell  was  an  ad- 
vertiser of  rare  genius.  On  November  21, 
1S|;!,  appeared  the  announcement  in  the  Demo- 
iriii  that  "The  New  York  Company  of  Come- 
dians" would  give  "a  Grand  Concert"  at  7 
p.  ni. ;  followed  by  a  statement  that  those  who 
attend — price  twenty-five  cents — are  "requested 
to  renuiin,  free  of  charge,  and  witness  a  Full 
Dress  Rehearsal  of  the  beautiful  drama  in  tliri'c 
acts  entitled  The  Princess  of  Nfongrelia,"  after 
which  there  were  to  be  some  chaste  songs  ami 
"the  much  admired  and  fashionable  comedv 
The  Irish  Heiress."  A  day  or  two  later  Pow- 
ell almost  got  up  to  the  ])anorama  level  bv 
presenting  "The  Apostate,  or  The  Horrors  of 
the  S|)anish  Intpiisition."  This  company  im- 
provised a  theater  in  the  second  story  of  Hi- 
ram Gaston's  wagon  sho]).  where  the  Claypool 


462 


JllSTUlJi'   UF   (;i!KATEi:   JMJlAXAJ'OlJS. 


Hotel  stand;;,  with  a  fair  f^tage  and  scciiL-rv. 
1'lie  proscenium  was  adorned  with  the  inscri])- 
tion,  in  large  letters,  "Veluti  in  speeiiliun,"" 
which  was  gratifying  to  the  learned,  as  Jt  gave 
them  opportimitv  to  explain  to  the  masses  th;it 
it  meant  '"As  in  a  mirror."  On  the  other 
hand,  the  stair  and  platform  hv  which  the 
theater  was  entered  from  Washington  street, 
on  the  outside  of  the  building,  had  not  been 
furnished  witli  a  guard-rail,  and  one  night 
Richard  Corbalev  fell  off  to  the  jiavenient  be- 
low, and  received  injuries  from  which  he 
shortly  died,  thus  furnishing  a  sok'niu  waru- 
ing  against  theater-going.  , 

However,  the  season  was  made  irresistible 
bv  the  additional  engagement  of  "ilrs.  A. 
Drake,"  who  had  wearied  of  domestic  happi- 
ness at  Terre  Haute  and  returned  to  the  stage, 
and  A.  A.  Adams,  who  had  lost  an  eastern 
engagement  by  "getting  full"'  at  an  inoppor- 
tune season,  and  was  starring  the  provinces 
from  necessity.  "Gus"'  Adams,  as  he  was  fa- 
nuliarly  known,  was  a  really  fine  tragedian, 
of  the  Edwin  Forrest  type,  large  physically, 
with  a  strong  voice,  and  withal  a  man  of  brains 
and  dramntie  insight.  He  and  Mrs.  Drake 
made  a  verv  strong  team  in  "Pizarro,"'  "Lady 
of  the  Lake,"  "Othello,"  "Yirginius,"  "Mac- 
beth," and  other  standard  plays.  It  must  l)e 
confessed,  however,  that  the  most  lasting  im- 
pression on  the  ])lay-goers  of  the  time  was 
jwadc  by  the  two  comedians  and  comic  singers, 
Sam  Lathrop  and  Tom  Townley.  The  f(n-- 
mers  song  "The  Tonga  Islands,"  and  the  lat- 
tei''s  "The  Raging  Carawl"  were  talked  of  for 
years. 

But  the  most  striking  effect  of  this  visit 
was  on  the  Journal,  which  actually  melted,  and 
on  December  13  said,  editorially:  "We  have 
hitherto  forliorne  to  notice  the  dramatic  com- 
pany under  the  manngement  of  ^[r.  Powell 
now  in  this  city.  *  *  *  ^phe  arrival  of 
]Mr.  A.  A.  Adams  and  ^Mrs.  Drake,  advertised 
for  'Rolla'  and  'Elvira,'  induced  us  for  the 
first  time  to  witness  the  perfornumces,  and 
the  result  is  that  we  not  only  feel  remunerated 
for  the  trifle  of  expense,  but  feel  called  upon 
to  give  encouraiicment  to  the  enter]irize,"  and 
then  followed  detiiils.  "Mrs.  Drake,  evei-  n 
favorite  with  us.  e\(T  in  our  view  unsur- 
pas.sed,  even  by  tlu'  illustrious  Kemble — we 
were  delighted  nnd  tliriiled  with  her  powers. 
And  Adams  us  •liolh;"  luul  never  t-o  our  mind 


iieen  ceLpscd  even  by  W'allaek,  whose  especial 
favorite  this  part  is."  It  was  a  really  won- 
derful change  of  attitude,  but  it  was  no  doubt 
largely  due  to  a  change  of  editors,  Jlr.  Nc  vl's 
liirmer  place  on  the  tripod  being  occupied  by 
Theodore  J.  Barnett,  who  was  evidently  not 
built  for  resistance  to  temptation.  There  is 
no  express  record  of  the  effect  on  patronage,  but 
it  was  probably  not  great,  for  half  a  dozen 
years  pas.sed  before  another  thentrical  troupe 
undertook  to  play  Indi.uiajiolis. 

On  June  1,  18-50,  Austin  H.  Brown  became 
j)ro))rietor  of  the  Sentinel,  and  having  good 
facilities  for  advertising  in  all  lines,  there  be- 
ing a  good  job  office  connected,  he  evolved  the 
idea  of  bringing  shows  to  advertise,  and  shar- 
ing profits.  His  first  ventures  were  with  the 
po])ular  line  of  entertainments,  panoramas,  lec- 
tures, concerts  and  the  like.  There  were  others 
lor  which  he  was  not  responsible.  One  of  the 
most  interesting  was  "John  Talby,  Ventrilo- 
ipiist,"  wild  advertised  a  magician  show  on  De- 
cember ■>(;  and  -2;,  1850,  at  ]\Iasonic  Hall,  to- 
gether with  "the  only  living  specimen  of  the 
Monuiter  I  a  fowl  with  six  legs,  which  will 
dance  Fish.er's  Hornpipe."  John  aited  as  his 
own  doorkeeper,  and,  after  the  audience  was 
ill,  retired  behind  the  scenes,  from  which  he 
never  emerged  on  the  same  side  as  the  audience, 
'{'he  show  consisted  of  one  mysterious  disap- 
pearance. This  was  followed  by  a  double  pano- 
rama show  at  Concert  Hall — "Adam  and  Eve. 
The  Temptation  and  Expulsion  fnun  Para- 
dise" ;  and  a  "Panorama  of  the  Hudson  River." 
Tliis  was  more  moral  and  more  lasting — it 
stayed  for  three  weeks. 

Ill  January.  1S.")1.  Mr.  Shire,  the  tlieatrical 
manager,  brought  here  and  advertised  for  Jan- 
uary 8,  9  and  10  a  "Grand  Dramatical  and 
Musical  Entertainment,  by  the  Celelu-ated  To- 
ledo Company,  ten  in  number,"  which  was  to 
give  "the  most  choice  Dramatic  Pieces  and  Vo- 
cal and  Instrumental  ^[usic."  This  was  a  no- 
table occasion  for  two  reasons.  The  first  was 
that  the  Journal  lu-oke  the  record  of  twenty-six 
years  and  jiublished  its  advertisement.  The 
second  was  that  the  onlv  satisfaetorv  place  f(U' 
a  theatrical  show  was  Masonic  Hall,  in  whicli. 
the  Constitutional  Convention  was  then  sitting, 
and  arrangements  were  made  by  which  the 
Convention  performed  in  the  daytime  and  the 
dramatic  company  at  night.  This  did  not 
ar.uise  much  criticism,  thougii  the  Loroniotire 


HISTORY  OF  GREATKli    I  XDIAXAI'ULIS. 


4(53 


ohseived.  "Jt  is  the  greatest  burk'sque  of  the 
ape  to  know  that  the  Constitution  of  the  State 
of  Indiana  is  being  framed  in  a  Theatre.""" 
In  the  same  issue,  however,  it  stated  tliat  the 
company  "liave  met  with  nnu-li  better  success 
tlian  we  anticipated — tlieir  lioust's  have  all  been 
good,  sometinies  crowded."'  Tlu-  Joinitnl  cmi- 
firuied  this  on  January  2"!,  saying:  ■■Tlic\  bad 
a  very  large  audicm-e  on  Saturday  e\eiiing.  and 
continue  to  draw  good  li(m.ses  every  evening 
they  appear.""  This  wa.s  a  regular  theatrical 
troui)e,  with  IImiiv  Perry,  Kobert  Buxton  and 
Ifrs.  Coleman  l'o|)e  as  the  leading  ]ilayers. 
It  gave  a  wide  range  of  plays  in  its  three  weeks 
-tay.  incluvling  "Faint  Heart  Never  Won  Fair 
Lady.""  •■The  Dundj  Belle,"  "Swiss  Cottage,"" 
"Tlie  Serious  Fainilv,"'  "The  Two  Gregories," 
•-.Merchant  of  \'eniee,"'  "The  Lady  and  The 
Devil,"'  "Jenny  Lind  Has  Arrived,"  "You 
Can"!  Marry  Your  Grandmother,"  "Bo.x,  Cox 
ami  Knox."'  "Othello,"  "Lady  of  Lyons,""  etc. : 
ind  it  established  the  fact  that  the  railroad  bad 
made  enough  change  in  Lidianajiolis  to  make  a 
,-uccessful   theatrical  engagement  possible. 

However,  when  the  troupe  was  gone,  the  city 
M'ttled  down  to  more  serious  recreation.  On 
February  6  came  Barnum's  panorama  of  "Na- 
[loleon's  Funeral  Procession."'  presenting  the 
rcMioval  of  that  gentleman's  remains  from  St. 
Ib'lcna  to  Paris,  for  six  days  at  Masonic  Hall. 
Then  came  two  weeks  of  •"The  Polyorama""  at 
I  oncert  Hall,  with  "Dissolving  Views,  the  lle- 
t'raeting  Kaleidoscope,  gyrations  by  a  represen- 
tation of  a  human  figure,  to  show  the  facility 
with  which  light  can  be  managed,  and  lastly 
<'ii])id"s  .\dvent.""  Then  the  season  closed  with 
ibrce  days  of  "Hossiter's  magnificent  historical 
paintings,"'  which  were  "The  Return  of  the 
Dove  to  tiie  Ark,'"  and  ''iliriam  the  Prophetess, 
ixidting  over  the  Destruction  of  Pharaoh's 
Host,"'  In  1852,  during  the  first  State  Fair. 
Austin  11.  Brown  engaged  all  the  halls  and 
'i-id  several  specialty  performers — magicians, 
'ineerts.  etc. — and  also  Sam  Wells'  minstrel 
troupe,  which  apjiearcd  first  ii^  Concert  Hall, 
then  for  a  return  engagement  at  ^fasonic  Hall, 
and  then  was  taken  by  Afr.  Brown  for  a  toui- 
of  the  smaller  towns. 

During  this  fair  came  another  theatrical 
manager,  in  the  person  of  "Yankee"  Robinson, 
whose   ciiiiiing  marked   an   epoch.      He   opened 


"LocmiKitii 


January    2.'),    1851. 


in  a  tent  on  a  vacant  lot  in  the  rear  of  the 
|)rcsenl  Park  Theater,  and  gave  such  plavs  as 
"Hole  in  the  Wall,"  "The  Idiot  Witiicss,"' 
"Loan  of  a  Lover,"'  etc.  He  was  induced  to 
o|)en  the  season  in  Washington  Hall,  which 
had  just  been  finished,  and  occupied  it  for 
two  winters,  louring  in  the  summer  with  his 
lent  and  playing  "Uncle  Tom"s  Cabin""  to  the 
provinces.  In  his  troupe  were  .Mr.  and  Mrs. 
i{.  J.  JHller,  Charley  Wilson,  F.  A.  Tannehill, 
and,  chief  of  all,  "Old"  White.  F.  G.  White 
was  familiar  to  Indianapolis  play-goers  for 
many  years  after,  and  was  one  of  the  best  act- 
ors, especially  in  comedy,  that  was  ever  known 
liere.  By  common  opinion  he  was  not  sur- 
pas.sed  in  such  characters  as  ••Toodles""  and 
•"Solon  Shingle""  by  any  star  who  ever  pre- 
sented them  in  Indianapolis.  He  was  thor- 
oughly educated  in  his  profession.  When 
James  Whitcomh  Riley  was  visiting  Sir  Henry 
ii-ving  in  London  he  told  liini  about  White 
and  mentioned  that  AVhite  liad  certain  stage 
mannerisms  that  he  had  never  noticed  in  any 
otiier  actor.  Irving  was  interested  and  asked 
what  they  were,  and  Riley  mentioned  some, 
among  them  his  habit  of  tapping  his  lips  with 
his  finger  tips  when  representing  doubt  and 
hesitancy.  To  his  astonishment,  Irving  pro- 
duce(l  a  book  of  stage  directions  that  had  been 
in  use  in  iMigland  for  many  years,  in  which 
this  identical  direction  was  given,  as  well  as 
otiiers   that   Riley  had  mentioned. 

In  the  winter  of  1854-5  Eiobinson  opened 
the  "Atheneum"  in  the  iipper  story  of  Calvin 
F]lliott's  new  hnilding  at  the  corner  of  Merid- 
ian and  Maryland  streets,  where  the  Daniel 
i^tewart  Drug  Co.  is  now  located.  In  his 
stock  company  were  most  of  liis  former  |)lay- 
ers.  with  (4eorge  and  JIary  ilcWiHiams,  Jimmy 
Lylton,  who  was  very  popular  in  Irish  songs, 
'"Yankee"  Bierce,  and  young  Henry  Waugh, 
wbo  was  also  tlu>  scenic  artist,  and  a  very  good 
one.  This  was  (piite  a  popular  theater,  and 
Robinson  ])layed  a  iiUMd)cr  of  stars  during  his 
management,  among  them  Susan  and  Kate 
|)enin.  Peter  Kichings  and  bis  daughter  Caro- 
line, the  Florences.  Maggii'  Mitchell.  .loscpb 
Proctor,  aiul  tiie  elder  John  Drew.  It  was 
here  that  Austin  H.  Brown  made  his  "first 
appearance  oti  anv  stage."  |)laying  "Bomlias- 
tes  F^urioso""  lo  Henry  W'augh's  King,  at  a 
benefit  given  by  Ifobinson  for  ■■the  poor.""  .\t 
the   close  of   the   performaiu'c    Robiii.-ion    I'ame 


464 


HISTORY  OF  GKKATKi;    IXDlAXArOLlS. 


Metropolitan  Hall. 

(The  First  Theater — from  an  old  cut.) 


HISTOKV  (IF  ci; HATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


405 


iH'I'iin-  ihc  lurUim  iiml  iiniKiUiK-i'il  tluil  as  he 
was  the  poorest  man  in  town  he  would  keeji 
iIh!  luct'ipts,  which  so  iinpre>,SL'd  the  aiulicnce 
that  no  obJL'ctiou  was  inadi'.  Susan  Deuiu  was 
an  actress  of  real  talent,  though  she  did  not 
gain  tiie  national  reputation  that  some  of  the 
others  did.  She  was  deservedly  popular  in  In- 
diana tor  the  next  twenty  years,  and  died  in 
JMull'tou,  on  December  4,  1875,  from  the  effects 
of  a  tall  on  the  stage  at  Indianapolis  a  short 
lime  before. 

When  l{obinson"s  season  closed  in  the  spring 
of  18.50,  Austin  II.  Brown  and  John  M.  Com- 
mons took  the  Atheneiim  and  undertook  to 
run  it  through^lhe  summer,  which  was  a  dis- 
mal taihuc.  Air.  Jlrown,  in  a  reminiscent  ar- 
ticle, says:  "We  played  a  short  season  w'ith 
a  very  ordinary  company,  picked  np  in  Chi- 
cago, Cincinnati  and  New  York,  with  indif- 
ferent success.  Onr  stars  were  James  E.  iliir- 
fioch,  Harry  and  .lidia  Chaiiman,  Mrs.  A. 
Drake  and  otiiers.  Oui-  orchestra  had  among 
its  musicians  Keiuhold  A.  ililler,  well  known 
as  a  suijcrior  leader,  the  two  Sehellschmidts, 
ihe  two  Ddhiis  and  Gottlieb  Krug.  In  order 
lo  keep  down  uur  license  tees  we  complimented 
all  the  councilinen  ami  their  wives.  One  mem- 
ber of  this  bodv  ne\e'r  missed  coming,  but  on 
one  occasion  he  ap[)cared  at  the  box  olfiee  and 
made  an  apology,  saying:  '.My  wife  is  sick, 
-o  1  thought  I'd  come  down  and  tell  you  we 
wcin't  be  here  tonight.'  Having  been  elected 
eounly  auditor  in  August,  185.5,  I  withdrew 
from  active  theatrical  management  and  left 
the  .\thcneuni  in  the  hands  of  my  partner." 
In  reality  the  season's  experience  was  more 
painful  than  this  would  indicate.  Murdoch  was 
then  at  the  head  of  the  profession  in  the 
I'niti'il  States,  and  his  engagement  came  in  the 
hottest  part  of  a  very  hot  July.  About  (went\ 
peo])le  ventured  nut  the  first  night  to  scr  hiiu 
in  "The  Stranger."  and  the  next  night  was 
worse.  Then  lie  threw  up  the  engagenieiit  in 
disgust,  and  never  eamo  liack  to  Indianapolis 
until  during  the  war,  when  he  was  devoting 
himself  largely  to  the  care  of  wounded  soldie' 
and  giving  jilays  anil  readings  for  their  benclit. 

Commons  reopened  the  Athencnm  in  Sep- 
teniber  and  ran  it  until  December  8.  lie  had 
improved  the  stock  company,  and  hail  Mr.  ami 
Mrs.  Thomas  Dull'  for  leading  parts.  Charle- 
.T.  Fyll'e,  the  acting  manaircr.  and  leading  sup- 
j)ort.  was  afterwards  libi'arian  at  the  Edwin 
Vol.  1—30 


Forrest  Home  in  Philailelphia.  liut  it  was  not 
a  paying  enterprise,  nor  was  it  under  suc- 
ceeding managements,  although  most  of  the 
stars  of  the  time  were  brought  here  by  Com- 
mons and  by  W.  L.  Wooils,  Wilson,  Maddocks, 
I'ratt,  Lytton  and  C'al.  J.  Smith,  who  tried 
leasing  it  in  the  next  two  years.  In  August, 
1858,  a  German  company  took  it  for  a  short 
season,  and  during  the  State  Fair  the  Chap- 
mans  came  back  with  ilrs.  Drake  and  John  K. 
Mortimer,  the  comedian.  Tliat  Avas  the  last 
winter  of  the  Athenenm  as  a  theater.  In 
1859  it  was  taken  for  a  gymnasium  by  an  as- 
sociation that  was  formecl,  with  Simon  Yan- 
des  as  president,  but  the  novelty  of  that  soon 
wore   off   and   it  failed   also. 

Meanwhile  a  real  theater  had  come — the  first 
building  erected  in  Indianapolis  for  that  pur- 
pose— the  "old  Metro))olitan,'"  built  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  Washington  and  Capitol 
avenue  by  Valentine  Butseh.  The  corner  stone 
was  laid  in  August,  1857,  and  it  was  com- 
pleted and  opened  in  September,  1858,  at  a 
cost  of  $(50,000.  The  lower  story  was  occu- 
pied by  business  rooms,  and  the  theater  above 
.seated  about  1,500.  It  is  remembered  as  one 
of  the  best  built  theaters  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  the  audience  that  Indianapolis  ever 
had,  for  every  seat  gave  a  view  of  the  stage 
and  of  tnost  of  the  house.  The  scenerv  was 
composed  of  flats,  the  first  ever  used  in  In- 
dianapolis. The  drop  curfaiin  was  a  co])y  of 
one  of  the  series  of  C!ole's  "Voyage  of  Life," 
|)ainted  by  Samuel  \V.  Gulick,  the  scene  nainter 
of  the  theater.  The  formal  opening  was  on 
September  27,  with  E.  T.  Sherlock  of  Detroit 
as  lessee  and  manager.  He  had,  or  at  least 
advertised,  a  stock  company  of  '^2  members, 
headed  by  H.  JI.  Gossin.  "tlie  talented  young 
tragedian",  with  AIllc  Haydee,  a  danseuse, 
as  a  striking  final.  The  opening  play  was 
"Love's  Sacrifice,"  with  Gossin  as  "Matthew 
l':iinore,"  Mrs.  Van  Deering  as  "Alargai'ct," 
W.  ir.  Leake  as  "Paul  Laforte".  Mary  iVIc- 
Williams  as  "Helen,"  and  II.  B.  Copeland  as 
"Mod\is."  Before  the  play  a  very  good  dedica- 
tnrv  ]ioein.  written  by  (iiissin,  was  recited  by 
Mr-.  \'an  Doerinsr. 

On  the  .second  night  the  Keller  troupe  of 
living  picture  artists,  "GO  in  number,"  appeared 
as  tiie  special  attraction,  the  stock  comjialiy 
also  giving  "the  scri]itural  drama  'Azael,  the 
I'rodifral    Son."  "      It   was  here  that  Sberloek's 


4GC> 


HISTORY  OF  GEEATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


iroubles  begau.  Tliat  morning  "Old  Sul)- 
scriber'"  appt-ared  \\itli  a  letter  to  the  Journal 
Avilh  a  request  to  publish  au  inclosed  editorial 
from  the  I'infiniiati  Guzette,  which  \he  Juunml 
did.  The  (Jazctle  stated  that  in  Cincinnati 
the  Kellers  had  "introduced  into  one  of  their 
Tableaus  on  Saturday  night  an  attempt  at  the 
representation  of  God,"  which  it  denounced  as 
"impious  and  blasphemous."  This  looked  very 
bad,  but  it  turned  out  well  for  the  theater,  for 
on  the  29th  the  Journal  published  a  second 
article  from  the  Gazette  explaining  that  the 
character  referred  to  was  not  intended  to  rep- 
resent God,  but  "was  meant  for  Adam";  and 
the  reaction  carried  the  Kellers  to  favor.  That 
night  the  audience  called  for  Keller,  and  he 
made  a  speech  in  which  he  "invited  everybody, 
and  particularly  'Old  Subscriber,'  to  come  the 
next  evening  and  witness  his  mythological  and 
sacred  representations."  Ou  September  30, 
the  Journal  waxed  enthusiastic,  and  declared 
that  "Xothing  in  Indianapolis  ever  equaled  the 
'living  pictures'  exhibited  by  this  troupe'";  and 
on  October  1,  after  they  left,  it  said,  "Xo 
trou])e  has  ever  contributed  more  in  one  brief 
stay,  to  the  entertainment  of  the  people  of  In- 
dianapolis." 

But  the  triuni])!)  was  short-lived.  Three 
weeks  later  came  J.  H.  Hackett,  the  great 
"Falstaff,"  as  a  star.  For  an  after-piece  was 
put  on  a  new  and  rather  broad  farce  called 
"The  T^ilywhites,"  from  the  name  of  the  lead 
ing  characters  in  it.  This  shocked  the  local 
editor  of  the  Journal,  who  gave  it  a  column 
roast,  declaring  the  farce  "immoral,  obscene, 
disgusting,"  and  saying:  "A  theater  will  al- 
ways exist  in  Indianapolis.  It  has  languished 
because  the  gross,  and  not  the  refined  taste, 
was  catered  to  by  our  dramatic  managers." 
At  the  same  time  Sherlock  managed  to  get 
mixed  up  in  a  tilt  that  was  going  on  between 
the  local  editors  of  the  Sentinel  and  the  Citi- 
zen— an  afternoon  paper — as  to  the  merits  of 
their  respective  dramatic  criticisms,  and  on 
October  28  the  Sentinel  local  said :  "Mr.  E.  T. 
Sherlock,  the  manager  of  the  Metropolitan, 
is  an  accomplished  gentleman.  He  called  us 
a  fool  yesterday.  We  would  not  condescend 
to  return  the  compliment.  Tie  evidently  meant 
it  for  the  editor  of  the  Citizen."  Several  days 
passed  before  the  relations  of  the  theater  and 
the  papers  was  restored  to  an  amicable  basis. 

Some    verv    srond    attractions    were    lirouaht 


here  by  Slu-rlock.  among  them  Sallie  St. 
Clair,  Dora  Shaw,  the  Florences,  J.  B.  Rob- 
erts, W.  J.  Wallack,  Mrs.  Charles  Howard 
and  Harry  Watkins,  Eliza  Logan,  the  Chap- 
mans,  and  the  Wallers.  In  March,  1859, 
"Uncle  Tom's  Cabin"  was  put  ou.  with  little 
Mary  ^IcYicker  (afterwards  Mrs.  Edwin 
Booth)  as  Eva.  Then  the  season  closed  with 
the  Coojier  Opera  Company,  in  the  first  real 
presentation  of  opera  that  Indianajwlis  ever 
had.  But  it  was  not  a  paying  season.  Sher- 
lock's offer  to  give  a  benefit  to  the  Widows' 
and  Orphans'  Society,  and  its  chilly  refusal 
will  be  found  fully  recounted  in  the  chapter, 
"The  Social  Swirl."  He  left  Indianapolis 
with  well  developed  symptoms'of  disgust,  and 
leaving  unpaid  a  generous  portion  of  the  rent 
for  the  theater.  Harry  Chapman  then  took  a 
lease  on  the  building,  but  his  season  was  very 
brief,  and  even  more  disastrous  than  Sherlock's. 
As  a  result  of  the  two  experiences  ^Ir.  Butsch 
l)ecame  quiti'  diseoui-aged  with  that  system, 
and  declined  to  make  any  further  leases  of 
the  theater. 

Sherlock's  offer  to  give  a  benefit  for  the 
Widows'  and  Orphans'  Society,  which  was  re- 
fused on  moral  grounds,  and  the  controversy 
following  it,  showed  that  the  feeling  against 
the  theater  was  still  -trong,  and  Butsch  tried 
to  avoid  it  in  1859.  He  changed  the  name 
iif  the  building  to  ^letropolitan  Hall,  and,  se- 
curing Austin  H.  Brown  as  treasurer  and  as- 
sistant manager,  dropi>ed  the  stock  company, 
rented  to  such  shows  as  came,  political  con- 
ventions, and  other  gatherings.  In  the  fall 
of  18(>0  he  switched  back  to  the  Metropolitan 
Theater,  engaged  a  stock  company  and  re- 
sumed business,  with  John  A.  Ellsler,  father 
of  Eftie  Ellsler,  as  nianager.  There  was  a 
]iredominance  of  spectacular  shows  that  sea- 
son, such  as  "The  Xaiad  Queen,"  and  "Alad- 
din," the  most  popular  production  being  "The 
Sea  of  Ice."  in  which  little  Effie  Ellsler  ap- 
peared as  the  child.  Tlie  season  was  not 
\ery  remunerative,  and  Ellsler  retired  in 
April,  and  was  siicceeded  by  Felix  A.  Vin- 
(•(>nt  as  manager. 

On  ilarch  7.  1861,  the  "Holman  Comique 
i'arlor  Opera  Troupe''  made  its  first  appear- 
ance in  the  NTorth,  after  a  disastrous  tour  in 
the  Southern  states,  which  they  were  practi- 
cally forced  to  leave  on  account  of  the  exist- 
inj)-  hostility  to  "Yankees,"  althoush  thev  al- 


i: 


HISTOEY  OF  (iPtEATER  INDIAXAI'OLIS. 


467 


wavs  sang  "Dixie"'  at  tlicir  concerls.  The 
cliiot'  attrac-tioiis  ol'  the  troupo  were  the  four 
ITdlnian  children,  wlio  were  quite  talented 
l.otli  as  singers  and  as  actors.  Austin  H. 
Urown  took  them  out  on  a  tour  of  Indiana 
and  Ohio,  landing  at  Cincinnati  on  April  11. 
They  had  a  good  house  that  night,  but  on  the 
next  da}'  came  the  news  of  the  attack  on  Fort 
•Sumter,  and  that  night  there  were  not  a  dozen 
people  in  the  house.  The  engagement  was 
cancelled  and  the  Ilolmans  went  to  their  home 
in  Canada.  Tliev  were  in  Indianapolis  three 
or  four  years  later  as  a  juvenile  opera  com- 
punv.  and  with  them  were  William  It.  Crane, 
later  the  celebrated  comedian,  and  John  Chat- 
terton.  lated  noted  as  a  tenor  singer  under 
the  stage  name  of  Signor  Perugini.  This  com- 
jiany  gave  "The  Bohemian  Girl"  and  operas  of 
that  class.  In  passing  may  he  noted  a  ])(>- 
ruliarity  of  Oeorge  Ilolman,  father  of  the 
children  and  liead  of  the  troupe,  mentioned 
by  ^[r.  Brown.  He  always  carried  a  sliot- 
gun,  and  when  within  ten  miles  or  so  of  an 
objective  point  on  their  tours,  he  would  leave 
the  train  and  walk  in,  picking  up  what  game 
lie   could   on    the  way. 

-Mthough  the  war  put  a  damper  on  theatri- 
cals for  a  short  time,  it  was  the  making  of  the 
Metro]iolitaji.  The  legislature  met  in  special 
session  on  April  24,  1861,  on  call  of  Governor 
Morton,  and  by  that  time  the  town  was  filling 
with  volunteers.  The  Metropolitan  had  been 
closed  for  the  season  before  the  news  came  on 
April  12  of  the  attack  on  Fort  Sumter,  and 
the  iirst  entertainment  in  it  tlicreafter  was 
a  concert  on  April  i;  by  .Mnie.  Ines  Fabbri, 
who  took  the  city  by  storm  by  singing  "The 
Star  Spangled  Banner."'  in  the  costume  of  the 
Goddess  of  Liberl\.  and  received  the  most 
gorgeous  press  notices  that  had  been  given  to 
anyone  that  year.  The  slock  cf)mpany  was 
hurried  back  and  the  theater  was  reo])ened  on 
April  25  for  "a  short  season.''  which  extended 
to  the  second  week  in  June.  The  leading  lady 
was  'Marian  Macarthv,  a  clever  actress  and  a 
verv  LTood  vocalist,  who  was  here  tor  some  time 
aftei'wards.  She  became  insane,  and  died  here. 
She  wa-s  on  the  program  every  night  for  ]ia- 
iriotic  songs,  "ITail  Columbia,""  "Tbe  Bed, 
White  and  Blue,"  "The  Union  Marscllaise,"  a 
new  soul;-,  and  imisl  nl'  all  "Tlie  Star  Sjiangled 
Banuci-.""  The  ibcatn-  was  filled  with  soldiers, 
anil    enthusiastic   townsnuMi    who    went    wild    in 


their  patriotic  demonstrations  night  after 
night  when  she  sang.  Women  waved  their 
handkerchiefs,  and  men  stood  up,  threw  their 
hats  in  the  air,  and  shouted  ttntil  they  wei-e 
hoarse.  On  April  29  the  otReers  of  the  Eighth 
Regiment  gave  her  a  public  invitation  to  visit 
their  camp,  and  tendered  her  a  benetit,  which 
was  given  on  May  1.  After  that  spring  there 
was  never  any  hostile  criticism  of  the  theater, 
as  an  institution,  in  the  Indianapolis  papers. 
Vincent  was  manager  of  the  Metropolitan 
until  186.'?,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Wm. 
H.  Ililey,  who  remained  till  1866.  and  then 
went  to  Xew  Orleans  to  take  charge  of  the 
St.  Charles  theater.  He  died  shortly  after- 
wards, and  his  remains  were  brought  here  and 
buried  with  Masonic  honors.  He  and  his  wife 
playeil  leading  parts  in  the  stock  company, 
and  he  was  very  popular  in  all  capacities.  In 
the  winter  of  1867-8  ^latt  V.  Lingham  was 
manager.  He  married  Kate  Fletcher,  who  had 
made  her  first  appearance  as  a  child,  on  the 
Metropolitan  stage  as  "The  Cricket"  with 
Couldock  in  "The  Cricket  on  the  Hearth."  She 
became  a  noted  actress  and  ajitieared  as  lead- 
ing lady  with  Joe  Jefferson.  Barry  Sullivan, 
Frank  Mayo,  Edwin  Booth,  Lawrence  Barrett, 
James  O'N'eill,  E.  L.  Daven|iort,  Dion  Bouci- 
cault  and  others.  The  spring  season  of  1868 
at  tlie  Metropolitan  was  managed  by  Charles 
L.  Pope,  and  that  was  the  close  of  "the  old 
stock  company  davs,"  and  of  the  ^[etropoli- 
tan  as  a  "legitimate,"  for  a  long  time.  It 
had  a  great  career  for  a  decade.  -Ml  oi'  tbe 
great  stars  named  above  appeared  ibcvc,  and 
all  others  who  had  any  celebrity  at  that  pe- 
riod— Junius  and  .T.  Wilkes  Bootli.  Forrest. 
Hackett,  the  Chanfrous,  the  Couldocks,  the 
Wallers,  Charlotte  Thompson,  :\[atilda  H(>rou, 
lAieille  Western.  John  Brougham,  and  T-otta. 
It  had  a  first-class  stock  companx.  too.  with 
Kate  Fletcher.  Old  White  and  wife,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hodges.  11  hail  "-ood  scene  painters  in 
Samuel  Gulick,  and  later  T.  I'..  (Jlosiie^.  l'".\cn 
its  bill  jioster  will  be  rcnu'inbereil  liy  the  thea- 
ter-goers of  tbosi'  (lavs,  for  confronting  tbcni 
on   till'  drop  curtain   were  the  lines: 

"Dishon  brothers, 
.■\nd   no  others. 
Go  forth   in  Iia-li' 
With   bills   an. I    paste. 
.\nd   |ii'oclaiiii   111  all   ci'calion. 


468 


HISTORY  OF  (il.'KA'IKIt   I XDIAXAPOLIS. 


I  hat    ini-ii    are   wise 
Who   advertise 
In  the  present  generation." 

The  reason  of  the  close  of  the  iletropolitan 
as  a  stock  company'  was  the  opening  of  the 
Academy  of  :Mn8ic.'  In  1868  :\rr.  Butsch  be- 
came convinced  that  the  Metropolitan  was  not 
ad(M|uate  to  the  demands  of  the  city.  He  there- 
fore bought  an  incompleted  building — stopped 
at  one  story — known  as  Miller's  Block,  at  the 
southeast  comer  of  Illinois  and  Ohio  streets, 
and  flni.shed  it  as  a  theater.  It  had  originally 
heen  intended  for  a  theater  when  started  bv  Dr. 
T.  B.  Miller  in  ISr,.'").  but  he  did  not 'have 
means  to  complete  it.  ilr.  Butsch  bought  it 
for  $40,000  and  expended  $113,000  in  finish- 
ing it  as  a  theater.  And  a  very  satisfactory 
theater  it  was,  seating  about  2.500,  with  a  row 
of  dress  boxes  between  the  parquet  and  the 
dress-circle,  and  two  galleries,  the  upper  one  a 
freedmen's  bureau.  The  stock  company  was 
transferred  to  it,  under  the  management  of  W. 
H.  Leake,  who  had  been  with  Sherhxfk's  com- 
pany; and  the  Academv  was  fornuillv  opened 
on  Septemher  31.  1808,  with  "The  School  for 
Scandal."  Iiy  the  company.  Before  tlie  play 
Mt.  Leake  made  a  little  address,  and  his  wife, 
"Miss  Anna  Waite,'"  read  a  dcdicatorv  poem, 
hv  Miss  T,aura  Ream.'  All  of  the  t)e<t  attrac- 
tions of  thf  time  appeared  there  until  it  was 
destroyed  by  fire  on  January  27.  187T.  and 
quite  a  number  of  attractions  that  were  very 
commonplace.  ^Fr.  Leake  leased  the  1)u'l(ling 
in  ISGf).  and  again  in  1870.  with  James  Dick- 
son as  a  jiartner.  In  1874,  Col.  Nicholas 
Ruckle  bought  it  for  $140,000.  and  spent  $30.- 
000  in  redecorating.  Barney  Macauley  ran  it 
in  1875,  with  Oen.  Dan  Macauley  as  manasrer. 
Dickson  &  Losey  had  the  lease  in  1877,  when 
the  building  burned. 

One  of  the  never-to-be-forgotten  events  of 
its  histoiy  was  not  on  the  program.  The  plav 
was  "Fnder  the  Gaslight,"  a  popular  sensa- 
tional drama,  in  which  the  hero,  a  one-armed 
.soldier,  is  w'avlaid  bv  the  villain  at  a  lonelv 
railroad  station,  bound  hand  and  foot,  and 
placed  on  a  railroad  track  to  be  mn  over  liv 
the  lightning  express.  '  Providentially,  the 
heroine  has  been  locked  up  over  night  in  the 
tool-house,   and,   grasping    the    situation,    she 


''Sentinel.  September  22.  1868. 


kuo(4>;>  tile  door  open  witli  an  ax,  and  drags 
the  hero  from  danger  just  as  the  lightning  ex- 
jiress  is  whirled  past  by  the  active  supernu- 
meraries. There  was  in  the  audience,  which 
was  not  excessive,  a  country  visitor  who  was 
so  excited  over  the  play  that  he  got  to  at- 
tracting more  attention  than  the  play  itself 
from  those  in  his  vicinity.  As  the  play  ap- 
proached the  climax,  and  the  hero  came  stroll- 
ing on  towards  the  station,  looking  in  every 
direction  but  that  of  the  canvas  tree  behind 
which  the  villain  was  visibly  concealed,  tor- 
tured iiature  could  endure  no  more,  and  rising 
from   his  seat  the  rural   philanthropist   yelled 

in   .stentorian  tones,  "Hey !   you  d d   fool  I 

Don't  you  see  that  feller  behind  that  tree?" 

Participation  by  the  autlience  was  not  so  un- 
usual in  those  days  at  the  iletropolitan,  which 
had  been  bought  by  Dillard  Ricketts,  and 
leased  to  Simon  McCarty,  who  made  a  variety 
theater  of  it.  It  was  a  very  mildly  naughty 
variety,  though  there  was  a  win(>-room  attach- 
ment, and  it  was  much  frequented  by  tlu?  young 
bloods  of  the  town,  who  put  in  a  large  amount 
of  their  spare  time  in  studying  up  practical 
jokes.  One  of  their  great  successes  was  tossing  a 
handsome  bouquet  on  the  stage  to  a  young  wom- 
an who  did  operatic  songs,  with  great  satisfac- 
tion to  herself.  She  reached  for  it,  and  it  moved 
away.  She  made  a  second  effort  before  she 
realized  that  there  was  a  string  to  it:  and  then 
.-he  retired,  overwhelmed  by  the  tumultuous 
applause  of  the  audience.  On  another  night 
one  of  the  boys  came  in  alone,  and  the  night 
being  rainy,  and  the  parquet  sparsely  inhab- 
ited, he  was  rather  a  conspicuous  figtire  in  the 
lower  right  hand  corner,  where  "the  gang" 
usually  congregated.  An  artist  came  on  with 
a  song,  "I  See  a  Young  Man  Sitting  There," 
in  which  she  avowed  her  affection  for  the  per- 
son indicated,  to  the  great  entertainment  of  the 
lest  of  the  audience.  She  took  the  lone  youth 
For  lier  victim,  and  he,  with  much  evidence 
of  alarm,  raised  his  umbrella  and  held  it  be- 
tween them,  occasionally  peering  out  to  see 
what  was  threatening  him.  She  tried  to  go  on, 
amid  the  whoops  and  laughter  of  the  audi- 
ence, but  finally  melted  into  tears  and  flowed  off 
the  stage. 

In  1879  the  "Met."  was  taken  by  James  B. 
Dickson,  who  renovated  and  redecoratetl  it  and 
opened  it  as  a  high  grade  theater  on  Septem- 
ber  1!).    with   Joe  Jefferson   as   the   attraction. 


HiSTOKV  ()V  (;i;KA'ri;ii  ixiuanai'oi.is. 


4(i9 


(IV.    II.     Ilns.1    l'h<:lii    Compiwu.) 


MURAT   TEMPLE. 
(The  I^atest  Theatre.) 


470 


HISTORY  OF  GKEATER  1N:D1AXA1'0LIS. 


The  name  was  then  chauged  to  the  Xew  Park 
Theater,  aud  it  has  been  the  Park  ever  since, 
except  for  a  period  after  1880,  when  George 
Dickson  and  Henry  Talbott  formed  their  part- 
nership. '  'J'liey  leased  the  theater  that  year, 
boiiglil  it  in  1887,  and  leased  it  to  S.  J.  JSack- 
ett,  who  opened  it  as  "rhe  Dime  Museum,"" 
and  later  called  it  the  Eden  Musee,  and  "Park 
Theater  and  Eden  .Musee.'"  The  building 
burned  on  March  7,  1897,  and  the  present 
Park  Theater  was  at  once  built  in  its  place. 
It  is  still  owned  by  Dickson  &  Talbott — George 
Dickson,  who  died  July  2",,  1903,  being  suc- 
ceeded by  his  bon,  Fred  (J.  Dickson — and  is 
ojjcrated  as  a  "combination  theater,"  i.  e.,  trav- 
c  Img  troupes  play  there  on  percentages. 

The  Academy  of  ^lusic  was  not  rebuilt  as  a 
theater,  because  in  the  hard  times  then  in  prog- 
ress tliere  were  enough  theaters  without  it.  In 
1875  the  Dickson  Grand  Opera  House  had  been 
erected  at  its  present  location  and  had  become 
a  popular  theater  from  the  start.  It  was  opened 
on  September  13,  1875,  by  a  stock  company 
witli  \V.  H.  Leake  as  manager.  Mr.  Leake 
made  an  opening  address  in  which  he  recalled 
that  he  had  also  spoken  the  first  words  from 
the  stages  of  the  Metropolitan  in  1858  aud  the 
Academy  of  Music  in  1868.*  The  opening  play 
was  "Love's  Sacrifice,"  with  Annie  Waite  (Mrs. 
Leake)  as  "Margaret  Elmore.'"  Both  the  Grand 
and  the  Park  were  run  as  legitimate  combina- 
tion houses  after  both  came  under  the  Dick- 
son control  in  IS' 'J. 

In  March,  1880,  Wm.  H.  English  announced 
his  intention  of  building  a  first-class  theater, 
which  struck  the  community  as  so  ill-advised 
that  the  Herald  ))rinted  a  two-column  article 
advising  him  not  to  do  it."  However,  Mr.  Eng- 
lish persisted,  and  on  September  27,  1880, 
p]nglish"s  Opera  IIou.se  was  opened,  the  play 
being  "Hamlet,"  with  Lawrence  Barrett  in  the 
title  role.  The  theater  was  managed  by  Wm. 
E.  English  till  the  close  of  the  season  of 
18S5-C,  when  it  was  leased  to  Dickson  &  Tal- 
bott, and  tl«>y  controlled  all  of  the  theaters  in 
the  citv. 

The  first  amateur  theatrical  society  after  tlie 
Thespians  that  attracted  public  notice  was  the 
one  fonned  in  1804  as  a  war  measure,  in  aid 
of  the  Sanitarv  Fair,  which  is  described  in  the 


chapter  entitled  "The  Social  Swirl."'  In  1872 
there  came  another,  which  seems  to  have  had 
a  rather  informal  formal  organization,  as  aj)- 
pears  from  the  following,  the  first  part  in  the 
handwriting  of  Austin  H.  Brown,  and  the  sig- 
natures original,  all  on  detached  leaves  of  a 
pocket  note-book: 

•■AirriCLES   OF   ASSOCIATION   OF   TilK 
INDIA.VAI'OLIS  DRAMATIC  SOCIETY. 
""ixDiAXAPOLis,  Xov.   19,  1812. 
"The  tmdersigned  hereby  agree  to  associate 
iheniselves  together  for  the   purpose  of   read- 
ing, rehearsing  and  playing  comedies  and  dra- 
matic plays  for  mutual  inprovement  and   en- 
tertainment, and  to  be  governed  by  rules  and 
regulations  to  be  hereafter  agreed  upon. 


1,AD1ES     XAJIES 

Marv  F.  Tousev 
Ida  C.  Dodd 
Kate  Tousev 
]ilrs.  John  W.  Jones 
.Airs.  Lida  Talbott 
.Mrs.  Upton  Hammond 
Mrs.  James  Broadbelt 
.Mrs.  F.  R.  Rowley 
Mrs.  L.  D.  Sherwood 
Miss  Fannie  AVilder 


(iKXTI.K.UEN  S   XAMKS 

AI.  H.   McKay 
Austin  H.  Brown 
John,  W.  Jones 

E.  W.  Pollard 
Charles  H.  Talbott 
James  Slattghter 
l-"raiik  L.  Bi-xby 

F.  R.  Rowley 
Dan  Macaulev 
H.  L.  Xelson 


^Tounial.  September  14,  1875. 
•'Herald.  Marcli  13.  1880. 


Mrs.  Sallie  Hildebrand  F.  P.  Wade." 

This  association,  with  a  number  of  other 
members  added  later,  gave  plays  for  the  next 
five  years,  usually  for  some  charitable  object, 
and  mostly  at  the  .Academy  of  Music,  their  first 
ajipearance  there  being  on  Thanksgiving  night, 
Xovember  29,  1873,  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor, 
when  they  gave  "Married  Life"  and  "Poor  Pil- 
licoddy."  Among  the  additional  members  who 
ap])eared  at  various  times  may  be  named  Harry 
I 'aimer.  Will  S.  Otwell,  Jacob  W.  Smith.  L. 
I).  AltLain,  Mrs.  Julia  Otis  and  her  daughter, 
l-",lita  Proctor  Otis,  ^Irs.  Augusta  Hays  and 
:\lary  H.  Ivrout.  Mrs.  Coleman  Pope  appeared 
once,  in  an  emergency,  playing  "Mrs.  Dove"'  to 
.Vustin  H.  Brown"s  "Air.  Dove"'  in  "JIarried 
Life." 

Airs.  Coleman  Pope  was  an  old-time  actress 
and  a  very  estimable  lady,  who  located  in  In- 
dianapolis. She  had  appeared  as  a  star  at 
the  .\theneum.  and  later  with  the  Stock  Com- 
panv  at  the  Metropolitan.  On  Jime  32,  1877. 
slu  was  given  a  benefit  at  the  Grand,  wliich 
wa-  line  of  the  memorable  events  in  Indianap- 


HISTOEY  OF  (iKHATER  INDIANArOLlS. 


in 


■  ilis  theatricals.  Tlu'  Dramatii-  Society  jiavc 
tile  old  play,  "The  Keiidezvous" — luasquerad- 
iiii:  undiT  the  title  of  '■Love  in  All  Coniers" — 
with  Aiistiii  H.  Brown  as  "Simon  (^iiake.'" 
There  were  several  other  numbers.  M  rs.  Pope 
recited;  M.  H.  Spades  gave  a  violin  solo:  .luil 
Colgan  did  "The  Whistling  Story,"  at  which  no 
one  ever  excelled  him;  but  what  made  the 
evening  memorable  was  a  cornet  solo  by  Ath- 
lick  Smith,  with  entirely  unexpected  accom- 
paniments. He  was  to  play  "The  Carnival  of 
A^enice"'  with  bass  variations,  but  some  dis- 
order overtook  his  cornet,  and  the  bass  wo\ild 
not  work.  He  went  through  a  strain  of  the 
Carnival  smoothly  enough,  and  then  came  a 
series  of  erratic  squawks  that  caused  a  general 
titter:  then  anotiu'r  strain,  more  and  wilder 
squawks,  and  much  laughter:  another  strain. 
more  squawks,  ami  howls  and  shrieks  of  mirth. 
Never  was  an  audience  so  convulsed  :  and  when 
one  got  his  face  straightened  and  the  tears 
wi[)cd  away,  a  glance  at  that  stout,  red-faced 
(Icrnian,  solemnly  trying  to  extract  hannony 
froin  that  perverse  instrument,  would  set  him 
off  in  another  fit.  Finally  Mr:  Smith  gave  it 
up,  the  avulience  hushing  to  hear  him  explain: 
''Chentlemen  and  Toadies,  I  dond  know  vots  de 
matter,  liut  I  can  do  it.  If  you  appoint  a  com- 
mittee, I  do  it  before  dem."  Then  everybo<ly 
felt  sorry  for  him,  and  called  him  back  to  give 
him  a  chance  at  something  else;  but  he  under- 
took "Annie  Laurie,"  all  in  the  bass,  on  the 
same  cornet,  and  the  last  end  of  that  man  was 
worse  than  the  first.  The  audience  went  off 
again ;  and  when  he  finally  suspended  it  was 
weak  and  exhausted,  gasping  for  breath. 

I  think  Austin  H.  Brown  was  the  moving 
spirit  of  the  Dramatic  Society,  for  it  suspended 
about  the  time  he  became  a  Scottish  Rite  Ma- 
son, in  March,  1878 ;  and  the  Dramatic,  Liter- 
ary and  Musical  Association  of  the  Scottish 
Rite  was  organized  in  October,  1878,  Mr.  Brown 
being  one  of  its  most  regular  and  popular  per- 
formers almost  to  the  time  of  his  death,  in 
January  1,  1903.  He  had  three  ruling  pas- 
sions, theatricals,  politics  and  public  schools, 
and  he  was  really  a  public  benefactor  in  all  of 
tliem.  He  held  several  offices,  but  none  that 
was  not  well  administered.  His  work  for  the 
schools  was  long  and  self-sacrificing,  and  it  is 
very  justly  commemorated  by  naming  one  of 
the  liuildings  for  him.  For  fifty  years  ho  was 
in  closer  touch  with  professional  and  amateur 


theatricals  than  any  man  in  1  ndianaiiolis.  and 
it  may  be  worth  while  to  give  liere  one  of  his 
brief  reflections  on  the  subject.  He  says: 
"Very  few  sensible  persons  who  engage  in  pri- 
vate theatricals  to  entertain  their  friends  at 
home  ever  get  so  carried  away  as  to  attempt  to 
enter  the  regular  profession.  In  conclusion  1 
wish  to  say  that  since  1  first  took  a  fancy  to 
amateur  acting,  1  never  had  a  wish  to  become 
a  professional,  or  any  other  thought  than  to 
please  my  audiences.  The  life  of  a  profes- 
sional is  a  hard  one.  antl  in  but  few  cases  a 
jirofitable  one  pecuniarily,  and  my  advice  to 
the  ambitious  is  to  'avoid  it  altogethei-." '" 

Old  Sol  Smith,  wlio  may  be  accounted  the 
first  Indiana  actor,  took  a  rather  more  pessi- 
mistic view  of  amateurs.  He  said :  "I  never 
knew  any  good  to  come  from  Thespian  socie- 
ties: and  1  have  known  them  to  be  productive 
of  much  harm.  Performing  a  character  with 
success  (and  Thespians  are  always  successful) 
inevitably  begets  in  a  performer  a  desire  for 
an  enlarged  sphere  of  action.  If  he  can  please 
his  townsmen  and  friends,  why  should  he  not 
delight  a  metropolitan  audience?  He  becomes 
dissatisfied  with  his  profession  or  business, 
whatever  it  may  be,  applies  to  a  manager  for  a 
first  ajipearance  in  a  regular  theater — appears — 
fails — takes  to  drink,  and  is  ruined"."  That 
is  a  rather  gloomy  view ;  but  there  have  been 
a  number  of  Indianapolis  amateurs  who  went 
on  the  stage,  and  none  of  them  madeanv  iu>ta- 
ble  success.  And  then  the  stage  is  a  i-elcnt- 
less  leveler.  I  was  on  the  Denver  Tribuiw  in 
1881  when  Robson  &  tJrane  came  there  for  a 
week's  stay.  Eugene  Field,  the  managing  edi- 
tor, detailed  me  to  get  a  story  each  day  from 
some  member  of  the  troupe,  which  was  not 
liard,  as  they  had  some  interesting  people. 
Among  them  wen-  two  Indianapolis  people — 
flattie  Ferguson,  who  made  her  first  appear- 
ance in  the  exclusive  Southern  Club,  and  Al 
Lipman,  for  years  a  stock  actor  at  "The  .Met." 
I  was  behind  the  scenes  often,  and  saw  the 
absolute  level  of  their  professional  lives;  and 
1  could  but  wonder  how  long  it  would  have 
been  before  they  could  ever  have  met  at  the 
Southern  Club. 

It  is  a  notable  fact  that  no  one  has  gone  to 
thi>  professional  stage  from  The  Di'amatic  Cluli. 


^"TheatriaiJ   MaixKirmrul    in    llic    }Y('st    ami 
South,  etc.,  ti.  22. 


4;3 


IIISTOIJY   UF  GUKATEli   1 XDIAXAPOLIS. 


whicli  is  now  in  its  twentieth  yean  holding  the 
reeord  for  longest  existence  of  amateur  organ- 
izations, of  whieh  there  have  been  more  than 
a  score  in  the  past  forty  years.  Tliis  is  prob- 
ably due  to  its  social  character.  It  originated 
with  a  group  of  young  ladies,  who  got  up  a 
play  for  their  own  amusement,  no  gentlemen 
taking  part  and  none  admitted ;  and  who  had 
so  much  fun  at  it  that  they  organized  a  club 
on  that  basis.  Very  soon  a  change  came,  on  ac- 
count of  an  accident.  The  moustache  of  a 
player  who  was  taking  a  masculine  part  fell 
off  in  her  tea-cup  while  doing  a  difficult  eat- 
ing act,  and  the  club  decided  that  it  must  have 
members  whose  hair  would  stay  on.  Men  were 
then  admitted,  and  the  new  organization  opened 
with  a  business  meeting  which  was  made  his- 
torical by  the  report  of  the  secretajy-treasurer 
that  "all  the  money  paid  in  for  dues  had  been 
expended,  but  that  there  was  $9  in  the  treas- 
ury for  which  she  was  unable  to  account." 

The  Dramatic  Club  opened  its  first  season  on 
the  reorganized  basis,  1890-1.  with  the  play  of 
"Engaged"  at  the  residence  of  J.  H.  Baldwin, 
with  Carrie  Farquhar  as  "Belinda,"  Margaret 
Baldwin  as  "Maggie,"  Claire  Shover  as 
"Parker,"  Carrie  Malott  as  "Mrs.  McFarlane." 
Belle  Baldwin  as  "Minnie  Sympherson,""  Booth 
Tarkington  as  "Cheviot  Hill,"  Horace  Hood 
as  "Relvawnev."  Will  J.  Brown  as  "Macalister" 
and  Laz  Xoble  as  ".Major  :\rcGillicuddy."  It 
was  unanimously  voted  great  fun,  and  before 
the  winter  the  club  had  grown  beyond  private 
residence  capacity-,  and  moved  into  the 
Propylaeum,  where  it  has  since  remained  ex- 
cept for  occasional  sallies.  The  social  features 
of  the  organization  have  predominated,  and  it 
has  always  been  a  "good-time  club."  This 
fact,  coupled  with  its  critical  abilities,  has  no 
doubt  repressed  the  tendency  to  professional- 
ism. The  club  has  alwavs  been  composed  of 
theater-goers  wliose  critical  faculties  were  high- 
ly developed ;  and  the  few  players  who  took  ' 
themselves  serioush'  were  lucky  to  escape  open 
guying — unique  if  they  missed  absentee  grill- 
in  ST. 

The  Grand.  English's  and  the  Park  continued 
the  onlv  theaters  of  Indianapolis  until  1907 — 
or  rather  the  onlv  decent  theaters.  The  citv 
was  not  without  its  temple  of  dramatic  oli- 
scenity    after    1860,    when    the    first    one    wa^ 


opened  on  Court  street  between  Delaware  and 
Pennsylvania.  This  was  later  removed  to  "The 
Exchange"  building  on  Illinois  street,  known 
as  a  gambling  house,  and  remained  there  till 
March  7,  1871,  when  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  secured 
the  building  and  converted  the  hall  into  a 
gymnasium.  It  has  had  several  successors,  the 
longest-lived  being  the  Empire,  which  was  built 
in  1892. 

In  1907  Yolney  T.  Malott  decided  to  build 
a  hotel  on  his  property  on  South  Illinois  street, 
between  ilaryland  and  Georgia  streets,  and  in 
the  development  of  the  plans  concluded  to 
construct  a  theater  in  connection  with  it;  hence 
the  ifajestic  was  built,  the  entire  construction 
costing  about  $250,000.  The  Majestic  was 
opened  on  September  2,  1907.  with  vaudeville, 
the  Avenue  Stock  Company  coming  on  October 
7  for  three  weeks  till  the  regular  Majestic 
Stock  Company  was  ready.  The  Majestic  Stock 
Company  opened  on  October  21,  with  "The 
Cherry  Pickers,"  and  has  since  held  the  boards 
in  a  very  satisfactory  way.  Both  the  Majestic 
and  the  Grand  are  now  operated  by  the  An- 
derson, Ziegler  Co.  as  vaudeville  theaters. 

In  the  summer  of  1909  the  Colonial  Thea- 
ter was  built  at  the  corner  of  Illinois  and  Ohio 
streets.  There  is  a  hotel  in  connection  which 
was  still  in  process  of  construction  at  the  close 
of  the  year.  The  theater  is  a  very  neat  one, 
seating  about  1,400,  and  is  devoted  to  vaude- 
ville. It  is  operated  by  the  Colonial  Theater 
Company.  A  very  handsome  theater  was  be-' 
gun  in  1909  by  the  Mystic  Shrine  in  connec- 
tion with  their  new  temple  at  Michigan  and 
Xe\v  Jersey  streets.  It  was  opened  on  Febru- 
ary 28,  1910.  It  is  a  fireproof  building,  of 
concrete  and  steel  construction,  with  brick  and 
teri-a  cotta  facing,  to  cost  $3()5.000.  It  may 
be  noted  that  the  architect  of  the  iletropoli- 
tan — the  first  theater  in  Indianapolis — was  D. 
A.  Bohlen,  and  the  architect  of  The  Murat — 
the  latest  one — is  his  son,  Oscar  D.  Bohlen. 
'J'he  seating  capacity  is  2,000 ;  and  it  is  con- 
trolled by  the  "Sam  and  Lee  Shubert,  incor- 
]i(>rated."  syndicate,  English's  being  controlled 
by  the  "Klaw  and  Erlanger"  syndicate.  With 
the  Park  coiuUuted  by  Dickson  &  Talbott  as 
a  ciinibination  house,  there  will  be  an  opening 
lor  aiiv  actor  or  troupe  of  merit  that  desires 
to  .iiijicnr  in  Tn<liana])olis. 


CHAPTER  XXXVll. 


THE  FIXE  ARTS. 


All  of  the  known  stages  of  the  development 
of  the  fine  arts  were  experienced  in  Indian- 
apolis. In  the  primitive  stage,  art  was  not 
exactly  devoted  to  the  gods,  but-  it  was  spe- 
cially associated  with  libations,  being  confined 
to  the  painting  of  signs  for  taverns  liy  Samuel 
S.  liooker,  who  came  here  in  1821,  from  Ten- 
nessee, and  began  business  as  a  house  and  sign 
painter.  Tradition  is  not  flattering  to  Mr. 
Booker's  art.  His  orthography  was  unques- 
tionably weak,  and  his  pictures  lacked  definite- 
ness.  It  was  commonly  asserted  that  the  lion 
which  he  painted  for  a  tavern-keeper  on  the 
national  road  was  in  reality  a  ])rairie  wolf; 
and  that  the  eagle  which  he  painted  for  Haw- 
kins" tavern  was  in  fact  a  turkey-buzzard.  But 
his  most  notable  effort  was  "General  Lafayette 
in  full  uniform,"  which  he  executed  for  Major 
Belles,  who  had  a  tavern  six  miles  southeast 
of  the  town,  on  the  Michigan  road.  In  this 
]X)rtrait  "Sammy"  omitted  the  portions  of  the 
legs  that  usually  occur  between  the  knees  and 
ilie  ankles,  and  attached  the  feet  at  the  knee 
joints.  The  unlearned  pioneers  had  a  theory 
that  he  started  out  to  make  a  full  length  por- 
trait, but,  after  finishing  the  head  and  body, 
found  that  there  was  not  room  enough  for  the 
natural  expanse  of  legs,  and  therefore  cut  his 
picture  to  fit  his  signboard;  l)ut  of  course  could 
not  grasp  the  artistic  tribute  of  representing 
Lafayette  as  a  soldier  who  simply  could  not 
run.  A  later  and  more  enlightened  genera- 
lion  will  at  least  concede  the  bold  originality 
of  his  work,  and  may  perhaps  rank  his  an- 
atomical ]u-oduction  with  the  satyrs,  centaurs, 
rhcrubs,  mermaids,  etc.,  of  ancient  art. 

The  next  step  was  the  advent  of  the  pcri- 
jiatetic  jiortrait  painter.  The  fact  that  ]\r.  G. 
I'ogers  "olTered  his  services  to  the  inhabitants 
of  Indianapolis  as  a  porti-ait  jiainter"''  in  18;^ I 

^J  oil  null.    Februarv   ".'.   1S:!1. 


was  noted  by  Brown,"  who  says  he  was  ''the 
first  portrait  painter  here."  This  was  fol- 
lowed by  HoUoway^  and  Sulgrove;*  but  there 
was  an  earlier  than  Rogers.  In  Marcli,  1828, 
R.  Terrell  informed  '"the  citizens  of  Indian- 
apolis that  he  is  prepared  to  take  the  portraits 
of  those  who  are  willing  to  encourage  the  fine 
arts;"  and  invited  inspection  of  his  work  at 
the  senate  chamber.  He  added:  "He  will  also 
execute  the  followings  kinds  of  paintings  in  a 
superior  style:  Signs  for  Public  Houses, 
Stores,  Shops,  or  Regimental  and  Company 
Colours,  together  with  all  kinds  of  oil  gild- 
ing and  fancy  painting".^  But  these  early 
visitors  have  dropped  out  of  memory  with  all 
their  works:  and  so  has  the  man  who  appeal's 
to  have  been  the  pioneer  home  artist.  On  De- 
cember 2,  1837,  the  Journal  published  an 
anonymous  communication  complimenting  the 
portrait  painting  of  "Mr.  Ephraira  Brown, 
Portrait  Painter  of  this  Place":  and  adding: 
"He  has  a  particular  claim  upon  the  favor  of 
the  people  of  this  place  and  this  state.  In 
Inilianapolis  he  first  commenced,  and  here  he 
has  lived,  and,  by  the  force  of  his  own  in- 
dustry and  genius,  advanced  until  we  iiavc 
high  reason  to  be  pi'oud  of  him.  Let  not  the 
people  of  Indiana  fail  to  encourage  tlie  genius 
of  licr  own  soil."  But  ungrateful  Indiana  was 
unmiiulfnl  of  tliis  plea,  and  tradition  does  not 
even  tell  who  Ephraim  Brown  was.  He  did 
not  belong  to  any  of  llir  ucli  known  families 
of  Browns  that  were  here  at  the  time.  The 
only  trace  I  find  of  his  work  is  this  manu- 
scri))t  note  by  the  late  Louis  Gibson:  "Mr. 
I-^phraini    Brown   became  acquainted   with    Mr. 


'ffi.slori/.  ]).  22. 
'  II isliiri/.  |i.    I.'i. 
^11  isluri/.  ]).  2G(). 
^Journal,  :March  27,  1828. 


473 


474 


HISTUIJY  OF  GRKATEK  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


Cox  in  1838.  IIl'  doteniiiiKnl  lu  Iil-i-oiir'  an 
artis^t,  studied  witli  ^Ir.  Cox  for  a  time,  and 
afterwards  went  to  Cincinnati,  returning  to 
open  a  studio.  He  painted  portraits  of  Holi- 
ert  Dale  Owen.  Thomas  Dowling,  Hon.  A.  L. 
Chamberlain,  and  other  prominent  persons  of 
this  state." 

But  the  era  of  the  known  was  at  hand.  In 
1832  Jacob  Cox  and  his  brother  Charles  came 
to  Indianapolis — by  boat  from  Pittsburg  to 
Cincinnati,  and  thence  on  foot.  Jacob's  wife 
followed  a  week  later  by  conveyance,  and  also 
a  stock  of  tinware  and  hardware  with  wdiich 
the  brothers  went  into  business.  A  younger 
lirother,  David,  a  coppersmith,  located  here 
later.  Jacob  Cox  was  born  in  1810.  When 
he  was  eight  years  old  his  mother  was  drowned 
in  the  Delaware  River  by  the  tipsetting  of  a 
feri-y-boat.  and  two  years  later  his  father  was 
drowned  in  Mobile  Bay  by  the  sinking  of  the 
vessel  on  which  he  was  a  passenger  in  a  storm. 
Jacob  then  went  to  live  with  his  grandfather 
and  a  maiden  aunt  at  Washington,  Pennsyl- 
vania. Here  his  art  proclivities  were  manifested 
in  various  charcoal  sketches  on  fences,  boxes, 
bams  and  other  possible  places  for  which  be 
was  at  intervals  punished  by  his  unappreciali\(' 
relatives.  At  16  he  was  botmd  to  a  tinner  and 
duly  served  out  his  apprenticeship.  The  Cox 
brothers"  tinshop  was  on  Washington  street, 
where  the  Bobbs-Merrill  establishment  now  is. 
and  while  the  boys  did  a  thriving  business 
Jacob  still  clung  to  his  art  tastes.  He  pro- 
cured books  on  painting  and  practiced  it  at  odd 
times  until  1842,  when  he  went  for  a  short 
time  to  Cincinnati  and  opened  a  studio  with 
Dr.  John  G.  Dunn,  a  son  of  Geo.  H.  Dunn. 
Treasurer  of  St<ate.  John  Gibson  Dunn 
was  an  erratic  genius  who  attracted  attention 
by  a  scheme  for  lighting  the  citv  by  one  great 
liglit  placed  on  an  elevation.  He  was  a  jihysi- 
cian  by  profession,  and  wrote  poetry  of  a  very 
fair  quality."  His  most  noted  art  work  was  a 
temperance  picture,  preserved  in  the  Kiersted 
family,  representing  a  man  hesitating,  with 
pen  in  hand  and  the  pledge  before  him,  his 
wife  on  one  side  urging  him  on,  while  Satan 
on  the  other  offers  him  the  glass.  Cox  re- 
turned to  Indianapolis  and  resumed  the  tin- 
shop,  with  occasional  painting  until  .January, 


'^Co</t/rxhnirs  Purls  and  Poetn/  of  Ihr  Wrst. 
p.  537.' 


1814,  when  this  notice  appeared  in  the  Juar- 
nal,  "Jacob  Co-X,  Portrait  Painter;  room  on 
Washington  street,  opposite  post  otiice,  where 
all  are  invited  to  call  and  examine  his  speci- 
mens of  art.""  This  room  was  in  the  build- 
ing just  west  of  the  Chas.  Mayer  establishment, 
second  floor,  back,  and  it  was  the  headquarters 
for  art  in  Indianapolis  for  a  number  of  years, 
as  was  also  his  later  studio  on  the  third  floor 
of  the  Talbott  &  Xew  building,  just  south  of 
the  American  National  Bank.  It  was  the  school 
for  the  art  students  of  that  period,  and  the 
i-esort  for  the  children  of  Bohemia  who  got 
into  this  vicinity. 

On  February  19,  1853,  the  Journal,  in  an 
t'xplosively  complimentary  editorial  on  Jlr. 
Henry  W.  Waugh,  "'the  artist  actor""  who  was 
then  performing  at  Eobinson"s  Athenaeum, 
liives  a  glimpse  of  local  art  conditions  in  this: 
"We  could  and  should  liave  too  an  Academy  of 
Alts.  We  have  in  our  old  citizen,  Mr.  Cox, 
it  is  generally  conceded,  one  of  the  very  best 
artists,  lioth  in  portrait  and  landscape,  known 
in  the  West.  *  *  *  Elliott,  the  best  por- 
trait painter  of  Cincinnati,  when  a  ragged  boy 
in  our  streets,  was  taken  in  and  received  all 
liis  instructions  from  Cox.  Mr.  C.  has  three 
otlier  students  at  present,  one  of  whom,  a 
yoimg  gentleman  from  Madison,  has  already 
got  up  several  landscapes  which  do  credit  to 
him.  and  if  he  but  persevere,  the  people  of 
Indiana  may  ere  long  be  proud  of  him.  An- 
otlier  Indianian,  a  young  ^Ir.  H.,'  has  in  jirog- 
ress  in  this  city  a  temperance  panorama.  The 
artist  has  chosen  a  wide  field  for  his  genius 
and  we  trust  he  may  succeed.  *  *  *  But  we 
commenced  this  article  to  speak  of  an  accom- 
plished actor,  artist  and  gentleman  who  is  now 
|iersonating  various  characters  at  Robinson's 
.\thenaeum,  Washington  Hall.  We  refer  to 
llenrv  W.  Waugh,  who  is  not  only  a  good  actor, 
l)\it  (as  evidenced  by  specimens  of  landscape 
on  exhibition  at  Jones"  ]\[usic  Store  and  by  the 
excellent  scenery  used  at  the  Athenaeum  from 
his  pencil),  an  artist  of  no  mean  talents.  He 
is  of  a  race  of  artists.  It  was  his  uncle  who 
painted  Waugh"s  Panorama  of  Italy,  a  work 
w  Inch  we  are  told  by  those  who  have  witnessed 
it  is  a  ]ierfect  mirror  of  the  lovely  scenes  and 
important  views  of  that  classic  land." 

Ilarris"  panorama  was  exhibited  in  Septem- 


J.  F.  Harris. 


jiisToin'  OF  (;i;i-;atek  j.xdi  wai'oi.is. 


475 


luT,  18.);i,  aud  was  so  great  a  success  thai  Cox 
and  Waugh  also  painted  a  teinperaiice  paiio- 
lauia  that  was  presented  to  the  public  the  next 
3  ear."  In  the  summer  of  1853,  Harris  was 
comuussioned  to  paint  a  banner  for  Indiana  to 
mark  her  space  at  the  "Crystal  Palace"  worlds 
fair  at  A'cw  York  in  that  year.  It  was  "a  silk 
banner  four  feet  square,  with  the  state  seal 
painted  on  if."  The  climax  in  panoramas  was 
reached  at  the  beginning  of  June,  18GU,  when 
tlie  papers  announced  at  College  hall  the  pano- 
rama of  "Kansas  City  aud  Harpers  Ferry" — 
the  life  of  John  Brown — painted  by  Aurelius 
Smith,  a  boy  12  years  of  age.  The  papers 
j)raised  it  highly,  too,  and  predicted  a  gTeat 
future  for  the  artist.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact 
that  this  panorama  of  37  views,  each  (5x9  feet. 
was  not  only  painted  by  a  boy  of  1"2  yeai-s,  but 
by  one  that  had  never  had  any  instruction.  He 
was  a  native  of  Indianapolis,  a  son  of  Isaac 
Smith,  a  printer  by  trade,  sometime  editor  of 
the  Sentinel,  and  a  member  of  the  legislature 
of  1851.  The  panorama  was  exhibited  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  state  to  admiring  audiences, 
but  art  was  not  for  Aurelius.  He  went  out 
with  the  Sixth  Kegiment  when  it  reorganized 
after  the  three-months'  service,  in  the  capacity 
of  a  fifer,  and  served  for  two  years  and  a 
half,  when  he  was  forced  to  quit  on  account  of 
^^•ounds  received  at  Chickamaiiga.  He  is  well 
known  in  Indiana])olis  as  a  salesman  for  the 
Sentiiu'l  Printing  Comjjany. 

Tiiat  Hen  IT  Waugli  was  a  sort  of  universal 
genius  may  be  inferred  from  this  extract  of  a 
notice  in  the  Journal  of  March  3,  1853 :  "Mr. 
W.  will  paint  a  picture  on  the  stage  to  music, 
in  ten  minutes,  niis  feat  has  never  yet  l)een 
])erfonned  by  any  other  person.  A  new  dro[i 
curtain  jiainted  by  .Mr.  Wauyh  will  he  usetl 
tonight  for  the  first  time."  Tradition  records 
that  he  usually  passed  his  summers  as  a  clown 
in  Dan  Rice's  circus,  under  the  name  of  Dilly 
Fay,  but  he  was  a  bright  fellow,  and  had  a 
college  education.  The  Harris  panorama  of 
"The  Mirror  of  Intemperance"  was  an  impos- 
ing work,  starting  out  with  "The  Morning  of 
Life"  and  following  the  innocent  boy  on  down 
to  a   drunkiird's  grave."*     That    of    Oox    and 


"Locomo/uT.   Sopti'mber  17,  1853;  Joiininl, 
June  1,  3,  18.54. 

"Sentinel.  Julv  15,  1853. 
'"Journal  April  3.  1853. 


Waugli  was  localized  to  the  extent  of  working 
in   a   picture  of  the   ""Governor's   Mansion"'. 

But  there  were  other  artists  worthy  of  note 
prior  to  this  call  of  the  Journal  for  an  Acad- 
emy of  Art,  the  most  notable  being  the  first 
native  artist,  James  Bolivar  Dunlap,  who  was 
born  in  Indianapolis  May  7,  IS'io.  He  aud  Dr. 
John  Dunlap  were  children  of  Dr.  Livingston 
Dunlap,  by  his  first  wife,  and  were  notably  in- 
telligent aud  popular  men.  '"Jim",  as  pop;-- 
larly  known  to  old  residents,  had  all  sorts  of 
artistic  talent,  almost  wholly  self-developed.  He 
was  especially  clever  in  pencil  and  pen-and-ink 
work,  and  would  have  become  famous  as  a  car- 
toonist in  encouraging  surroundings.  In  June, 
1851,  original  cartoons,  evidently  his  work,  be- 
gan to  appear  in  the  Locomotive,  and  on  Aug- 
ust 23,  1851,  the  Locomotive  said:  "We  can 
recommend  any  person  wanting  any  wood  en- 
graving, or  designing,  to  James  Dunlap,  of  our 
city.  For  a  specimen  of  his  work  see  the  cof- 
fin and  bier  in  the  advertisement  of  Fitler  & 
Co."  A  little  later  a  regular  advertisement  ap- 
peared: "J.  B.  Dunlaj),  designer  and  engraver 
on  wood.  Also  drafting  of  patents  and  ma- 
chinery. OHice  over  Wm.  Smith's  clothing 
store,  one  door  east  of  the  Wright  House"." 
This  continued  for  some  months,  but  there 
was  no  noticeable  increase  in  advertising  cuts 
in  the  papers,  and  this  part  of  the  venture  was 
probably  not  successful.  Later,  Dunlap  did 
,-oine  very  excellent  portrait  painting,  and  also 
undertook  sculj)tiire.  His  best  work  in  this 
line  was  a  bust  of  Capt.  John  A.  Sutter,  the 
man  on  whose  land  gold  was  discovered  in  Cal- 
ifornia, which  is  preserved  in  the  State  Library. 
This  was  made  in  California,  whither  Dunlap 
went  in  lio])0  of  relief  from  tuberculosis,  from 
which  he  had  suffered  for  several  years. '^  His 
elfort  was  in  vain,  and  he  returned  here  to  fall 
a  victim  to  the  great  white  plague  on  Septem- 
ber 4,  1864,  widely  and  sincerely  lamented. 

The  bust  of  Sutter  in  the  State  Library  was 
originally  w%ite,  but  in  the  progress  of  civ- 
ilization its  nose  got  smutted,  and  a  lady  li- 
brarian with  an  instinct  for  cleanliness,  not 
iieing  able  to  remove  the  stain,  had  it  bronzed. 
There  is  another  bit  of  sculpture  in  the  State 
Lil)rary  of  some  interest.  It  is  a  medallion  bas 
relief  of  Lincoln,  done  by  Louis  Henri  lieed,  a 


'Locomotive,  March  6,  1852. 
"Locomotive,  April  8,  1854. 


MR.  CHINN. 


RALPH  FULK. 


BILL  WARREN. 


BUST  OP  SUTTER. 


J.  B.  FITLER  &  00., 

[Stci  ESSOR    TO    JOSEPH    1.    STRETCHER,] 

Vndei-tsikcis  and  Coffiu-ITIakers, 

^nd  Manufacturers  of  every  Kind  and   Qhalittj  of 
HOUSEHOLD  FURNITURE, 

Indianapolis,  Indiaim. 

(Some  of  .1.  B.  Diinlap's  Work.) 


HI8T01!Y  OF  GREAT KR  IXDlANArOLlS. 


son  of  Enos  B.  Kecd,  publir^lier  of  tlie  Fcopli'. 
It  was  made  I'rom  a  duatli  mask  ot  Linculii, 
taken  when  he  lay  in  state  iu  the  capitol.  in 
April,  1865.  Eeed  was  a  nephew  of  B.  K. 
Foster,  who  was  State  Librarian  and  custodian 
iif  the  building,  and  obtained  the  privilege 
ihrough  him.  lleprodui-tions  of  some  of  Dun- 
iip's  other  work  are  given  herewith,  including 
lie  advertising  wood  cut  for  FitliT  &  Co.  The 
nthers  are  pencil  skctihes  of  local  notables  of 
an  early  day.  Bill  ^\'arren  was  a  ne'er-do- 
well  character  who  had  his  arms  blown  off  by 
a  cannon  while  aiding  in  firing  a  salute  to  the 
militia  company  that  was  about  to  depart  for 
the  Bhukiunvk'  war.  in  1832.  This  was  the 
only  casualty  to  the  lndianapoli.s  forces  in  that 
war,  and  Warren  tlid  not  really  belong  to  thcni. 
but  had  temporarily  left  the  prosaic  job  of 
digging  a  cellar  to  aid  in  the  patriotic  dem- 
onstration. Representative  Geo.  L.  Kinnard 
succeeded,  however,  in  getting  a  pension  for 
him,  and  he  lived  on  as  a  veteran.  Ralph 
Fulks  was  a  local  "'scrapper"  of  early  days,  wlm 
spent  most  of  his  spare  time  fighting  and,  ac- 
cording to  tradition,  was  never  whipped.  Slim 
and  ungainly,  resenting  anything  that  could 
be  construed  into  an  afi'ront,  he  was  a  terror  to 
the  country  for  miles  around.  Thomas  Chinn 
was  notable  as  the  first  man  who  brought  any 
fine  breeds  of  horses  and  cattle  to  the  region, 
and  also  for  the  great  wedding  he  gave  to  his 
daughter  Patsy,  in  IS'i'i,  when  the  dancing 
continued  for  two  days  and  two  nights. 

There  had  also  been  some  transient  artists 
prior  to  1853,  and  among  these  the  one  who 
later  attained  most  distinction  was  Thomas 
Worthington  Whittredge,  tlie  celebrated  painter 
of  American  landscapes.  lie  was  here  for  a 
year  as  a  voung  man,  in  the  forties,  coming 
from  Cincinnati,  where  lie  had  ri'ceived  his 
initiation  in  art.  Mr.  \Yiliiam  Ifenry  Fox,  dC 
the  Indianapolis  Art  Institute,  kindly  furnislie-; 
the  following  extract  from  a  letter  of  Mr. 
Whittredge  to  him  concerning  his  recollection 
of  his  art  experiences  in  Indianapolis. 

Mr.  Whittredge  writes,  under  date  of  Feb- 
niary  3,  1009:  "I  did  live  in  Indianapolis 
about  one  year,  liut  it  was  before  IR.IS.  when, 
as  you  say.  was  formed  an  .\rt  .Vssociation  in 
the  town.  I  do  not  remembei'  the  .\rt  Asso- 
ciation, and  think  it  must  have  come  after 
I  loft  Indianapolis.  Still,  as  I  am  now  a  veiv 
old  man    (in  my  88th  year),  and  my  nieniiny 


none  of  the  best,  1  may  not  be  correct  as  re- 
gards dates.  1  cannot  recall  that  1  ever  sold 
any  pictures  to  an  Art  Association  in  Indian- 
apolis or  sent  any  pictures  there  for  exhibi- 
tion or  sale.  I  went  to  Indianapolis  in  the  very 
first  davs  of  the  Daguerrotype  with  a  camera 
and  plates  to  take  Daguerrotypes.  I  had  been 
a  portrait  painter.  1  took  sick  in  Indianapolis, 
and  this,  together  with  the  shinplaster  state  of 
our  currency,  soon  brought  me  and  my  busi- 
ness to  grief.  I  had  known  old  Dr.  Lyman 
Beecher  of  Cincinnati  all  my  life,  and  all  his 
family,  and  his  son  Henry  Ward  came  to  In- 
dianapolis when  I  was  there  and  began  his 
preaching,  and  soon  converted  everybody  in  the 
town,  myself  among  the  number.  I  lay  sick 
at  Parker's  Hotel  for  some  time,  when  Henry 
Ward  came  for  me  in  a  carriage  and  took  me 
home  with  him,  and  I  lived  in  his  family  just 
one  year,  and  as  I  had  no  money,  and  wanted 
to  offer  some  reward  for  Henry's  kindness,  I 
painted  his  portrait,  as  well  as  the  portraits 
of  the  whole  Beecher  family  except  Edward, 
who  was  away  off  in  Chillicothe.  Whatever 
became  of  those  portraits,  I  don't  know.  A 
drawing  by  me  of  ilrs.  Stowe  belongs  to  one 
of  her  family  in  SimsbuiT,  Connecticut,  which 
is  all  I  know  of  this  work  in  Indiana.  I  left 
the  country  a  few  years  afterwards  (1849) 
and  went  to  Europe,  where  I  remained  ten 
years,  and  then  came  home  and  established  my- 
self in  Xew  York,  where  I  have  lived  ever 
since." 

.Soon  after  Wliittredge  Iclt  there  appeared  in 
Indianapolis  another  artist  who  later  attained 
distinction,  in  tlie  person  of  Joseph  Orricl 
Eaton.  He  was  born  in  Ohio,  February  8, 
1829,  and  when  he  came  here  was  noted  as 
one  of  the  worst  dressed  young  men  about  the 
])hi(c.  He  studied  with  Jacob  Cox,  and  lived 
witli  Dr.  Abner  I'ope,  of  whom  he  ])ainted  a 
portrait  that  attracted  mucli  admiration.  lie 
remaineil  here  for  a  year  or  two  and  then,  in 
1846,  went  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  remained 
till  about  the  close  of  the  Civil  War.  He  then 
went  to  Xew  York  and  becanu'  known  as  one 
of  the  liest  portrait  and  genre  jiainters  in  tlie 
country.  He  visited  Europe  in  18T3,  and  died 
at  Yonkers,  Xew  "^'ork,  Feliruary  7.  1875.  Wiicn 
I'aton  left  Imliananolis  for  Cincinnati  there 
went  with  him  a  deformed  young  fellow  named 
William  Miller,  who  had  been  here  for  some 
miinths,  and  was  Icnnun  as  a  very  clever  painter 


+78 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOELS. 


oi"  miniatures.  He  had  Ainerieaiiized  his  name, 
heing  a  son  of  (ierhardt  ilueller,  a  Munich  art 
student,  who  came  to  Cincinnati  in  IS-tO  witli 
Henry  Koempel  and  opened  a  studio  as  his- 
torical painters.  Much  of  their  work  is  still 
to  he  seen  in  the  old  Catholic  churches  of  Cin- 
cinnati. Indianapolis  was  in  rather  close  touch 
with  Cincinnati  in  art  matters,  and  Mr.  Cox 
always  contributed  paintings  to  the  Western 
Art  Union,  which  was  organized  in  Cincinnati 
in  1846,  and  gave  sale  exhibitions  for  se\i«ral 
years  after. 

The  Journal's  call  for  an  Academy  of  Arts 
did  not  bring  a  readv  response,  but  in  18.")(!  the 
Indianapolis  Art  Society  was  organized,  and 
for  several  years  was  an  encouragement  to  lo- 
cal artists.  The  moving  spirit  in  this  was  Her- 
man Lieber,  at  whose  book  and  art  establishment 
the  society's  aifairs  were  transacted.  The  mem- 
bers paid  fixed  dues,  not  very  large,  making  a 
fund  from  which  works  of  art,  chiefly  by  local 
artists,  were  purchased ;  and  these  were  then 
•'drawn"  by  the  members  on  a  chaste  lottery 
basis.  Jacob  Cox,  Peter  Fishe  Reed  and  J. 
F.  Gookins  were  among  the  chief  beneficiaries. 
Reed  came  here  in  18.39  and  remained  for  three 
or  four  years,  taking  quite  an  active  part  in 
art  life.  He  was  born  at  Boston.  May  5.  1819. 
and  was  an  all-round  genius.  He  said  he 
started  in  life  as  a  farmer,  but  had  been  "a 
shoemaker,  house  and  sign  painter,  editor,  doc- 
tor, pliotogTaj)her,  music  teacher,  and  am  now 
an  artist.  *  *  *  j  Jiope  some  day  to  pub- 
lish a  little  book  of  music.  I  have  a  work  on 
Decorative  Painting  ready  for  the  press.  T 
liave  written  a  romance,  and  I  look  forward  to 
a  volume  of  poems'".^''  An  address  of  his  on 
■'The  Importance  of  a  More  General  Educa- 
tion in  Literature  and  the  Fine  Arts'"  is  still 
preserved."  He  was  an  ambitious  artist,  and 
one  of  his  notable  paintings  was  from  Bunyan's 
Pilgrim's  Progress,  presenting  the  scene  just 
before  the  passage  of  the  River  of  Death,  witli 
the  glories  of  the  Eternal  City  in  the  back- 
ground.'°  And  in  this  connection  it  may  be 
noted  that  the  common  impression  that  the 
early  painters  confined  themselves  to  ])ortrait 
painting   is   entirelv    erroneous.      Thev    did    a 


^^■Coggexli all's  I'oi'ls  din]  Portn/  of  tlic  West. 
p.  413.'  ■ 

''''Tiifliaiiri  Srlifiol  JdiinKil.  Vol.  (;.  p.  .'U.'i. 
^■'■Jovnial.  Fcbniarv    1.  ISIU. 


great  deal  of  landscajie  ].>aintiug  and  "figure 
pieces",  llieir  laudaeapes  usually  included 
figttres  of  animals. 

Gookins  at  that  time  was  located  at  Terra 
Haute.  He  was  a  son  of  Samuel  Barnes 
Gookins,  a  native  of  Vermont,  who  was  one 
of  the  most  prominent  of  the  early  newspaper 
men  of  Indiana,  and  later  a  ."judge  of  the  Su- 
preme Court.  He  kept  up  his  literary  work 
after  he  entered  the  law,  and  was  one  of  the 
most  forcible  Indiana  writers  of  his  day.'''  J. 
F.  Gookins  was  born  at  Terre  Haute  in  1840. 
and  took  to  art  naturally.  He  was  encouraged 
by  Bayard  Taylor,  who  saw  promise  in  his 
early  sketches,  and  advised  his  parents  to  edu- 
cate him  in  art  lines.  His  literary  education 
was  at  AYabash  College,  and  he  enlisted  from 
Crawfordsville  in  the  Eleventh  Indiana,  but 
was  forced  to  abandon  military  service  by  ill 
liealth.  Later  he  studied  painting  with  J.  H. 
and  J.  C.  Beard,  the  Cincinnati  artists :  had  a 
studio  for  some  time  at  Chicago ;  and  made 
two  trips  through  the  far  west  with  AValter 
Shirlaw,  painting  scenery.  In  1877  he  was  as- 
sociated with  John  Love  in  the  establishment 
of  the  Indiana  Art  School,  and,  for  two  years, 
in  its  management.  In  1883  he  was  appointed 
assistant  commissioner  to  the  Vienna  Exposi- 
tion, and  wrote  the  report  on  art  for  the  com- 
mission. After  several  years  of  study  in  Eu- 
rope he  returned  to  Chicago,  where  he  was  one 
of  the  directors  of  the  Academy  of  Design.  In 
1887  he  was  elected  Secretary  by  the  Soldiers' 
and  Sailors'  ^lonumcnt  Commission  of  Indi- 
ana, and  rendered  important  service  in  shaping 
tiie  policv  of  the  commission  in  the  erection  of 
that  notable  monument. 

Barton  S.  Hays  came  to  Indianapolis  in 
1858.  He  was  born  at  Greenville,  Ohio,  Ajiril 
5,  1826,  and  was  self-taught,  getting  numer- 
ous rebukes  from  liis  parents  for  wasting  his 
time  sketching  on  fences,  buildings  and  other 
flat  surfaces.  'Whon  a  voung  man  he  removed 
to  ^fontgomerv  County.  Indiana,  residing  for 
several  years  at  Pleasant  Hill  (now  Wingate). 
While  there  he  painted  two  panoramas,  one  of 
tlie  story  of  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin.  Panoramas 
were  among  the  most  remunerative  forms  of 
work  of  Western  artists  of  those  times,  be- 
cause thev  were  the  "shows"  most   patronized 


'"  Sketch   in  Reiircsmtntirc  Mm  <if  fiiJiniui. 


A'c 


1 


lllSTUi;V   OK   CHKATEli    1  X  DIAXAPOLIS. 


479 


W,    M.    CHASE'S    FIRST    "POT-BOILER." 

(Ci-ayon   of  C:iiil.    Wallace   Foster — the   "Flag    Man".) 


480 


HISTOKY  OF  CHEATER  INDIAXAPOLIS. 


by  tin.'  moral  and  religious  clemeiil  oi  iho 
period.  On  coming  here  he  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  William  Runnion.  and  the  firm  of 
Hays  &  Runnion  for  several  years  conducted 
the  principal  Dag-uerrcan  establishment  of  the 
city  in  a  building  on  the  site  of  the  present 
Fletcher  National  Bank.  Hays  remained  here 
until  188"^,  ■nhen  he  removed  to  ^linneajiolis. 
and  still  follows  his  profession  there.  He  was 
notable  for  his  own  work  and  also  as  being  tlie 
first  art  instructor  of  Wm.  M.  Chase,  of  inter- 
national fame,  and  of  John  Love,  who  played 
an  im])ortant  part  in  the  later  art  development 
of  Indianapolis. 

William  ^lerritt  Chase  was  born  at  Xineveli, 
Indiana,  November  1.  1849.  He  studied  with 
Hays  in  1868-9,  and  might  be  called  a  pupil 
of  Cox  also,  for  he  spent  much  of  liis  time  in 
Cox"s  studio,  and  Chase  had  the.  faculty  of 
absorliing  what  was  beneficial  everywhere.  Thev 
were  always  warm  friends.  Chase  alway> 
visited  Cox  when  he  came  to  Indianapolis,  and 
Cox  used  often  to  say,  "I  am  proud  of  William 
Chase — but  he  had  it  in  him.'"  But  Chase's 
actual  work  here  was  done  in  the  studio  of 
Hays.  Ho  went  from  here  to  New  York,  tak- 
ing letters  of  introduction  to  J.  0.  Eaton,  who 
was  then  established  there,  and  remained  for 
two  years,  studying  with  Eaton,  and  in  the 
school  of  the  Academy  of  Design.  In  1871  he 
went  to  St.  Louis  to  practice  his  profession, 
hut  there,  after  a  few  months,  he  met  John 
Mulvany.  recently  returned  from  ^lunich,  and 
became  convinced  tliat  there  was  more  for 
him  to  learn.  Friends  aided  him,  and  in  1872 
he  entered  the  Academy  at  ilunich,  and  spent 
six  years  there.  The  Munich  school  was  then 
transforming  from  the  spirit  of  Cornelius, 
Kaulbaeh,  and  Piloty.  and  taking  on  the  ideas 
of  Dietz  and  Liebl.  Chase  soon  became  known 
as  one  of  the  most  original  of  the  young  grou]). 
but  his  alisorbent  facultv  caused  him  to  get 
the  good  out  of  all  schools,  without  holding 
to  the  bad,  and  he  returned  to  America  quali- 
fied for  the  achievement  which  has  made  him 
fanio\is."  The  accompanying  cut  reproduces 
his  first  paid  work.  He  Jiad  opened  a  studio 
in  Talbott  &  News  block,  and  Captain  Foster, 

''For  sketches  of  Chase,  in  addition  to  Cy- 
clopedias, see  TTnrpfr'f!  Mmiazine.  Vol.  78,  p. 
549 :  Godfiys  Ladim'  Bool-.  Vol.  130,  p.  291 ; 
The  Studio,  Vol.  21,  p.  1.51. 


who  tlien  liad  a  gentieniairs  furnishing  store 
on  tbe  lirst  floor  of  tiie  same  building,  gave 
liiui  the  commission  tluit  began  his  artistic 
career. 

Among  those  wlio  caught  the  inspiration  to 
]iaint  from  Jacob  Cox  was  young  Lew  Wallace, 
and  he  has  left  a  pretty  picture  of  his  early 
vi>it.s  to  Cox's  studio  and  his  Jiiutl  emerging 
Irdiii  it  with  various  dabs  of  paint  on  a  tin 
plate,  with  which  he  sought  the  recesses  of  the 
garret  at  home  and  opened  a  studio  of  his  own. 
Says  Wallace :  ''There  I  found  myself  in  want 
of  everything  else  needful,  yet  my  ingenuity 
was  eqtial  to  the  trial.  For  brushes,  I  plucked 
hairs  from  the  tail  of  a  dog  and  tied  them 
to  a  stick.  On  the  floor  of  a  wooden  box  I 
made  a  panel  to  receive  the  picture.  Then 
came  a  loud  demand  for  oil.  The  servant-girl 
was  sick,  and  that  morning  the  doctor  had 
left  some  castor-oil,  part  of  a  prescription  for 
her.  I  stole  it;  and,  fearing  the  judgment 
usually  attaching  to  such-  misdeeds,  1  pause  to 
say  that  the  patient  recovered  in  despite. 
Finally,  what  should  I  paint?  1  chose  a  por- 
trait of  Black  Hawk,  the  old  chief  with  one 
eye,  conspicuous  in  a  hook  of  Indians."'*  But 
Mrs.  Wallace  discovered  the  home  of  art.  and 
Governor  Wallace  gave  fatherly  admonition 
against  wa.sting  his  time  in  such  pur>uits. 
(General  Wallace  says  this  was  not  enough  to 
destroy  his  aspirations  uittil  it  was  reinforced 
by  a  sound  thrashing  from  his  school  teacher, 
whom  he  had  portrayed  with  chalk  on  the  school 
blackboard   in  a   spirit  of  ridicule.'" 

Hut  in  realitv  General  Wallace  did  not  give 
u|i  art  work  altliough  he  tells  nothing  more 
aliout  it  in  his  autobiography.  He  found  rec- 
reation in  painting  in  later  years,  and  pro- 
duced some  very  creditable  canvases.  Two  of 
his  paintings — '"Over  the  Dead  Line"  and  a 
portrait  of  Henn-  S.  Lane — were  shown  at 
the  Love  and  Gookins  exhibit  in  May,  1878. 
which  was  a  reallv  remarkable  collection  of  In- 
diana art.  But  of  all  bis  paintings  the  one 
that   attracted   greatest   public   notice   was   his 


'*  He  probably  means  tbe  i»rtrait  of  tlie  i 
Sliawnee  Prophet,  in  ^fcKenney  and  Hall's 
/llsliiri/  of  the  Indian  Tribes,  which  was  then  \ 
in  tbe  State  Librarv.  He  was  flic  cons]iicuous  1 
one-eyed  man  portrayed.  Black  Hawk  bad  a  ' 
full  set  of  optics. 

'"Aiitnhioaranhi/.  ]i]i.  48-.')2. 


HISTOEY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAI'ULIS. 


■)81 


l'ur])le-winyv(l  L'upiil,-"  whicli  \v:is  rxliibiteil 
in  Imiiiiiiapolij,  anil  aroused  the  wrath  of 
Alois  E.  Sinks.  Sinks  was  a  peculiar  genius 
who  came  here  in  187G  from  New  York  as  an 
artist  and  art  critic.  He  was  as  genuine  a 
boheniian  as  ever  reached  this  place,  and  was 
a  source  of  perpetual  initerbiinnienl  to  John  \\ . 
Love,  who  maintained  that  Sinks  was  out  of 
liis  proper  setting  anywiiure  hut  in  the  Latin 
(Quarter  in  I'aris.  lie  was  i)oru  near  Dayton. 
Ohio,  October  5,  1848;  and  ran  away  from 
the  farm  to  enter  the  Union  army  as  a  drum- 
mer boy.  He  rose  to  a  position  on  General 
McConnell's  staff,  but  was  wounded  and  dis- 
charged before  the  close  of  the  war.  lie  then 
went  to  Xew  Yf)rk  where  ho  studied  art,  and 
did  a  good  deal  of  literary  work.  In  fact  he 
wrote  much  better  than  he  painted.  His 
critiques  were  rather  arrogant  in  style,  and  he 
had  the  community  pretty  thoroughly  intimi- 
dated when  he  fell  upon  Wallace.  The  idea 
of  a  Cupid  with  jnirple  wings !  It  was  so  pre- 
posterous, so  utterly  repugnant  to  any  artistic 
or  classical  conce])tion  of  the  God  of  Love  that 
words  could  hardly  do  justice  to  the  incongruity. 
Wallace  replied  mildly,  regretting  that  he  had 
not  had  the  advantage  of  Mr.  Sinks'  knowledge. 
and  explaining  that  he  had  been  misled  by 
Milton's  lines: 

"Here    Love   his   golden    shafts   employs,   here 
lights 
His    constant    lamp,    and    waves    his    purple 

wings, 
Reigns  here,  and  revels.""' 

Tiiat  ended  Sinks  as  an  art  critic,  or  rather 
helped  to  do  so,  for  he  was  already  a  victim 
of  intemperance,  and  died  here  July  3,  1881, 
from  injuries  sustained  in  falling  from  a  sec- 
ond story  window. -- 

The  years  18^9-70  were  epochal  in  Indianap- 
olis art.  Governor  Baker  had  some  excellent 
ideas  about  th(^  dignity  of  a  state,  and  he  got 
the  legislature  of  ISfi'J  to  authorize  him  to  se- 
cure "a  true  and  life-like  likeness  of  each  of 
the  Governors  of  the  State  and  Territory,  in- 
cluding the  present  incumbent,"  at  a  cost  not 


-°  Now  owned  by  ^frs.  W.  A.  Hughes,  of  In- 
dianapolis. 

"Paradise  Lost,  Book  4,  1.  7G4. 

-"For  sketch  see  Herald,  July  0.   1S81. 
Vol.  I— .-ii 


e.Yceeding  $200  each."''  There  had  been  a  Cana- 
dian painter,  James  Forbes,  who  visited  Ev- 
ausville,  and  painted  a  portrait  of  John  B. 
Baker,  brother  of  Governor  Baker,  and  im- 
pressed the  Governor  with  his  ability  as  an 
artist.  Nothing  is  known  of  Eorbes  here  be- 
\ond  his  work,  and  the  fact  that  he  was  a 
typical  Englisliman  in  appearance  and  dress, 
(iovernor  Baker  liad  Forbes  paint  his  own  por- 
trait, and  also  the  portraits  of  Governors  Jen- 
nings, W'hitcomb,  Dunning,  and  xMorlon.  The 
portrait  of  William  Henry  Harrison  was  painted 
l)y  Barton  S.  Hays.  Those  of  Governors  l'ose\ 
and  Hamnioud  were  by  Jolm  B.  Hill  of  In- 
dianapolis. Jacob  Cox  furnished  the  portraits 
of  Governors  Boone,  Ray,  _Xoble,  Wallaee,  Big- 
ger, Wright  and  Lane.  The  portrait  of  Gov- 
ernor W'lllard  is  one  that  had  been  painted  in 
185?  by  George  W.  Morrison,  a  A'ew  Albany 
artist.  Of  the  portraits'  since  Governor  Bak- 
er's time,  that  of  Governor  Hendricks  was 
painted  by  W.  R.  Freeman,  a  transient  here  in 
1873-4,  who  stopped  at  the  Bates  House  and 
[)ainted  several  portraits  of  citizens.  That  of 
Governor  Williams  was  painted  by  a  Mr.  Col- 
cord — an  unknown  transient.  Governors  Gray, 
Porter,  Hovey,  Chase  and  Matthews  are  b} 
T.  C.  Steele;  and  Governor  Mount  by  James 
M.  Dennis,  formerly  of  lndiana[Kilis.  now  of 
Detroit. 

Mr.  Cox  continued  painting  u[i  to  the  time 
of  his  death  on  January  4,  mwi.  In  his  later 
years  his  family  had  a  little  studio  built  for 
him  adjoining  their  home  on  North  Pennsyl- 
vania street."*  This  was  the  second  building 
t'rected  for  a  studio  in  Indianapolis.  There 
were  numerous  pupils  who  had  instructioti  from 
him  at  various  limes.  Notable  among  them 
is  Miss  Margaret  Rudisill,  a  native  of  Mont- 
gomery County,  Indiana,  who  later  studied 
seven  years  in  Paris,  under  Thompson,  Bouge- 
reau,  Fleuery  and  Alfred  Stevin.  The  care 
of  an  invalid  mother  has  prevented  Miss  Rudi- 
sill from  giving  her  full  attention  to  her  art, 
Init  the  excellence  of  her  work,  which  won  her 
a  place  in  the  Paris  salon,  is  seen  in  all  her 
later  paintings.  Another  pui>il  of  Cox  was 
India  Underbill  Kirkland — a  ilangliter  of  Ivob- 
ert    Underbill,    the    wealthy    foundryman    who 

-•^Acts  Special  Sess.  ISGO,  p.  II. 
"Now    No.    962 — residence    of    Dr.    iicniy 
Jameson. 


4S2 


HISTORY  OF  GltEATER   IXDIAXAI'OLIS. 


livril  wlicri'  Sliortridffe  High  S(/1iih)I  ikuv 
staii(l>.  On  f'oxV  advice  she  turned  her  atten- 
tion 1(1  modelling,  and  did  some  striking  work. 
A  bust  of  Oliver  P.  ^[orton  bv  her  was  in  the 
local  art  exhibit  of  1903.  She  competed  for 
the  JForton  monument  in  1880,  and  her  model 
was  |iri)noiinced  the  best  portrait  of  Morton  in 
the  lot  liy  Jacob  Cox  and  others,  though  the 
award  went  to  Franklin  Simmons.  His  work, 
now  standing  in  ilonimient  place,  does  not 
show  the  leonine  character  that  was  in  ilor- 
ton".s  face,  and  in  ^frs.  Kirkland's  model.  How- 
over,  others  need  not  complain,  for  the  Herald 
at  the  time  declared  that  ^[orton's  spirit  ap- 
peared at  a  local  seance,  and  stated  his  perfect 
satisfaction  with  the  monument,  and  also  with 
the  dedicatory  exercises,  "excepting  Professor 
Rid  path's  ])oem  and  Governor  Porter's  call  for 
a  rising  vote.''"^ 

Among  Cox's  pupils  were  two  Indianapolis 
voungsters,  later  well  known  in  local  art  cir- 
cles. They  were  the  children  of  John  F.  Hill, 
an  old  resident,  of  the  early  firm  of  Drum  i*i: 
Hill,  and  later  a  nurseryman  and  florist.  ^Fary 
first  took  drawing  lessons  of  ^[rs.  Talbott,  wife 
of  the  Episcopalian  rector,  and,  in  IST."),  at 
the  age  of  nine,  entered  on  a  two  years  course 
with  Mr.  Cox.  She  then  pursued  her  studies 
alone,  and  became  an  art  teacher — ^lietter  Icnown 
by  her  married  name,  Mrs.  M.  H.  Culbertson — 
in  which  she  achieved,  and  is  still  achieving 
success.  She  went  abroad  in  1890  and  jiur- 
sued  her  art  and  music  studies  there.  Iler 
younger  brother,  John  B.  Hill,  also  took  a 
brief  course  with  Cox,  but  was  largely  self- 
instructed.  He  had  a  studio  for  some  time  in 
the  old  Talbott  &  New  block,  but  was  handi- 
capped by  ill-health,  and  died  rather  early. 
His  work  was  largelv  of  portraits.  Among 
those  preserved  are  jiortraits  of  Doctor  Bolibs 
and  Doctor  TMears.  and  two  of  the  governors. 
Another  pupil  of  (^ox,  well  known  as  a  local 
teacher  and  artist,  was  Tjotta  Guffin.  She  was 
a  Miss  Hilliss,  who  came  here  to  attend  Xorth- 
western  Christian  I^niversitv.  She  married 
Henry  Guffin.  a  jii'omising  young  lawyer,  but 
he  fell  a  victim  to  drink,  and  she  was  obliged 
to  obtain  a  divorce.-''  Her  portrait  work  is 
])rized   for   its  fidelitv. 

An  artist  widelv  .-ind  ravuralilv  known  in  In- 


^^IliTiiJ,].  Januarv   19.   18S4. 
^"Stitiinlaii   nrririr.    Dc-cembcr    II.    1880. 


dianapolis  after  the  war  was  J.  M.  Dennis, 
now  of  Detroit,  Michigan.  In  response  to  a 
request  for  some  data  as  to  his  stay  here,  and 
earlier  life,  ^[v.  Dennis  writes  me:  "I  was 
born  in  Dublin,  Indiana,  in  1810,  and  was 
inclined  to  make  pictures  from  boyhood.  When 
about  eighteen  years  old,  I  went  to  Cincinnati 
and  became  acquainted  with  Alexander  Wyant, 
landscape  painter,  and  studied  with  him;  also 
studied  i)ortrait  painting  with  J.  0.  Eaton  of 
the  same  place.  1  went  to  Indianapolis  in  18ij.) 
and  became  acquainted  with  B.  S.  Hays  and 
Jacob  Cox :  thev  were  prominent  at  that  time. 
Later  I  met  T.'C.  Steele,  'Will  M.  Chase,  also 
John  Love  and  Gookins.  The  latter  two  opened 
the  .\.rt  School.  In  1873  I  went  to  New  York 
to  study,  and  worked  with  AVyant  and  Eaton 
again,  who  had  both  become  famous.  I  again 
returned  to  Indianapolis  and  painted  many 
liortraits  and  landscapes.  Some  of  the  jiortraits 
that  were  painted  at  that  time  were  John  C. 
New,  for  the  Treasury  Building,  Washington, 
D.  C. :  Governor  ilount,  for  the  State  House, 
Indianapolis:  Jett'erson  Davis,  President  of  the 
Soutiicrn  Confederacy,  and  Joseph  E.  Johnson. 
at  Savannah,  Georgia,  all  from  life."  The  pro- 
fessional art  life  of  Mr.  Dennis  in  Indianap- 
olis covers  a  period  of  about  twenty  years,  and 
a  large  number  of  his  works  are  still  to  be 
found  in  Indianapolis  homes,  where  they  are 
highlv  prized.  Some  of  them  have  been  shown 
in  exhibits  of  the  Art  Association. 

During  the  Civil  War,  and  for  more  than  a 
decade  afterward,  the  chief  scene-painter  in 
Indianapolis  was  Thomas  B.  Glessing,  an  Eng- 
lishman, born  in  1817,  who  came  here  in  1861. 
His  regular  occupation  was  "scenic  artist"'  for 
the  old  Metropolitan  theater  (now  the  Park), 
but  he  did  quite  an  amount  of  fairly  creditable 
work  in  regular  artistic  lines.  He  was  a  lover 
of  the  beautiful,  and  his  home  was  not  only 
picturesque  within  but  surrounded  by  flowers 
without.  When  the  first  "exposition"  was  held 
in  Indianapolis,  in  1873,  Mr.  Glessing  was  en- 
gaged to  paint  four  large  canvases,  illustrative 
of  the  histon-  of  the  city.  His  subjects  were 
the  State  Seal — which  presents  the  advent  of 
civilization  idea:  the  selection  of  the  site  of 
the  city:  the  new  settlement  in  1821:  and  the 
city  in  war  time,  with  the  State  Capitol  as  the 
central  feature.  They  were  not  very  artistic, 
and  not  very  accurate  historically,  but  tliev 
have  been  reproduced  so  often  as   illustrations 


lllsrulIV   OF  CKKATKl!   JXlJlAXA  I'oMS. 


48;? 


tliiil  they  hiivi'  Ijecoiiii'  n  part  of  our  local 
lii.-torv;  and  in  fact  tlic  originals  are  still  pro- 
-I'rxi'il  by  the  Indiana  Historical  Socictv.  Glcs- 
>iM>,'-  went  from  hci-c  to  take  the  position  of 
scene  painter  for  the  Boston  Musemn  in  1873. 
'Pile  call  was  a  deserved  compliment  to  his 
skill,  for  he  was  a  scene  painter  of  real  merit. 

The  first  "exposition,"  which  opened  on  Sep- 
lember  10,  18T;{,  had  an  interesting  connec- 
tion witii  art  in  Tndiana|iolis  throngh  a  col- 
lection of  "iJogers  statuary""  that  was  exhibited 
there.  .Vinong  tlie  visitors  was  John  H.  Ma- 
lioney,  a  young  marble-cutter,  employed  at  Car- 
penter's marlde  yard,  which  was  then  at  36 
IvT>t  Market  sti'eet.  and  later  at  tlic  north- 
west corner  of  Ohio  and  Meriilian.  Mahonev 
was  a  native  of  Wales,  born  in  l.s.").j.  In  IS.")" 
his  parents  removed  to  this  country  and  set- 
tled in  .Jennings  Countv.  Indiana,  from  where 
young  Mahoney  came  to  Indianapolis  in  1S(3S. 
He  was  attracted  by  the  Kogers  statuary,  and 
after  some  ini|uiiy  decided  to  try  modeling. 
He  ])rocured  xniic  clay  and  began.  His  work 
was  admireil  li\-  (■ar))enter  and  an  opportunity 
,-cion  came  for  advance.  The  Franklin  l-'ire 
Insurance  t'onipany  was  erecting  its  building 
at  the  southeast  corner  of  Market  and  Circle 
streets  and  wanted  a  marble  statue  of  Ben- 
jamin Franklin  for  the  front.  Inquiry  of 
Carpenter  brought  a  recommendation  of  Ma- 
honey,  and  he  was  employed  to  do  the  work. 
It  still  stands,  facing  Moiuunent  Place,  where 
some  of  Mr.  ^laboney's  later  work  is  located. 
This  was  com])leted  in  1ST4,  and  in  1875  !Ma- 
honey  was  cmi)lnved  to  make  the  marble  statue 
of  Gen.  Sol.  Meredith,  at  Cambridge  City,  In- 
diana. He  now  became  ambitious  of  further 
training  and  by  ISTO  saved  up  enough  to  go 
to  Europe,  where  be  put  in  eighteen  months  in 
desultory  study  in  llir  galleries  and  studios; 
after  which  he  iituiiicd  to  this  country  and  at 
once  entered  in  competit'on  for  scnlotural  work. 

In  this  lie  was  successful  from  the  start.  In 
18S()  he  was  selected  In  make  the  bronze  statue 
of  Morton  McMicliarl.  in  Fairmount  Park. 
Pbiladeli)hia.  In  ISS'.'  be  was  calli'd  to  make 
the  statue  (d'  Picric  Menard,  at  Springfield. 
Illinois.  In  ISSI  he  maile  the  granite  monu- 
mental statue  of  Charles  West,  which  stands 
in  Sjiring  Grove  Cemeterv.  Cincinnati.  In 
ISSCi  he  was  commissioned  to  make  tlie  colossal 
granite  figures  of  '•Freedom"'  and  '"Law"  for 
tlic   Pilgrims'  mnminicnt  at    PlyiiKnilli.   Massa- 


chusetts. In  l.SiHI  be  made  the  statue  of  lleu- 
ly  I-Jergli,  for  Ilie  memorial  fountain  at  .vlil- 
\>aul<ee.  lie  spent  18!)  1  at  .Vllaiila,  making 
statues  of  the  l_'arpenter  family,  and  tlieii  re- 
turned t(i  Indianapolis,  where  he  iiia.li'  the 
bronze  r-tatule  of  W  .  11.  Knglisli,  wliicli  stands 
at  EnglLsh,  Indiana,  with  replica  at  ^cotts- 
burg.  In  KS!)-^-3  he  was  engaged  on  tlie  art 
detail  of  the  Soldiers"  .Monumiait  at  Cle\eiand, 
Oluo,  and  it  is  often  noted  that  while  this 
nionument  does  not  compare  with  the  Indian- 
ajiolis  monument  arcbitectuially.  it  i>  far  su- 
perior 111  its  ornamentation.  From  l.^li.i  to 
18!)8  he  was  engageil  in  making  the  iliree 
bronze  statues  of  tteorge  liogers  Clark.  W  miaiii 
Henry  Harrison  and  .James  Whiteoiiili.  wiiieli 
>tand  in  Monument  Place,  and  which  n\v  easi- 
ly the  best  sculptural  work  about  Indianapolis, 
tluuigh  competent  critics  put  a  very  lugh  esti- 
mate on  U"Connor"s  statue  of  Lawtoii,  on  the 
Court  House  square.-'  After  Maciloiinies 
threw  up  his  contract  for  the  "war""  and 
"Jieace""  groups  of  the  Soldiers"  inoiHimciil .  in 
a  fit  of  pettishness  laiised  by  criticism  u!'  I  be 
designs  he  offered,  then'  was  a  dispositum  tn 
entrust  this  work  to  .Malioney;  but  lie  did  not 
hitch  witli  Huddenbaum,  the  supervising  archi- 
tect, and  the  work  went  to  IJruno  Sclimii/..  me 
designer  of  the  monument.  This  was  unfortu- 
nate, for  while  Schmitz  is  a  great  architect  he 
is  very  mediocre  as  a  sculptcu-.  Since  the  com- 
pletion of  the  Soldier.-"  iiiiiiiument  Mr.  .Ma- 
honey  has  had  no  large  commissions,  the  most 
important  being  the  memorial  bronze  tablet  of 
Col.  Eli  Lilly  for  the  ( 'omniercial  Club  build- 
ing. This  is  chicHy  due  to  his  dropping  art 
for  several  years  in  an  unsuccessful  venture  as 
a  railroad  jn'omoter;  but  more  recently  he  has 
resumed  his  art   work. 

\t  the  time  of  this  first  liidiana|iolis  e.\|)o- 
sition  a  new  artist  was  develoiiing  who  was  des- 
tined to  leave  a  deep  impress  cm  Indianapolis. 
.Inliii  Washington  Love  was  a  native  of  In- 
diana, bnni  near  .Na|ioleoii.  Hi])ley  Cniiiity.  Au- 
gu-t  111,  1850.  His  family  reiiKivcd  to  lii- 
iliauapolis,  and  here  he  attended  tbe  public 
schools  and  Northwestern  Christian  I'niversity. 
.Vfter  leaving  the  university  he  took  up  the 
study  of  jiainting  with  B.  S.  Hays  for  a  year, 
and  then  went  to  Cincinnati  to  continue  his 
training   in   the   studio  of    llenrv    Mosler.   who 


'Xcics.    Mav 


i!Hi;. 


484 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATEE  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


later  attained  distinction  in  Paris.  In  IST^ 
Love  went  to  Paris  for  a  stay  of  five  years,  i  i 
Hiiich  he  pursued  his  studies  in  the  Academy 
of  Design  and  in  the  stiidio  of  Gerome.  He 
returned  to  Indianapolis  to  become  its  first 
exponent  of  the  modern  school  of  painting.  He 
was  a  natural  art  teacher,  and  felt  the  need 
of  an  art  school  here.  In  conjunction  with 
J.  F.  Gookins  he  started  one.  They  were  as- 
sisted by  Ferdinand  Mersman,  instnictor  in 
sculpture  and  wood-carving,  John  il.  Warder, 
instructor  in  mechanical  drawing,  and  H.  C. 
Chandler,  instructor  in  wood-carving.  An  "art 
association"  was  formed  in  support  of  the 
school,  with  80  members,  whose  fees  entitled 
them  to  admission  to  all  exhibits,  and  some 
other  privileges.  The  upper  floor  of  the 
Fletcher  and  Sharpe  building  (now  Sak's  build- 
ing) was  leased,  eleven  large  rooms;  a  large 
line  of  easts  of  anticpies  and  other  appur- 
tenances of  art  study  were  obtained ;  and  on 
October  15,  1877,  the  school  was  formally 
opened,  a  largely-attended  public  reception  fol- 
lowing on  October  Ifl.  The  prospects  seemed 
excellent.  About  7.T  pupils  were  promised,  and 
50  attended  in  the  first  year.  But  the  seeds 
of  disaster  were  present.  Gookins  and  Love 
did  not  agree  in  their  art  ideals.  Gookins  be- 
longed to  the  old  school,  and  most  of  the  In- 
dianapolis i)eople  who  cared  for  art  had  its 
ideals.  After  a  year  Gookins  dropped  out,  and 
Love  remained  as  sole  director.  The  patronage 
decreased,  for  Indianapolis  was  getting  the 
full  pressure  of  the  panic  of  1873,  and  luxuries 
were  dropped  first.  In  1879  the  school  was 
abandoned. 

But  the  art  spirit  had  been  awakened  in  a 
number  of  the  pupils,  and  a  number  of  thcni 
continued  their  work,  some  at  Ixive's  studio 
and  some  at  home,  under  his  guidance,  until 
his  death  on  June  ?4.  1880.  Xo  man  ever 
received  warmer  tribute  than  he  from  his  pu- 
pils and  friends.-*  These  words  from  one  of 
(hem  are  so  just  and  so  prophetic  that  thev 
call  for  note :  "He  was  the  most  thorough 
teacher  of  art  this  city  has  ever  had.  His 
methods  were  correct,  and  wherever  they  have 
been  followed  by  his  pupils,  theirs  has  been 
the  reward.  In  drawing  he  was  a  master.  He 
not  only  knew  how  to  draw,  but  he  had  a 
very  happy   faculty  of   imparting  his   instruc- 


'Movrnol.  .June  ?8,  Herald,  Julv  3. 


tions  to  others.  His  services  to  the  public  in 
cicnting  an  art  impulse  in  Indianapolis  can- 
not be  overestimated.  The  fruits  of  this  will 
be  enjoyed  in  the  future.  An  inherent  art 
appreciation  has  been  properly  directed,  and 
Mr.  Love  is  entitled  to  the  credit  of  its  di- 
rection. His  pupils  are  carrying  out  his  ideas 
to  their  full  fruition.  Though  the  young  ar- 
tist is  dead  his  work  will  live."  Among  the 
manifestations  of  its  living  may  be  mentioned 
here  that  his  pall-bearers  and  pupils  Will  For- 
syth, Thos.  E.  Hibben,  Charles  Nicoli,  Fred 
Hetherington,  Frank  Scott  and  Charles  Fiscus 
organized  "the  Bohe  Club",  which  was  devoted 
to  art  study  for  a  number  of  years,  and  was 
the  chief  factor  in  the  Art  Association's  ex- 
hibition of  1885. 

There  is  a  notable  coincidence  in  the  fact 
that  the  Herald  of  June  26,  1880,  which  an- 
nounced the  death  of  John  Love,  contained  an 
address  by  Eev.  X.  A.  Hyde  to  the  Social 
Science  Association  of  Indiana  on  "The  In- 
fluence of  Art"'",  in  which  he  strongly  urged 
rlie  place  of  art  in  public  education.  But  the 
time  was  not  quite  ripe,  and  it  was  left  to  the 
women  "to  take  up  the  flag  that  the  men 
jnilled  down"',  a  little  later.  In  the  winter  of 
1S80-1  ]\[rs.  C.  D.  Adsit,  of  Milwaukee,  came 
here  and  gave  a  series  of  parlor  lectures  on 
ceramics.  In  1882-3  she  came  again,  with  il- 
lustrated talks  on  engraving  and  etching.  Both 
visits  were  on  invitation  of  Mrs.  May  Wright 
Sewall,  to  whom  Indianapolis  is  largely  in- 
debted for  organized  advancement  in  higher 
lulture.  At  the  last  lecture  of  the  second 
course  Mrs.  Sewall  invited  those  interested  to 
meet  in  her  parlors  to  consider  the  organiza- 
tion of  an  art  association.  There  was  a  cor- 
dial response,  and  at  that  first  meeting  a  com- 
mittee of  ten  was  selected  to  prepare  a  con- 
stitution and  plan  of  work.  After  severtil 
weeks  of  deliberation  its  constitution  and  plan 
were  adopted  at  a  public  meeting  lield  at  tiie 
Denison  Llotel,  on  I^Iav  7,  1883,  and  The  Art 
.Vssociation  of  Indianapolis  was  duly  organized. 
It  was  incorporated  on  October  11  of  the  same 
year.  But  the  work  was  going  on  from  the 
start.  It  was  determined  to  begin  with  an  art 
exhibit,  and  then  ojien  an  art  .«chool.  Miss 
Sue  M.  Ketcbam.  a  local  artist,  of  one  of  the 
oldest  Indianapolis  families,  who  had  been  for 
a  time  a  pupil  in  the  Gookins-Love  art  school, 
was  selected  to  inaugurate  the  work;  and  the 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


485 


-lUcliim  \va>  a  wise  one.  Mis<  Keteham  went 
tirst  to  ('liicajio,  wliore  she  secured  the  co- 
operation of  local  artists  and  engaged  Charles 
V.  McDonahl  of  the  Chicago  Art  I^asrue  as 
head  teacher  for  the  scliool.  She  then  went  to 
Detroit,  where  an  art  exhibit  was  in  progress, 
and  then,  in  spite  of  gloomy  predictions  as  to 
the  East,  she  visited  New  York.  Her  suc- 
cess was  phenomenal,  and  by  November  she 
had  collected  4.");j  ]iaintings,  showintr  the  work 
r  1.3:  artists. 
,  The  exhibit  was  held  November  ',-2U,  in 
the  corner  rooms  of  English's  hotel — now  occu- 
pied by  the  cafe — and  was  a  decided  success, 
the  attendance  increasing  steadily  to  the  last. 
The  art  school  opened  on  January  10.  1884. 
with  McDonald  and  ^liss  Kctchain  as  teach- 
ers, in  the  old  Plymouth  church  building  on 
"Meridian  street,  wliich  has  since  been  replaced 
by  an  extension  of  the  English  Hotel.  There 
was  some  trouble  in  financing  the  school,  and 
after  the  first  year  the  Association  made  ibe 
mistake  of  dropping  Miss  Keteham.  who  turned 
her  attention  to  art  instruction  on  her  own  ac- 
in\nit.  For  thirteen  years  she  successfully 
managed  summer  sketch  and  travel  parties  in 
various  parts  of  America  and  Europe.  The 
i^sociation  school  was  abandoned  after  the  sec- 
"iid  year,  with  a  residue  of  debt.  The  burden 
of  its  su))p()rt  prevented  an  exhibit  in  1884. 
and  in  ISS-")  the  exhibit  took  the  form  of  an 
■\hibit  of  the  works  of  ■'the  Hoosier  Cnlcmy  in 
\l  iinrhen,""  under  the  direction  of  Thomas  K. 
Ilihben.  From  that  time  there  have  l)een  reg- 
ular annual  exhibits,  usually  in  the  spring. 
with  numerou.s  special  exhibits.  From  1880 
to  1890.  inclusive,  the  annual  exhibits  wct'c 
lield  in  Masonic  hall  except  in  1888,  when  it 
was  at  old  .3.3  South  ^feridian  street.  From 
18Jn  to  1899.  inclusive,  thev  were  at  the 
Pro]ivlaeum.  except  in  189.5.  when  it  was  at 
8->.',  North  Pennsylvania  street.  In  1900  and 
1901  they  were  at  the  H.  T.ieber  Galleries, 
l-'rom  190'>  to  190.5  thev  were  in  the  old  Tinker 
liomestead  building  of  the  .l<ibn  Hi'iTcin  .\  rt 
Institute.  From  lOOC  on  tlie\  were  in  the 
•Tiibn  Herron  Art  Institute  building. 

"The  Hoosier  Colony  in  ^liinchen".  whos(> 
works  were  exhibited  in  188.'),  consisted  of 
Theodore  C.  Steele  an. I  Willi.nn  Forsyth.  :\fr. 
Steele  wjis  horn  in  (»uin  Cnunty,  Indiana. 
September  22,  1S4T.  He  \inilertook  nortra't 
liaiiiting     without     iicrsimal     in>tnirtion.     and 


worked  at  it  for  two  years  at  Battle  Creek, 
Michigan,  and  for  five  years  at  Indianapolis 
before  opportunity  came  to  him  to  go  abroad. 
In  1880  he  went  to  ^[uuich  where  he  entered 
the  Royal  Academy  and  remained  for  five 
years,  for  two  years  a  pupil  of  Julius  Benczur, 
and  for  two  years  in  the  studio  of  Professor 
Loefl'tz.  In  1884  his  painting  "the  Boatman" 
received  a  medal  at  the  exhibition,  and  the 
government  desired  to  purchase  it,  but  he 
])referred  to  bring  it  home.  On  his  return  he 
located  at  ]ndiana])oli.s,  where  he  has  advanced 
steadily  in  popularity.  He  was  president  of 
the  Society  of  Western  .\rtists  in  1898-9,  and 
a  member  of  the  Internatioiuil  Jury  of  Awards 
at  the  St.  Ijouis  Exposition  in  1904.  In  addi- 
tion to  much  other  work.  ^[r.  Steele  has  ])ainteil 
the  portraits  of  all  the  governors  of  Indiana, 
from  CiO\ernor  Gray  to  (iovernor  ilatthi-ws  for 
the  state's  collection.  William  Forsyth  was 
born  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio;  and  began 
his  art  training  under  John  W.  Love  in  1879. 
He  went  to  Munich  in  1882  and  remained  for 
seven  years,  four  of  them  in  the  Royal  Acad- 
emy, where  he  stuilied  drawing  under  Benczur 
and  Gysis,  and  paintiug  under  LoefFtz.  While 
in  tiie  academy  he  won  honorable  mention  in 
every  exhibition  in  which  he  took  pai"t,  and  a 
medal  in  1885.  He  took  two  medals  at  the 
St.  Louis  Exposition  in  1904.  He  has  been 
instructor  in  painting  at  the  John  Herron  .Art 
Institute  since  1905. 

These  two,  with  three  others.  John  Ottis  Ad- 
ams, Otto  Stark  and  Richanl  I'uckner  Gruelle, 
are  widely  known  as  "The  Hoosier  Group." 
Adams  is  a  native  and  resident  of  Indiana, 
born  at  Chestnut  Rid^e,  Jackson  County.  He 
studied  in  London  under  John  Parker,  and  at 
the  Royal  .\cademy  in  Munich.  He  maintains 
jiis  residence  at  Brookville.  Stark  is  lx)th  a  na- 
tive and  resident  of  Indianapolis,  born  .lanuary 
29,  1859.  He  attended  tlie  Cincinnati  Art 
Academy  and'  started  in  l)usincss  as  a  lithog- 
rapher, but  decided  to  become  an  artist.  He 
studied  at  the  Art  Students'  Ijeague  in  New 
"^'ork.  at  the  Academic  Julien  in  Paris,  and  in 
the  studio  of  F.  Cormon.  He  exliibited  in  the 
Paris  salon  in  1M8(;  and  1887.  His  work  is 
notalile  for  its  peculiarly  .\merican  quality. 
Gruelle  is  the  most  ab.sohitely  untaught  artist 
who  ever  did  really  good  work  in  this  vicinity. 
He  was  born  at  Cvntbiana.  Kentucky.  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1851,  his  ])arents  removing  in   185,s 


48G 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDTAXAPOLIS. 


tn  Areola,  Illinois,  lie  was  originally  a  house 
and  sign  painter,  ami  l)y  hard  work  and  study 
taught  himself  to  paint  portraits,  and  grad- 
ually to  do  landseapi's  and  other  works.  He 
took  up  portrait  ]iainting  as  a  profession  at 
Decatur,  Illinois,  in  1875  and  1876;  followed 
it  at  Areola  from  1877  to  1881;  and  at  In- 
dianapolis from  1881  to  date,  excepting  two 
years  in  Florida  and  one  in  New  York.  For 
several  summers  he  painted  along  the  coast, 
al)out  Gloucester,  ^lassachusetts,  and  one  of  his 
finest  marines  about  that  point  is  in  the  read- 
ing room  of  the  City^  Library. 

In  188.3  Gruelle  visited  the  art  collection  of 
Wm.  T.  Walters,  at  Baltimore,  and  wrote  a 
description  of  it  to  Carl  Lieber.  At  that  time 
Joseph  Bowles  had  just  started  "Modern  Art"', 
and  Lieber  gave  him  the  letter  for  publication. 
It  fell  into  the  hands  of  Walters  who  at  once 
sent  for  Gnielle  and  desired  him  to  prepare  a 
description  of  the  collection.  Gruelle  pro- 
tested a  lack  of  literary  education  but  Walters 
insisted.  He  said:  "You  are  the  man  I  have 
been  looking  for  for  twenty-five  years.  I  have 
had  plenty  of  men  who  can  write,  but  yoii 
can  ]5aint  a  word-picture."  Gruelle  undertook 
the  work,  and  the  result  was  his  "Notes  Crit- 
ical and  Biographical'"  on  the  Walters'  collec- 
tion, one  of  the  most  unique  and  highly-|irized 
art  works  ever  issued  in  America. 

"Modern  Art",  which  at  once  took  rank  as  a 
very  high  grade  art  publication — probably  the 
highest  ever  known  in  the  United  States — was 
continued  for  two  years  at  Indianapolis,  1893 
and  4,  and  then  taken  to  Boston  by  L.  Prang 
(S:  Co..  who  continued  it  for  two  years  longer 
with  ^Ir.  Bowles  as  editor.  Joseph  Bowles 
was  bnni  at  Indianapolis  Julv  1,  186.T.  His 
father,  'i'lios.  H.  Bowles,  was  a  lawyer,  who 
came  here  from  Maryland.  His  mother  was  a 
dauffhter  of  Josenh  ^IcChesnev  ^foore.  an  early 
resident  here,  who  was  a  cousin  of  Jnm"s  ^F. 
Rav.  and  was  private  secretary  of  Governor 
Wallace.  In  the  campaign  of  1840  he  edited 
a  ^Miig  paper  called  "The  Spirit  of  '76".  and 
in  1844  another  known  as  "Thr  Wine/  RifJr". 
From  this  grandfather,  and  his  mother,  who 
was  a  clever  writer,  Mr.  Bowles  may  have  in- 
herited his  faculty  for  writing.  His  taste  ran 
natu7-ally  to  art,  and  when  a  child  he  spent 
much  of  liis  time  in  drawing.  .\s  he  grew 
older  lie  entered  the  art  establishment  of  H. 
Lieber.   where  he  became   familiar   with   art    in 


all  phases;  and  he  certainly  showed  a  remark- 
able art  appreciation  in  this  ambitious  maiden 
venture. 

Tlie  title  of  "The  Hoosier  Group"'  came 
from  Hamlin  Garland.  In  1893,  Forsyth  sent 
three  pictures  to  the  Chicago  Exposition  and 
Steele  two,  and  both  were  exceptional  among 
western  artists  in  being  recognized  and  favor- 
ably placed.  They  attracted  considerable  com- 
ment in  art  circles,  it  being  thought  notable 
that  good  art  work  was  being  done  in  Indiana. 
In  180o  an  Indiana  exhibit  was  being  given 
at  the  Denison  Hotel,  when  a  letter  was  re- 
ceived from  Hamlin  Garland  asking  if  it  could 
not  be  shown  at  Chicago — that  he  was  presi- 
dent of  the  Central  Art  Association  of  that 
city,  Mhich  would  guarantee  success.  The  in- 
vitation was  accepted,  and  among  its  results 
was  an  unique  appreciation  of  the  work.  It 
was  prepared  by  Garland,  Lorado  Taft,  the 
sculptor,  and  Charles  Francis  Brown,  the 
painter:  it  is  also  understood  that  Henry  B. 
Fuller  had  some  hand  in  it.  It  was  published 
in  painphlet  form  and  received  wide  notice. 
The  word  "group"  had  been  brought  into  jn-om- 
inence  at  the  time  through  the  anarchist  so- 
cieties, and  it  was  appropriated,  in  the  easy 
western  way,  for  these  five  artistic  radicals  of 
the  time. 

The  art  school  of  the  association  which  was 
discontinued  in  1885  was  not  resumed  for 
some  years,  but  after  the  return  of  Mr.  For- 
syth from  irunieh  in  1889  he  and  Mr.  Steele 
undertook  a  private  sehool  on  a  moderate  scale 
which  eontinueil  until  1891,  when  it  developed 
into  the  Indiana  School  of  Art.  This  was 
an  incorporated  institution,  the  members  be- 
ing mostly  members  of  the  Art  Association, 
\\  ho  contributed  from  $5  to  $25  annually  to  the 
-■ijjport  of  the  school.  Charles  E.  Hallcnbeck 
took  an  active  interest  in  it.  acting  as  treas- 
urer, and  managing  its  financial  affairs  gen- 
erally. Its  quarters  were  in  the  old  High 
School  building  at  Market  and  Circle  streets — 
formerly  Beechers  Church.  It  was  very  >uc- 
<(wsfnl,  the  attendance  averaging  over  100  until 
its  close  in  1897.  ^lessrs.  Steele  and  Forsvth 
were  the  chief  instructors  in  the  regular  day 
and  eveninir  classes,  and  there  were  prepara- 
tiiry  and  children's  classes  taught  by  Misses 
Marv  Robinson,  Temiie  Tice  and  Lyda  Becker. 
It  was  discontinued  becau.se  the  building  was 
to  be  torn  down   fm-  the  CNtens'on  of  tln'  Eng- 


J 


HISTORY  OF  (;HKATKI{    INDIANAPOLIS. 


487 


lisli  iriitfl,  and  was  not  resuiuod  on  account 
of  tlu'  expectation  of  the  speedy  estaljlishmeut 
of  a  riernianent  institution  under  tlie  TIerron 
!x'i|uest. 

The  Herron  bequest  chan^»^ed  tlie  work  of  the 
Art  Association  from  a  dragging  struggle  to 
irratifving  achievement.  John  Ilerron  was 
licirii  at  Carlton  in  t'raven,  England,  March 
•,;!l,  ISIT,  but  his  ])arents  removed  to  Chester 
County.  Pennsylvania,  in  his  infancy.  In 
1S4T  the  entire  family  removed  to  ilt.  (^ir- 
niel,  Indiana,  where  the  parents,  and  all  of  the 
diildren  but  John  and  one  sister  died.    He  was 


SOLDIERS     AND   SAILORS'    MONUMENT. 

left  wralthy.  uilh  no  care  Inil  the  iiivestiiiciit 
of  his  liuids,  whieli  was  lai-gely  intrusted  to 
Ainbiose  P.  Stanton,  of  Indianapolis,  on  whose 
advice,  in  1883,  he  removed  to  Indianapolis 
witji  liis  wife  and  sister.  In  a  few  years  the 
sister  died,  niid  in  1892  the  wife.  Herron  had 
several  times  discussed  witli  Mr.  Stanton  the 
dispositimi  of  his  property,  whiili  he  desired 
to  taki'  some  foini  that  would  he  a  monument 
to  himself,  and  Stanton  advised  him  to  divide 
it  hetwi'en  the  Art  Association  and  the  Or- 
phan .\^vllnn.  On  his  return  from  his  wife's 
funeral  llerpdii  had  an  attack  of  illness,  and 
when   p.'irliallv  ri'covered,  on  Octolier  "31 ,  1802. 


made  liis  will,  leaving  the  bulk  of  liis  prop- 
erty to  the  .\rt  Association  on  condition  that 
it  should  be  used  in  establishing  and  maintain- 
ing an  art  institute  and  art  school  which 
should  be  known  by  his  name.  He  gave  the 
Orphan  Asylum  $lliOOO,  saying  there  was  not 
enough  for  two  institutions — in  fact  not  as 
much  as  the  Art  Association  needed,  ilr.  Her- 
ron recovered  temporarily,  but  lost  his  life  on 
April  ."iO,  185)5,  by  an  explosion  of  gasoline, 
at  Los  .Vngeles.  California.  The  will  was  con- 
ic>ted  by  distant  relatives,  and  a  settlement 
was  not  finally  effected  until  October  12,  1897. 
In  .March, "  1899.  the  directors  of  the  Art 
.Association  divided  the  be(|uest  into  three 
funds;  the  Art  Tieasure  Fund  of  $1. ".0,000 ; 
the  Art  School  Fund  of  .$10,000;  ami  the 
Building  aiul  Grounds  F'und  of  •${i."),000.  This 
was  a  theoretical  distribution.  The  amount 
actually  received  from  the  bequest  to  October 
1,  1909  is  $182.099.0r).  and  the  n'mainder  of 
the  estate  to  come  is  estimated  at  $38,000.  The 
directors  next  took  up  the  (|uestion  of  a  site 
for  the  institute,  and  after  a  great  deal  of 
l)acking  and  filling  finally  decided  on  "the  old 
Tinker  Place'' — the  sciuare  between  Penn.syl- 
vania  street  and  Talbot t  avenue,  north  of  Six- 
teenth (old  Tinker)  street.  The  |mrcha.<e  ])rice 
was  $.")0,0()0,  and  the  |)urchase  was  on  condition 
that  the  neighbors  secure  the  \acation  of 
■'Coram"  or  Seventeenth  street,  immediately 
north  of  this  square;  and  |)ui'(hase  and  donate 
the  two  lots  adjoining  this  vacated  street  on 
the  north.  The  Tinker  house,  lU'  Talbott 
house,  a  large  brick  building,  had  been  occupied 
by  T.  C.  Steele  since  his  return  fnun  Munich, 
and  in  the  rear  he  had  erected  a  studio  i)uild- 

in 

in 

pu- 

re- 

Uv 


purpi 


ing — the  first  for  that  exclusive 
Indianapolis.  The  art  school  was  o|)ene( 
the  studio  on  January  13,  1902,  with  10 
|)ils  and  5  teachers;  and  the  house  was 
vamjK'd  and  occupied  as  the  art  iiistituti', 
formal  o])ening  being  on  ]\rarch  I,  1902. 
iliat  date  the  school  had  (!9  |)upils  i"iri>llrd. 
J.  Ottis  .\dams  was  the  instructor  in  drawi";; 
and  painting;  Brandt  Steele  and  .Mfred  H. 
I, von  gave  instruction  in  aiinlied  desiirn  ;  and 
^iisses  Viririnia  Keep  and  Helen  ^fcKay  had 
rharge  of  the  chihlren's  classes.  Thi-  school 
irrew  steadily,  and  when  it  wa-;  removed  in  the 
fall  of  190.5  to  the  Union  Trust  Company's 
l)uilding.  while  the  new  institute  buildinsr  was 
heiu""  constructed,  it  hail  an  cnnillment  of  207 


488 


HISTORY  OK  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


i 


pupils.  For  tlu'  lis<al  year  oiiding  March  31, 
1909,  the  enrolliiu'iu  was  303,  aud  the  teach- 
ing staff  mimlicred  K;  in  addition  to  the  direc- 
tor, Mr.  Wni.  TIenrv  Fox. 

The  new  institute  building  was  a  long-drawn- 
out  struggle.  The  architects  were  instructed  to 
prepare  plans  early  in  1903,  and  a  campaign 
was  started  to  raise  a  building  fund  of  $100,- 
000.  When  the  ])lans  were  submitted  for  bids 
it  was  found  that  llie  cost  of  building  on  them 
would  reach  $1  I (i, 000,  and  meanwhile  the  sub- 
scription fund  thd  not  materialize.  On  No- 
vember 8,  1901,  the  directors  decided  to  aban- 
don these  plans  and  erect  a  building  costing 
not  over  $50,000.  After  much  consideration 
these  plans  were  modified  on  May  1,  1905,  to 
provide  for  a  fire-proof  building  costing  not 
more  than  $85,000.  The  building  was  com- 
pleted in  November,  190G,  and  dedicated  on  the 
20th  to  the  22nd  of  that  month.  The  art 
school  was  then  located  in  this  building  until 
the  school  building  was  completed  in  190T. 
Tlie  total  cost  of  the  institute  Iniilding  was 
$113,890.98,  and  of  the  school  building  $12,- 
364.94.  The  legislature  of  1909  virtually 
brought  the  art  .school  into  the  general  city 
school  system,  and  gave  it  a  revenue  from  the 
school  funds  equal  to  one-half  cent  on  $100 
of  ta.xable  ]iroj)erty  annually — now  about 
$9,000.  In  return  the  Art  Association  is  to 
make  and  continue  as  members  of  its  govern- 
ing board  the  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Di- 
rector of  Art  Instruction,  and  two  other  f)er- 
sons  chosen  by  the  School  Board  and  also  to 
"give  free  admission,  at  reasonable  times,  to 
its  museum  and  art  galleries  to  all  teachers 
and  pupils  of  the  public,  private  and  parochi- 
al schools  in  said  city :  and  which  shall  pro- 
vide free  illustrated  lectures,  on  some  art  or 
kindred  subject,  throughout  tlie  public  school 
year  of  said  city  not  loss  fr(><|uently  than  one 
lecture  a  week  for  school  children,  the  same 
to  be  given  at  its  museum  or  in  a  public  school : 
and  which  shall,  at  half  the  rates  established  in 
other  cities  for  similar  service,  provide  instruc- 
tion in  the  teaching  of  drawing  and  design 
for  all  teaehers  in  said  city  nominated  by  the 
superintendent  of  schools  of  said  city ;  and 
which  shall  provide  throughout'  such  school 
year  free  for  not  fewer  than  fifty  pupils,  to 
be  nominated  on  competitive  examination  by 
said    superintendent    of    schools,    advanced    in- 


struction in  drawing  and  in  sueh  a[)plied  arts 
as  it  teaches."-". 

With  this  income  the  Art  Association  is  in 
comfortable  circumstances.  Its  real  estate  is 
valued  at  $194,255.92  which  is  less  than  true 
vakte,  being  the  actual  cost  to  the  Association, 
excepting  an  estimate  of  $18,000  for  the  two 
lots  donated  and  the  vacation  of  Coram  street. 
Its  art  treasures  are  valued  at  $34,360.78,  and 
its  library  at  $188.35,  both  of  which  are  low. 
It  has  some  $54,000  in  cash  and  securities,  and 
its  unsettled  interest  in  the  Herron  estate. 
Since  1905  it  has  had  for  director  Mr.  Wm. 
Henry  Fox,  who  was  secretary  of  the  depart- 
ment of  art,  and  also  of  the  International  Jury 
of  Awards,  as  a  member  representing  Russia, 
at  the  St.  Louis  Exposition  of  1904,  and  is 
well  known  as  an  art  critic.  The  curator  of 
the  Art  Institute  is  Miss  Anna  E.  Turrell,  a 
niece  of  the  late  Mrs.  John  Herron.  The  art 
school  is  in  flourishing  condition  with  Wm. 
Forsyth,  Clifton  A.  Wheeler  and  Otto  Stark 
as  principal  instructors.  In  addition  to  the 
Herron  bequests,  the  Institute  has  had  be- 
quests from  J.  F.  Pratt  of  $2,000,  and  D.  P. 
Erwin  of  $5,000 ;  also  gifts  from  the  heirs  of 
Henry  SchnuU  of  $5,000,  and  from  the  heirs 
of  Herman  Lieber  of  $2,000. 

There  liave  been,  and  are.  numerous  ama- 
teurs and  some  professionals  about  Indian- 
apolis who  have  done  creditable  work,  but  it 
is  not  possible  even  to  name  them  here.  Som(^ 
have  attained  more  or  less  fame  elsewhere. 
Frank  Scott,  whose  early  life  was  passed  here, 
and  who  has  been  mentioned  as  a  pupil  of  the 
Love  Art  School  and  a  member  of  the  Bohe 
Club,  afterwards  studied  at  the  Beaux  Arts  in 
Paris,  and  has  since  resided  there.  He  took  a 
medal  at  the  Antwerp  Exposition  of  1894.  Louis 
Paul  Dessar,  who  has  captured  numerous  prizes 
and  medals,  was  born  in  Indianapolis,  Janu- 
ary 22,  1867.  He  was  the  son  of  Joseph  B. 
Dessar,  of  the  firm  of  Dessar,  Bro.  &  Co., 
wholesale  clothing  merchants.  He  studied  at 
the  National  Academy  of  Design  at  New  York, 
and  later  at  the  Ecole  des  Beaux  Arts  in  Paris 
and  under  Bouguerean  and  Finery.  He  is  now 
located  in  New  York.^"  Frederick  C.  Y''ohn, 
who  has  attained  enviable  eelebritv  as  an  illus- 


-"  Acts  of  1909.  p.  89. 
'"  Sketch    in    Brush    am} 
1899. 


Pencil,   December, 


i 


nrSTOKY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


489 


iiaior.  i.~  of  an  olil  liiiliaiiapolis  faiuily.  lie 
i<  a  ^^II1  of  Alln'i't  Yoliii,  and  was  bom  liere  in 
I.S4.").  lie  began  his  art  studj'  under  Steele 
and  Forsyth,  and  continued  it  at  the  iVrt 
Students'  Leajiiic  in  Now  York,  where  his 
work  attracted  the  attention  of  Harper  &  Bros. 
He  was  eni])loycd  on  "The  Bound  Table", 
and  has  illustrjitcd  numerous  notable  books  as 
well  as  magazine  articles.  His  ambition  is  to 
paint  battle  pictures,  and  his  war  pictures  in- 
dicate that  he  would  achieve  great  success  in 
that  line.  William  Carey  Brazington  is  an- 
other pupil  of  the  Indianapolis  Art  School 
who  has  attained  note.  His  ]iastel  work  is  the 
-ubject  of  an  eulogistic  notice  in  the  Craf Ismail 
uf  (ktober.  1908. 

There  remain  to  be  mentioned  several  stat- 
ues that  have  been  erected  in  the  city.  The 
first  of  these  is  that  of  Oliver  P.  'Morton,  in 
Nfonument  Place,  wliirh  was  unveiled  Januaiy 
1."),  1884,  and  is  the  work  of  Franklin  Simmons. 
Tlie  statue  of  Schuyler  Colfax,  in  rniversity 
Square,  was  unveiled  May  18.  188:.  and  was 
made  by  Lorado  Tal't.  The  statue  of  'I'homas 
A.  Hendricks,  on  tin-  Capitol  grotnuls.  was  un- 
veiled on  July  1,  ]890.  and  was  made  by  Rich- 
ard Henry  Parks.  The  statue  of  General  Henry 
W.  l.awttm.  on  the  Court  House  Square  was  un- 
veiled on  :May  .30.  1907.  with  imposing  cere- 
monv.  President  Roosevelt  taking  part   in  the 


ceremonies.  It  was  e.xecuted  by  Andrew  O'Con- 
n(u-,  under  the  supervision  of  Daniel  C.  French. 
The  statue  of  Oliver  P.  Morton  at  the  east 
entrance  to  the  State  House,  was  made  by 
Rudolph  Schwartz,  who  has  been  a  resident  of 
Indianapolis  since  1888.  He  is  a  native  of 
Vienna,  and  comes  of  an  old  .\ustrian  family', 
which  objected  to  his  becoming  a  sculptor:  but 
after  a  course  of  four  years  in  art  at  the  Im- 
perial -Vcademy  at  ^^ionna,  he  determined  on 
his  life  work,  and  went  to  Berlin,  where  he 
became  a  pupil  of  Geiger  and  Eberlein.  He 
also  studied  with  and  worked  for  Bruno 
Schmitz.  who  commissioned  him  to  come  here 
aiul  evectite  the  War  and  Peace  groups  on  the 
Soldiers'  and  Sailors"  monument.  His  ac- 
(luaintanee  with  the  city  decided  him  to  stay 
here.  His  statue  of  Morton  was  imveiled  on 
July  2.1,  1907.  The  principal  American  work 
of  Mr.  Schwartz,  outside  of  Indianapolis,  is 
the  Pingree  monument  at  Detroit.  T]\e  statue 
of  Benjamin  Harrison,  in  University  Square, 
was  unveiled  on  October  27,  1008.  and  is  the 
work  of  Charles  Henry  Xeihaus.  This  was  the 
last  addition  to  the  statuary  of  Indiana])olis. 
It  is  to  be  hoped  that  before  it  is  too  late  the 
citv  will  secure  some  specimen  of  the  art  work 
of  the  notable  Indiana  artists  Janet  Scudder. 
Amalia  Kussner  Coudert,  and  George  Gray 
Barnard. 


CHAPTER   XXXVll 


THE  SOCIAL  SWIKL. 


The  social  liomogeiieit}'  that  existed  in  the 
little  village  of  Indianapolis  prior  to  the  com- 
ing of  the  capital  disappeared  soon  afterward, 
not  because  the  capital  came,  but  because  pop- 
iilation  increased ;  and  by  that  time  conditions 
were  more  settled,  and  people  were  not  so 
much  dependent  on  each  other  that  they  were 
ijnpelled  to  overlook  the  considerations  that 
create  social  dividing  lines.  Cluirch  organiza- 
tions had  been  formed,  and  had  begun  to  en- 
force their  disciplines,  which  were  vastly  more 
strict  then  than  now.  Dancing  was  not  toler- 
ated by  any  of  the  early  sects,  Methodists, 
Presbyterians,  Baptists  or  Newlights.  If  noth- 
ing worse,  it  was  frivolous  and  consequently 
young  people  of  religious  families  did  not 
dance  or  go  to  dancing  parties.  Meanwhile 
the  ungodly  danced  on,  and  their  dancing  in 
the  early  period  was  very  largely  a  display  of 
personal  agility  and  vigor.  There  were  no 
round  dances,  and  none  of  what  are  now  called 
square  dances,  but  good  old-fashioned  reels, 
and  jigs,  and  contra-dances,  in  which  the  man, 
or  woman  either,  who  could  cut  an  artistic 
pigeon  wing,  or  jump  up  and  crack  the  heels 
thrre  times  before  lighting,  was  a  person  wlio 
had  just  cause  for  ))ride.  A  generation  passed 
before  there  was  any  break  in  the  old  time 
country  dances.  There  were  no  dancing  mas- 
ters to  make  innovations.  Every  man  wa,«  the 
arcliitect  of  his  own  terpsichorcan  fortunes, 
and  danced  according  to  the  dictates  of  liis 
own  conscience.  Then  came  a  change.  \\lii(li 
Lew  Wallace  records  thus: 

"In  the  winter  of  "43,  a  wuiidcTing  (lanriiig- 
niaster  opened  school  in  Indianapulis.  grcnth 
to  the  delight  of  the  young  society.  Togctbcr 
witli  the  usual  Terpsichorcan  accom|ilishMieiits. 
he  tauirbt  a  new  science — the  SciiMK-c  (if  Man- 
ners. Tlir  worthy  profcssoi-  was  liis  (iwn  ob- 
ject-lesson,     lie    clung    to    tiic    old    raslii<iii>. 


wore  frilb'd  sliirt-bo^oms,  silk  stocking?,  and 
pumps  ablaze  with  silver  buckles.  He  also 
made  bis  nwn  music.  The  Eisher"s  Hornpipe 
witii  which  be  ^pr(l  a  quadriUe  was  tearing 
enough  to  ha\c  ([uicki'ned  the  bones  of  the 
unknown  in  a  catacondt.  He  enrolled  me  as  a 
l)upil  of  his  academy  ;  and,  simple  as  the  topic 
looks,  L  am  bound  to  say  there  was  never  such 
a  tempest  of  fun  as  when  he  called  us  out  one 
by  one  to  practice  Iwwing,  hat  salutes,  and 
posturing  seated  and  standing.  Since  the  day 
of  his  advent.  I  liave  read  and  heard  much  of 
(Jolonial  society.  Colonial  dames,  Colonial 
beaus,  and  of  their  stately  mannerisms.  Xo 
(me,  I  yet  think,  ever  reproduced  them  to  the 
life  like  our  old  I)o-ci-do.  In  a  mimtet  he  al- 
ways made  nie  think  of  France,  and  the  king 
in  a  ball-room  inqiosing  form  ujjon  his  cour- 
tiers— so  solemn  and  gi-andiose  was  his  depoi't- 
uient."  ' 

Austin  11.  Brown  also  liad  vivid  memories 
of  tills  courtlv  dancing  niastei-.  He  mentions 
I  he  first  attempt  at  a  pulilic  ball  at  the  old 
Mansion,  the  imitations  to  which  were  as  fol- 
lo\\> : 

■"The  managers  ot  the  anniversary  ball  I'c- 
quest  the  pleasure  of  your  attendance  on  Tnes- 
(biv  evening.   Februarv   22.  1S;38,  at  the   Gov- 


In  cijnncction  with  this  innovation  he  says: 
■"In  those  days  there  was  consiileralile  opposi- 
tion  on  the  ]iart  of  strict  church   members  to 


crnor's    Circle,   at    .■> 

o'clock. 

Isaac   Blackford, 

W.  W.  Wick. 

David  Cox, 

\\'.  \y.  McCoy, 

■Tolm  S.  Bobbs. 

11.   W.   EUswortii. 

.lobn   Livingston, 

S.    D.    'i'omlinson. 

Thomas   A.    Mcn-ris, 

V.  C.  Ilaima, 

E.  K.   Foster. 

X.  West.  Jr."' 

Autobiography,   p.    01. 


I  no 


HISTOHYOF  GHKAIKi;    I  \  1  )|.\  \.\1'(  d.lS. 


491 


dancing,  and  llicir  action  inHuenced  many  of      il 


the  young  I'olk.s  not  to  i^ngage  in  an  amiisc- 
nieul  they  consitleri'd  sinful.  The  advent,  a 
year  or  two  hiter,  of  the  e\er-to-be  remembered 
Professor  Follan.-bee,  nicknamed  'Do-se-do', 
who  opened  a  dancing  school  in  the  dining- 
room  of  Browning"?  Hotel,  soon  had  a  ten- 
dency to  lessen  the  prejudice  against  tlancing. 
My.-elf  and  sister  attended  this  school,  with 
the  full  encouragement  of  our  parents,  who 
looked  upon  dancing  as  an  innocent  amuse- 
luent.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the  class  lots 
were  drawn  for  piirliK  i>.  This  allotment  car- 
ried with  it  not  only  an  assignment  of  a  girl 
jiartner  for  the  fir.-t  dance  of  each  evening,  but 
a  condition  to  acconi])any  her  to  and  from  the 
dancing  hall  during  the  entire  season.  It 
fell  to  my  lot  to  have  a  beautiful  black-eyed 
girl  as  my  ])arlner  whose  parents  lived  near 
t'ottontown,  on  what  is  now  Sixteenth  street, 
near  the  canal,  her  father  being  superintendent 
of  the  flour  mill  of  Xatlianiel  West,  owner  of 
the  cotton  mill  in  Cotton  town.  Many  a  night 
I  had  to  go  out  there  and  escort  her  to  the 
hotel,  and  then  back  again  home,  both  of  us 
walking  all  the  way.  Indianapolis  was  not 
then  blessed  with  paved  streets,  and  even  grav- 
eled sidewalks  were  few  and  far  between.  Mud 
was  plentiful  wherever  the  pedestrian  went, 
but  as  the  fashion  then  was  to  change  shoes 
for  dancing  pumps  or  slippers  before  dancing, 
it  mattered  but  little  if  our  shoes  were  muddy, 
^[uch  of  our  direct  roadway  being  through 
woods,  I  preferred  to  take  the  tow-path  of  the 
canal  for  our  pathway.  We  all  enjoyed  the 
sdiool,  however,  as  'Do-se-do'  was  a  good  fid- 
dler and  it  was  a  delight  to  follow  in  his 
footsteps.  Some  of  the  more  expert  girls, 
notably  Cornelia  Wood,  (who  afterwards  mar- 
ried Robert  L.  Browning)  and  Fannie  Brown- 
ing (afterwards  Mrs.  Taylor)  learned  the 
■Highland  Fling"  and  'Fishei-"s  llorn])ipe", 
which  s|iecialties  they  danced  to  jierfection  and 
wore  made  the  features  of  the  closing  danci's."" 
Mr.  Brown's  mention  of  the  name  of  this 
teacher  probablv  saves  him  from  a  pseudony- 
mous memory  for  nobody  else  remembered  him 
l)y  any  name  imt  "•Old  Dos-a-dos."  Possibly 
this  title  became  to  some  extent  generic,  for 
some  of  the  earlv  dancers  sav  it  belonged  to  a 
i[onsieur  de  Granville,  who  came  a  little  later. 
The  first  mention  of  anv  dancing  master  that 
I  have  found   in   any  of  the  newspajx'rs   is  of 


tins  one.  On  April  ■>■>.  ISIS,  the  Locomotive 
announced  that,  "Monsieur  de  Granville,  late 
of  Cincinnati,  will  open  his  dancing-school  on 
next  Wednesday  evening,  in  the  room  immedi- 
ately over  Mr.  Davidson's  store,  entrance  on 
Illinois  street.-"'  This  teacher,  who  was  also 
a  notable,  took  thought  f(U-  the  modesty  and 
bashfnlness  of  the  uninitiated  by  having  at  the 
start  separate  chu-ses  for  ladies  and  gentle- 
men. The  ladies"  class  met  at  :?  o'clock  in  llie 
afternoon,  and  the  gentlemen"s  class  at  8 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  ami  thus  they  were  al- 
lowed to  work  off  their  primal  awkwardness  in 
some  privacy.  Tradition  has  it  that  the  climax 
of  the  career  of  Professor  Follansbce,  the  orig- 
inal "Dos-a-dos"'  was  reachetl  in  a  grand  ball 
on  the  night  of  I'ebruary  -^il.  1844,  at  Brown- 
ing"s  Hotel,  at  which  Mr>.  Browning  and  Mrs. 
Charles  Stephens  acted  as  chaperones.  James 
Dunlap,  who  was  decidedly  clever  in  several 
lines  of  art,  made  a  pen  and  ink  sketch  of  this 
happy  occasion,  now  in  possession  of  Mrs.  Dr. 
John  F.  Johnson,  which  is  reproduced  in  the 
adjoining  cut.  The  chaperones  are  repre- 
.<ented  seated  in  chairs.  The  couples  in  the 
foreground,  from  left  to  right,  are  caricature 
jjortraits  of  (1)  Isabella  Ste|>hens  (Jlrs.  James 
liussell)  and  James  Wiley;  {'i)  Ann  Morrison 
(Mrs.  John  ilurphy)  and  Aaron  Ohr;  (3) 
ilary  Stephens  (Mrs.  Dr.  Johnson)  and 
"Count"  Smith;  ifavia  Peaslee  (Mrs.  John 
l-:iliott)  and  Peter  :>[(\'aught.  James  Wiley 
was  afterwards  a  captain  in  the  navy;  and 
"Count""  Smith — his  name  was  Lloyd  Smith 
— was  the  model  of  fashion  of  his  day.  the 
best  dressed  man  in  the  place,  and  a  great  beau. 
.\s  a  ladv  of  the  time  informed  me.  "He  was  a 
good  beau,  too.  He  always  knew  just  what  to 
do  on  every  occasion."  His  nickname  was  uni- 
versal, and  he  is  often  referred  to  in  the 
Lurotnolirp  simply  as  "tlie  Count"".  The  Ste))h- 
ens  family  were  acquisitions  from  New  Har- 
mony, whither  Charles  Stephens,  an  Ohio  edi- 
tor, hail  giMie  in  the  ])almy  days  of  the  Owen 
socialistic  settlement;  and  left  it  after  social- 
ism  had    worked    its   customary   failure. 

It  must  not  be  imagined  that  tlie  o]tposition 
to  dancing  died  out  rpiickly  as  the  result  of 
these  earlv  lessons,  but  the  advocates  of  ilanc- 
ing  attained  a  more  reputable  standing,  and 
became  more  defiant.  In  IS.-il,  a  new  dancing 
school  being  advertised,  "[ncognito""  attacked 
it  in  a  newspa)"  r  ennniiiniie.ilion.  saving,  "there 


492 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


is  no  greater  exhibition  oi  liuniau  depravity 
than  for  children  to  l)e  edueatcd  in  dancing." 
To  this  "R.  J.  B."  promptly  replied:  "I  would 
wager  a  dish  of  oysters  that  your  correspondent 
is  one  of  those  who  would  sit  by  a  fire  all  night, 
and  ridicule  his  neighbors,  or  would  go  to  a 
chimney  corner  party  and  play  such  as  dig- 
ging wells,  measuring  tape,  etc.,  or,  as  our 
Hoosier  boys  would  plainly  call  it,  'Gum  suck- 
ing', and  I  suppose  would  think  he  was  acting 
jierfectly  consistent  and  prudent."  - 

M.  de  Granville  taught  the  waltz,  in  its 
old,  slow  and  stately  form — th(!  other  round 
dances  had  not  yet  come  in — but  his  most  im- 
portant introduction  was  the  plain  quadrille, 
or  as  it  was  then  called  the  cotillion — for  the 
cotillion  originally  danced  here  had  none  of 
the  variations,  or  the  round  dancing,  tjiat  mark 
the  cotillion,  or  German,  of  the  present.  For 
some  years  "cotillion  parties"'  were  all  the 
rage,  though  in  1851  a  dancing  teacher  name(l 
Taylor  located  here  for  a  time  and  taught 
the  polka  and  otlier  round  dances.  And  it 
should  be  added  that  M.  de  Granville  was  not 
without  rivals,  for  in  1848,  Mr.  lloffnuin  had 
a  dancing  class,  and  apparently  quite  a  suc- 
cessful one,  for  on  Saturday,  December  ;}0, 
the  Locomotive  said :  "On  last  Friday  evening 
the  pupils  of  Mr.  Hoffman  had  a  jiublic  dance 
at  the  Ray  House,  together  with  a  large  num- 
ber of  ladies  and  gents  not  pupils.  There  were 
-■)  cotillions  on  the  floor  at  one  time,  and,  as 
our  corresi)ondent  ^lax  has  lieautifully  ex- 
pressed it,  'The  young,  the  gay,  the  beautiful 
were  there,  engaged  right  merrily  in  chasing 
the  glowing  hours  with  flying  feet'." 

After  these  there  were  casual  dancing-mas- 
ters until  1860,  when  Ben  Gresh  and  Edward 
Hines  located  here  at  about  the  same  time 
Hines  taught  for  several  Aears,  but  Gresh — 
lie  was  sometimes  called  Benjamin,  but  liis 
real  name  was  Beniville  F.  Gresh — held  liis 
"academy"  here  for  thirty  vear.s  and  then  went 
out  to  the  Klondvke  to  seek  his  fortune.  On 
his  rettirn  he  «ought  to  reestablish  his  school, 
but  with  little  success.  Not  long  after  Gresh 
and  Hines,  Athlick  Smith  anneared  as  a  dani- 
inii  niaster.  and  was  quit<'  ])opnlar  for  a  num- 
})er  of  years.  Fi'oni  1S71  to  1879  Julius  E. 
Heywood  conducted  a  Dancing  .\cademy,  bl- 
eated at  different  times  on  East  ilarket  street, 


Indiana  avenue,  Masonic  Temple,  and  East 
New  York  street,  which  received  mucli  of  the 
best  patronage.  In  188.3  David  B.  Brenneke 
came  to  Indianapolis,  and  he  has  had  almost 
a  monopoly  of  dancing-teaching  since  then. 
He  had  been  teaching  at  Evansville,  and  came 
here  by  request  to  take  a  class  that  met  at  Dr. 
Allen's  residence. •■  Tliere  had  l)een  stipulation 
for  33  pupils  in  tlie  class,  but  there  were  52 
at  the  first  lesson.  His  popularity  was  soon 
established,  and,  m  addition  to  ordinary  teach- 
ing, he  had  a  class  of  l(i  young  ladies  at  the 
Kappes  Scliool,  and  later  was  a  regular  meml)er 
of  the  faculty  of  Mrs.  Sewall's  Classical  School 
for  Girls.  He  also  had  large  classes  at  La- 
fayette, Terre  Haute,  and  other  points,  and 
prospered  so  greatly  that  in  1895  he  put  up  his 
dancing  academy  at  North  and  Illinois  streets, 
which  is  one  of  the  best  appointed  l>uildings  of 
the  kind  in  the  country.  Aside  from  his  merits 
as  a  teacher.  Professor  Brenneke's  popularity 
has  been  due  largely  to  the  fact  that  he  en- 
forced reason  in  dancing.  Neither  his  own 
classes  nor  anyone  to  whom  he  rented  his  hall 
were  allowed  to  dance  after  midnight.  There 
was  some  protest  at  first  from  renters,  but 
they  were  simply  given  tlie  choice  of  going 
elsewhere,  and  very  few  of  them  went.  Nor 
lias  Professor  Brenneke  ever  taught  fancy 
dancing  or  stage  dancing.  His  attention  has 
been  given  exclusively  to  society  or  "liall-room" 
dancing. 

During  all  these  years  the  custom  of  danc- 
ing was  extending  to  all  circles.  It  is  said 
that  ^lary  Bnnigli  was  the  first  of  the  church 
girls  to  break  away  from  church  restraints  in 
the  matter  of  dancing.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  John  Brough,  later  "War  Governor"  of 
Ohio,  who  was  here  in  the  fifties  as  Superin- 
tendent of  tlie  old  Bellefontaine  Railroad.  Her 
levity  ap))arentlv  called  for  unusual  efforts 
for  reform,  for  Rev.  ilr.  Cunningham  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church  married  her.*  and 
she  became  a  verv  pro]ier  minister's  wife.  P>nt 
the  churches  were  verv  slow  to  lose  their  re- 
straining influence,  and  there  wa-s  no  exten- 
sive departure  from  the  old  customs  until  after 
tlie  war.  It  was  not  till  then  that  Mrs.  Gen- 
eral Love  convulsed   the  town — her  correspou- 


'I 


"Locomoiicc,   Janiuii-v    11.   IS.")!. 


'  Now    Hugh    ^FcGowan's — northeast    conuT 
of  Delaware  and  Tliirteenth  street. 
*Locornoiive.  Februarv   'i'l.    1S(1(I. 


TIISTOltV   or  (JKEATER  TNOfAXAmLTS. 


493 


dent  really  could  not  keep  it — l)_v  writing  from 

Europe,   "I   understand   that   the  s  are 

learning  to  dance,  and  that  to  ease  their  con- 
sciences they  are  using  a  nielodeon  for  music.'" 
In  1867  there  was  a  meeting  of  the  Society 
for  the  Promotion  of  Peace  in  the  Homo  at 
the  residence  of  Gen.  Benjamin  Harrison.  The 
meeting  was  composed  of  ^Irs.  Harrison  and 
.Mrs.  Fred  Baggs.  both  of  whom  had  young 
daughters  who  wanted  to  learn  to  dance,  and 
thought  their  mothers  cruel  to  refuse  them, 
'riiere  was  nothing  at  all  in  the  way  except  the 
Jlethodist  and  Presbyterian  Churches.  The 
mothers  felt  that  the  girls  should  be  allowed  to 
leam.  in  a  |)rivate  class :  "Imt"',  observed  ilrs. 
Harrison,  "1  don't  know  what  to  do.  Ben  would 
never  allow  an  uugodlv  fiddle  in  the  house." 
"Well,  I  will  have  it  at  my  house,"  responded 
the  Methodist  delegate;  and  so  the  services  of 
Athlick  Smith  were  secured  and  a  private 
dancing  class  was  inaugurated,  very  select  and 
very  quiet.  Xo  reports  of  its  meetings  ap- 
peared in  the  society  columns  of  any  of  the  city 
jiapers.  The  members  were  ilamie  Baggs 
(Mrs.  Jos.  W.  Beck),  Mamie  Harrison  (Mrs. 
Robert  ^fcKee).  ^fezzie  Harrison.  Mary  Lord 
(Mrs.  ^fary  Lord  Harrison),  Xancv  Newcomer, 
and  Hautie  Tarkington  (^Irs.  Ovid  B.  Jame- 
son). The  young  gentlemen  were  John  Kitchen, 
IJussell  Harrison.  Walter  Bradsliaw  and  Oeorge 
Xcwcomer.  The  class  proceeded  liannoniouslv 
and  happily,  the  only  cloud  being  that  s()n\c  «( 
the  voung  men  showed  a  tendency  at  tinii's  to 
neglect  their  partners  and  seek  more  robust 
exercise  in  sliding  down  the  bannisters.  .V 
year  or  two  later  a  private  class  was  formed 
in  the  nortlicast  end  for  the  Jameson  and 
Wallace  youngsters,  and  from  that  tiriu-  forward 
the  movement  spread  quite  rapidly.  By  the 
time  of  the  nineties,  with  their  Charity  Balls, 
Assemblies,  and  the  Kirmess.  the  young  per- 
son who  did  not  dance  had  attained  something 
of  the  Napoleonic  condition  of  "a  sceptred  her- 
mit, wrapped  in  the  mantle  of  his  o\m  orig- 
inalitv." 

Cards  were  tabooed  in  Indianapolis  nioi-al  cir- 
cles. In  fact  in  the  earliest  j)eriod  cards  were 
used  hv  men  practically  for  gambling  only, 
and  were  not  played  by  respectable  women  at 
all.  This  was  not  due  merelv  to  religious  re- 
striction, but  was  a  common  moral  sentiment. 
As  late  as  1843  the  law  of  the  state  provided: 
"That  if  any  person  shall  vend,  or  cause  to  b- 


vended,  any  |)laying  cards,  or  any  obscene  book, 
pamphlet,  or  print,  he  .sliail  on  conviction 
thereof,  be  fined  in  any  sum  not  less  than  one 
nor  more  than  three  dollars  for  every  sucli 
pack  of  cards,  book,  pamphlet,  or  print 
vended."^  But  this  grailuailv  wore  off,  and 
in  the  latter  forties  ''the  fashionable  set",  of 
which  the  Drakes  and  the  Brownings  were  lead- 
ers, used  to  jilay  cards  socially ;  but  it  was 
shocking  to  a  large  part  of  the  community, 
and  it  was  a  long  time  before  church  people 
would  tolerate  social  card-playing.  But  the 
rising  generation  chafed  under  the  restraint. 
During  the  war  some  genius  invented  a  deck 
of  cards  in  which  the  suits  were  swords,  drums, 
flags  and  cannon,  and  the  face  cards  generals, 
captains  and  goddesses  of  liberty,  a  combina- 
tion which  it  were  almost  treason  to  object 
to.  Then  came  a  flood  of  other  card  games, 
notably  "authors",  which  was  rc>eeived  because 
it  was  so  instructive.  But  the  ingenious  friv- 
olous soon  found  that  they  could  play  the  sim- 
|)ler  card  games,  like  ''muggins"'  and  "old 
maid",  with  these,  and  another  intrenehment 
was  carried.  In  my  own  family,  which  was 
Methodist,  we  broke  into  real  card-playing  in 
the  later  sixties,  until  some  preaclier  would 
come  along  and  tire  a  sermon  at  the  practice; 
then  father  would  burn  the  cards,  and  we  would 
!iave  a  dry  sjjell  for  a  year  or  so.  In  reality  it 
was  the  association  with  gambling  that  made 
card-plaving  obnoxious,  and  it  was  only  as 
jieople  grew  to  know  that  there  was  no  nwes- 
sarv  connection  between  the  two  that  it  wore 
otf.' 

The  theater,  and  with  it  almost  all  shows 
I'xeept  animal  shows  in  the  early  days,  and 
|)anoramas  later,  were  not  approved.  In 
llie  territorial  period  the  theater  proper  caused 
no  concern,  because  there  was  none  of  a  pro- 
fessional  character.  \  Thespian  Club  was  or- 
ganized at  Vinccnnes  in  1814,  and  was  ai>- 
parentlv  received  with  general  favor,  though 
that  may  be  partially  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
editor  of  the  Sun  was  a  member.  It  was  re- 
vived in  181!)  with  still  greater  success,  one  of 
its  star  performers  being  the  veteran  actor,  Sol 
Smith,  who  was  then  an  ajiprentice  at  the  Sun 
f.ffiee.  There  never  appeared  any  such  hos- 
tilitv  to  amat^Mir  theatricals  as  to  professional 
plays,   and    tlic  occasional    stniUiug  players  of 


Rev.  Stats..  1843.  p.  !)8r.. 


■id4 


iiisioKv  OK  (,i;ka'1'i:i:  ixdiaxai'oi.is. 


lilt'  earlier  iwriod  joined  in  with  a  TiiefipiiUi 
(.'lub  whenever  tliev  had  opportunity.  From 
these  condition.^  there  is  no  mention  of  the 
theater  in  the  early  laws,  but  in  1824  the  law 
provided  that,  "'Every  person  who  shall  ex- 
hibit any  puppet-sliow,  wire  dancing  or  tumb- 
ling, for  nK>iiey  or  reward,  shall  be  fined  three 
iloliai-s  fur  eaeh  offense."" "  This  prohibition 
continued  in  etl'et't  until  1831  when  the  law 
was  changed  to  read  that  "any  person  who  shall 
.<liow  or  exhibit  any  animal  or  animals,  or 
other  natural  curiosity,  or  any  waxwori<  or 
other  figures,  or  any  feats  in  tumliling,  rope 
or  wire  dancing,  for  gain,  without  being  li- 
censed according  to  law,  so  to  show  or  exhiljit, 
sliall  )k>  fined  in  any  sum  not  exceeding  twenty 
dollars.""'  There  was  more  attention  given  to 
circus  in  the  early  discussions  than  to  the  the- 
ater, because  circuses  were  more  common,  were 
wholly  professional,  and  were  not  instructive : 
wliile  some  defended  the  theater  on  the  ground 
of  education,  .\mateur  iierfonnances  were  not 
considered  so  olmoxious  as  professional,  because 
one  of  the  weightiest  arguments  against  the 
latter  was  the  character  of  the  people  patron- 
ized, it  being  assumed  as  axiomatic  that  all 
actors  and  actresses  were  disreputables. 

But  another  objection  that  had  more  weight 
was  that  the  shows  took  so  much  money  away. 
It  was  not  merely  the  expending  of  the  money, 
but  talving  it  out  of  circulation  locally  that 
disturlied  the  entire  business  element;  and  in 
an  isolated  place  like  Indianapolis  this  was  a 
really  serious  consideration.  There  was  a  de- 
cided sentiment  in  the  forties  for  absolute  re- 
fusal of  license  to  circuses,  whicli.  however,  did 
not  reach  the  stage  of  action.  There  is  a 
scathing  article  in  the  Locoinoiive  of  May  8. 
1847,  reviling  the  circus  as  the  extreme  of  idi- 
ocy and  folly,  which  closes  with  these  words: 
"Such  are  the  pleasures  for  which  Christians, 
or  Professors  of  Eeligion,  abandoned  a  good, 
sensible  and  learned  lecture,  by  a  clergyman, 
which  would  cost  nothing,  and  learn  llirni 
miii-h.  to  spend  $2,000,  see  fools,  and  learn 
nothing."'  This  appeared  over  the  signature 
■'Tiniothv  Tugmutton"",  which  was  the  nom  de 
plume  of  Berrv  Sulgrove,  and  yet  Berry  was 
always  a  stalwart  champion  of  the  legitimate 
drama.      But    all    the    criticism    of   the    circus 


seemed  lo  June  no  effect  in  diminishing  t'ne 
attendance;  on  the  contrary  it  appeared  to 
serve  as  an  advertisement.  On  one  occasion 
.lames  ^1.  liay  went  to  a  circus  with  his  boy, 
and  was  so  stricken  with  remorse  when  he  re- 
Hected  on  the  character  of  the  entertainment 
!hat  on  the  following  Sunday  he  went  to  the 
two  Sunday  Schools  and  publicly  apologized 
i'or  his  folly.  The  only  effect  of  his  self-abase- 
ment was  to  cause  the  perverse  lx)ys  to  charge 
i  hat,  having  seen  it  himself,  he  was  now  trying 
to  bar  others  from  the  privilege. 

One  of  the  most  delightful  bits  of  local  his- 
rory  that  has  been  handed  down  to  us  is  Mrs. 
Betsey  ^Fartin's  account  of  her  removal  from 
Holiert's  Chapel  on  account  of  attending  a  cir- 
cus. Her  parents  had  been  Episcopalians  but 
there  was  no  organized  church  here  in  the 
earlier  days,  and  after  her  first  marriage  to 
Samuel  Goldsberry  she  went  with  him  to  the 
Methodist  Church.  After  his  death,  two  or 
three  years,  she  fell  from  grace,  and  here  is 
her  account  of  it :  "Well,  I  went  to  a  circus.  I 
had  never  seen  one,  and  when  I  got  there  I 
saw  I  had  plenty  of  company  from  Robert"s 
Cliapel.  In  a  few  days  after  I  was  waited  on 
by  Brother  Henry  Tutewiler,  my  confessor,* 
and  told  that  I  had  to  promise  I  would  not  go 
to  a  circus  again,  nor  let  mv  children  go  that 
were  under  my  control,  and  to  be  .sorry,  and 
[  don't  know  what  all  he  said:  and  then  he 
said  if  I  did  not  comply  to  peaceably  retire. 
I  told  him  I  would  do  neither.  I  told  him 
when  I  called  on  the  Methodist  Church  to  su])- 
l>ort  my  children,  it  would  be  time  enough  for 
them  to  meddle.  The  next  to  come  was  old 
Brother  Foudray,  and  T  told  him  if  they  had 
treated  me  right  I  might  have  listened  to  them, 
but  not  for  'them,  after  all  that  ilr.  Golds- 
lierry  and  myself  had  done  for  the  church,  to 
have  the  assurance  to  come  into  my  house  and 
dictate  what  I  should  do  or  leave  the  church. 
Cillett"  came  next.  They  didn't  want  to  turn 
mc  out  for  such  a  trifle,  and  the  first  offense 
in  18  years.  I  asked  Brother  Gillett  if  he 
wanted  me  to  say  I  was  sorry,  and  I  told  him 
1  was  not  sorry.  1  told  him  I  had  belonged  t<i 
the  church  IS  years,  and  I  had  never  in  one 
instance  acted  the  hypocrite;  and  he  knew  I 
never  was  much  of  a  ^fethodist,  only  to  serve 


Rev.    Stats..    ls-.'t.    p 
Laws  of  is:il.  p.  liU 


148. 


*i.  e.,  her  class  leader. 

"Rev.  Samuel  T.  Gillett,  the  ]iastoi-. 


]1IST(1|;V   OF  CKKATKi;    I  X  lUAX  APol.ls. 


49.-. 


the  t'liun-li.  J  i^iiid  to  him  again:  "Do  \un 
want  me  to  say  I  am  sorry  when  1  am  not?" 
He  huighi'tl  a  little  and  said  he  was  sorry,  but 
he  did  not  want  me  to  lie.  I  suppose  that  was 
it,  but  he  didn't  say  so.  I  told  them  1  ditl 
not  want  a  letter,  for  I  was  not  a  Methodist, 
only  lor  eonvenienee;  and  the  Episcopalian 
ehiireh  would  be  glad  to  get  me,  and  it  would 
not  recognize  them  as  a  church,  and  they  are 
not.  So  they  read  me  out  'witlidrawn".  *  *  * 
The  tithers  that  were  at  the  circus  were  all 
sorry   but   myscll'.   and    if    I    hail   tohl   them    I 

was   sorry   it    wmihl    lia\c    I n    all    right,   liut 

they  found  out  I  didn't  care  Inr  a  churcli  that 
i>  not  a  church,  and  .lohn  Wesley  would  say 
-d  it  he  were  here.  He  lun'er  intended  an- 
other church.  *  *  *  The  Methodists  harped 
on  John  \\'eslev  being  a  ^letliodist,  and  all 
that  kind  of  trash.  Well,  to  satisfy  invsclt  1 
went  to  the  State  Library  and  examined  Wes- 
ley's Works,  and  he  invariably  told  them,  when 
they  wanted  to  form  another  and  separate 
church  he  would  not  be  their  servant,  nor  leave 
the  old  A])0st(dic  Church.  But  they,  after  Wes- 
ley's death,  set  up  for  themselves,  without  a 
i-cgular  ordained  bisho]),  so  you  see  they  are 
not  John  Wesley's  people,  but  are  secessionists; 
liut  if  they  can  do  any  good  let  them  do  it; 
but  thev  are  no  Apostolic  church.  The  niggers 
are  ahead  of  them,  for  they  have  the  succes- 
sion in  a  regular  ordained  bishop :  but  sonu' 
peo]>le  are  so  bigoted  if  they  were  to  read  in 
Weslev's  life  what  1  did  thev  would  not  be- 
lieve.'' 

Fashion  has,  perhajjs.  most  to  do  with  the 
rluinge  in  such  things.  It  is  the  great  agency 
I'lr  the  overthrow  of  custom,  for  there  is  noth- 
ing that  can  withstand  it.  Even  the  "plain 
ili-ess"'  of  the  Quaker  has  finally  succumbed  to 
its  ])ower.  Some  thirty  years  ago  I  had  the 
)ileasure  of  several  chats  with  Mrs.  Priscilla 
l>rake  about  earlv  times  in  Indianapolis,  and 
nothing  she  told  nu'  impressed  me  so  mucli  as 
licr  account  of  how  the  fashionable  set  used 
lo  play  battledore  and  shuttlecock  in  the  corri- 
dors of  the  old  Governor's  Mansion  in  tlie  Cir- 
cle. It  seemed  so  foreign.  It  had  been  so 
transient  that  it  left  no  trace.  But  it  meant 
simply  that  from  the  forties  on  there  was  al- 
ways a  yot.  or,  gradually  broadening  with  the 
vears,  several  «ets,  thai  were  ready  to  take  u)) 
any  fashionable  fad.  Possibly  the  horse  shows 
that  wc  had  a   few  vears  ago,  or  anvthing  else 


that  has  not  hinged  with  .American  ideas  and 
stuck  as  a  custom,  will  seem  as  odd  a  genera- 
lion  or  two  hence  as  the  battledore  and  shut- 
tlecock visitation  does  now.  But  prior  to  tiie 
forties  the  people  here  were  not  so  sensitive  to 
outside  inlluences.  Few  of  them  had  eitlier  the 
time  or  the  money  to  be  fashionable,  and  those 
who  had,  shrank  from  the  odium  of  being  con- 
.-idered  "stuck  up".  And  then  the  community 
was  so  isolated  tliat  one  who  went  out  into  the 
world  and  came  back  with  novel  ideas  was 
somewhat  in  the  condition  of  the  educated 
Indian  returning  to  the  reservation.  Quite  re- 
cently a  gentleman  who  came  here  from  an- 
other city  uiulertook  to  send  his  boy  to  school 
in  a  carriage,  but  he  .soon  discontinued  it,  at 
the  boy's  request.  The  other  young  Indians 
would  not  stand  for  it.  The  easiest  way  out, 
and  the  most  rational,  was  to  conform  ito  the 
custom  of  the  country,  and  be  with  the  crowd. 
But,  to  return  to  the  early  social  divi- 
sions, the  church  element  soon  began  to  split 
on  the  lines  of  dignity  and  frivolity,  and  per- 
haps the  line  was  best  indicated  by  those  who 
])layed  kissing  games  and  those  who  did  not. 
The  latter  class  w'as  small  indeed  at  first, 
but  it  grew,  like  Mr.  Finney's  turnip,  until 
we  have  reached  an  era  when  kissing  games  are 
frowned  on  even  in  children's  parties.  No 
doubt  the  changed  views  of  matrimony  liave 
had  much  to  do  with  it.  In  the  early  jieriod 
marriage  was  recognized  not  only  as  hoiiora 
and  right  in  all  men,  but  also  as  a  consumma- 
lion  devoutly  to  be  wished  for,  and  there 
was  not  so  much  shying  away  from  the  subject 
of  "sensibility"  as  there  is  nowadays.  And 
the  games  ke])t  this  object  in  view.  One  of  the 
oldest  and  most  popular  of  these  games  was 
"Sister  I'hoebe".  which  had  numerous  varia- 
tions, but  is  best  rcmcnib(>red  here  in  this  form: 

"0  I   dear  Sister    I'hoebe  how  happy   were  we. 
The  night  we  sat   under  the  juniper  tree: 
We  put  on   nni-   night-caps  to   keep  our  heads 

warm, 
And  two  or  three  kisses,  tliey  did  us  no  iiarni. 

Thev  did  us  lu)  harm,  heigh  IkiI 

1  am  a  poor  widow  a  marching  around, 
.\nd  all  of  mv  daughters  are  married  but  one: 
So   rise   up  my   daughter  and    kiss  wlmni   you 
please, 
.\nd  kiss  whom  you  please,  heigh  hoi" 


496 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOIJS. 


Scarcely  less  popular,  and  perhaps  more  cir.:- 
vivial  was : 

"Come    Philanders,    let's    be    a    niarching. 
Every   one   his   true   love   a  searching." 

These  were  common  in  almost  every  part  of 
the  country,  and  so  were  almost  all  of  these 
games,  though  with  some  local  changes  in  the 
words.  Thus  "Threading  the  Needle  is  recalled 
here  thus: 

"Tliis  needle's  eye 

That  you  pass  by 
Was    made    for    to    go    through. 

And  many  a  lass 

Have  I  let  pass. 
But  now  1  have  caught  you. 

And  "Quebec"  has  its  little  variation: 

"We  are  marching  onward  to  Quebec, 
And  the  drums  are  loudly  beating; 
The  Americans  are  gaining  the  day. 
And  the  British  are  retreating. 

"The  wars  are  o'er  and  we  turn  back, 
To  the  place  from  whence  we  started. 
We'll  open  the  ring,  and  choose  another  in 
To  relieve  the  broken-hearted." 

A  very  interesting  game  given  me  by  ^Irs. 
Kellogg,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Cox.  one  of  the 
earliest  settlers  here,  is  the  following  varia- 
tion of  the  game  of  "Marriage",  which  was 
played  in  Puritan  New  England  more  than 
a  century  ago : 

"Here  comes  my  true  love,  and  how  do  you  do. 
And  how  have  yoxi  fared  since  last  T  saw  you. 
Come  my  dear  partner,  and  give  me  your  hand  ; 
I  want  me  a  wife  and  you  want  you  a  man; 
So  married  we  will  be.  if  we  two  can  agree. 
And  we'll  journey  on  to  Scotland,  and  ever 
happy  be." 

Then  comes  a  sort  of  anthem  for  the  wedding 
ceremony : 

"Tf  you  want  a  kind  companion 
To  insure  the  cares  of  life, 
I'd  advise  vou  for  to  marry. 
Therefore  rise  and  choose  a  wife." 


And  finally  the  triumphal  refrain: 

"Now  yoiv're  married,  joined  in  wedlock, 
Love  her  as  you  do  your  life. 
Hug  her,  kiss  her,  promise  to  protect  her. 
Long  as  she  remains  your  wife.'' 

And  then  there  were'  the  forfeit  games  that 
introduced  an  element  of  humor,  in  which  the 
sorrows  of  the  condemned  were  alleviated  by 
the  pleasures  of  '"measuring  tape'',  "digging  a 
well",  "building  a  bridge",  and  the  rest.  But 
there  were  those  who  objected  to  such  levity, 
and  it  does  seem  a  trifle  undignified  to  the 
present  generation,  but  we  should  remember 
that  this  generation  was  shut  off  from  most 
of  the  social  am.usements  to  which  we  resort 
with  no  compunctions  of  conscience.  I  once 
asked  an  old  lady  of  the  stricter  class  what 
they  did  for  amusement,  and  she  answered: 
"\\'liy  we  talked ;  and  we  had  a  good  time,  too. 
-V  girl  that  was  bright  enough  to  carry  on  a 
conversation  always  had  plenty  of  attention." 
No  doubt;  and  this  is  still  true;  but  conversa- 
tion as  a  steady  diet  is  liable  to  pall  on  one's 
taste,  and  some  of  it  must  have  been  rather 
solemn.  There  is  a  local  tradition  of  a  very 
dignified  beau  who  used  to  enter  a  parlor,  ad- 
just himself  in  a  chair;  assume  the  upright 
position  of  a  member  of  the  order;  and  begin. 
"Tjet  us  converse."  And  then  he  would  cut 
loose  with  edifving  discussions.  Of  course  that 
<ort  of  thing  tends  to  intellectuality.  It  calls 
for  some  effort  to  lay  in  topics  of  conversa- 
tion, and  to  have  something  rational  to  say  on 
them  when  one  is  making  a  habit  of  societv. 
But  it  cannot  be  called  restful,  and  it  is  ob- 
viously a  more  trying  thing  at  a  function,  where 
vou  must  talk  to  dozens  of  people,  than  in  a 
limited  company  of  those  with  whom  you  have 
much  in  common.  There  are  very  naturally 
manv  intelligent  people  who  have  a  lurking 
svmpathy  with  that  character  of  Gelett  Bur- 
gess's, who  remarks : 

"There   is   nothing    in    Five    O'clock   Tea. 
To  appeal  to  a  person  like  me. 

Polite  conversation 

Evokes  the  elation 
.\  cow  might  enjoy  in  a  tree." 

And  so  there  was  naturallv  a  tcndencv  nwav 
from    this   strictest   forin   of   social    life.      One 


HISTORY  OF  (UiKATKi;   IXDIAXArOUS. 


49; 


«■* 


a  Q 

O  B 
Z 

<  w 

'^  I 

a  ■= 

J  IS 

^  B. 

^-/ 

«  ? 

Oh 


4!J8 


HISTORY  OF  GREATEE  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


line  of  relief  was  found  in  music,  not  indeed 
of  the  Jiighest  order,  but  it  would  not  have  been 
amusement  if  it  had  been,  for  that  sort  of 
music  means  work.  Tlie  singing  school  was 
instituted  at  tlie  beginning,  in  the  old  log 
school  house  at  Kentucky  avenue  and  Wash- 
ington street,  and  was  kept  up  under  various 
auspices  for  many  years.  It  was  devoted 
largely  to  church  music,  but  it  was  a  recog- 
nized amusement  as  it  has  been  everywhere  in 
the  country.  The  principal  secular  music  was 
rounds,  or  catches,  among  which  "Scotland's 
burning"",  and  "Three  Blind  Mice"  were  not- 
able favorites.  It  is  surprising  that,  with  the 
start  they  have  had  on  church  music,  the 
American  people  do  not  sing  more  than  they 
do.  ^lost  of  them  enjoy  it,  and  will  join  in 
a  song  at  a  religious  or  political  meeting  with 
pleasui-e.  if  they  have  any  conception  of  the 
air  or  the  words,  and  yet  social  singing,  for 
entertainment  is  comparatively  rare.  When 
they  asst'udile  for  a  musical  entertainment  it 
is  for  tlie  purpose  of  hearing  one  or  more 
persons  sing  at  a  mark.  Outside  of  colleges, 
jovial  chorus  singing  is  a  rarity.  Possibly 
the  reason  of  it  is  that  in  our  intellectual  de- 
veloimient  "guying"  has  been  developed  to  an 
abnormal  extent,  and  consequently  the  average 
American  hesitates  to  undertake  anything  un- 
less he  thinks  lie  can  escape  sarcastic  comment ; 
and  tliat  is  a  high  standard  for  we  have  num- 
bers of  liright  .\mericans  who,  if  they  ever  get 
to  heaven,  and  hear  the  angels  will  assert  that 
they  "flatted  terribly"',  if  not  something  more 
unkind. 

But  there  \va>^  quite  a  litllc  music  of  a  so- 
cial cliaracter  in  Indianapolis,  in  the  small 
sets,  for  music  was  always  taught  in  tlie  schools, 
and  individuals  here  and  there  gained  amateur 
acquaintance  with  various  instruments.  "Mrs. 
Tlios.  Elliott  CMaria  Peaslee)  informs  me  tliat 
at  the  beginning  of  tlie  fifties  music  was  i|uitt' 
a  social  feature.  Among  others  Dr.  Rdbert 
Mcriure  played  the  guitar.  John  and  James 
l~)iiiilap  tlie  violin,  George  Hunt  (tlie  dentist) 
the  banjo,  and  Washinirton  Pc-aslcr  tlie  comet. 
Several  of  tlie  youns;  ladies  plaved  the  piano, 
and  iiearlv  evervbodv  joined  in  s'liKing  such 
popular  songs  as  "Ben  Bolt",  "The  Pirate's 
Serenade".  ".\  Life  on  the  Ocean  Wave".  "Lilv 
Dale"".  "Old  Dan  Tucker"'.  "Rocked  in  the 
Cradle  of  the  Drop"",  and  Mv-;,  Boltoi,"<  "Pad- 
dle "^'onr  Own   Canoe'".      Ami   llicrr   were  other 


dixersious.  The  church  social  and  the  church 
supper  came  into  popularity.  The  ehuTch  fair 
sprang  up,  and  notwithstanding  the  croaking  of 
the  unregenerate  at  the  lottery  features  of  the 
"grab  bag"',  and  "Rebekah  at  the  Well""  it 
lias  persisted  and  grown  to  this  day.  And  then 
there  were  a  number  of  games  that  were  con- 
ceded to  be  innocuous.  All  sorts  of  guessing 
games  were  popular,  but  most  of  all  "charade?"", 
which  in  addition  to  their  intrinsic  merit  liad 
the  attraction  of  English  fashion. 

The  most  notable  blow  at  the  old  liarriers 
came  in  with  Governor  Wright's  receptions. 
Governor  Whitcomb  undertook  to  entertain 
with  quite  elaborate  refreshments,  which  were 
furnished  by  Parisette,  the  popular  confec- 
tioner and  caterer  of  the  period,  and  in  conse- 
quence his  guests  were  invited,  and  rather 
limited.  This  caused  criticism  among  the 
alisentees :  and  Governor  Wright,  who  was 
strong  on  Democratic  principles  and  agricul- 
ture, substituted  a  series  of  public  receptions, 
to  which  a  general  invitation  was  extended. 
'Hie  Goveraor's  House — the  one  in  which  all 
the  governors  lived  for  over  twenty  years — oc- 
cupied the  eastern  part  of  the  present  south 
end  of  the  car  sheds  of  the  Traction  and  Ter- 
minal Station.  The  main  entrance  was  from 
^farket  street  to  a  hall  on  the  east  side  of  the 
house,  and  on  the  left  were  the  double  parlors, 
connecting  with  the  hall  at  side  and  rear. 
.\t  the  back  of  the  hall,  behind  the  stair- 
case stood  a  table  laden  with  red  apples,  to 
which  the  guests  helped  themselves,  on  the 
cafeteria  basis.  Here  it  was  that  "the  prome- 
nade"' came  into  existence.  Society  grew  weary 
of  conversation  seated  or  standing.  It  sought 
relief  in  motion.  A  couple  st.arted  on  a  prog- 
ress through  the  rooms,  back  through  the  hall, 
and  through  the  rooms  again.  Others  fell 
in,  and  soon  a  veritable  procession  would  be 
circling  around.  It  was  a  great  invention.  It 
had  all  the  display  capabilities  of  a  refined 
cake-walk,  and  was  a  delightfully  wicked  a|i- 
proach  to  a  grand  march.  The  promenade  came 
to  stay  for  a  long  time,  and  indeed  traces  of 
it  may  be  noted  in  many  gatherings  of  the 
present. 

Tlie  Civil  War  was  a  great  social  amalga- 
mator. Governor  ^forton  enlisted  societv  to 
help  care  for  the  soldier,  and  the  Sanitarv 
Fair  became  the  social  feature  of  tlie  iieriod. 
\'\'lien   Oovernor  ^forton   m-nle  lii-:  appeal   ""T  i 


-« 

i 

IS! 
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g 


liisruiiv  uF  c;i;i:.\ti:r  ]XDiAy.\i'OT.T,> 


4!)!) 


ilie  Patridtir  Women  of  Indiana",  on  October 
10.  lS(il,  liL'  n>kod  only  for  donations  of  sur- 
plus blankets,  woolen  shirts,  drawers,  gloves 
and  socks,  and  that  the  women  then  undertake 
'i'.e  manufacture  of  more.  He  said:  "The  sew- 
ing societies  of  our  churches  have  a  wide  ticld 
for  exertion,  wider  and  grander  than  thev 
will  ever  find  again.  Will  they  not  give  their 
associations  for  a  time  to  this  beneficent  ob- 
ject? The  niunerons  female  benevolent  so- 
cieties, by  giving  their  energies  and  organiza- 
tions to  this  work,  can  speedily  provide  the 
necessary  supply.  'Let  women  through  the 
country,  who  have  no  opportunity  to  .join  such 
as-iociations.  ennilato  each  other  in  their  laljors. 
ai<(l  see  wlio  shall  ilo  most  for  their  country  and 
its  defenders  in  this  hour  of  trial."  Tliere  was 
no  need  of  a  second  appeal  to  the  women  whose 
sons,  brothers  and  sweethearts  had  gone  to  the 
front.  The  response  was  so  ])rompt  and  so 
liberal  that  before  the  winter  was  over  notice 
was  given  that  tlx'  sup])ly  was  sullicient."'  But 
the  demand  continued  and  broadened  to  cover 
medicines  anil  delicacies  for  the  sick  and 
wounded,  and  to  i)rovide  for  the  families  of 
soldiers.  The  ex])erience  of  the  women  with 
church  fairs  had  taught  them  that  the  most 
etl'ective  way  to  accom])lish  results  was  to  pi-o- 
vide  some  sort  of  entertainment  for  tlie  men. 
and  coax  the  needed  funds  from  them.  Ami 
so  the  sanitary  fair  was  evolved.  Says  Ter- 
rell: "One  ])rolific  source  of  the  supply  of 
money  as  well  as  of  goods,  was  the  'fairs', 
which,  for  the  last  two  years  of  the  war,  con- 
stituted a  feature  of  social  life  that  a  stranger 
juight  have  easily  mistaken  for  a  fixed  na- 
tional habit.  Xeighborhood  fairs,  county  fairs, 
state  fairs,  were  constantly  soliciting  ])ublic 
attention  in  one  quarter  or  another  of  the 
wlude  country,  and  nowhere  more  generally  or 
successfully  than  in  Indiana.  It  is  true  we 
had  no  gigantic  displays  like  those  of  Chicago 
or  Philadelphia,  for  we  were  working  only  in 
a  humble  way,  and  depending  solely  upon  our- 
selves:  but  the  aggregate  results  make  as 
creditable  a  showing  as  anv  state  can  boast. 
*  *  *  The  State  Sanitary  Fair  held  at  In- 
dianapolis, in  the  fall  of  18(33,  at  the  time  of 
the    State    .Vgricidtuial    Fair,    was    eminently 


'"  Terrell's  I'epoi't.  Imliiniii  in  the  llv/c,  Yol. 
1.  p.  310. 


successful.  The  ])roceeds  amounted  to  about 
forty   thousand   dollars."  " 

This  first  fair  at  Indianapolis,  called  at  the 
time  the  "Ladies'  Soldiers'  Aid  Festival"  was 
held  November  18-2.3,  1863.  at  the  Skating 
]?ink.  and  was  the  great  social  event  of  the 
winter,  though  no  social  lines  were  dra\ni. 
Women  who  had  never  met  socially  found  them- 
selves shoulder  to  shoulder  in  a  common  cause. 
They  found  that  when  it  came  to  working  the 
men  "the  Eternal  Feminine'"  ran  through  all 
of  them.  Staid  church  matrons  found  among 
fri\olous  society  women  some  of  the  most  etfi- 
cient  workers,  and  the  society  women  found 
that  their  sisters  were  not  at  all  slow.  There 
had  been  numerous  donations  to  the  fair,  of 
all  sorts  of  articles,  and  every  one  of  them  was 
rattled  olf,  the  prize  list  being  almost  as  long  as 
that  of  the  Louisiana  Tjottery.  Moreover  there 
Avere  charades,  and  tableaux  vivants,  and  other 
attractions  of  a  near-theater  character. 

Li  18fi4  the  mix-up  was  much  more  strik- 
ing, for  the  opening  attraction  of  the  fair 
was  an  address  by  Bishop  Ames,  and  the  clos- 
ing one.  on  October  7,  was  a  fancy  dress  ball. 
In  the  notice  of  the  ball  it  is  explained  at 
some  length  that  an  erroneous  impression  has 
got  out  that  it  is  to  be  a  masque  ball,  but  that 
in  fact  nobody  in  masque  will  be  admitted. 
Moreover,  in  the  course  of  the  year  an  ama- 
teur dramatic  association  had  been  formed, 
with  Mr.  ?]dwin  A.  Davis,  editor  of  the  /i'<- 
viM'd  Sliilutcs  nf  1S70.  at  its  head,  and  it 
contributed  to  the  entertainments  of  the  fair 
during  the  week,  the  plays  "Money"',  "The 
Serious  Family",  "Used  Tji".  "Box  and  Cox". 
and  "The  Limerick  Boy",  .\iniing  the  char- 
acters that  attracted  special  commi'Tidation 
were  ifr.  Davis,  as  "Aniiiiadab".  Mrs.  Fred 
Baggs  as  "Lady  Sowerliy  Creamly",  and  ^[r. 
and  Mrs.  John  S.  Tarkington  (parents  of 
Booth  Tarkington)  as  "^fr.  and  Mrs.  Torrens" 
in  "The  Serious  Family";  Professor  Wheeler 
as  "Sir  Charles  Coldstream",  and  Cai)taiu  Hill 
as  "Ironbrace"  in  "Fsed  Up":  Oscar  Stone 
as  "Stout"  in  "Money";  and  Ezekiel  McDon- 
ald a<  "Paddy  Afiles'  Boy".  Later  additions 
to  the  club  were  Afajor  Thatcher,  Coleman  P.. 
("Tad")  Patterson,'  W.  H.  McCurdy.  .Tohn 
Pomeroy,  Austin  H.  Brown,  ^frs.  .\bby  (^a<ly. 
Mrs.    Stephenson  and    Mrs.   Houston. 


'fiKtidi 


Ihr    W'lr.    Vol.    1. 


326. 


n 


500 


HIST()i;V  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOUS. 


In  1865  tlif  fsociety  came  ou  again  with 
"Still  Waters  Run  Deep"  and  some  smaller  ef- 
forts, and  the  fame  of  the  performers  spread 
abroad  to  such  an  extent  that  they  were  in- 
vited to  Terre  Haute,  to  give  a  performance 
there.  Of  course  all  this  did  not  go  on  with- 
out attracting  some  notice  in  church  circles, 
and  one  incident  connected  with  it  is  notable 
as  illustrating  the  changing  sentiment  of  the 
time.  ;Mrs.  Fred  Baggs,  who  had  attracted  at- 
tention by  her  histrionic  abilitj',  was  a  promi- 
nent member  of  Roberts  Chapel,  and  two  or 
three  of  the  older  ladies  of  the  church  who 
were  not  reconciled  to  such  "goings  on"  thought 
she  ought  to  be  brought  before  the  official 
board,  and  persuaded  one  of  the  members  to 
bring  the  matter  up.  It  is  probable  that  no 
proposal  for  discipline  ever  caused  more  con- 
sternation in  an  Indianapolis  church  board. 
The  members  were  all  ao£;ressive  Union  men, 
who  felt  that  it  was  hardly  possible  to  do  too 
much  for  the  soldiers  and  their  families,  and, 
moreovei-.  Sister  Baggs  ;\-as  too  earnest  and 
effective  a  factor  in  church  and  Sunday  School 
work  to  be  lightly  assailed.  There  was  some 
discussion  of  the  matter,  in  a  spirit  of  disap- 
probation, nnd  then  Jlr.  Baggs,  who  was  a 
member  of  the  honrd,  arose  and  asked  to  be 
heard.  He  quietly  took  the  full  responsibility 
upon  himself,  saying  that  his  wife  had  takeii 
no  step  without  con.«ulting  him,  and  thiit  he 
had  told  her,  if  she  could  do  anything  to  hdn 
the  soldiers  and  their  families,  to  go  ahead. 
If  the  brethren  felt  that  he  had  done  wrong, 
his  resignation  as  a  class  leader  and  m  mem- 
ber of  the  board  was  at  their  command.  Then 
John  W.  Ray.  who  had  been  restraining  liim- 
self  with  difficulty,  arose  and  stated  that  he 
thought  such  a  proposal  a  disgrace  to  the 
church,  and  moved  that  all  mention  of  it  lie 
eliminated  from  the  board  minutes,  which  was 
duly  done.     .'\nd  there  the  matter  ended. 

Tlie  dramatical  entertainments  went  on.  and 
in  fair  week.  1868,  "The  Drummer  Bov  of 
Shiloh"  was  given,  for  the  benefit  of  soldiers' 
widows  and  orphans,  by  "two  hundred  ladies 
and  gentlemen  of  Indianapolis".  And  thereby 
hangs  a  tale.  In  the  winter  of  lS.")8-0.  the 
new  ^fetropolifan  Tlieater  was  not  doing  very 
much  business,  owing  chiefly  to  the  hostile  at- 
titude of  the  churches  towards  theaters,  al- 
thousrh  it  had  some  high  grade  attractions — 
Haekett,  the  Florenc.es,  Adah  Isaacs  "Nrenken, 


Matilda  Heron,  and  others.  At  the  same  time 
the  Widows  and  Orphans  Society  got  short  of 
funds.  Mr.  Sherlock,  the  manager  of  the  thea- 
ter, was  struck  with  the  happy  thought  of  ten- 
dering a  benefit  to  the  society,  and  did  so. 
The  society  considered  the  matter;  consulted 
with  its  brothers,  and  its  cousins,  and  its  un- 
cles; and  then  published  a  card  declining  the 
offer  on  the  ground  that  it  "could  not  accept 
money  from  such  sources".  The  Journal,  be- 
ing on  a  low  moral  plane,  was  reckless  enough 
to  criticise  this  position  in  an  editorial  leader. 
Then  Rev.  George  P.  Tindall  took  up  cudgels 
for  the  society  in  a  lengthy  communication, 
and  the  Journal  undertook  to  demonstrate  that 
the  Reverend  George  did  not  know  what  he  was 
talking  about.  But  Tindall  belonged  to  the 
ehurch  militant,  and  was  not  to  be  intimi- 
dated. On  January  2T,  1859,  he  fired  a  ser- 
mon at  the  theater  that  set  the  whole  town  to 
talking.  One  of  the  actors  replied  to  this  from 
the  stage,  and  then  the  entire  church  popti- 
lation  mixed  in.  On  February  6,  Mr.  Tindall 
repeated  his  sermon,  by  invitation,  at  Wesley 
Chapel,  Methodist  church;  and  on  February  Vl 
the  Locomotive  published  it  in  full,  at  the  re- 
quest of  several  citizens,  at  the  same  time 
charitably  charging  that  the  Journal  and  the 
Sentinel,  which  had  sided  with  its  political 
foe  in  this  matter,  were  subsidized  by  the  theat- 
rical octopus.  By  this  time  the  situation  was 
getting  so  warm  that  the  yellow  press  sub- 
sided, and  left  Tindall  and  the  society  in  pos- 
session of  the  field. 

Ten  years  later,  when  The  Drummer  Boy  of 
Shiloh  was  put  on  the  boards,  the  night  of 
October  1  was  set  aside  for  a  special  benefit 
to  the  Orphan  Asylum ;  and  Widows  and  Or- 
phans Society  accepted  the  proceeds  without 
a  murmur.  On  October  7.  in  its  notice  of 
the  last  performance  of  the  play,  the  Journal. 
which  had  evidently  been  nursing  its  wrath  all 
these  years,  stated  that  "curiosity  has 
trittmphed  over  prejudice  so  far  in  this  city 
that  each  night  large  and  brilliant  audiences 
have  assembled  v.ithin  the  rink  to  patronize  a 
noble  charity".  In  fact  Berry  Sulgrove  never 
got  over  the  affair,  and  in  his  history  he  refers 
to  it  twice,  with  scorn  and  contempt  breathing 
from  his  words.'- 

While  all   iliis  was  gniuij  on  at  honn".  manv 


^"Jfiyl.   / luliiuiiipdlis.   ]ip.    01.   "^liO. 


HISTOKY  OF  GEEATKi;   1  NIII AXAI'ol.IS. 


501 


nl  the  church  boys  were  learuiug  to  phiy  car(l> 
111  the  army — happy  those  who  learned  noth- 
ing worse!  And  tlicy  were  learning  that  card- 
playing  did  not  necessarily  involve  gambling. 
'I'herc  were,  of  course,  abundant  opportunities 
r  gambling  if  one  had  any  desire  for  it,  and 

icy  were  not  restricted  to  cards.  Comrade 
Harry  Adams  relates  an  instructive  legend  of 

III'   of   the  boys   who    started   a   chuck-a-luck 

imc  while  his  regiment  was  at  New  Orleans. 
I  or  counters  he  used  a  bo.\  of  buttons,  ]iur- 
.  based  of  a  cheap-clothing  man  wlio  solemnly 
assured  him  that  there  were  no  other  buttons 
like  them  in  the  city.  But  one  day  one  of 
the  players  held  out  a  button,  and  succeeded 
111  matching  it:  whereupon  he  invested  in  a 
I" IX.  and  at  the  first  opportunity  ran  them  in 
"11  the  unsusjK'cting  chuck-a-luck  man.  The 
\i>tim  noticed  nothing  imusual  until  he  closed 

IS  game  and  undertook  to  ])ut  away  the  but- 

'iis  in  the  original  box,  in  which  he  ke[)t 
them.  With  bulging  eyes  he  viewed  the  pile 
nf  buttons  around  the  overflowing  box,  and 
then  in  astonisliment  and  despair  ejaculated. 
"Mv  Crod  I     llow  that  box  have  shrank!" 

Tuquestionably  the  candid  historian  of  1870, 
lixiking  back  over  the  past  decade,  would  have 
ui  admit  that  Satan  had  made  some  very  se- 
ri'>us  breaches  in  the  old  church  barriers.  And 
\rt  it  is  not  apparent  that  the  church  was  at 
all  damaged,  for  these  were  theological  rather 
I  ban  religious  barriers,  and  from  the  viewpoint 
I'i  this  age  the  church  in  the  last  century  gave 
undue  attention  to  theology,  notwithstanding 
its  many  unquestionable  virtues.  Every  sect 
"rnt  about  with  a  tbeoloffical  chip  on  its  shoul- 
der, and  the  jneserved  sermons  and  other  ]iuli- 
lications  give  one  tlie  impression  that  a  large 
amount  of  the  satisfaction  of  religion  was 
found  in  the  theological  Donnybrook.  And  the 
most  singular  feature  of  it  all  was  that  no- 
body seemed  to  realize  that  practically  all  of 
ibcsc  controverted  theological  positions  were 
•  ■ased  not  on  e\i)ress  teachings  of  the  scriptures 
I'ut  on  human  deductions  from  them,  and  espe- 

ially  on  deductions  from  the  writings  of  Paul. 

in  which",  as  good  old  St.  Peter  himself  said, 
"are  .some  things  hard  to  be  understood,  which 
thi'y  that  are  unlearned  and  unstable  wrest,  a" 
tbi-y  do  also  the  other  Scrii)tures,  unto  their 
own  destruction",  'i'lie  last  century  ]ireacbi'r. 
)il<c  Hiuliliras, 


"Was  iu  logic  quite  a  critic. 
Profoundly  skilled  in  analytic; 
He  could  distinguish  and  divide 
A  hair  twixt  Xorth  and  Xorthwest  side." 

And  yet,  trained  logicians  as  they  were,  no- 
body grasped  the  evident  fact  that'everv  dog- 
matic theological  position  that  is  based  on  de- 
duction involves  the  implied  absurd  premise 
that  the  finite  mind  can  fathom  the  inlinite. 
A  popular  old  time  formula  for  demonstrating 
the  supremacy  of  logic  was  the  proposition  tliat 
"(Jod,  himself,  could  not  make  two  hills  with- 
out a  valley  between  them".  But  in  reality  the 
world  is  full  of  disproof  of  this  statement,  con- 
clusive as  it  may  seem.  There  is  no  valley  be- 
tween Bunker  Hill  and  the  Mount  of  oiives. 
There  is  no  valley  between  hills  rising  from  a 
common  plain,  like  the  buttes  of  the  Bad 
Lands.  And  we  may  indulge  the  presumption 
that  almighty  wisdom  and  power  might  find 
other  modes  of  (lecompli.shing  this  allegetl  im- 
possibility. To  illustrate  the  old  church  sit- 
uation the  command,  "Thou  shalt  not  steal", 
is  express  and  plain.  There  was  never  any  sw- 
tarian  controversy  about  it.  nor  even  any  indi- 
vidual difference  of  opinion,  though  it  ha.s  l)een 
charged  in  more  recent  times  that  ministers 
of  wealthy  congregations  have  sought  to  ajiolo- 
gize  for  some  of  the  refined  modern  methoils 
of  larceny.  Ivpuilly  explicit  is  the  promise. 
"He  that  iielieveth  and  is  baptized  shall  be 
saved",  and  all  sects  admit  it;  but  when  you 
pass  to  the  time  and  exact  mode  of  baptism 
you  find  all  shades  of  creedal  position,  ba.sed 
on  deduction,  from  the  Quaker  doctrine  that, 
water-baptism  is  not  essential  at  all  to  the 
hundred  and  one  specifications  of  the  proper 
form  for  the  sacrament.  It  is  |)erfcctly  .'^afe 
to  say  that  in  the  last  century  there  was  ten 
times  as  much  discussion  of  the  mode  of  bap- 
tism as  there  was  of  the  sinfulness  of  steal- 
ing. 

For  his  timi\  1  presinne  there  was  no  evan- 
gelical preacher  who  had  more  of  what  is 
Tailed  liberalitv  than  Henry  Ward  Bi<echer; 
but  it  is  a  far  cry  from  his  "t^ectures  te>  Young 
:^ren".  delivered"  in  this  city  in  1844.  to  the 
common  church  sentiment  of  today  as  to  annisi^ 
ments.  For  theater-going  his  denunciation  was 
as  unsparing  as  of  gambling,  and  dishonesty, 
thoufrh  he  maintained  that  Shakespeare  was 
not  so  impure  as  Bulwer.     Of  dancing  he  said 


502 


lIISTUUr  OF  GIJEATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


nothing  except  an  incidental  coiulciiuiation  of 
Ijroniit^cuous  pul)lic  ballr:^.  L'ai'(l-[)laying  was 
rel'erred  to  only  as  an  introduction  to  ganiDlmg, 
and  in  these  words:  "It  begins  thus:  I'eepiug 
into  a  bookstoi-e,  he  watches  till  the  sober 
customers  go  out ;  then  slijis  in^  and  with  as- 
sumed boldness,  not  concealing  his  shame,  he 
asks  for  cards,  buys  them,  and  hastens  out. 
'J'he  first  game  is.  to  jiay  for  the  cards.  After 
the  relish  of  playing  for  a  stake,  no  game  can 
satisfy  tiiem  without  a  stake.'"  Just  imagine 
anyone  buying  a  deck  of  cards  in  tliat  style 
toda}'. 

There  arc  two  recent  expressions  of  senti- 
ment that  arc  noteworthy.  In  the  spring  of 
lilOS  the  question  of  teaching  dancing  in  the 
public  schools  was  brought  before  the  Protest- 
ant .Ministers  .\ssociat'on  of  Indianapolis.  A 
c(ninnittce  was  appointed  to  investigate,  and 
on  .lune  1,  1908.  it  reported  that  the  polka, 
wait/,  and  other  dancing  steps  were  being  taught 
as  a  part  of  the  physical  training,  btit  the  boys 
and  gii-ls  were  taught  separately,  the  boys  by 
a  nuile  instructor  and  the  girls  by  a  female.  On 
these  facts  tliey  reported  this  conclusion :  ''We 
believe  that  the  object  aimed  at  by  the  physical 
culture  teaching  and  training  in  our  schools 
is  the  development  of  otir  boys  and  girls  into 
strong,  graceful  and  healthy  young  men  and 
women,  and  with  this  purpose  we  are  in  fullest 
accord.  We  are  likewise  in  entire  agreement 
wdth  the  .school  authorities  in  the  belief  that 
Indianapolis  deserves  and  must  have  the  very 
best  system  possible  to  bring  about  this  desired 
end,  but  we  caution  and  urge  those  in  charge 
of  the  work  to  see  to  it  that  they  do  not  either 
by  direct  teaching  or  by  simple  suggestion 
create  in  the  mind  of  the  child  a  desire  that 
can  find  satisfaction  only  in  the  ballroom." 

This  was  comjiarativcly  easy,  and  was  adopt- 
ed without  serious  opposition,  btit  one  brother 
\vas  not  satisfied  as  to  the  high  school  gather- 
ings, at  which  the  boys  and  girls  danced  to- 
gether, and  which,  by  the  way,  they  had  been 
doing  for  a  number  of  vears  without  attracting 
any  comment.  He  offered  this  resolution:  ''Be- 
lieving that  the  modern  dance  is  a  subtle  foe 
to  the  highest  and  best  development  of  our 
young  people  during  the  formative  years  of 
adolescence,  we  hereby  express  our  conviction 
that  dancing  should  not  be  permitted  at  the 
.social  functions  of  our  high  schools."  This 
presented  a  miu-h  more  ])erplexing  ])rohlem,  but 


after  discussion  the  resolution  was  lost  by  the 
narrow  margin  of  a  vote  of  '2i  to  22.  i'mm 
a  purely  liistorical  point  of  view,  it  is  hardly 
i|uesti(inaljle  that  similar  action  by  a  similar 
body,  sixty  years  ago,  would  have  caused  a 
lunnber  of  ministers  to  be  requested  to  listeu 
f<u-  a  call  to  some  other  locality.  The  second 
incident  was  the  presentation  of  the  matter  of 
the  introduction  of  billiard  and  pool  tables  in 
the  new  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building  wiiieh  came  up 
on  February  Vv^,  liiO'i,  at  the '.Methodist  .Minis- 
ters Association.  After  a  brief  discussion,  a 
resolution  was  adopted  by  an  almost  unani- 
mous vote,  "that  it  is  the  sense  of  this  meeting 
that  we  as  ilethodist  ministei-s  heartily  ap- 
prove of  the  action  of  the  Y.  il.  C.  A.  in  seek- 
ing to  bring  to  young  men  healthf\il  and  sane 
lecreation"'. 

It  is  noteworthy  that  while  there  have  been 
concessions  in  social  customs  from  the  church 
side,  there  have  been  others  of  really  greater 
importance  from  the  other  side.  One  of  the 
most  striking  of  these  is  the  social  use  of  in- 
toxicating li(|Uors.  In  1883.  llev.  Thomas  A. 
(ioodwin  wi'ote,  and  without  exaggeration, 
"Fifty  years  ago  social  drinking  was  common; 
today  there  is  but  little  of  it.  The  sideboard 
of  the  rich  is  not  decorated  with  cut-glass  de- 
canters, and  the  cupboard  of  the  poor  does  not 
contain  the  jug  or  big-bellied  bottle  of  fifty 
vears  ago ;  and  the  mert'hanfs  counting-room 
has  no  barrel  on  tap  for  the  gratuitous  use  of 
customers.  Fifty  years  ago  members  of 
churches  drank  as  others  drank,  and  preachers 
drank  also :  and  drunken  lawyers,  and  drunken 
doctors,  and  drunken  school-teachers  abounded, 
and  drunken  preachers  were  not  wholly  want- 
ing. Fifty  years  ago  good  men  engaged  in  the 
traffic,  lint  all  this  is  changed."'^  And  it  is 
a  fact  that  athei.sm  and  other  forms  of  hos- 
tility to  Christianity  have  last  much  of  the 
aggressiveness  and  respectability  that  they  bad 
fifty  years  ago.  They  have  been  wrecked  on 
American  common  sense,  which  says  to  the  free- 
thinker, "Suppose  vou  are  right.  Sujipose 
Christianity  is  a  mere  delusion.  What  ditl'cr- 
ence  does  it  make  to  you?  It  is  doing  no  harm. 
and  it  is  causing  thousands  of  people  to  lie- 
come  better  citizens.  It  is  lessening  crime  and; 
wrong-doing   of  every   kind.     Y'ou   profess  to 


^"Srrri/ti/-s;ir    Years'    Tussle    irilh    Ike    Trnf- 
jir.  p.  ;u. 


iii.^i"oi;v  OF  GRKA'iKi;  in;di.\\.\1'oi,is. 


.-.(K! 


belk've  ill  frut'  thought.  Why  then  do  you  coin- 
bat  the  belief  of  others  when  that  belief  is  not 
hiu-iiiful?'"  And  so  aggressive  free-thought  is 
not  popular — it  is  not  considered  good  form 
in  polite  society.  Even  the  brilliant  eloquence 
of  Bob  Tiigersoll  was  elfective  only  to  give  it  a 
brief  teiiipiirary  standing.  Free  thought  still 
exists,  in  alnuulanee,  but  it  is  far  more  tolerant 
than  it  was.  Even  our  free-thinking  Uernians 
have  very  little  of  tiie  aggressive  characteristics 
of  their  fathers. 

The  evident  fact  is  that  we  have  been  amal- 
gamating socially  and  morally  as  we  have  i-a- 
cially;  and  as  communities  and  nations  have 
alwavs  done  from  the  beginning.  We  have 
been  rubbing  the  rongh  corners  oft'  each  other, 
and  bori-owing  some  characteristics  one  of  an- 
other. And  in  the  matter  of  social  amusements 
the  tendency  has  been  steadily  towards  the 
standard  set  by  St.  Paul  concerning  meat  sac- 
rificed to  idols.  It  is  a  waste  of  time  to  hunt 
up  excuses  for  amusements.  People  do  not 
dance  or  play  l)illiards  for  exercise;  they  do 
not  play  cards  or  go  to  the  theater  for  instruc- 
tion, thev  do  these  things  for  recreation,  and 
the  desire  for  recreation  is  just  as  firmly  im- 


planted in  mankind  by  the  power  that  made 
us  as  any  other  passion.  It  characterizes  all 
the  higher  animals,  and  it  is  not  confined  to 
lambs  and  colts.  You  may  sec  an  old,  spavined, 
wind-broken  hoi-se  prance  about  and  kick  up 
his  heels  in  a  ])eriod  of  temporary  good-feeling. 
It  is  iiseless  to  attem])t  to  persuade  or  compel 
mankind  to  abandon  what  is  natural.  The  ut- 
most that  can  be  done  is  to  restrict  natural 
propensities  to  rational  and  liarmless  liounds. 
.Vnd  are  the  changes  that  have  come  in  these 
matters  here  beneficial  or  detrimental?  As  to 
that  von  are  confronted  by  these  considerations: 
If  you  do  not  believe  in  Divine  guidance  in 
worldly  affairs,  to  say  that  the  change  is  not 
beneficial  is  to  say  that  our  civilization  is  a 
failure.  If  you  do  believe  in  Divine  guidance, 
to  say  that  the  change  is  not  beneficial  is  to 
question  the  success  of  the  Almighty  in  attain- 
ing His  pur])0.scs.  And  whatever  your  belief,- 
vou  may  rejoice  in  the  growing  realization  that 
"nobody  is  obliged  to  solve  all  the  mysteries  of 
the  Divine  plan,  or  to  lay  down  with  specific 
exactness  the  lines  on  which  individual  souls 
will  be  saved  or  lost. 


CHAPTER    XXXIX. 


THE  LITERAKY  ATMOSPHERE. 


The  muses  must  have  lurked  in  the  forest 
where  Indianapolis  now  stands,  for  the 
tendency  to  poetiy  as  well  as  prose  composi- 
tion was  manifest  from  the  first.  At  the  first 
election,  in  1822,  not  only  did  Morris  ]\rorris 
issue  a  "pamphlet"  or  hand  bill,  but  his  op- 
jjonent  for  County  Clerk,  James  M.  Ray,  was 
the  ob.ject  of  a  poetic  eulog-y  including  the 
lines — 

"Full  many  a  Jem  of  purest  Ray  serene 
The  dark  unfathomed  caves  of  ocean  bear.  "^ 

Prom  that  time  on  there  were  occasional 
orisinal  contributions  in  the  newspapers,  and 
occasionally  somethin<i'  like  Dr.  Cool's  ode  to 
Dr.  Coe,  which  did  not  get  into  the  news- 
papers. These  efforts  were  seldom  classic, 
and  in  the  earlier  period  reached  their  high- 
est point  in  "The  Hoosier's  Nest,"  by  John 
Finley,  of  Richmond,  which  appeared  as  the 
New  Years  Address  of  the  JnuDial,  in  1833. 
It  has  been  supposed  that  this  was  the  fii'st 
use  of  the  word  "Hoosier"  in  print,  but  it 
occui-s  in  the  "carrier's  address"  of  the 
Democrat  .iust  one  year  earlier,  where,  in  ad- 
vising the  legislature  as  to  its  attitude  towards 
Congress,  it  says : 

"In  favor  much  of  lai-ge  donations 
Ask  for  our  hoosiei's'  good  jilantatidus. 
Urging  each  scheme  of  graduation 
As  justice  to  the  cominon  nation."  - 

But  by  this  time  Indianapolis  had  acquired 
a  resident  poetess.  Nathaniel  Bolton,  who 
had  been  associated  with  (ieorge  Smith  on  the 


^News,  May  10.  24,  1879. 
^Democrat.  January  3,  1832. 


Gazette,  the  first  paper  of  the  new  town,  haa 
met  at  JMadison,  Sarah  T.  Barrett,  a  young 
girl  who  was  attracting  more  than  lucal  no- 
tice by  her  poems.  She  was  of  New  Jersey 
and  Pennsylvania  parents  who  came  west  and 
located  on  a  farm  near  Vernon,  when  she  was 
a  small  child.  Later  her  father  moved  to 
Madison,  to  give  his  children  some  education. 
Sarah  was  already  proficient  in  the  ails  of 
frontier  housewifery,  and  she  rapidly  mas- 
tered the  learning  of  the  schools.  From  the 
age  of  fourteen  she  was  composing  almost 
continuously.  On  October  15,  1831,  she  mar- 
ried ^Ir.  Bolton  and  they  located  at  Indian- 
apolis, living  first  for  two  years  at  their  Mt. 
Jackson  farm,  where  the  Insane  Hospital  is 
now,  and  then  for  three  years  in  town,  where 
]\Ir.  Bolton  edited  the  D< mocrat. 

In  1836,  having  met  financial  reverses,  they 
returned  to  the  farm  and  opened  a  tavern, 
where  for  nine  years  they  labored  to  better 
their  circumstances  and  save  tlieir  farm.  Mrs. 
Bolton  during  this  time  was  usually  "her  own 
housekeeper,  chambei'-maid  and  cook,  besides 
superintending  a  dairy  of  ten  cows,  caring 
for  the  milk,  and  making  large  quantities  of 
butter  and  cheese  for  the  market."  But  little 
things  like  these  did  not  sour  her  disposition, 
or  interfei-e  -with  her  social  and  literary  life. 
Vivacious  and  aft'ahli\  she  was  known  to  her 
intinmtes  as  "Tittle."  which  was  her  middle 
name:  and  she  was  always  a  social  magnet. 
The  Bolton  tavern  became  the  great  resort  for 
parties  of  young  people  from  the  town,  and 
there  were  always  parties  triven  there  for  the 
members  of  the  Oeneral  Assembly  during  its 
sessions.  Nor  did  the  Boltons  miss  any  of  the 
town  functions.  If  the  weather  was  bad  she 
would  come  in  to  the  i-esidence  of  Nathaniel 
Cox,  and  there  don  her  party  fin(M'y.     Society 


504 


HISTORY  OF  OREA'I'Ki;    I  N  DlA.NAl'ol.ls. 


505 


then  was  largely  on  an  inti'llrctiial  basis,  aini 
she  won  the  respeet  and  friendship  of  most  of 
(he  jiroiiiinent  men  of  the  state.  In  fact,  it 
was  a.s  mueh  due  to  her  as  her  husband  tliat 
he  was  eleeted  State  Librai'iaii  by  the  legis- 
lature of  ISiil  over  -lohii  H.  Dillon— in  the 
election  two  votes  were  cast  for  her.  The 
office  was  of  no  material  financial  value,  hav- 
ing a  small  salary  and  no  perquisites  but 
work,  as  the  librai-iau  wa.s  custodian  of  tli'- 
'•ai)itol.  ^Irs.  Bolton  helpetl  in  all  depart- 
ments of  the  new  office;  iind  it  fell  to  her  1o 
si'w  the  cai'jx'ts  for  the  Hou.se  and  Senate 
chambei's  when  they  were  retitted  in  1851  for 
the  assend)ly  of  tlie  governors  of  the  western 
states,  on  invitation  of  Gov.  Wright.  It  was 
during  the  week  or  nioi-e  of  this  sewing  that 
she  composed  ""rMdille  Your  Own  C'anoe."' 
which  was  set  to  music  and  was  for  some 
years  a  veiy  jiopular  song. 

^Irs.  Bolton's  intei'csts  were  not  merelx' 
domestic,  social  and  literary.  She  took  an  in- 
telligent ]iart  in  polities  as  well.  She  was  a 
Democrat,  and  maintain(>d  her  faith  in  both 
prose  and  vensc;  but  she  laboi'cd  for  reforms 
as  well  as  i)arty  victory.  Robert  Dale  Owen 
gets  the  credit  for  Indiana's  early  legislation 
for  the  separate  property  rights  of  women, 
and  deserves  much  of  it  :  but  Jli-s.  Bolton, 
while  he  was  making  the  notable  tight  in  the 
constitutional  convention  of  1851,  was  "writ- 
ing articles  setting  forth  the  grievances  re- 
sulting from  woman's  status,  as  under  the 
i-onniion  law.  and  the  necessity  of  reform;  and 
scattering  these  articles  through  the  newspa- 
l)ers  .over  the  state  to  make  public  o|)inion."' 
The  fight  did  not  win  in  the  convention,  but 
it  did  latrr  in  the  legislature.  The  women 
first  showed  their  spirit  in  this  cause,  by  pre- 
senting Ml'.  Owen  a  silver  pitcher,  on  May  28. 
1851,  through  an  organized  movement  of 
which  Mrs.  Bolton  and  ^Irs.  Briseilla  Drake 
were  the  movinii  spii'its.'  It  was  just  at  this 
time  that  the  "Bloomer"'  costume  was  at- 
tracting the  I'idicule  of  the  country,  and  even 
rational  recognition  of  women's  I'ights  fell 
undei-  the  Lreneral  condemnation,  but  the  fight 
went  on.     1  have  before  nie  a  letter  of  Robert 


Dale  Owen  to  Mrs.  Bolton,  of  July  6.  1851.  in 
which,  referring  to  this  matter,  he  says:  "It 
must  be  confessed  that  the  whole  atVair  has 
been  eminen'tly  successful,  and  i)romises  to 
leave  behind  it  important  results.  To  whom 
the  ci-edit  is  due  of  effecting  these  I,  at  least, 
know,  if  the  public  does  not.  I  think  it  will 
always  be  a  pleasant  refiection  to  you  that  by 
dint  of  perseverance  through  many  obstacles, 
you  have  so  efficiently  contributed  to  the  good 
cause  of  the  pro|)ert.v  i-ights  of  your  sex.""' 
Indianapolis  was  always  fortunate  in  its 
women  of  intellect  and  high  character  who 
wielded  an  infiuence  for  its  uplift,  and  nat- 
urally there  were  some  of  especial  prominence. 
Contemporaiy  with  Mre.  Bolton  and  Mrs. 
Drake— who  was  a  notably  intellectual  woman 
—  was  Mrs.  Zerelda  (i.  W.dlace.  She  was  one 
of  "the  beautifid  Sanders  girls"— the  five 
daughters  of  Dr.  John  H.  Sanders,  who  came 
here  from  Kentucky  in  1829  and  was  one  of 
the  leading  physicians  of  the  place.  He  built 
the  hou.se  at  ]\Iarket  and  Illinois  streets  that 
was  later  purchased  by  the  state  and  wjis  for 
.vears  the  residence  of  the  governors.  Zerelda, 
the  eldest,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  became  the 
second  wife  of  Oov.  David  Wallace,  on  De- 
cend)er  26,  18:^().  The  othei-s  became  Mrs. 
^IcCrea,  of  New  Oi-leans;  Mrs.  Kobei-t  B. 
Duncan.  Mrs.  David  S.  Beatty.  and  the 
youngest  the  wife  of  Dr.  Richard  J.  (Jailing, 
inventor  of  the  (iatling  gun.  Mi-s.  Wallace 
was  a  thoroughly  domestic  wonum.  devoted  to 
her  family,  as  testified  by  her  step-son,  Oen. 
Lew  Wallace."  but  her  (jomesticity  extended 
to  intelli'ctual  affairs,  and  she  joined  its  critic 
and  student  in  the  labors  of  her  husbaiul  and 
the  education  of  the  childi'cn.'  She  took  an 
interest  in  iiolilics  when  yotuig.  but  did  not 
participate  publicly  until  pa.st  three-score, 
when  .she  became  noted  as  a  teniperanc<' 
.speaker,  and  still  later,  on  account  of 
woman's  lack  of  infiuence  for  tempi'rance.  a 
champion  of  wonuui's  sutVraire.  My  father 
told  me  that  the  strongest  temi)erance  speech 
he  ever  heard  was  in  the  nature  of  a  sermon, 
bv  Mrs.   Wallace,  on  the  moral  responsibility 


■''Mrs.  Bolton's  letter,  in  Woollen's  Bio;/. 
mid  irist.  W,c/c//rN,  p.  2'l(;. 

*  The  speeches  are  in  f\dl  in  the  Srnlintl. 
'Sluv  -MK  Mmv  :!1.  June  3,  1851. 


''This  letter  is  owned  by  .Mrs.  Chapin  C. 
Foster.  As  to  ]Mrs.  Bolton  see  Jounuil,  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1880. 

'^  Atiiohiofji-'iiilni.  Vol.  1,  p.  46. 

'Jouniiil.'yhxy  17.  1884. 


"lOi; 


iiis'i'oin'  oi-'  (;i;ka'1'ki!.  ixiuaxai'oi.is. 


i^ 


of  the  foiiiiiiiiiiity  f(ir  the  lieeiise  system,  in 
which  she  took  for  a  text  Exodns  21,  2S  and 
29:  "If  an  ox  s'oi'e  a  man  oi'  a  woman,  that 
they  die:  then  the  ox  shall  be  sui-ely  stoned, 
and  his  flesh  shall  not  be  eaten;  but  the  owii- 
ei-  of  the  ox  shall  be  quit.  But  if  the  i!.\ 
were  wont  to  push  with  his  hoi'u  in  time  past, 
and  it  hath  been  testified  to  his  owner,  and 
he  hath  not  kept  him  in,  but  that  he  hath 
killed  a  man  or  a  woman  :  the  ox  shall  be 
stoned,  and  his  owner  also  shall  be  put  to 
death." 

In  the  period  sinee  the  wai-  the  intellectual 
intliienee  of  woman  lias  bi*en  largelv  exercised 


in  a  memorial  volume  that  liears  its  own 
testimony  to  her  ability.  Mrs.  Sewall  was 
put  in  various  otifiees  of  honor  and  trust, 
reaching'  finally  the  international  stage.  She 
was  president  of  the  National  Council  of 
Women  from  1801  to  1S99,  and  president  of 
the  Intei-national  Council  of  AVomen  from 
1899  to  1904,  besides  representing-  the  p}Y- 
ernment  at  several  foreign  expositions  and 
i-oneresses.  Although  not  at  all  similar.  Imtli 
wi'i-e  charming  socially,  and  both  left  a  last- 
ing impress  on  Indianapolis.  It  may  be  added 
that  Mrs.  Sewall  edit(Ml  the  "women's  page" 
r{   Till    Siiiiilm/   Tinns   while   that   paper  ex- 


THE    PROPYLAEUM. 


through  the  numerous  literary  clubs.  The 
fii-st  of  these  was  the  Hesperian,  which  prob- 
ably attracted  public  notice  most  because  it 
made  an  excursion  to  Mammoth  Cave,  and 
the  member  delegated  as  historian  of  the 
event  wrote  that  it  was  "a  very  remarkable 
curiosity,  but  badly  out  of  repair."  But  the 
club  life  g-ot  past  such  crudities,  and  became 
an  intellectual  force  of  vast  importance.  Of 
the  hundreds  who  have  borne  honorable  part 
in  it,  none  will  grud<i-e  special  mention  of  two 
—  :Miss  Catherine  Merrill  and  ]\Irs.  May 
Wright  Sewall.  Both  were  teachers  of  rare 
ability.  v,-ho  have  left  theii-  direct  impress  on 
many  pupils  now  living.  Both  received  not- 
able recognition  from  their  sisters.  Miss 
Merrill's  admirers  pi-eserved  her  literary  work 


isted,   and  at   the  same   time   Mrs.    Florence 
Atkinson  edited  that  of  the  Sentinel. 

Although  the  first  two  newspaper  offices 
were  prepared  for  book  work  of  plain  char- 
acter, there  was  little  call  for  their  services 
in  that  line  except  for  official  publications, 
and  none  of  that  till  the  coming  of  the  gov- 
ernment in  1825.  Eev.  J.  C.  Fletcher  states 
that  "the  first  book  of  any  consequence  pub- 
lished in  central  Indiana"  was  printed  by 
John  Douglass  at  the  Journal  office  in  1828. 
and  bore  the  title:  "Polemic  Discus-sions  on 
Four  General  Sub.jects,  viz.  I.  On  the  unit.v 
of  the  church  in  a  lecture  from  AFatt.  xxxvi, 
18-20.  II.  Strictures  oti  the  Independent 
Scheme  of  Church  (iovernment.  III.  .\  lec- 
ture  on   the   sub.iect    of    Covenanting,     frmii 


ULSTOliY   UF  CiKEATKlt   1.\D1A.\A1'()1,1S. 


507 


I'salm  IDo,  ti-lO.  1\'.  All  ossiiy  on  Creeds 
iiiid  Confessions  of  Faith.  By  James  Dun- 
can."* There  were,  however,  several  similar 
publieations  l)efoi<'  tliat  time.  On  April  ."). 
1824.  the  Ccii.sur  advertised:  '"Just  published 
for  the  author  and  for  sale  at  this  office,  'The 
Christian's  Duty,  Stated.  Proved  and  Ap- 
plied.' By  Isaac  Reed.  A.  .M."  On  :\rareh 
1,  1825.  the  Jounidl  advertised:  "Just  pul>- 
lished  at  this  office,  and  for  sale  at  the  stores 
iif  Jlr.  Givan  and  .Mr.  Ilawldns,  A  Discourse 
on  Baptism  by  the  Uev.  Benjamin  Barnes." 
On  Sej)tember  1!).  1826,  the  Journal  adver- 
tised: "Just  published  and  for  .sale  at  this 
office.  Animadvei-sions  on  the  principles  of 
the  Xcw  Harmony  Societ.v,  together  with  a 
Dialogue  lietweeu  an  Atheist  and  a  Theist. 
By  James  Duncan.  Price  25  cents."  Isaac 
Keed  was  ;i  Presbyterian  ministei'.  at  that 
time  preachinu-  at  Bloomiiiirton  and  Indian- 
apolis. JiJenjamin  Barnes  was  a  local  Bapti.st 
preacher,  who  was  then  serving  the  newly 
organized  Baptist  congregation.  For  a  nimi- 
ber  of  years  the  literaiy  product  was  theolog- 
,  ical,  (ifficial  anil  political,  outside  of  news- 
paper articles.  Xowland  sa.vs  that  in  1832 
Capt.  John  Cain  "published  a  book  of  mis- 
cellaneous poems,  the  first  book  of  any  kind, 
with  the  exception  of  the  laws  of  the  state, 
published  in  the  place.""  I  find  no  contem- 
porary mention  of  this,  hut  in  1832,  Cain,  who 
was  then  postmaster,  published  "The  Officer's 
Guide  and  Farmers'  ^Manual,"  a  populai- 
legal  treatise  on  the  duties  of  minor  public 
officers,  with  \o'j;i\  forms  of  various  kinds,  the 
Declaration  of  [lulependence,  state  and  na- 
tional constitutions,  etc.  '"  Books  of  this  kind 
had  been  published  long  before  this.  One 
called  "The  Indiana  Justice  and  Farmers' 
Scrivener"  is  advertised  in  the  oldest  pre- 
sei-A'cd  copies  of  the  Gazette,  a.s  published  at 
that  office." 

In  fact,  I  find  no  evidence  of  the  pulilica- 
tion  of  anything  on  a  purely  literary  basis 
in  a  very  early  day.  The  earliest  book  of 
original  poeti-j-  known  to  be  published  at  In- 
dianapolis was  a  somewhat  pretentious  effort 
in  the  stvle  of  Lalla  Rookh,  entitled  "Gul/.ar. 


»A>(c,<(,  August  1(5.  1879. 

"  Rrminiscencex,  p.  200. 

'"Democrat,  October  13,  December  29,  1832. 

''Gazette.  June  8.  1824. 


or  the  Rose  Bower.  A  Tale  of  Persia."  It 
was  published  at  the  Sentiiul  office,  and  was 
by  John  S.  Reid,  of  Fnion  County,  who  used 
to  contribute  poems  occasionally  to  the  Sen- 
tinel. He  had  a  "Jlouody  on  the  Death  of 
Gen.  Jackson"  in  its  issue  of  July  9,  1845. 
"Gulzar"  was  published  that  same  summer, 
and  ill  (piantities  that  exceeded  the  demand. 
Thirty  years  later  A.  L.  Hunt,  the  East 
Washinutou  street  auctioneer,  used  to  vary 
the  monotony  of  life  by  putting  up  a  volume, 
with  "I  will  now  give  you  an  opportunity  to 
secure  a  copy  of  that  thrilling  poem.  Guzzler, 
or  the  Horse  Power.  How  much,  etc."  In 
1846  John  I).  Defrees  published  "The  Olio," 
a  heterosireneous  collection  of  prose  stories,  of 
140  odd  pages,  "compiled  and  abridfred  bv 
i:n()ch  -May,"  father  of  Kdwin  May,  the 
architect  of  the  State  Iloii.se.  In  1850  De- 
frees  also  published  in  i)am])lilet  "A  Few 
Poems,"  which  were  selections  from  current 
verse.  So  far  as  I  have  been  able  'to  ascer- 
tain, the  Indianapolis  original  book  product 
])rior  to  the  Civil  War  was  on  a  basis  strictly 
utilitarian,  or  at  least  intended  so  to  he. 

While  hooks  were  scarce  in  the  early  days 
as  compared  with  the  present,  they  were  in 
reach  of  the  earnest  seeker  in  Indianapolis 
At  the  beginning  of  December,  1821.  ^Irs. 
F^letcher  recorded  in  her  diary:  "Today  I 
fini.shed  the  Vicar  of  Wakefield,"  and  "I  com- 
menced to  read  the  life  of  Washington."  On 
December  27.  1821,  she  says:  "^Mr.  Fletcher 
was  readinir  Kobert.son's  History  of  Amer- 
ica." On  F'ebruaiy  12.  1823,  she  mentions 
reading  "The  Honors  of  Oakendale  Abbey, 
a  romance,"  and  in  January,  1824,  speaks  of 
i-eceiviiig  three  copies  of  The  Caskit,  a  popu- 
lar magazine,  which  she  en.ioyed.  ^Ir.  Fletch- 
er also  mentions  in  his  diary,  in  1821.  read- 
ing "the  life  of  Daomon,  who  was  hung  in 
Xew  Albany  this  year,  which  I  read  without 
much  acquisition  of  knowledge."  In  Novem- 
ber he  speaks  of  readini.'  "a  novel  called 
Kmma.  by  some  person  unknown ;"  and  "on 
the  20th  of  Xovember  I  commence<l  Dun- 
can's logic,  which  I  have  read  once  before." 
.\nd  again.  "December  4.  1821.  I  began  read- 
in"  the  travels  of  Mungo  Park  in  the  interior 
of"  Africa."  In  1879.  R.'v.  J.  C.  Fletcher 
wrote:  "Col.  Blaki'  (.lames)  was  the  first 
ill  Indianapolis  to  have  a  non-iirofessional  col- 
lection of  miscellaneous  works  that  mii:lil  be 


oOS 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATER  INDIAXAPOl.i.s. 


called  a  library.  My  father  and  IMr.  Merrill 
were  next  in  the  list  cif  literary  works.  ^Ir. 
Merrill's  beint;-  the  largest.  Mrs.  James 
Blake  informed  me  last  summer  that  she  still 
possessed  many  of  the  volumes  that  hei"  late 
husband  first  brought  with  him  to  Indian- 
apolis. Some  of  these  books,  such  as  a  finely 
illustrated  edition  of  (Joldsmith's;  Animated 
Nature  and  the  Arabian  Nights  Entertain- 
ment, were  the  fii-st,  except  the  Bible,  read 
to  nie  by  my  mother,  that  made  an  impres- 
sion upon  me. "  '  - 

]\Ir.  Fletcher  mentions  elsewhere,  however, 
that  Harvey  Gregtr  had  "2,700  volumes  in 
his  library"  when  he  came  to  Indianapolis  in 
1821, ^-^  and  not  all  of  these  were  law  books. 
And  G.  J.  Johnston,  with  \vhom  ]\Ir.  (iregu 
formed  a  partnership  in  lS'2'-i.  also  had  (juite 
a  library,  as  shown  by  this  advertisement 
soon  after:  "Books  Lost.  Many  of  my  books 
have  been  taken  out  of  Mr.  Gregg's  office 
without  leave  or  license,  and  have  not  been 
returned;  among  others  are  the  following: 
2d  and  12th  vols.  Johnson's  Works,  od  vol. 
Bingley's  U.seful  Knowledge,  3d  vol.  ^lassil- 
lon  Sermons,  1st  vol.  Gil  Bla.s,  1st  vol.  Uni- 
vei-sal  History.  I  hope  those  who  have  them 
or  any  other  of  my  books,  will  please  return 
them  immediately,  as  the  sets  are  of  no  value 
without  them.  Ga.  J.  Johnston."  "  At  this 
time  7nost  of  the  books  not  bi-ought  in  by  the 
immigrant  settlers  were  bought  at  Cincinnati, 
but  soon  there  began  to  be  book  auctions  at 
Indianapolis.  The  first  of  these  recorded  was 
on  January  13,  1825,  "at  the  door  of  Wa.sh- 
ington  Hall,"  at  which  "political,  historical 
and  miscellaneous  works"  were  sold,  and 
"gentlemen  who  wish  to  become  politicians 
are  requested  to  attend  particularly."^'^  A 
little  later  some  books  began  to  be  carried  in 
the  stocks  of  general  stores.  In  July,  1829. 
McCarty  &  Williams  advertised  a  special  con- 
signment from  Philadelphia,  "at  very  re- 
duced prices  for  cash."  including  "RoUin's 
Ancient  History :  Sjiectator,  new  edition,  in 
2  volumes;  Buck's  Dictionary,  gilt;  Shakes- 
peare's Plays.  8  vols.;  History  of  England; 
Godman's    Natural    Historv,    in    3    volumes; 


'■-Neu'S.  April  4.  1879. 

".Veu's.  June  14.  1879. 

"Westeni  Crnttor.  November  24.  1823. 

"  Gazette.  Januarv  11,  1825. 


Wilson's  Hymns;  Songs  in  the  Night; 
Coquette;  Peter  Wilkins;  Lady  of  the  Lake; 
Devil  on  two  Sticks;  with  a  great  variety  of 
useful  and  interesting  books  too  numerous  to 
be  inserted  in  a  newspaper  advertisement." 

It  was  not  until  1833  that  Indianapolis  had 
a  regular  Ixjokstore  of  its  own.  (3n  June  1 
of  that  year,  Hubbard  &  Edmonds,  of  Cin- 
i-innati,  annimuced  that  they,  in  connection 
with  \V.  E.  Dunbar,  had  established  a  branch 
store  "near  the  Post  Office,  two  doors  west  of 
II.  Porter  &  Co. 's  store,  where  they  oft'er  for 
.•^ale  a  general  collection  of  books,  and  a  good 
assortment  of  stationery."  This  store  was 
known  as  "the  Indianapolis  Book  Store,"  and 
it  advertised  very  freely  from  the  start, 
showing  that  practically  all  the  books  of  the 
(lay  were  on  hand ;  not  only  school  books  of 
all  kinds,  law  books,  religious  and  standard 
works,  but  also  all  the  novels  available.  Miss 
Austin's  were  among  the  first  listed."*  This 
firm  continued  until  August  1,  1834,  when 
Dunbar  bought  out  the  others  and  continued 
the  business  himself  until  March  26.  1835. 
The  stock  was  then  bought  by  M.  il.  Ilenkle, 
who  made  additions  to  it  and  opened  a  store 
"on  Washington  street  3  doors  east  of  the 
bank."  It  is  notable  that  most  of  the  books 
sold  in  the  West  at  this  period  were  reprints 
of  European  works  and  the  classics.  This 
was  jiartly  due  to  the  fact  that  there  was 
comparatively  little  American  literature,  and 
partly  to  the  fact  that  there  was  no  copy- 
right on  such  books,  which  were  "pirated" 
freely  by  American  publishers  and  sold  at 
fairly  low  rates.  On  February  1,  1837,  Wm. 
G.  Wiley  announced  a  new  book  store  "at  the 
storeroom  lately  occupied  by  B.  I.  Blythe  & 
Co.  in  Washington  street,  next  door  to  H. 
Porter's  store."  From  that  time  competition 
was  brisk,  and  the  supply  of  books  for  sale 
good.  On  June  23,  1851,  the  Journal  con- 
gratulated its  readers  that.  "We  have  in 
Indianapolis,  among  our  advantages,  four 
book  stores,  that  will  compare  favorably  with 
those  of  any  town  in  the  west,"  and  added 
that  "the  condition  of  the  book  stores  in  a 
place  is  a  sure  index  to  the  iiitelligence  of  its 
people."  The  booksellei-s  at  that  time  were 
Ross  &  Ray,  John  O'Kane.  C.  B.  Davis  and 
Samuel  Jlerrill. 


i 


^^Joiinial.  June  15,  1833. 


niSToI.'V   OF  (;i!KATER   INDIANAPOLIS. 


r.O!) 


The  first  library  in  Indianapolis  of  a  ])iil)- 
lic  character  was  the  State  Library,  whii-li 
was  established  in  1825"  from  "the  books 
now  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State, 
together  with  such  as  may  be  added  to  tln' 
collection  in  pursuance  of  this  act,  ov  any 
other  law,  or  by  donation,  exchanj,'e  or  other- 
wise." An  appropriation  of  $oO  was  inadi- 
for  the  purchase  and  bindinji:  of  books,  and 
$30  a  year  thereafter.  This  was  increased  in 
1831  to  .$100  a  year,  and  thei-e  were  occasional 
extra  provisions,  as  an  ordei-  in  1833  for  a 
full  set  of  Xiles  Rcjrister.  And  on  the  same 
date  the  Secretai-y  of  State  was  directed  to 
make  no  "expenditures  of  the  Lilii-ai-y  Fund 
in  the  purchase  of  novels  or  i-ouiauces. "" '^ 
This  policy,  which  was  strictly  followed  for 
some  yeare,  resulted  in  the  accjuisition  of 
some  of  the  more  notable  publications  of  the 
time  that  otherwi.se  would  nyt  have  been  in 
public  reach.  The  library  was  in  chartre  of 
the  Secretary  of  State  until  1841.  wh(>ii  it  was 
made  a  separate  institution,  and  the  iil)rarian 
was  made  custodian  of  the  state  house  and. 
ijrounds.  The  pa.'-sage  of  this  law  was  due 
to  John  Cook,  who  became  the  firet  librarian. 
At  this  time  the  librai-y  had  about  2,000  vol 
umcs,  but  it  was  a  mixed  law  and  ireneral 
library,  and  continued  to  be  so  tmtil  18(i7. 
when  the  law  books  were  put  in  a  separate 
Jibrai-y  under  eharije  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

Cook  lasted  three  yeai's,  and  was  followed 
by  Samuel  P.  Daniels  for  one  year,  after 
which  John  B.  Dillon,  the  historian,  was 
librarian  for  six  years;  Nathaniel  Bolton  for 
three  yeai-s,  and  Cordon  Tanner  foi-  three 
years.  In  this  period  tiie  lilirai-y  was  reall.v 
an  inHuential  factor  in  tlie  inteljeetual  life 
of  the  eily.  It  enabled  Henry  Ward  Beecher 
to  edit  the  Indiana  Fiirnur  and  (hirdcno-. 
He  says:  ""In  the  State  Library  were  Lon- 
don's works— his  Encyclopedia  of  Horticul- 
ture, of  Agriculture,  and  of  Architectui-e. 
We  fell  upon  them  and  for  yeai-s  almost 
monopolized  them.  In  our  little  one-story 
cottaire,  after  the  day's  work  was  done,  we 
pored  over  these  inonuinents  of  an  almost 
incrc(lil)le  industry,  and  read,  we  suppo.se. 
not  only  every  line  but  much  of  it  many  times 
over.     •     •     *     We    have    had    Ion;.'    discu-- 

"Acts  of  1825,  p.  47. 
"Acts  1833,  p.  232,  240. 


sions  in  that  little  bedroom  at  Indianapolis, 
with  Van  ilors  about  i>eai-s,  with  Vibert  aljoni 
roses,  with  Thompson  and  Knight  of  fr\iits 
and  theories  of  vetretabie  life,  and  with  Lo\i- 
ilon  about  cverythint;  undei-  the  heavens  in 
the  liorticultiii-al  world. ■'"'  .\nd  Lew  Wal- 
lace wa.s  eiiually  benetitcd.  I)ut  in  another 
way,  for  he  testiries  of  tliis  libraiy:  "In  the 
most  impressionable  pr-riod  of  my  life  I  was 
introduced  to  Washington  Irving  and  Feni- 
more  Cooper,  or,  more  plainly,  to  their  works; 
and  I  reveled  in  them,  especially  Cooper's, 
whose  subjects  were  iK^ttei-  adai)ted  to  my 
opening  mind.  For  months  and  months  after 
that  discoveiy  my  name  figured  on  the  receipt 
i-egister  of  tlii>  library  more  fre(|uently  than 
any  other."  -" 

Wallace  gives  a  good  picture  of  the  place— 
"The  library  in  the  state-h(uise  was  .iust 
across  the  rotimda  from  the  executive  office. 
Two  west  windows,  thougli  fre(|uently  nuid 
died  by  the  fcstoonery  of  intrusive  spidei-s. 
lighted  the  room  of  afternoons,  but  not  of 
mornings.  In  the  latter  it  was  jicrvadeil  with 
a  gloom  which,  wliile  somewhat  troublesome 
to  a  visitor  anxious  to  get  a  volume  tpiiekly 
that  he  might  sooner  be  gone,  was  yet  in 
harmony  with  the  delicious  silence  of  the 
place."  This  (juality  adhered  long  after, 
when  several  rooms  had  been  added,  and  th.' 
place  had  become  the  depository  <if  troi)hies 
of  the  Mexican  and  Civil  Wars.  In  faet,  it 
rather  inereased,  for  as  the  building  grew 
older,  and  the  stucco  got  knocked  off  the 
bricks  of  the  great  pillars,  and  the  floors  wore 
in  ruts,  it  was  really  quite  i-iunous,  and  gave 
the  local  mind  something  to  grasp  when  read- 
ing Irving's  description  of  the  Alhambra. 
When  the  legislature  was  not  in  session  the 
building  was  a  charmingly  dreamy  jdacc,  ami 
the  library  was  the  climax  of  it.  But  the 
library  itself  got  into  a  laliier  ruinous  condi- 
tion in  the  war  times,  and  tiie  years  follow- 
ing; and  the  reform  efforts  of  Mrs.  Oren,  wJio 
took  chai-ge  of  it  in  1873,  vigorous  as  they 
were,  only  ]>u1  it  in  a  slate  of  visible  repair. 

The  truth  is  tlie  ai)i)ropriations  were  too 
small  to  keep  up  repairs,  never  getting  above 
$400  a  year  for  books  ami  binding  until  1889. 
In  18S8  I  determined  to  try  for  an  improve- 


'"  Biography,   lieecher  t<:  Scovil 
^''Autobiography,  p.  54. 


I' 


IDS. 


510 


HLSTOKY  OF  (IHKATKK    IXDIAXAI'OI.IS. 


iiient.  The  rci-ently  reoryanized  Indiana  His- 
tiirical  Soc'ioty  j'cadily  agreed  to  devote  its 
ett'orts  to  buildiiii;-  up  the  State  Library  in- 
stead of  a  sepai-ate  one  of  its  own,  and  adopt- 
ed a  memorial  to  the  legislature  asking  an  ap- 
propriation of  il^o.OOO  for  one  year,  and  $2,000 
a  year  thereaftei'.  for  books  and  binding. 
Other  state  soeieties — the  State  Board  of  Ag- 
I'ieulture,  Ilortieultural  Soeiety,  Horse 
Breeders,  Sheep  Breeders,  Jersey  Breeders, 
Short  Horn  Breeders,  Hog  Breeders,  Bee 
Keepers,  etc.,  were  glad  to  .ioin  in  the  move- 
ment on  condition  that  the  literature  of  their 
various  lines  be  put  in  the  library,  and  when 
the  legislature  met  there  was  so  strong  an  in- 
tluenee  for  Ihe  proposed  measure  that  it  was 
rcadi'y  ado|)ted.  BTit  one  other  factor  in  the 
iutiuence  was  added.  I  had  to  take  the  posi- 
tion of  librarian  and  look  after  the  interests 
of  the  Democratic  party,  which  I  did  for  four 
years.  The  same  law  transferred  the  battle 
flags  and  curios  to  the  care  of  the  State  Geol- 
(gist.  AVith  the  increased  appropriation  it 
was  possible  to  })ut  the  libraiy  in  pi-esentable 
condition  and  make  reasonable  additions  to 
it.  In  1895  th(^  leuislature  put  the  library 
under  care  of  the  State  Board  of  Education, 
giving  it  power  to  elect  the  librarian;  and  in 
1903  largely  increased  the  appropi-iations. 
The  library  ha*  now  reached  a  coiulition 
where  it  is  creditable  to  the  state,  and  is  ham- 
pered only  by  lack  of  I'com.  This  the  present 
efficient  libi-arian,  Pi-of.  Deman-hus  C.  Brown, 
is  actively  endeavoring  to  remedy  by  securing 
provision  for  a  library  building. 

But  to  return  to  early  Indianapolis,  the 
development  of  the  State  Library  was  neither 
i-apid  enough  ncr  j-xipular  enough  to  suit  the 
))ioneer  readers  of  the  place,  and  in  182S  they 
ni-ganized  a  joint-stock  institution  called  the 
Indiaiuipolis  Library,  with  shares  at  $5  each. 
On  July  9,  1828,  the  directors  met  to  perfect 
the  organization  and  arrange  for  opening  the 
library  in  the  "lilirary  room  at  Mr.  Cain's, 
opposite  Washington  Hall"".  The  association 
had  at  that  time  collected  "between  two  and 
three  hundred  volumes'".  Brown  says  that 
during  most  of  its  existence  the  library  was 
kept  in  the  "mansion"'  on  the  Circle,  and 
that  Obed  ?^iotc.  Sr..  w;is  librarian."^  This 
was  kept  up  foi-  four  or  livi'  years,  and  went 


to  |)ieees  probably  in  part  because  the  mem- 
bers had  read  all  the  books  and  lacked  money 
for  more,  and  in  part  because  in  1834  Hub- 
bard Edmands  &  Co.  opened  a  circulating  li- 
brary in  connection  with  their  City  Bookstore. 

In  February,  1835,  Rev.  James  W.  McKen- 
uan  came  to  minister  at  the  First  Presbyte- 
i-ian  Church,  and  a  few  weeks  later  delivered 
a  lecture  at  the  Athenaeum  on  "Self  Im- 
provement"' in  which  he  laid  especial  stress 
on  reading.  The  Journal  followed  with  a 
long  editorial  of  indorsement,  and  asked  what 
had  become  of  the  Indianapolis  Library,  and 
called  for  its  resuscitation.  -■  This  was  not 
done,  but  a  new  organization  wa.s  formed, 
called  the  Young  Glen's  Literary  Society,  and 
for  fifteen  years  it  was  the  popular  medium 
for  culture  of  the  younger  men  of  the  town. 
It  collected  a  library  of  several  hundred  vol- 
umes,.and  in  addition  to  debates  and  literary 
exei'cises  of  its  own  it  gave  a  sei-ies  of  lectures 
each  winter  from  home  and  im])orted  talent. 
It  was  incorjiorated  in  April,  1847,  under  the 
general  law,  as  the  Union  Literary  Society, 
and  continued  until  1S51.  In  1854  its  library 
was  turned  over  to  the  Young  Men 's  Chris- 
tian .Association,  which  was  organized  in  that 
year,  and  which  continued  the  work  of  pro- 
vidiiiii'  lectures  for  the  public,  and  main- 
tained a  considerable  library. 

But  the  farthest  reachintr  of  the  library  in- 
fluences of  the  early  times  was  that  of  the 
Sunday  Schools.  The  librai-y  was  a  leading 
featiiT-e  of  the  T^nion  Sabbath  School  in  In- 
dianapolis, and  when  the  Indiana  Sabbath 
School  Union  met  in  this  place  Autrust  3-6, 
1827,  it  adopted  the  rules  of  the  Indianapolis 
school  as  models  for  the  state.  They  made 
the  issuance  of  books  rewards  for  memorizing 
seriptui'e,  and  thus  worked  doubly  for  the 
culture  of  the  pupils  This  work  of  furnish- 
ing literature — particularly  I'uvenile  litera- 
ture—was continued  by  the  Sunday  Schools 
until  long  after  the  Civil  Wai*.  and  indeed 
until  after  the  city  had  established  its  free 
nublic  libi'ary.  In  1827  the  State  Sabbath 
School  Union  established  three  "deposito- 
ries'", from  which  the  Sunday  Scho<il  books 
were  distributed,  at  iladison.  New  Albany 
and  Indianapolis,  so  there  was  always  a  full 
supply  here  to  select  from.     And  it  may  be 


"'Tfisf.  liiih(iiiiij)tili'<.  n.  99. 


--Journal.  April  21.  1835. 


insTOIfV   OF  GREATKi;    I XDIAXAPOUS. 


Killed  tluit  wiiil"  tliere  has  been  a  fi:reat  deal 
of  full  poked  at  Sunday  School  books,  they 
ric'nded  the  best  juveniles  in  the  period,  and 
without  the  sti-iet  elassifieation  that  ol)tains 
tiiday.  For  example,  the  ■"Oliver  Optics"'  are 
\cry  generally  excluded  from  public  librar- 
c'S  now.  but  I  was  privile<j:ed  to  read  all  of 
tliein  from  a  Sunday  School  library,  and  the 
buys  were  more  than  plea.sed  to  jret  them. 
( )winir  to  the  very  general  attendance  at  Sun- 
day School  in  the  early  days,  the  circulation 
I  if  these  books  was  almost  univei'sal. 

'i'here  has  been  a  ireneral  misconception  as 
a.s  to  the  betzinniny  of  the  County  Libi'ary. 
Brown  says:  "The  collection  of  books  for  the 
County  Library  bepan  shortly  after  the  or- 
ganization of  the  county,  two  per  cent  of  the 
lot  fund  sales  being  set  apart  for  that  pur- 
pose. ""-■■  Sulgrove  says:  "This  library  was 
fnunded  in  1844  on  a  public  fund,  of  which 
.1  share  was  given  tn  eacli  county  foi-  library 
purposes.""  In  I'eality  the  fii-sl  finids  wer<? 
fi'om  the  two  per  cent  of  the  sale  of  lots, 
which  was  a.ssigned  to  that  jiurpose  by  the  act 
of  December  :U,  1821,  creating  Marion 
County,-'  but  this  fund  was  not  set  aside  at 
the  time  as  provided,  the  money  being  turned 
over  to  the  state.  Tn  1841  lleiiry  1'.  Cobui-n 
became  inti'rested  in  the  mattei',  and  at  the 
next  session  of  the  legislature  a  law  was 
passed  authorizing  him  to  investigate  the 
matter,  and,  on  the  Audit(!r  and  Treasurer  of 
State  being  satisfied  of  the  amount  paid  over, 
they  were  to  pay  it  to  him.  with  six  per  cent 
iuterest.  for  the  Marion  County  Library.-' 
M  tliat  time  thci'e  had  been  lots  sold,  since 
the  passage  of  tlir  two  pei-  ciMit  law.  to  the 
amount  of  $!)1.47.'').sl.  and  therr  was  due  to 
the  libi-ai-y  fund  $1.8-20.:")1   with   in1(Mv<t. 

Mr.  Coburn  accei)ted  the  trust,  and  ti'ustees 
foi-  tlir  librar>-  were  apDointed  by  the  County 
Comniissionci-s  on  SeDtcmbn-  7,  1842,  but 
there  was  some  delay  ^d)llut  iii-ttiug  the  money, 
and  Tio  action  was  taken  by  these  ti'ustees. 
The  law  was  amended  l>v  acts  of  Fel)i-u:irv 
11.  184M.  and  Jani'ary  1:1.  1844,  which  called 
for  new  truvtees;  ;nid  finally,  on  ,\pril  22. 
1S44.  tile  tnistei's  organized  and  began  to 
ac-t.  there  beiu'^  present   at   the  opening  meet- 

'IIisl.   I iiiliiiini  1)1)1  /.•<.  n.  90. 
-'Arts  of  1S:.>1.  p.  13r>. 
-'■Loral  Laws  of  1i^i:2.  p.  l:lo. 


ing  Demas  L.  McFarland,  George  Bruce,  H. 
P.  Coburn.  James  Sulgrove  and  Dr.  Living- 
ston Dunlaj),  trustees.  They  appropriated 
*()((()  for  books,  and  authorized  ^Ir.  Sulgrove 
to  sell  -litiOO  of  the  scri|)  in  which  the  state  had 
!)aid  its  debt,  it  being  then  financially  eni- 
barra.ssetl  by  the  interiud  improvement  move- 
ment. They  set  aside  $2,000  as  a  "resei-ve 
fund",  the  intei-e.st  on  which  was  to  be  used 
for  the  purchase  of  books.  The  firet  lot  of 
books  were  .selected  by  Mr.  Coburn.  and  well 
selected.  The  first  announcement  of  the  open- 
ing of  the  library  was  made  in  the  papers 
of  January  8,  184").  It  was  to  be  open  on 
Saturdays  from  9  to  12  in  the  inorning,  and 
1  to  o  in  the  afternoon.  A  fee  was  charged 
of  75  cents  a  year  for  families  and  50  cents 
for  individuals.  On  Januaiy  7,  1854,  when 
the  first  financial  report  was  entered  in  the 
miinites,  the  trustees  had  on  hand  $2,456.00. 
This  library  was  of  irreat  benefit  to  those  who 
iiad  access  to  it,  but  the  fee  kept  out  many 
who  needed  it  most.  It  was  not  put  on  a 
fi-cc  basis  until  after  Miss  Lydia  Hlaich  be- 
came librarian  in  1892.  The  library  now  has 
5.(i()0  volumes,  and  has  a  list  of  500  ])atrons. 
The  earlier  librarians  were  Augustus  Coburn. 
1844-5;  Napoleon  H.  Taylor,  October-Decem- 
ber, 1845:  Berry  Sulgrove.  1846;  P.  H.  Jame- 
son, 1847;  John  Caven,  1847-52;  John  Taft'e, 
185.5-5;  Calvin  Tayloi'.  1855-S:  John  W.  Ilam- 
ilfon.  1858-66;  James  A.  Hamilton,  1866-70; 
J.  W.  Hadley,  1870-2:  Horace  lladley,  187:^ 
5;  Lizzie  L.  Hadley,  1875-80;  .Mrs.  Iv  \V. 
Hadlcv,  1880-2;  Bertha  Witt,  1882-4;  Lucy 
Phipp's.  1884-8;  Jessie  Allen,  1888-92. 

The  next  library  that  came  to  Indianai^olis 
was  the  Township  Library  of  (Vnter  Town- 
ship, formed  under  the  state  law  of  1852,  the 
first  installment  of  between  .■^0(1  and  400  vol- 
umes being  furnished  by  the  stat<'.  This  was 
the  first  absolutely  free  pid)lic  library  in  In- 
diaiuipolis.  and  it  was  well  patronized- in- 
deed, .so  well  patronized  that  the  more  popu- 
lar books  were  worn  out.  and  as  thei-e  were 
not  fimds  to  buy  new  ones  the  library  fell 
into  disuse,  and  was  finally  stored  with  the 
County  Library,  where  it  still  n'nuiins.  There 
wove  two  libraries  of  a  semi-public  character 
foi-med  during  the  war  period.  The  .\nies 
Institute  was  a  literary  and  lecture  associa- 
tion organized  in  1860.  cbi.'fiy  by  young 
Methodists.      It    collected    a    library   of   about 


512 


HISTOIIY  Ol-'  CUKATER  INDIAXAP0LI8. 


500  vohuBes  before  it  went  to  pieces.  In 
lS6.i  the  Yoiingr  Men's  Library  Association 
was  organized.  It  had  a  reading  room  on  the 
third  tioor  of  Hubbard's  block,  and  had  a 
small  library,  though  its  chief  attention  was 
to  periodicals. 

The  war  left  all  library  movements  in  In- 
dianapolis in  a  discouraging  condition,  and 
the  new  impetus  required  came  in  a  sermon 
jireached  on  November  26,  1868.  bv  Kev.  H. 
A.  Edson-"A  Plea  for  a  Public  Library". 
Thi.s  resulted  in  the  fonnation  of  the  Indian- 
apolis Library  Association,  which  was  com- 
posed of  100  citizens,  each  of  whom  subscribed 
•$150,  payable  in  annual  installments  of  .$25. 
This  library  was  ojiened  on  the  second  floor 
of  Martindale's  Block  — where  the  Lemckc 
Building  now  is— in  charge  of  Mrs.  Mc- 
Cready,  wife  of  the  former  mayor.  It  was 
hailed  with  joy  by  many  citizens,  but  it  also 
was  on  a  fee  basis,  and  did  not  reach  the 
whole  communit.v.  In  the  fall  of  1870,  A.  C. 
Shortridge,  City  Superintendent  of  Schools, 
called  a  iijcetiiig  of  a  few  friends  to  eonsidei' 
the  school  conditions  of  the  city.  There  wei'i' 
present  E.  B.  ]\Iartindale,  John  Caven,  Addi- 
son L.  Koache,  Austin  H.  Brown,  Simon 
Yandes,  Thos.  B.  Elliott  and  H.  G.  Gary. 
Among  other  things  Shortridge  urged  provi- 
sion for  a  free  city  library  for  the  reference 
work  of  the  schools.  He  with  Judge  Koache 
and  Aiistin  H.  Brown  were  appointed  to  pre- 
pare a  bill,  which  was  duly  done,  ]Mr.  Brown 
doing  the  actual  drafting.  This  bill  became 
the  school  law  of  Indianapolis  of  March  8. 
1871.  and  included  provision  for  a  tax  of  2 
cents  on  .lilOO  for  a  free  public  library— it 
was  Inter  increased  to  4  cents.  On  the  or- 
gan iza  lion  of  the  new  school  board  and  levy 
of  the  library  tax,  the  Indianapolis  Library 
Association  donated  its  collection  of  Ixioks. 
amounting  to  2,000  volumes,  and  the  city 
library  opened  on  April  8,  1873,  free  to  the 
whole  city.  For  the  year  ending  June  .30, 
1909,  the  numbf>r  of  volumes  in  the  library 
Avas  138.852.  and  the  circulation  451,415. 

The  city  library  was  a  great  success  from 
the  start.  The  librarians  have  been  Charles 
Evans.  1873-8  and  1889-92:  Albei't  Yohn, 
1878-9;  Arthur  W.  Tyler,  1879-82:  W.  DeM. 
Hooper,  1882-9;  and  Eliza  G.  Browning  from 
1892  to  date.  All  of  them  were  excellent 
librarians.  Mi-.  Yohn  and  ^liss  Browning  hav- 


ing been  residents  of  Indianapolis  i)rior  to 
appointment,  and  the  others  having  been 
brought  from  outside.  Tlie  imported  ones  did 
not  get  along  with  the  school  board,  which 
was  usually  the  fault  of  the  school  board. 
.\fter  the  second  departure  of  Mr.  Evans. 
Miss  Browning,  who  had  come  into  the  li- 
brary in  1881,  and  had  been  Assistant  Li- 
bi'ai'ian  since  1882.  was  put  in  charge  luitil 
the  school  board  could  "find  just  the  librarian 
they  wanted",  and  within  a  year  they  decid- 
ed that  they  had  found  her,  and  have  never 
changed  their  minds. 

In  April,  1907.  ]\Iiss  Browning  opened  cor- 
respondence with  'Sir.  Andrew  Carnegie  for 
a  ilonation  to  the  city  for  a  main  librar7»' 
building  and  branches;  and  i-eceived  the  cu.s- 
tomary  reply  from  his  secretai-y,  ^Ir.  James 
Bertram,  that  these  mattei's  were  taken  up 
with  the  Mayor  and  City  Council.  As  the 
library  is  under  the  school  board,  wliich  is 
independent  of  the  city  government,  the  mat- 
ter was  taken  up  by  the  Commercial  Club, 
which  requested  the  school  board,  to  request 
the  ifayor,  to  request  ^Ii'.  Carnegie  for  the 
donation.  This  was  done  and  Secretary  Ber- 
tram answered  that  Mr.  Carnegie  was  no 
longer  interested  in  main  buildings  for  large 
cities,  but  was  interested  in  branch  libraries. 
Request  was  then  made  for  $120,000  for  six 
bi'anch  libraries;  and.  on  Januar.v  19,  1909, 
Mr.  Carnegie  tendered  this  amount,  on  con- 
dition that  sites  be  furnish<'(l.  an<l  animal 
support  of  .$2,000  be  guaranteed  for  each, 
which  was  aecepted  on  January  2G.  The 
branches  are  located,  three  adjoining  .school 
buildings— No.  3,  at  Rural  and  Washington 
streets;  No.  49.  at  Kappes  and  ^Forris  streets. 
West  Indianapolis;  No.  50,  at  Blount  and  Ghio 
streets,  Haughville  — also  at  Spades  Place; 
Prospect  and  ^Madison  avenue;  and  Broad- 
way and  Fall  Creek.  The  first  three  are  ex- 
pected to  be  ready  for  occupancy  by  the 
spring  of  1910,  and  the  others  within  a  year 
later.  All  are  to  be  "neighborhood  centers" 
as  well  as  libraries,  furnished  with  assembly 
room  and  club  room  in  the  basement,  as  well 
as  adult  and  children's  reading  rooms,  worlc 
room  and  delivery  room  on  the  main  floor. 

There  were  those,  even  in  the  tifties.  who 
nur.sed  the  delusion  that  .vou  caiuiot  have  a 
literary  atmosphere  unless  you  organize  and 
have  someone  read  a  paper.     Berry  Sulgrove 


HISTORY   OF  (iKKA'J'Ki;    1  N  DIAN Ai'OLiS. 


r,^■^ 


was  one  of  them,  and  he  delivered  a  hot  roast 
on  the  public  for  the  small  attendanee  at  Rev. 
Mr.  Fisher's  leetui-e  before  the  Union  Liter- 
ary Soeiety  in  1S41S.  elosina:  with  the  words: 
"We  hope  ^Ir.  Fisher  and  his  younj;-  friends 
of  the  Union  Literary  Society  will  find  some 
solace  for  their  mortification  in  the  peculiari- 
ties of  a  state,  so  low  in  the  scale  of  intelli- 
srence,  without  common  schools,  and  ignorant 
of  the  claims  of  scientific  and  literai->-  insti- 
tutions."-" Three  years  later  he  had  an 
article  on  "fJtei-ature  in  Indianapolis",  in 
which  he  said:  "The  complacency  with  which 
some  editors  assume  for  our  city  the  charac- 
ter of  a  literary.  I'eligions.  benevolent  city, 
must  look  a  little  ridiculous  to  anyone  ac- 
quainted with  its  character  and  history. 
*  *  *  As  the  illusion  is  the  result  of  oui- 
vanity,  it  is  a  veiy  natural  illusion.  It  will 
require,  howevei'.  a  very  sliiiht  ac(|uaintance 
with  the  varif)us  literary  enteri)i'ises  that  have 
been  betrun,  and  blowed  up  in  this  town,  to 
dispel  it.  Of  all  the  societies  and  a.ssociatious 
that  havi>  been  formed  here,  for  the  cultiva- 
tion of  literary  taste  and  the  furtherance  of 
literary  objects,  few  survived  long,  and  all 
are  dead  now.  The  old  Historical  Society  is 
dead,  the  Citizens'  Library  Association  is 
dead,  the  nmnerous  debating  clubs  that  have 
been  -Pormed  have  generally  died  within  a  year 
after  their  creation. 

"The  Union  Literary  Society,  that  has 
made  more  and  moi-e  determined  efforts  than 
all  othei-s  together,  is  dead.  And  none  know 
better  than  its  members  that  for  eight  years 
past  its  existence  has  been  little  moi-e  than  a 
fitful  breathing  spell,  after  which  it  relapsed 
into  torpidity  again.  Its  lectures,  as  long 
as  they  were  free,  were  well  attended ;  and, 
as  the  president  of  it  observed  when  the  last 
one  was  delivered,  it  was  becau.se  they  were 
free.  When  ]\Tr.  Fi.sher  of  Cincinnati  was 
procured  to  deliver  a  couple  of  lectures  be- 
fore it,  there  could  not  be  enough  money 
raised  from  those  that  lieard  them  to  ])ay  liis 
expenses,  and  a  few  men.  who  felt  that  the 
credit  of  the  town  was  at  stake,  raised  the 
balance  by  voluntary  contributitm. 

"The  reading  room  project,  that  nobody 
o{)poses.  only  numbers  about  sixty  subserib- 
er.s,   and   of    that     number    eight-tenths    are 


young  men,  -who,  to  say  the  least,  are  not 
rich.  A  short  time  ago  a  list  of  fifteen  or 
twenty  men  was  piiblished  in  our  pajiers.  who 
each  owned  more  than  $20,000  within  the 
corporation,  and  only  two  of  them  have  con- 
tributed a  cent  to  tliis  enterprise.  Its  chief 
support  is  derived  from  citizens  who  have 
settled  here  within  a  few  yeai-s  past.  •  •  • 
Of  that  real  unmixed  liberality  that  can  give 
a  dollar  without  expecting  twenty  cents  back 
as  a  dividend,  our  town  is  as  destitute  as  any 
town.  AVhile  our  county  ranks  second  in  pop- 
ulation in  the  state,  it  ranks  third  even  in 
the  number  of  its  churches,  sixteenth  in  tli'' 
number  of  its  common  schools,  and  fifth  in 
the  number  of  its  libraries.  It  stands  first 
in  no  intellectual  or  moral  enterprise.  In- 
dustry, energy  and  enterprise  it  certainly  has, 
but  that  taste  for  intellectual  ptn-suits.  with- 
out which  no  community  has  ever  become 
prominent  in  the  history  of  the  world,  it 
certainly  has  not,  and  from  present  appear- 
ances is  not  likely  to  have."-' 

Among  the  educational  infiuences  that 
probably  affected  literary  style,  there  are  two 
or  three  that  seem  to  me  to  be  notably  promi- 
nent. One  of  these  was  Professoi-  IIoslioui-'s 
"Altisonant  Letters".  Samuel  K.  Hoshour 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  — an  orphan, 
who  attained  an  education  by  his  own  .stren- 
uoiLS  effort.  Well  established  as  a  Lutheran 
minister,  he  became  convinced  in  1835  of  tlie 
necessity  of  baptism  by  inmiersion.  ami 
adopted  the  creed  of  Alexander  Cami)bell. 
Deprived  of  his  position  and  sujiport  by  this 
act  of  conscience,  he  migrated  to  Indiana,  lo- 
cated at  Centei-ville.  and  obtained  a  su])port 
by  preaching  and  teaching  school.  In  IS'M 
he  began  editing  the  Wai/iu  CoHiitij  Chron- 
icle at  Centerville.  Here  he  began  writing 
the  "Letters  to  Squire  Pedant,  in  the  Ea.st, 
by  Lorenzo  Altisonant,  an  Emigrant  to  the 
West".  As  the  name  indicates,  they  were  in 
high-flown  style— or  rather  an  exaggerated 
bui'lesquc  of  it— and  included  nearly  all  the 
rare  words  in  the  language  at  that  time. 
Originally  intended  for  amusement,  like 
Franklin's  advertisement  for  his  lost  hat.  IMr. 
Hoshour  saw  that  they  would  be  useful  in 
education,  and  began  using  them  for  reading 
and  spelling  lessons  in  the  seminary  at  Ceu- 


""Loc(i)n(il  ifi 
Vol.  I—;;:; 


l-'eliriuir\'  •").  1  S48. 


■^ Locomotive,  October  IS.  1S.")L 


514 


jiisT()i;v  OF  (;i;i;ai'i:u  ixdiaxai'olis. 


« 


tei'\'il!i',  c-outiuuiiig  tins  lati'r  m  the  semiuary 
at  Cambridge.  lie  next  realized  thac  they 
served  the  still  more  important  fimetiou  oi' 
teaching  the  avoidance  of  pompous  writing, 
and  it  was  in  this  res|)ect  that  tliey  had  their 
greatest  value.  ^Vmong  his  Wayne  I'ount; 
pupils  were  Lew  Wallace  anil  tjliver  P.  ^lor- 
ton.  Wallace  makes  .special  acknowledgment 
of  his  dcbi  to  '"Altisonant"-''  and  no  doul)t 
much  of  Morton's  terse  and  .strong  style  was 
due  to  the  same  influence.  But  it  went  far 
beyond  the  circle  of  ini])ils,  for  tlie  l)ook  was 
widely  read  through  Indiana  for  years.  It 
went  through  four  editions,  the  eai-lier  ones 
published  at  Cincinnati,  and  the  last  at  In- 
dianapolis, whither  Professor  Hoshour  came  in 
1858  as  jiresident  of  the  Northwestern  (Chris- 
tian University,  and  where  he  remained  for 
years  as  professor  of  modern  languages.  The 
local  edition  was  jirinteil  by  the  Indianapolis 
Printing  and  Publishint;-  House— the  estab- 
lishment of  J.  ^1.  Tilford  at  the  southeast 
corner  of  Jleridian  and  Circle  streets— later 
the  establishment  of  Carlon  &  Hollenbeck— 
in  which  building  a  majority  of  all  the  books 
published  in  Indianapolis  prior  to  188U  were 
piinted  and  bound. 

Another  intluence  which  must  have  been 
potent  was  "'rhe  Locomotive."'  This  really 
remarkable — for  the  time — weekly  paper,  was 
started  in  August,  1845,  by  three  apprentices 
in  the  Joutnud  office—Daniel  B.  Culley,  John 
H.  Ohr,  and  David  K.  Elder.  It  ran  but  a 
short  time  and  dietl  from  lack  of  funds,  but 
there  was  a  call  for  it,  and  it  came  back  on 
April  3,  1847,  for  another  stay  of  three 
months.  Again  it  succumbed,  but  on  Jan- 
uary 1,  1848,  it  came  back  to  stay  for  thir- 
teen years,  most  of  the  time  under  the  man- 
agement of  John  R.  Elder.  It  filled  for  that 
time  much  the  same  place  that  was  later 
occupied  by  Ceorge  Harding's  Mirror,  Her- 
ald and  Review.  It  was  distinctively  a  local 
and  literary  paper— had  all  the  local  gossip 
and  published  original  stories,  poems,  conun- 
drums and  other  local  product.  Berry  Sul- 
grove  .says,  "It  was  the  first  paper  that  the 
women  and  girls  wanted  to  read  regularly",-" 
and  there  were  few  of  the  men  who 
did    not    read    it    also.      Its    files    reveal    a 


wealth  of  poetic  aspiration  in  Indianapolis 
that  is  fairly  startling..  There  was  poetrj' 
of  every  class  from  the  most  pathetic  obit- 
uary to  the  most  frivolous  doggerel;  and 
poetry  on  all  subjects,  from  "Autumn"  to 
"Pogue's  Run",  and,  by  the  way,  i't  may  be 
mentioned  that  in  early  times  Pogue's  Run 
was  a  very  pretty  stream. 

But  the  chief  inspiration  to  song  was  love, 
and  it  was  manifested  in  all  phases,  but  espe- 
cially in  "Lines  to  ^fiss  J— y  S— h,"  or  some 
equally  secret  address  that  was  understood 
by  everyone  in  the  place.  It  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  mention  an  Indianapolis  girl  who  did 
not  get  a  poetic  tribute  in  the  Locomotive  to 
her  overwhelming  charms,  and  finally  some 
disgusted  cynic  showed  his  opinion  of  all  of 
them  by  this,  which  was  alleged  to  have  come 
from  "the  anonymous  box  of  the  Union  Liter- 
ary Society": 

"COMPARISON.^" 

"Diamonds  that  .shine  on  kingly  brows, 
Pearls  that  deck  the  queenly  spouse, 
Glittering  stars  that  deck  the  skies 
Are  not  so  bright  as  Sally's  eyes. 

"The  purest  rose  of  ruddy  hue 

That  e'er  w-as  filled  with  morning  dew— 

The  honeyed  drink  the  fairy  sips — 

Is  not  so  red  as  Sally's  lips. 

"The  scowling  frown  o'er  Juno's  eyes, 
The  stormy,  midnight,  wintry  skies. 
The  deepest  stain  of  foul  disgrace. 
Are  not  so  black  as  Sally's  face." 

Poetry  came  to  be  a  favorite  medium  of 
advertisement,  as,  for  example,  in  an  ode  be- 
ginning: 

"Vain  are  ballads,  odes  or  sonnets, 

E'en  heroic  vei-se  would  fail 
To  describe  the  splendid  bonnets 

Mrs.  Bradley  has  for  sale."^* 

This  continued  in  use  to  some  extent  for 
many  years.  Older  citizens  will  recall  espe- 
cially the  advertisement  of  Moses,  the  Op- 
tician, beginning: 


"^Aiilobioeirapli!/,  [ip.  56-8. 
-''Hist.  Indianapolis,  p.  243. 


■'■"Locomotive.  April  24,  184(. 
'■'■^Locomotive.  November  23,  1850. 


IllS'lOUV   oi'   (;i;i:.\TF.i;    IXDl.VXAI'OT.TS. 


.-.i:. 


■■(>li.  sHy  can  yoii  sci'.   by  tlif   dawn's  I'ai-lv 

liirh't  .' 
All  I  iiu,  T  caiinDt  ;  I'm  di'ticieiit  in  sijrlit." 

There  was  dialect  poetry,  loni;  before  ilr. 
Riley  made  it  famous,  as  witiies.s  this  exiraet 
from  — 

•'A  NODE  TO  SPRING." 
By  a  Endicrnint  Fai-mer. 

'"Well,  sin-int;'.  youv  eiim  at  last,  hev  yon  I 
The  poit  sez  youv  bin  a  sittin'  in  Old   Win- 
ter's 
Lajt  —  now  ain't   you   ashamed  of  yourself! 
I  si)ose  the  old   fellei'"s  bin  a   bussin'  ,von, 
I  should  think  he  had  from  your  breth 
A  hein'  so  eold-  but  that's  the  way  them 

Old  fellers  hev  a  doin'. 

*     #     * 

"  Lulc  at  them  shepe  a  lien  in 

The  fens  kornurs  a  waitin"  for  i:rass! 

YisI  an'  they  bin  a  watin'  sum  of 

Them  for  weex  I — An  ef  they  wasn't 

I'old  they'd  a  bin    'shakin'  thur  lox 

At  y\\.  an  sed  'U  dun  it!'  'That  thur 

Iz  fi'oin  Hamlet,  won  of  Shakspui-'s  plais), 

As  another  poit  sez — '(Jras  ditfurd  maks 

The  stumak  ake' — so  these  shepe  wil 

Never  open  thui-  iz  onto   irras  auiu      Xo ! 

Xni-  onto  fodui." 

Even  the  ■"drop  line",  wiiieb  many  seem 
to  su|)i)ose  a  ereation  of  Mr.  Kiley.  in  his 
"(l(il)l)leuns  will  jrit  you",  is  found  in 

"Yet  I  swear  by  all  creation. 
And   this  endless  Yankee   nation. 
That 
I 

love 

vou 
like 
tar- 
na- 
tion. "^'■■' 

Tn  fact  when  one  looks  over  the  vast  ex- 
panse of  orisrin;d  work  in  the  Locomofin . 
and  some  additional  in  other  i)apers.  he  is  not 
sur]irised    that    when    f'oy:treshall    issued    liis 


r<i(t.s  ami  I'oitii/  of  till  l\'(,\7.  ill  18()(),  he  in- 
eliided  the  followint:  who  liad  been  residents 
of  Indianapolis,  in  addition  to  Mrs.  Bolton: 
Granville  JI.  Ballard,  Samuel  V.  Moiris.  Or- 
Ijheus  Everts,  Georjre  W.  Cuttei-.  Henry  W. 
Ellsworth,  Sidney  Dyer,  John  B.  Dillon, 
Peter  Fishe  Reed,  .Jonathan  W.  (Hudon.  Dr. 
John  Gibson  Dunn  and  Rebeeea  S.  Nichols. 
There  were  othei's  who  did  not  show  them- 
selves till  latei'.  It  was  ill  this  atmosphere 
that  Jlrs.  Robert  Louis  Stevenson  developed. 
She  went  to  school  at  the  old  Third  Ward 
School— now  John  Ranch's  ciirar  factory— on 
New  York  street  west  of  Illinois,  and  later  to 
the  old  hiiih  school  when  it  was  on  I'liiver- 
sity  S(piare.  She  is  remeinliered  as  a  >rirl 
who  was  clever  at  drawing-  and  who  used  to 
write  stories  for  lii'r  "eoin]iositions".  Her 
father.  Jacob  Vandeirrift.  was  a  partner  in 
KrcHvlo  Blake  &  f'o..  who  had  a  planiiiir 
mill  at  the  canal  and  Xew  York  street.  In 
LS.")!.  Vandeirrift  and  Colestock  built  tlv 
brick  row  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Illinois 
and  .Michigan  streets,  shown  in  the  accom- 
)ianyin!j-  cut.  and  Mr.  Vandeirrift  lived  for 
.some  time  at  the  second  door  from  the  corner 
—  later  in  the  doiilile  brick  back  of  the  row, 
as  shown  in  the  cut.  When  Fanny  Vaii<le- 
grift  married  Samuel  Osbourne,  who  had  been 
private  secretarv  of  (Jovernors  Wriirht  aiiil 
Willard,  and  later  deputy  clerk  of  the  Sn- 
I)reme  Coui't.  her  father  built  them  a  story- 
and-a-half  cottaire  at  the  northwest  corner  of 
St.  Clair  and  Tennessee  (now  Capitol  ave- 
nue) where  they  livetl  till  they  went  to  Cali- 
fornia. The  next  owner  remade  the  house  in 
two  stories.  Later  it  was  removed  by  Thomas 
Tafr.cart  to  the  southeast  corner  of  St.  Clair 
and  Senate  avenue  to  make  place  for  his 
])reseiit  residence.  It  still  stands  there,  but 
has  airain  been  remodeled,  and  now  serves  as 
till'  I'nited  Tabernacle  Ba|)tist  (Colored) 
church.  The  story  of  the  Osliournes  after  they 
left  here  belonjrs  to  the  world.  Tliere  were 
naturally  opposiii>r  views  of  the  c-ase  here.'* 
but  they  have  no  partieidai-  eoiiiieetiim  with 
the  literary  atmosiihen'. 

There  is  another  Indianapolis  product  of 
the  early  period  who  sliouhi  he  mentioned. 
Rev.  James  Cooley  Fletcher.  He  was  a  .son 
of  Calvin    Fletcher,   born   heic   in   1S-J:<.      Hu 


^-Loro)ii()llvi .  Ma.\-  '.I    1857. 
-r.ornmolln  .  Maivh  27,  18r)2. 


'* Journal.  January  •_*7.  188!l. 


rAG 


HISTOllY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


z 

o 

Oi 

Z 

w 

> 

E- 


O 

J 


o 


o  .. 

H  o 

O  ^ 

X  :t3 

u 

O  "O 

o  S 


mSTOliY   OF  CiltEATEi;  IXDIANArOLIS. 


)ir 


was  well  educated,  at  Princeton  and  abroad, 
and  in  18')()  went  out  as  a  iiiissiouai'v  to 
llayti.  -In  1851  he  left  this  field  for  Rio  de 
.Janeiro,  to  heeome  chaplain  inissionary  of 
I  lie  American  and  Foreign  ('hristian  Union, 
and  remained  in  Brazil  till  18o4,  retuniiuf; 
later  for  two  year.s  more.  In  1857,  in  con- 
.iunction  witli  Rev.  D.  P.  Kidder,  he  puli- 
lished  his  "Brazil  and  the  Brazilians"",  whicli 
has  g-one  throuLili  ntunerous  editions,  and  is 
still  a  standard  >m  that  sub.ject.  Mr.  Fletcher 
married  a  danyhter  of  the  noted  divine  Dr. 
Caesar  Malan  of  Switzerland.  Their  daojih- 
ter,  Jidia  Constance  Fletcher,  ha.s  attained 
note  as  a  novelist,  nnder  the  pen  name  of 
"Geornre  Fleming",  thouo-h  hei-  earliest  and 
most  strikinji'  novels,  Kisinrt  and  Mirage 
oriijinally  appeared  anonymously  in  the  "Xo 
Name  Series." 

And  in  this  iiei'iod  also  may  be  nn'iitioned 
a  book,  rather  about  Indianapolis  than  of  it, 
^Frs.  Henry  Ward  Beecher's  From  Dawn  In 
Daiilight.  which  was  orifjinally  published 
under  the  title  of  Tfnnhnxcences  of  a  Mis- 
sliiiiary's  Wif( .  It  ])ni-ported  to  give  actual 
experiences  of  the  Beeehers  at  Lawrencebury: 
and  Indianapolis,  the  characters  beinir  very 
sliulitly  disji-nised.  but  dozens  of  impartial 
witnesses  at  both  jilaces  ayree  that  it  is  essen- 
tially a  work  of  fiction,  and  particularly  in 
its  most  offensive  featui'es.  Thei-e  had  been 
some  warmth  displayed  in  Indianapolis  over 
>^tatements  made  by  Mr.  Beecher  after  he 
went  East,"''  but  they  were  nothint;-  to  tlie 
chorus  of  indijinati(m  at  both  Indianapolis 
and  Fjawrencebin-g  when  jMrs.  Beecher "s  l)ook 
appeared.  The  first  edition  of  his  Lectures 
to  Younpr  Men  wa.s  published  here,  throufrh 
tlic  efforts  nf  a  number  of  his  admirers,  and 
it  was  a  statenicnl  in  the  preface  to  a  revised 
edition  that  yavc  ofTctise  here.  It  was 
claimed  by  bis  friends  that  he  re-jretted  bis 
wife's  book,  but  hi'  indnlyed  in  a  few  rather 
harsh  remarks  himself,  such  as  characterizing; 
Lawreneeburt;-  a.s  "a  town  with  two  distil- 
leries and  twenty  devils".^" 

There  have  been  periodical  i-evivals  of  tlie 
discussion,  in  which  the  falsity  and  in.iustice 
of  the  book  have  brcu  sluiwii.  thondi   not  as 


fully  as  miyht  have  been  done.  One  of  the 
most  notable  of  these  was  in  the  summer  of 
1884,  when  Simon  Vandes  foinid  a  c(i])y  of 
the  book  on  the  circulation  shelves  of  the 
City  Library  in  which  some  "gifted  Alexan- 
der"' had  written  a  key  to  the  characters,  and 
removed  it  from  the  librai->'  over  the  objec- 
tion of  the  librarian.  The  matter  was  sub- 
mitted to  the  sehool  board,  which  sustained 
the  comjilaint  of  ^Mr.  Yandes.  and  removed 
the  book  from  circulation.  The  incident 
naturally  revived  the  discussion,  especially 
as  to  the  payment  of  Beecher  "s  salary,  and 
may  be  said  to  have  settled  that  matter  very 
conclusively  against  ^Irs.  Beecher.''"  ili-s. 
Beecher  evidentl.v  yielded  to  the  temptation 
to  "make  a  good  story".  Some  of  her  most 
pathetic  scenes  never  occurred  at  all:  and 
she  wa.s  not  jiresent  at  some  where  she  repre- 
sents herself  as  i)rcsent.  Notwithstanding  all 
this,  however,  l^eecher's  Indianapolis  friends 
generally  stood  by  him  in  his  later  days  of 
trial,  and  retained  faith  in  his  innocence. 

Local  literature  lariguislicd  somewhat  diu'- 
iiig  the  Civil  AVar.  possibly  because  mo,st  of 
the  people  with  proclivities  for  writing  had 
gone  to  the  front.  After  the  war  the  city 
pa.ssed  into  the  age  of  what  ^lereditli  Nichol- 
son calls  "the  cloak  poets",  chief  of  whom 
was  Ben.  I).  House,  who  maintained  a  mili- 
tary cloak  and  ;i  military  air  duriiiu:  the 
twenty  odd  yeais  he  lived  here.  lie  wrote 
some  very  spirited  war  poetry,  and  in  tln' 
early  eighties  was  something  of  a  poetical 
dictator.  At  that  time  Nicholson  was  giving 
an  imitation  of  a  young  man  reading  law,  in 
William  Wallace's  office,  b\it  devoting  most 
of  his  time  to  writing  poetry  and  woi-shii)- 
ping  House.  It  imiiressed  me  because  1  in- 
dulged in  a  poem  at  the  time  I  dai-c  to  men- 
tion it  because  a  newspaper  syndicate  actu- 
ally paid  me  for  it— an  elYusiim  on  the  death 
of"<!eneral  CranC— and  Nicholson  induced 
me  to  submit  it  to  House.  The  oracle  read  it 
thoughtfully  -almost  painfully  and  Iheii 
pointed  at  these  lines  : 

"The  sword  is  iniried.  but  the  jilow 
Hangs  in  the  tangled  weeds  of  hate." 


'"'■Locomdlivr.  July   lH.   1851. 
'"Chirinvati      ('niiiiiii  rcial .      December      ItJ, 
1871,  p.  V2. 


■■'"City  papers,  June  IM.'S.  1884. 
■'^Sentinel,  May  23.  188(). 


I 


518 


HISTORY   OF  (IKKA'I'KK   INDIAXAPOLIS. 


"1  wish  1  had  written  those  lines,"  Ik' 
said.  "I  would  have  built  a  poem  around 
them."  There  is  simply  no  resisting  that 
sort  of  criticism.  But  of  all  the  local  writers 
of  the  period  after  the  war.  Dan  L.  Paine  is 
])roliat)ly  tlie  most  notable  for  the  qualit.v  of 
his  verso.  ]\Iost  of  it  was  just  soothin.u:  music, 
but  occasionally  he  attained  a  stirring  heig'ht, 
as  in  his  "At  Elberou",  written  at  the  death 
of  President  Garfield,  and  widely  published 
at  the  time,  with  g-eneral  praise.'"'  Collec- 
tions of  poems  of  both  House  and  Paine  were 
made  after  they  died,  but  for  memorials 
ratli.'M-  than  for  eonnnercial  purposes.*" 

When  the  Journal  started  its  Sunday  edi- 
tion in  1880  and  James  Whiteomb  Eiley  came 
here  as  official  poet,  he  undoubtedly  brought 
a  lighter  vein  into  the  local  poetical  product, 
though  he  did  not  always  sign  all  of  his 
lighter  product,  and  nuich  of  it  is  not  repi'o- 
duced  in  his  volumes.  He  was  known  here 
before  that  time  from  occasional  poems,  and 
had  made  his  first  appearance  here  as  a 
reader  on  IVIay  9.  1879.  at  a  Light  Infantry 
benefit,  carrying  the  audience  by  storm.  He 
was  the  most  generous  of  men,  and  he  re- 
cited for  societies,  church  socials  and  all 
sorts  of  gnthei-ings  until  life  became  a  bui'- 
den.  and  he  had  to  quit,  in  self-defense.  But 
with  all  his  popularity  there  were  few  who 
really  apjireciatfd  his  greatness  as  an  actor: 
and  it  was  that  which  gave  his  Doetry  its 
great  voaue  at  the  start.  When  Rilev  went 
to  England  in  1891,  with  AY.  P.  Fishback  and 
^lyriin  b'eed.  Sir  Henry  Irving  gave  a  dinner 
for  him.  at  which  he  induced  ]Mr.  Riley  to 
recite.  Among  those  present  was  CoqueJin. 
the  great  French  actor,  who  stood  at  the  far- 
ther end  of  the  room,  with  his  hand  restin*;' 
on  Trving's  shoulder,  and  listened  intentlv. 
-As  Riley  concluded  he  turned  and  said: 
"Irviup-.  Nature  has  done  for  that  nuin  what 
you  aiul  I  have  been  striving  all  these  yeais 
to  attain."' 

Ore  of  Air.  Rilev's  mest  v(>inai'kable  powers 
is  that  I'f  imitaticn.  wliich  has  perhaps  its 
most  notable  manifestation  in  his  .storv,  "A 
Renuirkablc  Alan"",  but  which  he  indulged 
occasionally  in  a  more  frothy  way.  To  illus- 
trate   th(>    entertainment    he     contriluited     in 


such   lines.    I   venture   to   reproduce   tlie   fol- 
lowing illustrated  poem  from  the  Hcrahl  of 

January  12,  1878: 

EZRA  HOUSE. 

(After  the  manner  of  the   Sweet   Singer  of 
jMiehigan.) 

Come  listen  good  people,  while  a  storv  1  do 
tell, 

Of  the  sad  fate  of  one  which  I  knew  so  pass- 
ing well : 

He  enlisted  in  AlcCordsville,  to  battle  in  the 
South, 

And  protect  his  country's  union;  his  name 
was  Ezra  House. 


'"'Xnrs.   Scntriiiliei-   20.    1881. 
■"Wiclidlsiin "s    '/'//(    Honsicrs.  pp.   2().')-7. 


"IT'S  OH,   I'M   GOI.VG  TO   LKAVE    YOV,    KIND  SCHOL- 
ARS,"   UK    SAID. 

lie  was  a  x'ounu'  school-tearher.  and  rdui-atrd 

high 
In   regard  to  Ray's  arithmetic,   anil   alsd   .\1- 

gebra. 
He   gave   good  satisfaction,   but    at    his  I'luiii- 

try's  call 
He  ilropped  bis  position,  his  Algebra  and  all. 

■'It"s    oil!     I  "ill    goinu'    to    leave     yon.     kind 

si'holais  ' '.  h(^  said  — 
b'oi-  he  wi'oti*  a  composition  the  last  day  am! 

read  ; 
And  it  lirought  many  tears  in  the  eyes  of  the 

school. 
To  say  nothing  of  his  sweetheart  he  was  ud- 

iiiL;  to  leave  so  soon. 


HISTOKV   OF  (;i;i:.\li:i;    1  NDIAXAI'ULIS. 


n^9 


"I  have  many  rccdlloftions  to  taki-  willi   nn/ 

awa.N-, 
Of  the  lueri-y  inspiiations  in   tln'  si-hoiilrooni 

so  gay : 
And  of  all  that's  i)ast  and  Liunc  1   will  never 

regret 
I   went  to  serve   my   eimntry   at    the   liist   ii\' 

the  outset  1  ■ " 

He   was  a  good   penman,   and   the   lines  that 

he  wrote 
•  )n  that  sad  oeeasion  was  ton  fine  for  me  tn 

i|U0te— 
For  1  WVIS  thiTe  ami  heai-<l  it.  and   1   e\-er  will 

I'eeall 
It    brought    the    Imppy    teai's    In    the    eyes    of 

us   all. 

And   when  lie  left,   his  sweet heai't   she  fainted 

away 
And  said  she  eould  ne\ei'  Forget  the  sad  day 
When   her    lover   so    noble,    and    gallant    and 

gay. 
Said    "Farewell,    my    true    hivel"    and    went 

nmrehing  away. 

He  hadn't  been  L;on(»  foi'  more  than  two 
months 

When  the  sad  news  come  —  '"he  was  in  a 
skirmish    onee. 

And  a  eiMiel  rebel  ball  had  wounded  him 
full    sore 

In  th(!  region  of  the  ehiii,  thi'dnuh  the  can- 
teen   lll>    WOl'e". 

]5ut  his  health   reeruited  uj).  ;iud   his  wounds 

they  got  well : 
But   while  he  was   in   battle  at    Hull    Hun   or 

.Malv.'rn    Hill. 
The  m-ws  came  again,  so  sorrowful  to  heai-— 
'•A   sliver  from  a   bombshell  eut  off  his  left 

eai'". 

But   he  stuek  to   the   boys,   and    it's   often    he 

would  ivrite. 
That    "he    wasn't    afraid    foi'    his   country    to 

fight". 
But    oh.    had    he    returned    (ui    a    furlough.    1 

believe. 
Hi'    wiinid     not.    Inday.    have    sui-h    cause    to 

iii'ie\('. 

V(n-  in  anothei-  battle  tli<'  name  T  never 
heard 

Tk'  was  guiirding  tlu-  waiions  when  an  acci- 
dent  oeeui'red 


A   comiade.   who  was  \ii)der  the  influence  of 

drink 
Shnt    him    with   a   musket   through   the   right 

cheek.  I  think. 

Hut    his  dear  life  was  s|)are(l.   biil   il    hadn't 

been   foi-  long 
Till   a  eiuel  rebel  colonel   came  i-iding  along, 
.\nd  struck  him  with  his  sword,  as  many  do 

suppo.se. 
F'or  his  cap-i'im  was  cut  nil',  and  also  his  nose. 

I'>ut    I'rovidenee.  who  watches  o'er  the  noble 

and   the  brave. 
Snatched  him  once  more  from  the  .jaws  of  the 

grave  : 
And    .just    a    little    while    licfore    the   dose   of 

the  war. 
He   sent  his  pictui'e  home   to   his  girl   away 

so  far. 


"UK  SK.\T  HIS  PintllK  HOME.'* 


And   she    fell    into   decline,   and   she   wroti'   in 

i-ei)l.v. 
"She  had  seen   his    lace   again    and   she   was 

ready  to   die": 
And   she   wanted    him    to   promise,    when   she 

was  in  hei-  tond). 
>Ie  woulil  oidy  visit    thai    by   the  lii;ht   of  the 

moon. 

liul     he    ne\-e|-    returned    at     the    close    of    the 

WiW. 

And   the   lioys   that    got    bai'k   said    he   hadn't 

the  lieart ; 
But  he  got  a   |iosition  in  a  puwdcr-mill.  and 

sjiid 
He  hoped  lo  meil   the  doom   that   his  i-nnntry 

denied. 


5?0 


liiSTUiiY   Ui'  UKEATiai   IXDlAXAi'ULlS. 


^Ir.  Riley  eonti-ibuted  almost  as  imich  to 
the  life  of  the  city  in  private  as  in  piiblie. 
for  with  his  friends  he  would  often  drop  into 
dialect  and  say  as  funny  things  as  he  ever 
put  in  his  published  articles.  In  fact  they 
seemed  more  so  for  they  were  so  apparently 
unstudied,  while  his  published  work,  though 
it  has  the  art  of  seeming  unstudied,  is  in  faci 
the  result  of  the  most  painstaking  labor.  I 
recall  serving  with  him.  on  November  17. 
1904,  on  a  committee  that  was  sent  to  Vin- 
cenues  to  meet  the  Liberty  Bell,  and  escort  it 
to  Indianapolis.  We  were  waiting  there  on 
the  depot  platform  quite  a  time,  and  mean- 
while a  fussy  little  switch-engine  was  chasing 
up  and  down  through  the  large  crowd,  in  a 
seeming  eft'ort  to  run  over  someone.  I  turned 
to  Riley  and  said:  "Jim,  how'd  y'  like  to 
have  a  leg  cut  off  by  one  o'  them  things?" 
In  an  instant  he  dropped  into  his  hoosier 
facial  expression  and  drawled  out,  "Wal,  I'd 
kind  o'  hate  to  spile  the  set."  And  there 
was  often  a  broad  wisdom  in  Riley's  jokes. 
Once,  conung  down  Pennsylvania  street,  I 
saw  him  standing  on  the  coping  before  the 
Denison  hotel,  apparently  lost  in  thought. 
"What  y'  thinking  aboiitr'  I  asked.  He 
stepped  down,  took  my  arm,  and,  as  we 
moved  on,  said  in  most  thoughtful  air:  "I 
w;*f  just  thinking  what  an  awful  humiliation 
it  must  be  to  an  Almighty  God  to  create  a 
universe,  and  then  have  to  submit  it  to  Am- 
brose Bierce  and  Bob  IngersoU  for  criticism." 
Just  think  how  many  sermons  are  condensed 
in  that  observation. 

The  chief  literary  development  in  Indian- 
apolis for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century 
has  been  in  the  clubs.  However  it  may  have 
been  before  the  war.  the  literary  organiza- 
tions have  not  proven  ephemeral  in  this 
later  period.  The  Indianapolis  Literary  Cluli, 
an  organization  for  gentlemen  only,  was 
started    in   1877.   and  is  still   flourishing,   in- 


cluding in  its  past  and  present  membership 
nearly  every  man  of  any  real  prominence  in 
the  city  in  that  period.  The  Women's  Club 
was  organized  in  February,  1875,  and  has 
practically  the  same  record  among  the  women. 
There  are  numbers  of  others  of  later  date 
which  coiild  only  be  named  here,  and  that  is 
not  worth  while.  At  the  present  time  there 
are  forty  regular  and  recognized  literary 
clubs  in  the  city.  Whether  they  make  a 
stinndating  literary  atmosphere  is  hard  to 
say.  Our  j'ounger  novelists,  Elizabeth  ]\Iiller 
(Mrs.  Orin  Hack),  Meredith  Nicholson  and 
Booth  Tarkington  are  emphatically  not  club 
products:  and  indeed  it  would  be  hard  to 
name  any  literar}^  influence  that  was  common 
to  all  of  them  except  access  to  books  and 
schools.  When  you  come  to  seek  the  causes  of 
literary  development,  you  usually  fail,  and 
leave  it  as  Albert  Biishnell  Hart  does  in  his 
query:  "Where  did  William  Cullen  Bryant 
find  his  model,  when,  in  the  year  when  Syd- 
ney Smith  asked  'Who  reads  an  American 
book " '  he  burst  forth  with  : 

'  Whither  midst  falling  dew, 

While  glow  the  heavens  with  the  last  steps 
of  day, 
Far  through  their  rosy  depths  dost  thou  pur- 
sue 
Thy  solitary  way?' 

"And  why,  in  the  six  years  from  1881  to 
1837,  should  Whittier,  Longfellow  and  Oliver 
Wendell  Holmes  have  made  their  first  essays 
as  poets?" ^^  These  are  questions  that  will 
never  be  answered.  About  all  that  can  be  said 
is  that  if  the  soil  be  not  too  unfriendly  the 
literary  spirit  will  develop,  but  it  comes  not 
from  planted  seed,  nor  from  any  known 
means  of  cultivation. 


"Slavery  and  Aholitio)i- 
>iiries.  Vol.  16,  p.  30. 


-Ameriran  Nation 


CHAPTER  XL. 


THE  SOUL  OF  JrUSIC. 


There  was  some  music  in  Indianapolis  from 
the  start.  We  have  the  records  of  Sidney 
]\Ia.\\veirs  leading  the  singing  at  the  time  of 
the  sermon  by  Rev.  L.  P.  Gaines  in  1S"21 ; 
Mrs.  Fletcher's  mention  of  the  violin  playing 
of  C'ul.  A.  W.  Russell  and  James  Blake  in 
the  winter  of  1821;  ]\Irs.  I\Iartin"s  reference 
to  the  singing  school  in  the  old  log  school 
house  at  Kentucky  avenue  and  Washington 
street;  and  Nathaniel  Bolton's  account  of  tlic 
•  young  people  taking  moonlight  rides  in  a 
.scow  on  the  river,  when  "our  bark  floated 
over  the  waters  to  the  sound  of  sweet  music". 
The  first  I'ecord  of  any  organized  nnisical  in- 
struction, though  evidently  in  progress  be- 
fore that  date,  appears  in  the  Gazette  of 
August  24.  182-4.  in  this  notice:  "To  the 
members  of  the  Society  for  the  Cultivation 
of  Church  Music:  Those  who  are  leariiers,  or 
.iust  eonuniMicing  lessons  in  Church  Music, 
and  who  are  anxious  to  learn,  will  attend  at 
the  usual  place,  on  Saturday  next,  at  3  o'clock 
p.  ni.  Those  whose  knowledge  of  nuisic  will 
render  a  ])erl'ormance  in  concert  'interesting' 
will  please  to  attend  at  4  o'clock  p.  m.  Learn- 
ers will  euib'race  a  ma.jority  of  those  who 
have  hitherto  attended.  — Precise  punctuality 
is  expected.  Bring  books;  — they  can  be  had 
at  Pliipi)s  i^-  Co.'s  store."  That  is  all  that  is 
left  to  us  of  that  first  movement  for  musical 
culture,  but  it  shows  that  the  settlers  were 
striving  for  the  attainment  of  the  ideal  of 
heavenly  .joys  in  the  old  Methodist  hymn  — 

"^Yhel■e   a    Fletcher  unites 
With  the  old  Israelites 
In  singing  God's  praise. 

While  the  ;inufols  sing  bass." 


l-'ioni   hri-e  there  is  a   lapse  in  musical  his- 
tory until  the  l'"onrth  of  Jul.v.  1828,  when  a 


new  organization  burst  full-fledged  on  the 
public  view.  In  the  announcement  of  the 
program  it  is  mentioned  as  "the  band  of 
music",  btit  the  Gozctli's  account  of  tlie  cele- 
bration says  it  was  "inferspei-sed  witli  suit- 
able odes  and  other  music  from  a  select  choir 
of  singere,  accompanied  by  instrmnental 
nuisic  from  the  inembers  of  the  Indianapolis 
llandelian  Society".  Bej'ond  this  we  have 
no  record  of  this  magnificently  titled  organi- 
zation except  the  airs  it  played  on  this  occa- 
sion, which  were  "Ilail  Cohnnbia",  "Auld 
Lang  Svne",  "Yankee  Doodle",  "Pula.ski's 
.March",  "President's  March",  "Jefferson 
and  Liberty",  ami  "llaste  to  the  Wedding". 
From  this  time  on  to  the  forties  the  de- 
velopment of  nnusic  was  slow  and  uneventful, 
but  in  1840  an  ejioch  was  marked  by  the  or- 
tranization  of  The  Indianajjolis  Band.  It  was 
iiu>ori)orated  by  special  act  of  February  15, 
1841,  the  charter  mend)ers  being  James  Mc- 
Cready,   Emanuel   Haugh.   Tlios.   M.   Baker, 

'- Allison,   E.   S.   A.    Tyler,    Wm. 

Karne.  Wm.  Jones.  1).  P.  Hunt.  John  (lilli- 
laiul.  James  Vanblaricum.  James  Hodge, 
James  G.  Jordan,  James  Sharpe,  Nicholas  N. 
Norwood,  Aaron  1).  Ohr,  John  Ilodgkins,  La- 
layette  Yandes.  Thos.  1).  .Miller,  Wm.  Ibmld, 
Wm.   Gaby,   Abraham    Byrd,    Jacol)    Smith, 

Samuel  Delzell, Kniminitzky. 

Bottlis,  John  D.  Morris  ami  James  R. 

Nowland.  The  leader  of  the  band,  not  in- 
cluded ill  the  incorporation,  was  .\braham 
Protzmann,  a  German,  who  in  addition  to 
leading  jilayed  the  E  flat  elariiiet.  Mc- 
Cready,  who  was  later  mayor  of  Indianapolis, 
played  the  bass  trombone.  D.  P.  limit. 
Jaiiics  G.  Jordan,  and  James  McCord  Sliarpe 
(commonly  known  as  "Cord"  Sharjici  played 
the    pieeolo.       Kniarniel     Iiani,di    and     Thos. 


i-,'1 


HIST()i;V   <iK   (il.'KAl'KIi   IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


Bakei-  played  B  Hat  tnnnhoiu's.  Win.  KariU' 
and  E.  S.  .\.  'I'yler  — the  latter  sometimes 
known  as  ".Sixiffofd ""  ))nt  more  commonly  as 
■'Xc'd  "'—played  llie  K  fiat  cornet,  then  usu- 
ally called  the  bujile.  Louis  Walk,  John  Gil- 
liland  and  James  ^'anblaricum  played  the 
Frencli  hoi-n.  Aai'on  D.  Ohr  played  the  B 
Hat  clarinet,  and  Nicholas  Norwood  also 
playeil  tlie  clai-inet.  Lafayette  Yandes  and 
Thcs.  D.  ]\Iiller  (familiarly  known  as 
"Dave")  played  reed  instruments,  the  names 
of  which  are  now  lost.  James  E.  Xowland 
manipulated  the  bass  drum.  John  ]\IcDou- 
trall,  who  was  a  member  but  not  an  incorpora- 
tor, i)laycd  the  ophicleide.  He  afterwards 
went  to  California  and  became  very  wealthy 
there — was  at  one  time  Governor  of  Califor- 
nia. His  brother  (jeor^e  also  went  West  and 
drifted  down  to  South  America,  where  he 
was  found  some  years  later,  by  Admiral 
Brown,  chief  of  a  tribe  of  Indians. 

The  band  was  ([uite  a  gorsreous  organiza- 
tion with  its  ureen  coats,  tight-fitting  white 
pantaloons,  and  black  velvet  caps  with  gold 
bands.  When  it  came  to  getting  material  for 
the  coats  for  so  large  a  company  it  was  found 
that  no  store  in  town  had  enough  cloth,  and 
in  consetiuence  the  cloth  was  bought  from 
three  ditt'ei'ent  stores,  and  there  was  a  slight 
difference  in  the  shades.  Howevei'.  it  was 
not  noticeable  in  different  uniforms,  and  ilc- 
Cready.  who  was  the  tailor,  got  along  very 
well  till  he  came  to  Louis  Walk,  who  was  the 
last  man  t«  come  in.  Louis  was  a  good-sized 
man.  and  it  took  all  Ihe  cloth  left  to  fit  him 
out.  When  he  came  in  to  try  his  coat  on, 
he  buttoned  it  up,  and  as  he  surveyed  him- 
self, a  rueful  expression  came  over  his  face, 
and  he  exclaimed,  "Py  chiminy!  'Muc.  dots 
too  many  differences".  He  refused  to  be 
placated  until  he  was  supplied  with  a  uni- 
form that  had  more  uniformity.  Several  of 
the  charter  members  wei'c  with  the  band  but 
a  shoi't  time,  and  most  of  them  learned  to 
play  their  instruments  after  .ioinint;'.  A  few 
were  fair  musicians  to  begin  with,  among 
them  "Xed'"  Tyler,  who  was  deputed  to  go 
to  Cincinnali  to  buy  the  instruments.  He 
stayed  so  Idiil'  that  some  of  the  members  be- 
came fearful  that  he  had  decamix'd  with  the 
money,  but  it  was  (vnly  a  ca.se  of  bad  road>:. 
Tyler  played  the  bass  viol  in  a  flute  and 
slrini;'   (irchi'strn    that    wa'<    inti'ddnred    in    the 


First  Preslnteriau  church  in  184t)-7.  The  in- 
novation caused  some  ob.iection  in  the  church 
at  the  time,  and  a  few  of  the  members  would 
not  come  in  to  services  until  after  the  music 
was  over.^ 

The  band  was  nonpartisan  politically,  play- 
ing for  any  party  tliat  paid.  Its  first  service 
was  a  tri))  to  the  state  line  cast  of  Kichmoud 
to  meet  Henry  Clay,  in  18-tO.  Although  just 
organized  it  made  the  trip  in  its  own  band- 
wagon. It  also  gave  concerts  now  and  then. 
On  one  occasion  it  was  scheduled  for  a  con- 
cei't  at  Greencastle  on  the  same  day  that  a 
man  was  hanged  there,  and  tlie  jokers  averred 
that  it  went  ovei'  to  play  for  the  hanging. 
It  uave  a  concert  at  Danville  on  the  way 
ovei-,  but  at  Greencastle  the  weather  turned 
very  cold  and  the  instruments  froze  up.  so 
that  the  concei-t  had  to  be  called  off.  This 
was  unfortunate,  for  tliere  was  a  tremendous 
crowd  there  for  the  hanging.  However,  it  is 
an  ill  wind  that  blows  nobody  good,  and  one 
man  did  well  at  the  time.  J.  W.  Smith,  an  In- 
dianapolis baker,  had  foreseen  the  oppor- 
tunity, and  went  to  Greencastle  and  baked 
ginuerbread  for  two  days  steadily  before  the 
great  event.     He  sold  every  bit  of  it. 

As  a  general  rule,  the  band's  undertakings 
were  very  successful,  and  it  was  quite  a  feat- 
ure of  the  town  life,  during  its  existence  of 
something  over  five  years.  But  it  wore  out 
gradually.  If  an  instrument  got  broken  it 
was  not  Tisually  replaced,  and  the  player 
dropped  out.  Others  tired  of  the  occupation, 
and  when  it  was  finally  discontinued  there 
were  oidy  lialf  a  dozen  active  niembei'S.  who 
did  n':t  feel  equal  to  pei-petmiting  the  former 
silories  of  the  organization.  Its  place  was 
filled  by  a  new  band— the  German  ililitary 
Band,  which  was  incoi-jiorated  on  January 
^■^.  1S4.").  with  Chas.  Yoinigerman.  Ferdinand 
Smith.  Otto  Schattei-.  Coin-ad  Youngerman. 
Frederick  Schiltmeier.  Jcseph  Blickley.  An- 
drew Ci'amer.  Chai'les  Heyeiliast.  Wm.  Wish- 
meier,  Andi-ew  Pi'otzman  and  Jacob  Wise  as 
chai'ter  members.  l''oi-  some  reason  this  band 
was  not  long-lived,  and  the  town  had  to  de- 
pend on  imixirted  musie  foi-  its  functions  an^l 
displays.      On   June  9.   1S41I.   tlie   Locomotirr 


'As  to  Tyler,  see  Xnr.s.  June  -2.  1!)0l':  Sni- 
1in<].  June  3.  1902;  Xoirlaiid's  I'rotii.  Cill-(  us. 
|).  20.". 


HISTORY   (IF   CKKAIKi;    1  \  1  )1.\\A1'0US. 


523 


(W.    II.    liass    Phnl,,    Company.) 

S.    E.    TYLER   IN    UNMrORM    OF    INDIANAPOLIS    UANU. 


524 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANA I'OI.TS. 


said:  "Wliy  is  it  that  Indianapolis  c-annot 
establish  and  support  a  Band,  to  play  for  the 
immerous  public  celebrations  that  take  place 
in  this  city  ?  Is  it  because  we  have  no  per- 
sons capable  of  being:  instructed,  or  because 
we  are  too  indolent  to  undei-takc  it?  Country 
towns,  with  one  quarter  the  population,  can 
support  good  bands,  and  they  are  brought 
here  at  an  expense  of  from  $30  to  .$60  to 
play,  %vhen  if  we  had  a  baud  in  the  city  it 
would  get  this  money.  Think  of  this,  "and 
especially  let  the  Germans  consider  on  it,  for 
they  are  celebrated  as  musicians,  and  see  if 
it  would  not  be  a  profitable  business  to  estab- 
lish a  band  here.  On  the  4th  of  July  alone 
$50  might   be  made." 

This  mercenary  appeal  was  apparently  ef- 
fective, for  the  Saxe  Horn  Band,  of  tvvelve 
pieces,  was  organized,  and  incurred  the  criti- 
cism of  the  Locomotive  by  asking  $50  for  its 
services  on  July  4,  1851.  The  members  of 
tlie  band  i-eplied  by  card  in  the  Journal. 
stating  that  they  had  paid  $247  for  instru- 
ments, and  had  played  gratuitously  on  several 
occasions,  but  uow  were  for  reform— no  pay, 
no  play.  The  patriotic  citizens  rebelled,  aiid 
got  up  "a  band  of  martial  music":  and  John 
R.  Elder,  editor  of  the  Locomotive,  gave  the 
toast:  "Our  band  of  martial  nuisic  — The 
same  kind  oui-  forefathers  followed  to  the 
victories  we  celebrate  ".=  The  Saxe  Horn 
Band  gave  place  to  Henry  Hahn's  band, 
which  was  started  as  a  string  band,  but  added 
wind  instruments.  Among  its  members  was 
John  Philips,  who  came  here  from  Cincin- 
nati and  played  a  silver  bugle  that  he  had 
won  in  a  contest.  The  brass  band  part  of  the 
organization  became  the  National  Guards 
Band,  and  was  the  lineal  predecessor  of  the 
present  City  Band.  In  the  militia  revival 
preceding  the  Civil  AVai'.  each  of  the  com- 
panies had  its  band,  that  of  tiie  City  (irays 
being  under  the  leadership  of  Jesse  Bakei'. 
until  he  went  west  in  the  Pike's  Peak  excite- 
ment. 

The  Civil  War  practically  disbanded  these 
organizations,  as  most  of  the  mu.sicians  fol- 
lowed the  companies  into  the  army,  and  went 
out  as  the  Eleventh  Regiment  Band,  twenty- 
five   stroHg.    under    Carl    A.     Biedenmeister. 


Most    of    them    were    mustered    out    after    a 
year's  service,  when  it  had  been  learned  that 
a  band  was  of  little  sei-vice  in  actual  war. 
From   the   musicians   left    in    the   city   there 
arose  an  informal  sort  of  organization  under 
the  business  leadership  of  Reinhold  A.  Miller 
(it  was  Mueller,  but  he  Americanized  because 
everybody  called  him  :Miller).    He  is  a  native 
of  Saxony,  who  came  to  Indianapolis  in  1855. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Hahn-Philips  band, 
and    played   in    the    orchestra    at    the    Athe- 
naeum.     When    the    -Metropolitan     (present 
Park)   was  built,  he  went  there  as  leader  of 
the  orchestra,  in  1859.     In  1861  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Bernhardt  Yogt  of  Cincinnati,  and 
played  under  him  at  the  Metropolitan  and 
the  Academy  of  I\Iusie.     In  1876,  when  the 
Grand   was  built,   he  went   there  as  leader, 
and  has  since  been  in  charge  of  the  orchestra 
there  as  well  as  most  of  the  time  at  the  Park 
and    English's;   his    actual    leadei-shiji    being 
chiefly  at  the  Grand.    From  1861  he  has  been 
the  business  head  of  the  somewhat  disjointed 
organization  known  as  the  City  Band,  calling 
in  what  musicians  he  needed  on  various  occa- 
sions.   In  this  way  most  of  the  music  used  on 
public    occasions,    and    many    of    a     private 
character,  has  been  supplied  in  the  last  half 
centuiy.     The  City  Band  played  when  Lin- 
coln went  through  Indianapolis  on  the  way  to 
his  first  inaugural.     It  played  when  his  re- 
mains M'ere  brought  here  on  the  way  to  their 
last  resting  place.     It  played  in  the  funeral 
proce.s.sions    of    Governor    AVillard,    General 
Custei-,    and    many    other    notables,     and     it 
played  for  all  sorts  of  celebrations,  balls,  and 
jiarades."     It  bids  fair  to  coTitinue  for  some 
time  longer. 

There  is  no  room  to  doubt  that  a  new  era 
in  uuisieal  culture  in  Indianapolis  began 
about  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  or  that 
the  influx  of  Germans  had  considerable  to  do 
with  it.  Before  that  time  there  had  been 
nothing  beyond  elementai-y  individual  in- 
struction in  vocal  naisic,  except  for  choir- 
singing."  and  in  that  line  the  choir  of  the 
Second  Presbyterian  Church  was  considered 
the  best  in  the  place,  at  least  during  Beech- 
er's  pastorate.  This  developed  later  into  a 
society  for  the  studv  of  music— or  at  least  the 


-JonriinJ.  July  1,  1851:  Locomolivc,  June  28 
and  Julv  12.  1851. 


'Press.  "Slnv 
1907. 


'4.  1000:  .Y, 


September  21, 


IIIS'|(»|;V    OF  (iliKATKIJ    IXDIAXAIMI.IS. 


society  was  composed  l;ir>>fl\-  of  former 
mpiiibers  of  this  choir— in  which  Prof.  P.  R. 
I'l'iU-sall  was  tlie  instructdi-.  i'earsall  was  a 
pi<iiic(M'  ill  liitrher  musical  culture,  and  laid 
ver\-  creditably  the  fouiidatidus  for  discriini- 
uatinjr  iiiusieal  taste.  If  we  may  take  the 
yeai-  1851  as  the  beginning  of  the  new  period, 
Pearsall  had  then  been  teaching  for  some 
time,  and  that  summer  advertised  that  he 
would  open  a  new  term  of  vocal  music  on 
July  7  "at  the  Indianapolis  Female  Institute, 
on  I'ennsylvania  street,  west  side,  north  of 
Market  street"  (^Miss  Axtell's  school)  and 
would  also  give  instruction  on  the  piano, 
organ,  iiielodeon,  etc.  The  Jounial  coiii- 
luended  this  instruction,  with  this  forcible  ar- 
muiient :  '  '-Singing  is  very  beneficial  to  the 
lungs,  and  especially  so  at  this  time  of  the 
year  when  the  rarity  of  the  atmosi)here  weak- 
ens their  power.  Singing  will  strengthen  the 
lungs  of  the  young  misses  and  cheer  their 
spirits,  great  desideratums  at  this  unhealthy 
season."*  At  the  same  time  Prof.  Wm.  11. 
Currie  announced  his  location  here  and  his 
readiness  to  give  similar  instruction.  He  was 
located  at  Mrs.  Goldsberry's  just  across  the 
street  from  his  rival. 

The  piano  was  common  enough  at  that 
time.  The  first  one  was  brought  here  in 
1831,  b.v  James  I^lake  when  he  mari-ied,  and 
brought  his  young  wife  (IMiss  Eliza  Spronle, 
of  Baltimore)  to  this  isolated  frontier  town. 
No  doubt  it  was  a  solace  to  her,  as  well  as  a 
source  of  pleasure  to  tho.se  who  heard  her 
play;  and  it  was  destined  to  make  music  long 
after  it  knew  her  touch,  for  it  inspired  Dan 
Paine's  poem  "Da  Capo"',  which  ranks 
among  the  best  of  local  jiroductions,  and 
which  deserves  perpetuation  here: 

DA  CAPO. 

She  sat  at  the  old  piano. 

Her  fingers,  thin  and  pale. 
Ran  over  the  yellow  key-board 

The  chords  of  a  minor  scale. 

Her  hands  were  withered   and   slirunken. 

Her  fonii  with  age  was  lient ; 
They  seemed  twin  spirits  in  look  and  tone. 

Herself  and  the  instrument. 


*Journ(d.  Jiilv  1,  1851. 


For  the  instrunu'iit,  <iuaint  and  olden, 
With  its  single  tremulant  strings, 

Was  little  more  than  a  spirit, 

And  its  tone  seeiiictl  a  whirr  of  wings. 

And  she— the  keen  chisel  of  sorrow 

And  the  ci-uel  burin  of  care 
Had  cut  in  her  dear  old  features 

Deep  furrows,   here  and  there. 

Till   all    that    was   gross   and   earthly 
Had  been  chipped  and  smoothed  away. 

And   disclosed   the  patient  angel 
Behind  the  thin  mask  of  clay. 

She  paused:  and  with  upturned  features 

And  reminiscent  eyes 
Was  translated  in  one  brief  moment 

Back  to  young  life's  Paradise. 

«     •     • 

Xo  strain   from  the  old  tone-masters, 

No  burst  of  harmony  gi-and 
Sprang  from   the  old   ]iiano 

At  the  touch  of  that  magic  band: 

But  the  simi)le  airs  of  her  girlhood 

Ri])I)led  in  melody  sweet 
As  in  days  when  hei-  sky  was  all  sunshine, 

And  the  hours  were  as  hap]i>'  as  tlcet. 

And  s]>arkled  the  li'jht  that  vanished 
From  eyes  long  dried  of  tears, 

.And  twinkled  feet  to  her  nnisic 
That  have  moldcred  in  dust  for  years. 

.\nd  as  we  watched  and  li.stened. 
She  seemed  to  our  moistened  eyes 

Already   within   the   jtortals 
That  open  towai-ds  the  skies. 

\or  seemed  it  longer  a  maiwel 
That  when  in  the  morning  gray 

The  disciples  came  to  the  tomb  of  the  Lord, 
To  bear  the  body  away. 

They  found  but  his  cast-otV  gariiiciit 
With  its  odor  of  aloes  and  myrrh. 

And  the  stone  rolled  away  from  the  open  iloor 
Of  an  emptj'  sepulchre 

Other  pianos  followed  this  one,  and.  in 
1843,  Mr,  Parinalec  undertook  tlie  manufac- 
ture  of   pianos   at    this   jilacc.    and    proiluced 


.•)•?(! 


illSTOHV   OF  (iUEATER  TXDT.WAroTJS. 


some  whose  tones,  according:  to  the  Joiiinnl. 
were  ''equal,  if  not  superior  to  those  of  east- 
ern instruments,  such  as  are  •••enerally  in- 
tended for  the  western  mai-ket."''  This  enter- 
prise, however,  did  not  attain  any  material 
success;  noi-  diil  another  piano  factory  started 
some  twenty  years  Uiter  at  161  E.  Washing- 
ton  street  by  Traeyser  &  Robinson,  though 
the  pianos  of  this  firm  took  premiums  at  the 
State  Fair  of  1865,  not  only  for  the  best 
piano  made  in  the  state,  but  also  for  the  best 
square  piano  made  in  the  United  States,  and 
this  over  twenty-seven  competitors.  In  IS.'il. 
A.  G.  Willard.  who  was  conducting  a  dry 
goods  store,  opened  a  piano  ware-room  in 
connection  with  it.  opposite  the  Palmer 
House,  for  the  sale  of  Gilbert  &  Co.'s  pianos." 
His  success  invited  competition,  and.  in 
January.  1852.  Albert  E.  Jones  oi)ened  a 
music  store  under  ]\[asonic  Hall  for  the  sale 
of  all  sorts  of  musical  instruments  and  su])- 
plies,  and  as  the  special  agency  of  Chieker- 
ing's  pianos.  'j'his  firm  was  comparatively 
short-lived,  as  was  alsoi  the  music  store  of  A. 
G.  Crane  &  Co.,  which  was  established  in 
1855.  and  Willard — or,  as  the  firm  became. 
Willard  &  Stowell — had  a  practical  monopoly 
of  the  business  until  1865.  when  the  Ben- 
hams  established  their  store.  They  were  en- 
terprising and  popular,  and  gave  vigor  to 
local  musical  sentiment  by  starting,  in  1867, 
the  Western  Musical  Eevicir.  They  were 
succeeded  in  1878  by  J.  B.  Cameron,  and  in 
the  same  year  the  tirm  of  Theo.  Pfafflin  & 
Co.  was  started.  Prior  to  1878  there  had 
been  several  other  music  stores  established — 
Charles  Soehner.  in  1869;  D.  H.  Baldwin  & 
Co.,  in  1872 ;  and  Emil  Wulsehner  in  1877. 

There  was  a  notable  manifestation  of  lo- 
cal musical  aspiration  in  1851 :  for  in  that 
year  The  Handel  and  Haydn  Society  was 
organized,  and.  on  Decendier  2.  gave  its 
"fii-st  public  rehearsal''  at  Concert  Hall.  The 
Senthiel's  announcement  of  it  says:  "The 
jirogranune  embraces  a  great  part  of  Haydn 's 
sublime  Oratorio  of  The  Creation,  and  songs, 
overtures,  etc.,  from  the  most  popular  operas. 
.\mong  them  is  Russell's  song.  'Man  the  Life 
Boat',  which,  if  well  executed,  as  we  doubt 
not  it  will  be.  will   alone  be  worth  the  jirice 


^Journal.  October  4.  18-43. 
Vournal.  November  29,  1851. 


of  ad:iii>sl()ii.  The  Society  has  a  very  power- 
ful chorus,  supported  by  an  orchestra  com- 
])osed  of  musicians  who  are  among  the  best 
in  the  West.  We  hope,  as  this  society  is 
composed  of  our  fi'iends  and  neighbors,  that 
our  citizens  will  give  them  a  liberal  sup- 
l>ort.'"'  Cnfortunately  the  local  papers 
which  should  have  given  accounts  of  the 
concert,  and  something  about  the  societj'  it- 
self, were  filled  with  tiresome  messages  of 
the  Governor  and  President,  which  came 
along  .just  then,  and  so  this  announcement  is 
the  chief  contemporary  record.  However,  I 
have  found  one  surviving  mend)er.  'Sirs.  S.  L. 
Hall,  of  Terre  Haute  (^Miss  Sarah  Mears), 
who  was  the  youngest  mendiei'  of  the  organi- 
/atiiin.  and  she  wi'itcs  mc  (  n  Januarv  31. 
1910: 

"As  I  rcciillcct.  Mi'ssrs.  Ddwnic  and  Currie 
or>;anized  the  society,  and  it  c(  ntinued  about 
two  years.  They  were  nuisic  teachers  in  In- 
dianajxilis.  .A[r.  Downie  married  ]\Ielissa 
(oildsberi'y,  :uid  .Mr.  Currie  married  ^lary 
Switzcr.  1  thiid<  the  members  of  'the  Beeeh- 
er  choir"  were  all  members  of  this— Mrs.  Ack- 
ley  only  a  short  time  because  of  her  leaving 
Indiana])olis.  The  ilisses  Bassett  were  most 
enthusiastic  members,  and  IMiss  Julia  Bas- 
sett took  Mrs.  Ackley's  place  as  our  best 
mezzo-soprano,  her  sister  being  one  of  the 
leading  contraltos.  I  think  that  Mr.  Love 
Jameson  was  one  of  our  most  enthusiastic 
members.  .Mr.  Albert  Willard.  son  of  A.  (i. 
Willard.  was  also  a  membei'.  .Mr.  Edwin 
Coburn.  Dr.  Xewcomei-,  and  a  .Mi'.  Bowes,  of 
IMichigan  City,  were  mendiers,  as  I  remem- 
ber. I  was  the  youngest  mendier.  and  left 
Indianapolis  in  1852  to  go  East  to  school, 
and  so  can  tell  nothing  of  its  passing  away". 

The  society  gave  three  more  concerts  that 
winter,  on  January  18.  Februai'y  21.  and 
jMarch  2,  all  of  which  received  tlattei-ing  no- 
tices, but  without  much  infornudion  except 
as  to  the  reiiortei-"s  ideas  of  the  nnisic.  Occa- 
sionally these  apj)eal  to  the  uneducated  of 
later  date.  One  of  the  popular  numbei"s  in 
the.se  concei-ts— it  was  I'epeated  in  all  of 
them  — was  "Man  the  Life  Boat",  in  which 
Professor  Downie  sang  the  leading  part.  The 
Jminitil  critic  said  of  it:  "I  am  no  .iudge 
of  such  pieces  as  'Man  the   Life  Boat,'  par- 


~S(iitiiiil.    Peeember 


1851. 


iiisToK'v  OF  (;i;i:.\'ii:i;  ixdi.wai'oi.is. 


lietihirly  wlu-ii  the  ImimI  liiis  tn  stop  and  make 
i-i'C'onnoitcfiiit;-  nf  iiuiltcrs.  whilst  the  man  at 
tlie  helm  ii\n<ss  tliiri'  oi'   I'luii-  times  over — 

■  Ah.  st'i'.  one  stands 

And  wi'inys  his  iiands 

Amidst   the   tempest    wild. 

For  on  the  heaeli 

lie  eannot  reach 

He  sees  his  wife  and  child'." 

'{"here  are  others  wild  have  wnndeied  why. 
at  the  most  critical  inonient.  the  movement  of 
an  operatic  trai.'ed.\'  is  made  to  stop  while 
somebody  sinys  ;i  soni;.  oi-  the  chorus  takes  a 
turn.  But  the  notices  usually  were  alto- 
gether eom|dimentary,  the  sinurers  who  were 
pa!-tieularly  mentioned  beinp:  ^Ir.  and  ilrs. 
Dowide.  iliss  Clears,  the  blisses  Ba.ssett  and 
Love  Jameson.  The  membership  of  this  so- 
eiet.v  was  between  forty  and  fifty,  and  in- 
cluded most  of  the  musical  taU'nt  of  the  city. 
The  selections  yiven  wei'e  ehietly  from  the 
best  oi-alorios  and  ojx'ras,  interspersed  with 
popular  song's  of  the  better  class,  especiall.v 
duets,  trios  and  ((uartets.  On  one  occasion 
the  society  sany'  thi-ee  of  the  poems  of  Mrs. 
Bolton,  which  1  ad  been  set  to  music  by  Pro- 
fessors Downii:  and  Curi-ie.  The  Beecher 
ehoii-.  most  of  whose  mendiers  were  also  meni- 
hei-s  of  the  Handel  and  Haydn  Society,  was 
•  piite  a  notable  oriianizatipn  itself.  A.  G. 
\Villai-(l  was  the  leader.  The  leadinjj  soprano, 
and  briirht,  particular  star,  was  iMrs.  Dr. 
Ackley,  who  was  a  dauy:hter  of  Professor 
Baldwin,  the  first  president  of  Wabash, 
Ainong  the  men  w'ho  were  members  were 
Jolui  L.  Ket<'ham.  Alex.  Davidson  (sou-indaw 
of  (iovei'nor  Xotile)  and  Lawrence  Vance. 

In  musical  criticism,  Berry  Snlprrove  was, 
at  this  time,  monarch  of  all  he  surveyed,  as 
also  in  art,  architecture  and  literature.  He 
wrote  for  both  the  JokiiiiiI  and  the  Locomo- 
tive, and  was  almost  certainly  the  author  of 
the  unsif,'ned  articles  on  musical  affairs  that 
ajipeared  in  them.  There  was  a  state  assem- 
bly of  brass  bands  on  Febi'uary  22,  1853,  in 
which  twelve  bands  gave  a  .joint  concert,  and 
then  contested  for  a  prize.  It  was  a  great 
occasion.  Lieutenant-CJovernor  AVillard  made 
the  weleominy-  address,  and  William  Wallac<' 
presented  the  [)ri/.e  banner  in  a  speech 
"whiidi  di'cw  the  lireathless  attention  of  the 


entire  audience",  and  is  published  in  full  in 
the  Locomotive  of  February  2(i.  On  this 
occasion  Berry  was  one  of  the  .judges;  and 
])robably  wrote  most  of  what  appeared  in  the 
two  i)apers  concerninir  it.  He  appears  tti 
have  been  the  sole  .judge  at  a  sinnlar  contest 
held  on  November  29,  of  the  same  yeai-.  ^ 
A  good  idea  of  the  local  nnisicai  advancement 
may  be  had  from  two  or  three  extracts  from 
critical  articles,  all  apparently  from  his  pen. 
First  ;t  notice  of  .leniiy  Liiid's  concert  at 
.Madison  : 

"On  last  Friday  we  went  to  .Madison,  in 
company  with  about  forty  from  this  city,  to 
hear  .Jenny  Liiid  sing.  We  expected  to  lieai' 
singing  that  surpasseil  anything  we  had  ever 
heard— perhaps  we  did.  but  we  have  been 
better  pleased  at  concerts  bv  singers  of  less 
note.  Jenny  lias  a  powerful,  musical  voice, 
with  complete  conniiand  of  it.  and  i)ossesses 
the  powei'  of  w.irbling,  with  all  manner  of 
variations.  She  is  irood-looking.  without  be- 
ing particularly  alti-active  — a  little  above  the 
medium  height  — fair  hair,  light  complexion, 
bhu'  I'yes,  and  very  graceful.  When  she  ap- 
])eared.  she  leoki'd  as  if  it  required  an  effort 
to  sing  before  so  large  an  audience,  but  this 
soon  wore  off  after  she  commenced.  She  was 
dressed  richly,  without  man.v  ornaments. 

"The  orchestia  — fifteen  in  numbei-  — were 
of  the  best  nnisicians — they  piM'foriiied  to 
perfection— but  unisic  lost  its  chariri  in  the 
'Jenny  Lind  Hall'— they  saw  this— they 
knew  it  — and  their  frequent  glances  at  the 
roof,  the  sides,  the  posts  and  cross-ties,  and 
their  laugh  whenevei-  the  eye  of  one  wordd 
detect  the  other  examining  these,  plainly 
showed  that  they  pitied  the  city  and  peoi)le 
that  could  not  atVord  a  better  building  for 
them  to  exercise  their  talents  in. 

"Of  the  building  we  must  give  a  descrip- 
tion—it was  built  for  a  pork  house,  and  was 
used  foi-  such.  It  is  a  large  frame  building, 
composed  of  the  frame,  outside  weather 
boards,  and  shingled  roof,  uneeiled  and  with- 
out plastering.  Along  the  centre  is  two  rows 
of  i-ough  |)osts.  held  together  by  cross-ties  as 
I'ougli.  supporting  a  i-oof  with  rafters  still 
rougher.  Back  and  over  the  stage,  and  for 
ten  feet  fiom  it  on  each  side,  was  papered  — 


'  Loeomotive.  December  ^^.  18"):?:  Sittgrnve's 
liidiniiiijwlis,  p.  21)3. 


538 


lllSTUlir  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


the  balance  was  white-washed,  inside  and  out. 
The  only  building  it  will  compare  with  in  this 
city  is  Browning's  stable— if  the  mow  and 
stalls  were  taken  out,  they  wovUd  look  vei-y 
much  alike — our  readers  can  form  some  idea 
of  the  effect  music  would  have  in  such  a 
building".'' 

This  includes  every  word  that  was  said 
about  Jenny  Lind's  singing.  On  November 
24,  185],  ]\[adame  Anna  Bishop  and  troupe 
appeared  at  ^Masonic  Hall,  on  her  "farewell 
tour,"  and  the  high  grade  of  the  performance 
was  guaranteed  by  ' '  admission,  $1 ;  reserved 
seats,  $2."  The  Journal's  critique  of  the 
performance  said : 

"We  were  disappointed  in  Madame 
Bishop's  personal  appearance.  She  is  de- 
cidedly coarse  in  appearance,  and  does  not 
produce  at  tirst  a  very  favorable  impression 
on  an  audience.  There  are  various  opinions 
in  relation  to  her  voice. — Some  take  excep- 
tions to  certain  peculiarities,  but  we  think  all 
will  agree  that  in  the  whole  round  of  operatic 
and  ballad  singing  ]\radame  Bishop  is  ex- 
celled by  very  few  contemporary  vocalists — 
that  the  defective  features  in  her  voice  are 
more  than  counterbalanced  by  the  sweetness, 
steadiness  and  strength  of  most  of  her  tones, 
and  her  musical  skill.  Many  of  her  pieces 
were  loudly  applauded  and  most  of  them  en- 
cored.—Her  'Sweet  Home'  was  enthusiastic- 
ally received,  though  some  say  it  lacked  senti- 
ment. The  artistic  execution  was  very  fine. 
We  must  confess  that  we  do  not  like  her 
style  of  ballad  singing  as  well  as  that  of 
Madame  Ablamowicz.  and,  perhaps,  one  or 
two  other  vocalists  we  have  heard.  We  will 
not  attempt  to  criticize  her  operatic  perform- 
ances, for  the  simple  reason  that  we  are  not 
entirely  capable.  They  produced  as  good  an 
effect  on  the  audience  as  we  anticipated,  con- 
sidering that  musical  taste  is  not  cultivated 
generally  in  our  new  city  sufficiently  to  fully 
appreciate  the  highest  descriptions  of  music. 
We  will  only  say  that  our  best  musical  ama- 
teurs were  highly  delighted  with  'Casta  Diva.' 
'Lucia  di  Lamniermoor'.  'The  Mexican  Girl', 
and  'Linda  di  Chainouni'. 

"Signorina  Lavinia  Bandini,  the  young 
violinist,  wielded  a  magie  bow,  and  brought 
such    music    from    her    'Cremona'    as    would 


make  a  cross-roads  fiddler  'back  square  out'. 
Mr.  Bochsa,  director  for  the  troupe,  presided 
at  the  piano.  He  ably  assisted  the  other  per- 
formers in  their  parts  with  this  favorite  in- 
strument, and  in  his  'Bagatelles  Improvisees', 
or,  as  near  as  we  can  translate  it,  his  Extem- 
poraneous Trifles,  he  brought  down  the  house 
in  a  torrent  of  applause,  as  a  medlej'  consist- 
ing of  'Yankee  Doodle',  'Hail  Columbia', 
"Star  Spangled  Banner',  etc.,  etc.,  with  bril- 
liant variations,  leaped  from  under  his  facile 
fingers.  Such  tunes  are  'household  words'  to 
most  of  us  Hoosiers,  and  we  can  appreciate 
them  either  on  the  fife  and  drum  or  highly 
embellished  with  variations.  Last,  though  not 
least,  comes  Herr  Julius  Seide,  the  flutist. 
He  played  several  i)ie('es  in  a  manner  that 
has  never  been  heard  in  this  'wooden  couii- 
ti-\'.  It  is  useless  to  attempt  a  description. 
With  no  apparent  effort  he  called  music 
from  the  flute  which  we  have  never  heard 
equaled".^" 

The  Madame  Ablamowicz  referred  to  .sang 
at  :\rasonic  Hall  ^March  16-18,  1852,  and  thy 
Journal  said:  "This  lady  achieved  a  com- 
plete triumph  on  Tuesday  evening,  command- 
ing the  enthusiasm  of  a  large,  fashionable, 
and  discriminating  audience.  She  labored 
under  the  disadvantage  of  having  no  other 
vocalist  to  assist  her.  The  programme,  too, 
was  a  ditficult  one.  Here  an  Italian  piece 
from  an  opera,  there  a  Scotch  war  song— 
here  a  favorite  piece  of  Carrie's  (local  music 
teacher)  and  there  a  merry  Scotch  or  Irish 
ballad.  Success  in  such  a  varied  field  cer- 
tainly could  hardly  be  anticipated,  yet  suc- 
cess Madame  A.  certainly  had.  Her  Italian 
pieces  elicited,  from  the  best  musical  critics 
pi-esent,  unqualified  eulogy.  Of  her  ballads, 
our  judgment  is  that  her  etjual  has  never  ap- 
peared before  our  public.  In  the  'Vale  of 
Avoca',  every  syllable  that  she  utters  gushes, 
it  would  seem,  from  her  very  heart,  and  the 
hearer  that  thrills  not  with  emotion  beneath 
the  spell  must  be  more  insensible  than  marble 
itself.  This  ballad,  though  we  never  liked  it 
before,  was  here  rapturously  encored ;  and 
when,  in  its  stead,  she  playfully  substituted 
another  Irish  ballad,  'Rory  O 'Moore',  it  pro- 
duced an  excellent  effect.  But  of  all  her 
ballads,  the  singing  of  the  'Lass  O'Gowrie' 


'Locomotive,  April  19,  18.51. 


"Journal,  November  26,  1851. 


IIlSl(ii;V   OF  GliKATER    INDIANAPOLIS. 


529 


pleased  us  iiicisl.  Madaiin'  A. \s  voice  is  re- 
markable for  its  power  and  sweetness,  and 
lias  Ix'en  cultivated  to  perfection.  To  this  is 
added  a  eoui'teous  desire  to  oblige,  as  evi- 
denced ill  the  i-ei)etiti()n  of  pieces,  and  a  per- 
fectly cdiiiposed  and  refined  demeanor".'' 

Tint  one  eompi-tent  laborer  had  ali'eady  ap- 
peared in  this  almost  virsiu  field,  and  that 
was  T'rof.  Peter  Roebuck  Pearsall,  who  for 
over  thirty  years  instructed  Indiana])olis  in 
rausie,  though  he  was  .57  years  of  age  when 
he   came.     lie  arrived   in    Indianapolis  Feb- 


PROF.    PETER    ROEBUCK    PEARSALL. 

ruary  9,  1A47:  his  last  concert  was  on  Feb- 
ruary 9,  187S.  On  the  18th  of  the  following 
month  he  was  stricken  with  paralysis,  while 
in  Benhani's  music  .store,  and  died  on  the 
23d,  moiii-ned  by  Ihc  whole  community.  Not 
only  ■■;  competent  musician,  but  a  man  of 
high  character,  and  a  Chesterfield  in  nian- 
nei-s,  he  had  won  his  way  to  many  hearts 
during  his  long  i-csidence.  lie  became  the 
organist  at  Beechei  's  old  church  in  1848.  and 
in  1854  went  tn  Christ  Church,  where  he  re- 


''Journal.    Man-b    1  s:,    1S.')2. 
Vol.  I— :!4 


maiued  while  in  active  work.  Wliile  he 
I)layed  other  instniments.  the  organ  was  the 
one  at  which  he  excelled.  lie  began  its  study 
when  he  entered  Xa/.areth  Hall,  Nazareth, 
Penn.,  in  1798,  a  boy  of  eight  years,  and  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  was  made  organist  of  the 
school.  He  went  back  there  to  a  reunion  in 
1873,  being  then  the  oldest  hall  boy  living, 
and  played  on  the  instrument  on  which  he 
had  learned  to  play.  His  concerts  were  the 
chief  local  musical  events  for  more  than 
twenty  years.  Added  to  his  talent,  and  his 
charming  personality,  he  was  a  veteran  of 
the  \Var  of  18T2:  anil  altogether  it  is  very 
natural  that  "Father  Pearsall'"  holds  a  warm 
place  in  the  memories  of  the  older  residents 
of  Indianapolis. 

The  development  of  musical  culture  from 
18.j1  on  was  a  thing  of  slow  growth,  with 
several  contributing  causes.  The  early  work 
of  the  (ierman  musical  societies  is  mentioned 
elsewhere,  and  it  no  doubt  had  an  inspiring 
ett'ect  in  other  than  (ierman  circles.  The 
opening  of  railroad  communication  with  the 
outside  world  gave  the  town  a  higher  grade 
of  musical  entertainments.  The  first  of  these 
that  caused  .special  note  was  a  concert  by  Ole 
Hull,  on  his  first  western  tour,  on  December 
().  1853.  With  him  were  ilaurice  Strakosch 
as  pianist,  and  Adelina  Patti,  his  sister-in- 
law,  then  only  ten  years  old,  who  was  aston- 
ishing the  country  with  her  singing.  Later 
came  numerous  musicians,  vocal  and  instru- 
mental, who  were  touring  the  country,  and 
probably  none  attracted  more  notice  than  The 
Black  Swan.  She  was  a  very  dai-k  lirunette, 
otherwise  known  as  ^liss  fireenfield,  who  had 
made  rpiite  a  sensation  abroad  as  well  as  in 
the  Ea.st,  and  whom  Harriet  Beechcr  Stowe 
mentioned  as  liavini;'  won  hisrh  commendation 
by  her  singing  at  the  Duchess  of  Suther- 
land's. She  sang  here  first  on  May  2.  18.55, 
and  the  critics  noticed  her  remarkable  eom- 
pa.ss  "from  a  deep  bass  to  a  high  treble"'.  A 
Sandusky  paper  having  (iiiestioncd  the  pi'o- 
[iriety  of  lier  title:  and  having  aske<l  whether 
swans  ever  sing,  and  whether  she  was  a 
"neirre.ss  of  beautiful  foiin  aii<l  uraeeful 
mien",  the  Locomolivr  i-cjilii'd: 

"There  is  an  Australian  swan  which  is 
l»lack,  and  this  Miss  (Irccnlicld  is  so  lilack 
that  charcoal  will  make  a  white  mark  on  her. 
The  mu.sic  of  a  swan,  as  we  understand  it,  is 


530 


HISTOIIV  OP  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


;i  cross  between  the  i|uaekjn^  of  a  duck  ;iinl 
the  liissiii.ff  of  a  goose,  but  this  blaek  swan 
can  pom-  out  musical  sounds  like  an  ebony 
nuisical  box  —  and  with  just  as  much  genius 
or  soul.  Her  form  is  of  the  squat  order,  and 
her  mien  of  the  waddle  style.  The  editor  in 
the  interior,  who  said  that  the  Blaek  Swan 
rivals  Jenny  Lind,  forms  his  estimate  of 
music  friim  quantity,  not  quality.  The  Swan, 
like  many  other  good  singers,  has  any  amount 
of  music  in  her  lunus,  with  but  little  in  her 
sour'.'  = 

A  notable  evidence  of  higher  musical  as- 
piration came  at  the  beginning  of  ^May,  1856, 
when  a  committee  composed  of  L.  H.  Jame- 
son. J.  L.  Ketcham,  A.  G.  Willard.  Chas.  N. 
Todd.  11.  F.  Smith,  J.  J.  Drum,  and  G.  S. 
Braun.  ainiounced  a  nuisical  convention,  with 
sessions  of  four  days  and  four  nights,  begin- 
ning May  18.  Prof.  Geo.  F.  Root,  then  of 
New  York,  was  secured  as  director  and  in- 
structor, and  music  teachers,  choir  leaders, 
and  friends  of  music  generally  were  invited: 
the  course  charge  being  $1  for  ladies  and  $2 
for  gentlemen.  It  was  specially  noted  that 
"attention  will  be  given  to  vocal  training, 
time  keeping,  intonation,  style  and  expres- 
sion, in  connection  with  choir  and  congrega- 
tional singing,  and  glee  and  chorus  practice". 
The  convention  was  very  successful,  and 
wound  up  with  two  concerts,  in  which  the 
solo  singino-  of  ]\riss  Twining,  of  Crawfords- 
ville.  and  iliss  Bassett.  of  Indianapolis,  were 
particularly  complimented.  But  the  conven- 
tion was  not  repeated,  and  there  is  no  record 
of  any  other  attempt  at  concerted  work, 
beyond  choir  and  cla.ss  practice,  for  more 
than  a  decade.  In  the  spring  of  1859  In- 
dianajiolis  had  its  tirst  performance  of  full 
opera  by  Coojier's  English  Opera  Troupe,  at 
the  ^retropolitan.  Annie  Milner  was  the 
prima  donna-,  and  the  company  gave  Bellini's 
"La  Somnambula"  on  April  2.  Donizetti's 
"Love  Spell"  (L'Elisir  d'Ainore)  <m  April 
4.  and  his  "Daughter  of  the  RegiTuent"  on 
April  5.  The  performances  wei-e  kindly  no- 
ticed, but  do  not  appear  to  have  been  as  well 
patronized  as  either  Christy's  ^Finstrels  or 
The  Peake  Family  of  Swiss  Bell  Ringers, 
which  followed  in  the  same  week. 

There    were    various    teachei-s    of    instrii- 


-l,orn»iiifiri .  'S\nv  .").  1855. 


mental  and  vocal  music,  most  of  them  not 
tarrying  long,  until  I'rof.  P.  R.  Pearsall  came 
in  1847.  He  contributed  materially  to  musi- 
cal progress  by  private  lessons  for  a  number 
of  years,  and  his  daughter.  ]\Irs.  Fleming, 
who  sang  in  the  Episcopalian  choir,  was  one 
of  the  best  anuiteurs  in  the  city.  But,  with 
the  exception  of  the  convention  of  185(5,  the 
work  was  almost  wholly  personal,  the  choir 
work  being  the  widest  divergence,  until  Prof. 
J.  S.  Tilack  came  to  the  city  in  1867.  Profes- 
soi-  Black  is  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  had 
attained  rank  as  a  musical  instructor  at  New- 
York,  Philadelphia  and  Rochester  before 
coming  here.  His  classes  were  popular,  and 
concerts  given  b.y  them  in  1868,  1869  and  the 
spring  of  1870  were  hailed  as  great  successes, 
the  prominent  feature  being  the  concerted 
singing.  In  October,  1870.  Prof.  R.  W.  Sea- 
ger  came  here  and  on  the  19th,  20th  and  21st 
gave  the  Oi-atorio  of  Esther  at  the  Academy 
of  ^Music,  with  local  talent,  there  being  70 
adults  and  50  children  in  the  company.  Pro- 
fessor Black  joined  enthu.siastieally  in  the 
enterprise,  lakinu-  the  part  of  "King  Ahasue- 
rus".  and  nearly  all  of  his  pupils  partici- 
pated. ]Mrs.  H.  C.  Hopkins  was  "Queen 
Esther";  ^[iss  Nellie  Ballard,  the  prophetess; 
Oscar  Stone.  "Haman",  and  E.  C.  ^layhew. 
"^lordecai'":  while  ]\Irs.  Alice  Porter.  ]Mi.ss 
Hester  Cox  (S|)ades),  IMiss  Grace  Wilson, 
ami  ^Fi-s.  J.  J.  Lodtre  won  many  compliments. 
The  att'air  was  so  satisfactory  to  all  con- 
cerned that  a  month  later  the  Choral  Union 
was  organized,  with  Professor  Black  as  di- 
rector until  1877.  when  he  went  South,  and 
leiiiained  ten  years  before  returning  to  In- 
dianapolis. After  his  departure  Emil  Wulseh- 
ner  was  director  for  a  year;  Professors  Leck- 
ner  and  Ernestinoff  for  a  year.  Professor 
Beissenherz  for  a  year. 

The  Choral  T^nion  was  the  great  training 
school  of  Indianapolis  in  concerted  nuisic. 
The  first  year  it  studi(>d  glees,  opera  choruses. 
Hies's  cantata  "The  Moi-ning".  and  Rom- 
berg's "Transient  and  Eternal".  The  second 
year  was  devoted  to  Haydn's  "Creation"; 
and  the  third  year  to  Handel's  "^lessiah". 
In  1874  there  was  a  notable  activity  in  local 
nnisieal  life.  On  May  6  was  Professor 
l^lack's  seventh  annual  concert,  in  w-hieh  not 
iinly  piTsent  i)ni>i]s  took  part,  but  also  his 
former  pn])ils.  ^Frs.  IT.  ("'.  H(i]ikins.  ^Irs.  E. 


HISTOJJY   OF  GKEATKi;   JM)IA.\A1'()I.IS. 


.-i:n 


\V.  Halford,  and  Miss  Jennie  Hull,  of  New 
Voi-k.  On  May  19  came  "Father  Pearsall's 
benefit",  in  which  all  musieal  Indianapolis 
partieipated.  One  of  its  features  was  a  duet 
■'Canuval  of  Veniee"'  bv  ■('harles  Soehner 
,ind  Fathei-  Pearsall.  iniisie  teaehers  in  this 
lily  2o  years  ago".  Strakoseh  was  here  on 
May  28  and  29  with  Pauline  Lueea  in  grand 
Italian  opera.  On  June  2,  3  and  4  came  the 
iirst  ■'. Music  Festival"  of  Indianapolis,  given 
hy  the  Choral  Fnion.  with  the  orchestral 
music  hy  the  local  i'hil harmonic  Society,  the 
only  outside  attraction  beinir  the  Boston 
Ouartette,  :\Irs.  H.  ^r.  Smith.  :\rrs.  Flora  E. 
liarry.  .1.  Nelson  Varley,  and  -M.  W.  Whitney. 
'I'liose  last  took  the  solo  parts  in  "The  Crea- 
tion", which  was  given  the  first  night,  and 
the  ■■  Messiah  ■'.  on  the  second  night;  and  on 
till'  third  night  gave  a  grand  concert. 

'riit'  festival  was  a  pronounced  success,  and 
the  Choral  Fnion  uave  anothei-  on  May  17, 
18  and  19,  187.').  at  the  Academy  of  Music. 
The  opening  niudit  was  devoted  to  Haydn's 
oratoi-io  "Till-  Seasons":  the  second  to  selec- 
tions t'i-om  the  "^^essiah":  and  the  third  to 
:i  concert  b.v  the  solo  artists.  ^Frs.  If.  M. 
Smith.  Miss  Emma  Cranch.  AViri.  .1.  Winch 
;nid  M.  W.  Whitney.  While  a  comph'te  suc- 
rcss  fi-om  ;i  musical  point  of  view,  the  festi- 
\al  was  a  failure  financially.  In  consequence 
the  Fnion  contented  itself  in  1S7()  with  the 
production  of  Handel's  "Judas  ^Maccabeus" 
at  the  First  Baptist  Church,  on  :\Iay  2fi,  with 
no  im|)ortcd  singers  but  ^Mi-.  Whitnev  and 
M.  L.  Wheeler,  of  Chicago.  This  ycai'  also 
there  was  a  split  in  the  Ch<irMl  Fnion,  ;i  innii- 
her  of  nieurbers  withdi'awing  and  organi/.inir 
the  Hai'Mionic  .Society  with  Prof.  W.  H. 
Clarke  a.s  director.  This  societ.v  produced  the 
oratorio  of  Naaman  at  the  Grand  Opera 
House,  on  ^fay  30,  assisted  by  the  Indian- 
apolis Orchestra  which  had  been  organized 
a  few  7i)onths  earlier  by  Prof.  Ora  Pearson. 
Mrs.  BaiMiieicr.  ^liss  Sallic  Binirham.  and 
^^essI•s.  Peters.  Vaughan.  Williams  and  Pro- 
fessor Looniis  took  the  leading  parts.  Iiiniic- 
diately  aftei-  came  what  were  practicall.v  two 
rival  concert.s,  that  of  Pearson's  Indianapolis 
Orchestra  on  May  31,  and  Professor  Black's 
annual  on  June  (i.  The  natural  tendency  of 
the  rupture  to  in.iui-e  the  success  of  all  these 
cITiirts  was  added  to  by  the  presence  of  .Mice 
Ojitrs  with  liiT  coiiiii'  opera  troupe,  wliicli  "ms 


then  at  its  best,  and  at  its  best  was  e.Ktremelv 
I)opular  here.  In  fa<-t,  this  company  may  be 
said  to  have  intnxluced  ojn-ra  boutVe  to"  In- 
dianapolis, and  many  theater-goers  of  that 
period  maintain  that  there  has  never  since 
been  one  that  equaled  it. 

In  1877  music  was  in  the  air.  The  local 
effort  opened  with  a  benefit  to  Professor 
Clarke  by  the  Harmonic  Society,  on  Jlay  15. 
The  Jouniat  said  "the  audience  was  pain- 
fidly  small,  but  e.\cruciatini;ly  select";  and 
that  l'rofes,sor  Clarke  explained  that  "tlie 
l)ai-ty  on  the  stage  were  the  pei-fonners,  for 
fear  of  mi.stake".  On  the  2;')th  the  Cecilian 
(dee  Club  gave  a  complinientaiy  benefit  to  its 
leader.  Frank  Scott.  On  June  1  the  operetta 
(if  "(ienevieve''  was  given  by  a  company  of 
forty  local  singeis,  under  Prof.  Ora  Pearson, 
at  the  (irand.  This  occasion  was  notable  as 
the  debut  of  Miss  Lavonne  Kaekley  (a  sister 
of  .Marirarct  Reid  Kackle.v.  now  ^[rs.  Stem), 
who  took  the  leading  character,  though  then 
a  nnss  of  only  sixteen  years,  and  carried  it 
with  great  success.  On  June  12  the  Choral 
T'nion  gave  Mendelssohn's  oratorio  of  "Eli- 
jah", at  the  First  Baptist  Church,  with  Mr. 
Whitnev  as  "Eli.jah"  the  other  outside  sing- 
ers bciiiir  W.  II  Kcssenden  and  ;\Iiss  Laura 
^r.  Cooke.  In  1S7S.  Professor  Black  having 
gone  South,  and  Profe-ssor  Clarke  having  re- 
signed, the  two  societies  got  together  for  a 
.ioint  concert  at  Roberts  Park  Church  on 
Jtnie  28,  They  took  up  Ha.vdn's  "First 
Mass",  undi'r  the  lcMd(>rshiii  of  Emil  Wulsch- 
nci-  of  the  (Jhoral  Fnion.  and  had  rehearsals 
at  llarmiinic  Hall -old  Trinity  Church,  cor- 
ner of  .\orlh  and  .Mabanui  street.s.  The  con- 
cert was  "a  great  success  in  everything  but 
attendance".  The  tnith  is  that  "hard  times" 
was  having  a  very  marked  elVect  in  Indian- 
apolis in  the  later  seventies,  and  people  did 
not  Sfjuander  nnich  money  foi-  amusements. 
.Vi'vcrthelcsis.  both  societies  came  to  the  front 
in  1879.  the  Choral  T'tdon  <_'iving  Haydn's 
"Cr-eation"  at  the  (Irand  on  June  2.  and  the 
Harmonic  jjroducing  the  caidata  of  "St,  Ce- 
cilia's Day"  on  June  3.  at  llai-monic  Hall, 
which  p'M-formances  nia.v  be  regarded  as  tlte 
"last  words"  of  the  two  oru'ani/ations. 

In  1880  the  chief  musienl  event  was  the 
Maennerchor's  festival  of  Jime  18-20.  in 
celebration  of  its  twcnty-lil'tb  anniversary. 
This  was  done  on  an  impri'ssive  scale,  tln'  ini- 


532 


HISTORY   OF  GREATEK  INDIANAPOLIS. 


ported  taleut  being  Lilliau  Stoddard.  ^Inie. 
S.  J.  Friedenheiiner.  Emma  Craneh,  H.  A. 
Bischoff.  J.  F.  Riidolphsen.  aud  Echborn's 
Louisville  Orchestra  of  48  men.  In  this  year 
also  began  a  new  era  in  Indianapolis  music 
with  the  amateur  production,  on  February  13 
and  14,  of  "'The  Proff  Opera",  for  the  benefit 
of  the  Oi-phan  Asylum.  A  number  of  the 
performers  were  members  of  the  Light  In- 
fantry, and  under  the  influence  of  the  "Pina- 
fore" craze,  which  liad  then  set  in  strongly, 
this  military  orsanization  took  on  an  opera 
boulTfe  existence.  On  January  13-15,  1881, 
the  Light  Infantry  gave  "Pinafore"  at  Eng- 
lish's, the  characters  all  being  taken  by  men. 
and  "Pink"  Hall,  Jud  Colgan,  Bert"  Eddy 
and  othei-s  added  to  their  luster  a.s  star  per- 
formers. It  was  a  great  success,  and  a  re- 
turn engagement  followed,  in  which,  however, 
there  was  a  slight  change.  At  the  la.st  mo- 
ment ^Ir.  0.  W.  Williams,  the  "Josephine" 
of  the  company,  contracted  quinzy.  and  a 
telegram  to  Chicago  brought  jMrs.  McWade 
("Ada  Somers"),  who  took  the  part.^=  De- 
cember 8-10,  1881.  the  Light  Infantry  gave 
"The  Pirates  of  Penzance"  at  English's,  but 
this  with  ladies  in  the  cast.  Mrs.  Spades  and 
^Trs.  Bailey  singing  the  leading  parts.  This 
was  repeated  on  January  2,  at  a  benefit  for 
Prof.  Ora  Pearson. 

By  this  time  the  light  opera  furore  was  al- 
most universal,  and  Professor  Pearson  or- 
ganized the  Indianapolis  Opera  Company,  on 
a  more  ambitious  basis.  April  18-19.  1882, 
it  gave  "The  Chimes  of  Nonnandy"  at  the 
Grand,  with  ^Irs.  Enrique  ^Tiller,  ^li's.  Leon 
Bailey,  Professor  Pearson  and  O.  W.  "Will- 
iams in  the  leading  parts.  This  organization 
held  together  for  some  time.  ]Most  of  the 
members  took  nart  in  "The  Naiad  Queen", 
which  was  produced  through  the  week  begin- 
ning April  9.  1883.  under  direction  of  Ai'thur 
C.  McKnielit  of  Wasbincton  City.  But  the 
company  had  its  own  enterprises  also,  and  on 
:May  11  and  12  produced  "Fra  Diavolo"  at 
the  Grand,  bringing  "\Ym.  Ca.stle.  of  the  Ab- 
bott Company,  from  Chicago,  to  do  the  musi- 
cal bandit.  The  other  leading  characters 
wei-e  as  in  "The  Chimes  of  Normandy",  and 
the  othcT-s  would  be  lost  to  fame,  but  that 
]\rrs.  T;each.  the  c\istodian  of  th(>  Grand,  has 


''Hrrahl.  Jatuiarv  22.  1881. 


preserved  the  old  prograunnes.  Among  the 
characters  are  the  well-known  Indianapolis 
names  of  Dudie  I\IcGuire,  Julia  Elliott,  Net- 
tie Johnson,  Blanche  Dollens,  Jennie  Gold- 
thwaite,  ^Irs.  Ida  Grav  Scott,  Mamie  "\Val- 
laek.  Adele  Wallack,  Sam  Carey.  Ferd  L. 
flayer,  Chas.  B.  Foster.  W.  Deil.  Hooper, 
Sam  D.  ililler  and  Thos.  Eastman.  After 
this  there  was  a  lull  in  light  opera,  but  it 
was  revived  later  under  Professor  Ernesti- 
noff.  On  March  5-6,  1886.  "The  Mikado" 
was  given  with  Lulu  Burt  ("Helen  Ber- 
tram"), ]Mrs.  Bailey,  Fred  Loomis  and  Sam 
L.  Morrison  in  the  leading  parts:  and  Feb- 
ruary 22-23.  1889,  "The  Pirates  of  Pen- 
zance" was  given  ■with  'Sirs.  Bailey  and  T.,eo- 
nore  Snyder  as  leading  ladies. 

During  all  this  time  there  was  on  organ- 
ization that  clung  to  higher  musical  culture, 
and  that  was  the  Matinee  .Musicale.  which 
was  organized  in  1876.  and  which  has  l<ept 
steadily  on  with  its  fortnightly  meetings, 
stimulating  musical  taste,  and  encouraging 
young  nnisicians  to  persevere.  It  also  pro- 
moted acquaintance  and  friendliness  among 
the  musical,  and  that  is  important:  for 
though  music  nuiy  have  charms  to  soothe  the 
savage  breast,  it  does  not  seem  to  have  that 
effect  on  its  producers,  ^lusieians.  on  the 
average,  are  "scrappy"  enough  to  be  con- 
sidered natural  Democrats.  The  clergyinan 
was  both  wise  and  witty  who  referred  to  his 
choir  as  "the  Deiiartment  of  War".  It  was 
this  tendency  that  made  every  musical  or- 
ganization in  Indianapolis  comparatively 
short-lived,  except  the  ^Maennerchor :  and  it 
survives,  after  ^inwv  troublous  times,  most 
l)robably  because  it  had  outside  animosities 
to  engage  the  attention  of  its  membci-s.  and 
di'aw  Ihem  together.  Ne.vt  to  it,  the  ^latinee 
.Musicale  is  the  oldest  nuisical  organization  in 
the  cit.y,  and  the  influence  of  its  early  years 
no  doubt  contributed  largely  to  the  conditions 
that  made  suceessful  the  first  .May  ilusic  Fes- 
tival. Of  eoui-se  there  were  many  other  ele- 
ments in  the  production  of  that  result,  and 
among  them  may  be  suggested  the  constant 
cultivation  of  choral  singing  in  churches  and 
Siuiday  Schools,  and  the  teaching  of  singing 
in  private  and  |)ublic  schools.  The  ]iublic 
school  work,  up  to  that  time,  had  been  done 
chieflv  bv  Prof.  (!eo.  B.  Loomis.  and  had  tteen 


HlSTUllY   OF  GKKATKi;    1  XDIA.X AI'Ol.lS. 


533 


an  iiuporUiiit  aid  to  every  cliild  who  liad  any 
taste  or  talent  for  music. 

The  first  nmsie  festival  iu  18S()  was  ehietly 
an  enterprise  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public, which  had  undertaken  to  raise  funds 
for  a  soliders'  monument,  and  was  giving 
every  energy  to  this  enterprise.  It  held  a 
great  soldiers'  reunion  in  Indianapolis  the 
week  following  .Memorial  Day,  which  fell  on 
Sunday  in  that  year.  Tomlin.son  Hall  had 
just  been  completed,  and  the  jtlan  was 
evolved  of  dedicating  it  with  a  music  festival 
for  the  benefit  of  the  monument  fund.  The 
idea  was  pleasing  to  everybody,  and  with 
veiy  little  difficulty  a  chorus  of  650  voices 
was  organized,  and  an  orchestra  of  (iO  pieces. 
The  only  imported  artist,  and  the  only  paid 
one.  that  season,  was  Lilli  T.chmann.  The 
leader  was  Carl  Harus.  who  had  been  identi- 
fied with  the  muscial  life  of  the  AY  est  since 
1852.  and  who  made  his  first  appeai-ance  here 
as  director  of  the  German  music  fest  of  18i)8. 
He  came  here  for  residence  in  1882.  The 
festival  opened  on  Tuesday,  June  2,  with 
Misses  Adam  and  Hes.sling,  Mrs.  J.  P.  Fren- 
zel,  ^Irs.  H.  Schurmann.  ]\rrs.  F.  If.  Tjcvci'ing. 
lyirs.  IJ.  J.  IIanui}ond  and  ^Messrs.  Liiimann. 
Levi  and  Loomis.  as  stars,  in  addition  to  Miss 
Lehmann.  On  Wednesday  night  the  festival 
was  a  "campfire",  with  addresses  by  Gen- 
erals Sherman.  Logan.  Bennett  and  Gibson, 
and  [latviotic  sonirs  with  Miss  Annie  Abromet, 
ifrs.  U.  J.  Hammond.  ^Mrs.  W.  C.  Lynn.  Mrs. 
Sam  IMorrison.  Andrew  Smith.  Burgess 
Brown  and  John  G.  Blake  as  soloists.  Mr. 
and  ilrs.  Spades.  ^Fiss  Lulu  Burt.  .Mr.  H.  J. 
Schonaeker  and  Miss  N.  P.  Johnson  also  ap- 
peared as  soloists  on  other  evenings,  the  fes- 
tival elosinsr  on  Friday  night.  Miss  Lehmann 
received  $800  for  the  three  evenings  she  sang, 
and  the  profits  of  the  festival  were  about 
$5,000.  Tlie  monument  fund  also  received  a 
lift  the  week  following  from  the  ,\mci-icaii 
Opera  Company,  which  included  the  Theo- 
dore Thomas  Orchestra,  and  irave  benefits  to 
the  G.  A.  R.  on  June  7  and  8. 

On  motion  of  AY.  C.  Smock,  the  Grand 
Army  had  decided  fo  I'cpc.-it  the  festival  an 
nually,  bu*^  this  was  imt  done  because  tin' 
lesrislature  of  18S7  varied  the  monotony  of 
its  ifreat  senatorial  fiiibt  by  passing  the  \)\\\ 
for  the  Soldiei-s"  and  Sailoi's'  AbnuMiicnt.  and 
therebA'  took  the  work  ofT  the  (Iraiid  .\riiiy's 


hands.  Two  years  ])assed  without  festivals, 
but  the  success  had  been  too  pronounced,  and 
the  memory  of  it  was  too  pleasing  for  the 
matter  to  be  dropped.  In  January,  1889,  a 
May  Music  Festival  Association  was  organ 
ized.  chiefiy  through  the  etforts  of  Carl  liarus 
and  J.  H.  Stem,  and  active  preparation  was 
begun  for  a  festival  that  year.  Gen.  J.  R. 
Carnahan  was  elected  president,  A.  Kipj)  vice 
I)resident.  Henry  C.  Rogei-s  secretary,  E.  B. 
Pfirter  treasurer,  and  Carl  Barns  director. 
Nearly  700  names  were  enrolled  in  the  chorus, 
and  the  members  rehearsed  faithfully  on 
^fonday  ni;rhts  at  High  School  hall,  with 
Julius  Kohl  as  accompanist.  The  festival 
was  May  27-29.  with  Emma  Juch.  Mme.  II.t- 
bert-Foerster,  ^Martraret  Reid  (Kackleyi. 
Aliss  Von  Doenhoef,  Miss  Piersc,  Jules  Pcr- 
otti.  Signor  Campanari  and  Emil  Fischer 
were  the  solo  vocal  artists:  while  Max  Ben- 
dix  appeared  in  a  violin  solo,  and  Adele  Ans 
der  Ohe  as  a  piano  soloist. 

The  festival  was  a  great  success,  and  every- 
body favored  its  continuance  as  a  permanent 
institution.  In  1890  it  was  held  I^Iay  l:?-16. 
The  oi'chestra  of  50  pieces  was  from  the  Met- 
ropolitan Opera  House.  New  York.  The  not- 
able vocal  soloists  were  illle.  Clementina  De 
Vere,  Mme.  Theresa  Herbert-Foerster,  ^Frs. 
Zelda  Se£ruin-Wallaee.  Jules  Perotti,  Emil 
Fischer.  Chai'les  Holman  Black  and  Charles 
Knorr.  The  instnnnental  soloists  were  John 
Cheshire  (harp\  Franz  \Yilczek  (violin),  and 
Victor  Herbert  (violoncello).  In  1891  the 
chief  vocal  attractions  were  Emma  Juch. 
Mary  Howe,  Clara  Poole,  AVm.  Lavin  and 
Emil  Fischer;  and  the  instrumental,  AVilczek 
and  Max  Bendix.  The  orchestra  was  that  of 
Theodore  Thomas,  conducted  by  him.  In 
1892  the  star  singers  were  Alme.  Fursch-^fadi. 
Lena  Little.  IMariraret  Roid,  :\rrs.  S.  E.  Ford. 
Caiiipanini  and  Ifeinrich  Meyn.  acconuianii^d 
by  Damrosch  ami  his  orclnsti-a.  The  insliMi- 
mental  star  was  the  violinist  Brodsky.  Tliis 
was  the  last  year  that  the  chorus  was  con- 
rlucted  by  Professor  Barus,  he  being  succeed- 
ed by  F.  X.  Arens  in  the  followiiiL'  year.  The 
festival  in  189.S  was  a  fizzle  The  diri'ctors 
had  made  a  contract  with  Charles  E.  Locke 
for  tlie  SeidI  orchestra,  aiul  a  complcnicnl  of 
soloi.sts.  while  a  separate  conti-act  had  l)ecn 
made  with  Afmc.  Noi-dica.  .\  few  days  be- 
fore the  time  set  for  the  fcs|i\jil  the  dirTctnis 


5:54 


iiisTOKV  OF  (;i;i:atkr  ixdiaxapolls. 


rceived  a  demand  for  about  $3,000  increase 
on  their  contract ;  and  also  for  one  day's 
postponement  of  the  opening.  This  was  re- 
fused, and  the  festival  was  off.  The  only 
consolation  offered  was  a  concert  on  May  22, 
for  the  benefit  of  the  festival  fund,  at  w'hich 
]\Iadame  Nordica,  ^lai-u'aret  Reid,  Sadie  Wal- 
ker and  Schliewin.  the  violinist,  appeared. 

In  1894  there  were  enoush  attractions  in 
the  session,  ]\ray  lo-lT.  to  make  up  for  the 
loss  of  the  preceding  year.  The  notable  art- 
ists were  Emma  Eames,  Emma  Juch,  An- 
toinette Trebelli.  Clara  Poole-King  and  Ger- 
trude May  Stein,  with  Ben  Davies,  Max 
Heinrich,  "Watkin  ^Mills  and  E.  C.  Towne ; 
also  Henri  ]\[orteau  (violin).  Y.  V.  Rogers 
(harp),  Felix  "Wintei'nitz  (violin),  and  Fritz 
Giese  (cello).  There  was  a  change  in  the 
business  management  of  the  association  this 
year,  in  which  Mr.  0.  R.  Johnson  had  become 
secretary,  and  Mr.  Ferd  ifayer  was  put  in 
charge  of  local  contracts.  For  the  first  time 
receipts  of  the  festival  equaled  the  expenses, 
since  the  oi-ganization  of  1889.  The  orches- 
tral music  in  1894,  as  also  in  1895  and  1896, 
was  furnished  by  the  Boston  Festival  Or- 
chestra, with  Emil  Mollenhauer  as  director. 
In  1895  the  stars  were  I\Ielba,  Nordica.  Ger- 
trude May  Stein.  Julie  L.  Wyman,  Rose 
Stewart,  Mrs.  Jennie  Patrick  Walker,  Max 
Heinrich,  W.  H.  Rieoer.  Ben  Davies.  Wm.  H, 
Clarke  and  Watkin  :\ri!ls.  In  1896  Nordica 
was  here  again,  with  Mme.  Lohse-Klafsky. 
]\Iiss  Stein,  Katharine  Bloodgood.  ^larie 
Bi'ema,  ^Ime,  Lillian  Blauvelt,  Signer  Cam- 
panari,  Evan  Williams.  E.  A.  ^McDowell.  Bar- 
ren Berthald.  D.  ^T.  Babcock  and  Van  Yech- 
ten  Rogers.  In  1895  the  festival  was  on  I\Iay 
13-16,  and  in  1896  on  Mav  25-27. 

In  1897  the  festival  was  held  ^May  20-22. 
with  ^fme.  Calve  as  the  chief  attraction,  and 
also  as  soloists  Ella  Russell,  jMme.  Clemen- 
tine de  Vere  Sajiio,  Sarah  Layton  Walker. 
Ffrangcon-Davies.  Barron  Berthald,  Evan 
Williams,  Oliver  "\V.  Pierce  and  Morris  ^Meck. 
Professor  Arens  conducted  the  chorus,  and 
Frank  Van  der  Stueken  directed  the  orches- 
tra—the Cincinnati  Syinnhony  Orchestra, 
which  was  also  entraged  in  1898.  The  last 
year  of  the  festival  was  1898,  and  Van  der 
Stueken  conducted  both  chorus  and  orchestra. 
Thei'e  was  also  a  children 's  chorus  of  800 
voice*,   which   was   ti'ained   bv   Professor   Er- 


nestinort'  and  ]\Iiss  AVilkinson.  The  festival 
was  held  ^lay  4-7,  and  the  chief  attractions 
were  Mme.  Jaeoby,  Mme.  Gadski,  j\Ime.  Juch, 
Geo.  Hamlin,  David  Bispham,  Paul  Haase 
and  Ysaye,  the  pianist.  At  this  festival 
Benoit's  "Lucifer"  was  given  for  the  first 
time  in  America.  As  it  was  just  after 
Dewey's  great  victory,  the  festival  took  on  a 
patriotic  tinge.  As  spokesman,  on  the  open- 
ing night.  Bispham  reciuested  the  audience  to 
.join  in  '"The  Star  Spangled  Banner''',  Mmes. 
Jaeoby  and  Juch  leading  the  singing.  On 
the  last  night  "America"  was  sung  by  the 
chorus,  the  audience  .joining;  and  on  Thurs- 
day night  Bispham  sang  "The  Battle  Hymn 
of  the  Republic",  the  audience  joining.  The 
great  drawing  card  proved  to  be  Ysaj'e,  on 
the  clo.sing  night. 

Notwithstanding  its  success  in  other  re- 
spects, the  festival  of  1898  was  a  dismal  fail- 
ure financially,  leaving  a  deficit  of  about 
$3,000.  This  was  so  discouraging  that  the 
directors  abandoned  the  festival  enterprise. 
There  was  an  effort  in  the  fall  of  1899  to  re- 
vive it  for  1900,  but  in  December  it  was 
finally  given  up.  There  nuiy  be  some  differ- 
ence of  opinion  outside,  as  to  why  the  festival 
was  a  financial  failure,  but  there  is  not  much 
among  the  directors.  One  says:  "The  world 
did  not  produce  musical  celebrities  fast 
enough".  Another  puts  it:  "The  American 
public  does  not  care  for  music;  it  pays  to 
see  celebrities.  The  star  wha  draws  one  sea- 
son is  not  a  star  the  next,  and  conse((uently 
does  not  draw".  A  third  says:  "You  haven't 
an  adequate  hall  here.  You  must  mak(>  your 
money  on  stars;  and  when  you  have  a  r(>al 
•<tar.  Tomlinson  Hall  is  not  large  enough,  and 
has  not  enough  good  seats".  To  the  pio- 
posal  to  cut  out  the  stars  it  is  answered  that, 
"if  you  did  you  could  not  even  get  a  chorus 
to  serve  without  compensation". 

Of  course,  there  have  been  few  traveling 
musical  organizations  in  the  United  States 
since  the  Civil  War  that  have  not  visited  In- 
dianapolis; but  since  ll'e  last  ^lay  festival 
the  principal  eft'ort  to  briu'i  hi^h-grade  mnsi- 
eal  talent  here  has  been  by  a  woman— Ona 
B.  Talbot.  She  began  by  bringing  Theodnie 
Thomas  with  his  orchestra,  and  Frederick  A. 
Stock  in  ch(u-al  work,  in  1901-2;  and  since 
then  has  broucht  DamrosclTs  Xcw  York  Syiii- 
phony    Orche-tra    twice.    Emil    Paur's    Pitts- 


lll.ST()|;V  OF  (;i;i-ATRi;  ixdiaxai-olis. 


535 


Ml'.     //.     B'l.i.-!    Photo    Conipunij.J 

MME.    CAHIER    AS    "UKl'HKUS.' 
(Sarah    Layton    Walker.) 


53  G 


HISTOKY  OF  GltEATEU  IXDIAXAPOLLS. 


bnrgr  Orphestra  three  times.  Dr.  Kaii  !Muck"s 
Boston  Symphony  Orchestra  twice,  the  Knei- 
sel  Quartet  four  times,  aud  the  Heermanu 
Quartet  ouce.  Under  her  management  the 
city  has  had  visits  from  noted  singers,  Alice 
Nielsen.  Jlelba.  Calve.  Seluimann-Heink 
( thri'e  times),  Gadski.  Bispham  and  Cam- 
]')anari ;  and  of  instrumental  artists.  ]\Iiclos. 
Biisoni,  Paderewski  (twice).  Kosenthal.  Ca- 
mero,  De  Pachmann  (twice),  Bernthaler.  Ar- 
thur Rubinstein.  Kubelik,  Ysaye,  Elsa  Rueg- 
ser.  (ierardy,  Bromsen,  Arnold  Dolmetsch 
and  others.  Since  1906  the  People's  Concert 
Association  has  done  a  good  work  by  provid- 
ing higli  grade  concerts  at  n^asonable  prices 
at  Caleb  Mills  Hall  i  Shortridge  High  School) 
and  lias  had  large  audiences.  Perhaps  its 
largest  undei'taking  has  been  bringing  an- 
nually the  Theodore  Thomas  Orchestra.  In 
1895.  Karl  Schneider  organized  the  Indian- 
apolis Symphony  Orchestra,  which  gave  con- 
certs here  with  noted  soloists.  1904-6.  Per- 
haps the  most  notable  musical  event  since 
the  close  of  the  ^lay  festivals  was  the  meeting 
of  the  thirty-second  National  Saengerfest  at 
Indianapolis  June  17-20,  1908.  They  had  as 
soloists  ilarie  Rappold,  Schumann-Heink, 
Adolf  ]\Iuehlmann  and  David  Bispham:  with 
Danirosch's  New  York  Symphony  Orchestra. 
Indianapolis  has  been  blessed  by  excellent 
music  teachers  from  an  early  time,  so  much 
so  that  those  pupils  who  went  elsewhere  for 
hisrher  study  had  very  rarely  to  "inilearn" 
what  they  had  been  taught  here.  The  names 
of  Professors  Pearsall.  Owen,  Black,  Seholtz. 
H.  J.  Sehonacker.  Kai-l  Schneider,  Leckner, 
Newell,  Ernestinofl'.  Beissenherz  and  Bahr, 
Professor  and  ^ladanie  TTeine.  Professor  and 
^ladame  Jaillet.  the  Schellscbmidts.  ]Mr.  and 
Airs.  McGibeny.  0.  W.  Pierce.  John  Geiger. 
Edward  Nell.Mv.  Peek,  Mrs.  Hunter,  and 
others,  are  widely  remembered  for  their  work 
of  instruction.  And  they  have  had  pupils 
who  did  them  credit.  There  has  not  been  a 
time  in  years  when  the  city  did  not  have  a 
dozen  talenled  amateurs,  who  could  be  called 
on  for  genuine  musical  work.  And  the  city 
has  produced  some  professionals  that  have  at- 
tained notable  success:  and  others  who  de- 
served greater  success  than  has  yet  come  to 
them.  One  of  the  first  to  attain  fame  was 
Albert  Ross  Parsons.  President  of  the  Amer- 
ican College  of  ^Musicians  of  the  TTniversitv 


of  New  York  since  1893.  He  was  a  pupil  of 
Professor  Pearsall  here,  before  the  war.  and 
went  East  as  a  "boy  wonder''.  He  pursued 
his  studies  at  Bufilalo.  New  York  City,  and, 
for  five  years,  in  Germany,  under  Carl  Tau- 
sig  and  Prof.  Theodore  Kullak.  President 
Parsons  is  an  all-round  genius,  archanilogist. 
genealogist,  composer,  author  and  lecturer,  as 
well  as  musician.  He  has  published  a  num- 
ber of  volumes  dealing  with  the  sulijects  in 
which  he  ranks  as  an  expert  authority,  some 
of  which  are  of  exceptional  interest  as  dem- 
onstrating the  connection  between  music  and 
other  arts  and  sciences.'^ 

Another  .iuvenile  prodigy  is  Thad  Rich, 
son  of  W.  S.  Rich,  and  present  Concert  ^leis- 
ter of  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra.  He  is  of 
a  musical  famil.y,  and  displayed  musical  tal- 
ent very  early.  His  father  bought  him  a 
small  violin  and  gave  him  his  first  instruc- 
tion: his  first  appearance  in  public  was  at  a 
school  exhibition,  at  the  age  of  nine,  and 
within  three  years  after  he  was  astonishing 
and  delighting  audiences  in  various  parts  of 
the  state  and  at  Chicago  and  Cincinnati.  He 
became  a  pupil  of  Richard  Schliewin,  Charles 
Ehricke,  and  later  Professor  ^IcGibeny,  and 
afterwards  ])ut  in  six  intermittent  years  in 
(ierinany.  with  Arno  Hilf.  Joseph  Joachim. 
Hans  Pfitzner  and  Artlnir  Nikisch.  His  first 
appearance  in  Indianapolis  after  going 
abroad  was  on  Octolier  r,.  1899,  at  the  age  of 
14.  and  his  last  was  in  a  recital  at  Caleb  ]Mills 
Hall  on  :\larch  19,  1907.  In  addition  to  play- 
ing the  violin.  ]\lr.  Iiirli  is  a  violin  nudcer  of 
marked  ability.'"  It  seems  jjroliable.  how- 
ever, that  even  Rich  will  be  surpassed  by  Ed- 
die Brown,  now  18  years  of  age,  the  son  of 
Jacob  Brown,  a  Washington  street  saloon- 
keejier.  He  was  one  of  ]\Ic(iiheny's  pupils, 
and  for  the  last  tln-ee  years  has  been  at  Buda- 
Pesth  with  Jeno  llubaye,  the  Hungarian 
maestro.  He  is  now  under  contract  with 
Daniel  ^Mayer.  wIki  managed  Kubelik,  Elma. 
and  Paderewski.  and  he  holds  that  Eddie 
Brown  is  the  greatest  violinist  of  his  age  in 
the  world.  Eddie  made  his  first  professional 
appearance   in   London.   England.   October  3, 


^*W/io's    WIkj.    and    lliniiniiiliind    hhwiidn- 
pcclias. 

^Wcics.  Septembci'  28.  1899:  April  3.  1907. 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


337 


VJ07,  with  great  success."'  Ellis  Levy,  an- 
other Indianapolis  boy  of  e.vtraiirdinary  tal- 
ent, is  now  studying  with  Caesar  Thomson,  in 
Brussels,  and  there  are  others  eomiuij;  on, 
anionir  whom  may  be  noted  two  girls,  ilarie 
Dawson,  now  studying  here,  and  Vera  Ver- 
barg,  who  goes  out  next  season  with  a  con- 
cert company. 

One  of  the  most  talented  violinists  Indian- 
apolis has  produced  is  Jeauiiette  Orlopp— or, 
as  the  name  is  sometimes  written  Orloff, 
which  was  probably  the  original  form.  She 
showed  early  musical  talent,  and  was  given 
her  early  instruction  by  Professor  Beissen- 
herz,  who  recognized  her  ability  and  urged 
her  hicher  study.  She  then  went  to  the  Cin- 
cinnati College  of  ilusic.  and  studied  under 
Leaudro  Campanai'i.  In  graduating  from 
this  institution  she  won  a  gold  medal  and  a 
post-graduate  scholarship.  Soou  after  she 
visited  Italy  with  the  Campanaris,  and  while 
at  Genoa  received  a  remarkable  honor.  The 
violin  of  Pagauini  which  had  been  kept 
sealed,  under  a  glass  cover,  since  the  death 
of  his  only  pupil  Sivori,  needed  restriuging, 
and  the  work  was  delegated  to  Campanari. 
The  violin  was  unsealed  in  the  presence  of 
the  civil  authorities  and  a  concourse  of  musi- 
cians. After  putting  the  violin  in  order, 
Campanari  played  two  or  three  selections  on 
it,  and  then  called  on  ^Miss  Orlopp,  who 
played  one  of  Beethoven's  romanzes  to  a  de- 
lighted audience.  Prom  Italy  she  went  with 
strong  letters  to  Wilhelmi,  at  London,  and 
became  his  |)upil  for  more  than  a  year.  He 
was  negotiating  for  her  appearance  under  his 
direction  when  his  untimely  death  occurred, 
iliss  Orlopp  has  appeared  .several  times  in 
Indianapolis,  and  is  recognized  bj'  all  who 
have  heard  her  as  an  artiste  of  very  high 
grade.'"  For  some  months  ^fiss  Orlopp  has 
been  in  negotiation  with  David  Bispham  for 
appearance  in  a  novel  nuisieal  play  contem- 
plated by  him. 

The  first  Indianapolis  singer  to  achieve 
real  fame  abroad  was  Margaret  Reid  ( Kack- 
\ey),  now  :^[rs.  Hai'old  Swain.  She  was  born 
at  Maysville,  Ky..  and  her  parents  moved 
here  in  her  infancy.  She  probably  learned 
to  sing  from  the  birds,  for  she  made  her  first 


'"AVifs,  October  4,  1909. 

''Xcws,  May  5,  1898;  Press,  March  23, 1900. 


public  ap[)earance  at  the  age  of  seven,  at  the 
Home  Avenue,  or  Third  Christian  Church, 
of  which  she  later  became  the  leading  soprano. 
With  no  special  musical  instruction  but  her 
choir  practice  and  that  of  the  public  schools, 
she  went  to  study  at  the  Boston  Conservatory 
of  Music  in  1884-5;  and  in  the  winter  of 
188G-7  went  to  Paris,  where  she  studied  with 
^Ime.  Leonard.  She  became  favorably  known 
as  an  artiste,  and,  among  other  engagements, 
sang  at  a  large  reception  by  Whitelaw  Reid, 
in  the  presence  of  the  official  and  diplomatic 
society  of  Paris.  Returning  to  this  country, 
she  sang  at  the  Indianaiiolis  ^lay  Festival  in 
1889,  and  received  a  great  ovation,  not  only 
from  the  audience,  but  also  from  the  local 
and  foreign  singers.  She  sang  at  Washing- 
ton at  a  memorable  recei)tion  of  the  Brices, 
at  which  ]Mme.  Sealchi  and  Edward  Lloyd, 
the  noted  English  tenor,  also  sang.  ]\Irs.  Har- 
rison invited  her  to  5  o'clock  tea  at  the  \Yhite 
House,  and  President  Harrison  escorted  her 
to  the  Green  Room,  where  she  sang  at  his  re- 
quest. Her  debut  in  opera  did  not  occur  un- 
til 1892,  when  the  managers  of  the  Metro- 
politan Opera  Company,  of  New  York,  were 
thrown  into  eonstei-nation  by  their  prima 
donna  Marie  Van  Zandt,  who  avowed  she 
was  sick,  and  refused  to  sing.  ^lanagers  Ab- 
bey &  Grau  determined  to  try  Miss  Reid.  It 
was  a  solemn  proposition  to  take  a  young  girl 
who  had  no  expci'ience  in  opei-a.  and  put  her 
before  the  footlights  as  "Ophelia",  in  ibn- 
broise  Thomas'  "Hamlet":  but  they  risked 
it,  and  the  result  on  Febnuuy  10,  1892,  was 
more  than  a  success.  The  audience,  always 
ready  for  offense  at  a  substitution,  was  skep- 
tical and  critical  at  first,  but  it  surrendered; 
and  it  closed  the  evening  by  calling  her  be- 
fore the  curtain  half  a  dozen  times,  amid 
tiunultuous  enthusiasm.  The  following  mouth 
she  sang  at  the  ^fay  Festival  h(>re,  with  great 
favor;  and  later  in  the  year  ti-aveled  as  solo- 
ist with  the  Seidl  Orchestra  and  with  Cam- 
panini.  She  was  engaged  for  the  May  Fes- 
tival of  1893,  and  apjieared  at  the  concert 
which  took  the  place  of  it.  In  the  season  of 
1893-4  she  was  with  the  Bostonians,  and  in 
the  fall  of  1894  went  abroad,  where  she  re- 
mained foi-  .'ight  years.  Two  .seasons  were 
spent  in  London  in  an  engagement  at  Covent 
Garden,  ami  Ihc  remainder  in  opera  on  the 
continent.     In  l:i(i2-:!  sh.-  had  an  engagement 


o38 


IIISTOHV   OK  (ilJKA'lHR   INDIANAPOLIS. 


witli  the  New  Orleans  Opera  Company,  but 
became  dissatisfied  with  their  methods  and 
withdrew  from  the  company  and  from  the 
stat;e.  On  Septemlier  9,  1893,  she  had  mar- 
ried Harold  Swain,  a  childliood  lover,  and 
since  19U3  they  ha\e  been  living-  quietly  in 
New  York  City,  where  ]\Ir.  Swain  is  a  suc- 
cessful attorney.'** 

Another  Indianapolis  singer  who  has  at- 
tained international  fame  is  Marguerite 
Lemon.  She  is  a  native  of  the  city,  and  of 
old  Indianapolis  stock;  descended  on  her 
father's  side  from  Jonah  F.  Lemon,  who 
located  northeast  of  Millersville  in  1837,  and 
on  her  mother's  side  from  Thomas  Wyatt,  of 
English  descent,  who  came  to  Indianapolis  in 
1835.  She  brought  her  musical  talent  into 
the  world  Avith  her.  for  she  made  her  first 
appearance  at  three  years  of  age  in  a  song  at 
a  Christmas  entertainment  at  St.  Paul's 
Church.  She  was  educated  in  the  loca' 
schools,  finishing  at  !Mrs.  Sewall's  Classical. 
She  had  no  special  vocal  training  here,  but 
became  an  expert  pianiste  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  Professor  Rahr.  and  sang  for  some 
time  in  the  choir  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church.  She  went  to  New  York  to  study, 
and  was  engaged  for  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church  choir  there,  and  also  appeared  in 
concert.  Her  voice  attracted  the  attention  of 
Conried.  who  made  a  three  years'  contract 
with  her  for  soprano  parts  at  the  ^Metropoli- 
tan  Opera  House.  But  I\Iiss  Lemon,  after 
winning  laurels  in  New  York,  decided  to  go 
abroad  to  perfect  her  foreign  accents,  and 
first  went  to  Germany.  An  appearance  in 
one  of  Henry  Hadley's  recitals  brought  sev- 
eral ofifers  for  opera,  and  she  soon  appeared 
as  ^larguerite  in  "Faust",  Eva  in  "Der 
^Feistersinger",  Elsa  in  "Lohengrin '".  and 
Elizabeth  in  "Tannhauser". 

Her  principal  engagement  was  in  Ma.v 
ence.  but  she  has  sung  in.gastspiele  in  all  the 
principal  German,  French  and  Italian  cities. 
In  the  spring  of  1908  she  created  a  furore 
by  her  "]\Iadame  Butterfly'",  of  which  the 
Mainz  Journal  said:  "Jliss  Lemon  impei'- 
sonated  Ihe  deceived  and  abandoned  Butter- 
flv  Avith  delicafo  feeiinu'  in  bdth  singing  and 


acting.  The  artist,  indeed,  seemed  in  atti- 
tude and  gesture  a  real  Japanese,  and  gave 
intense  delight  with  her  well  schooled  voice, 
which  is  capable  of  every  modulation,  and  is 
now  at  the  climax  of  its  expressiveness.  The 
sinuer  acted  with  a  conception  of  such  clear- 
ness and  iniity  that  one  could  not  but  feel 
the  full  agony  and  despair  of  the  innocent 
victim.  With  no  straining  for  supei-ficial 
effects  she  shows  the  two  qiudities  of  effective 
art".  Later  ]\liss  Lemon  scored  other  suc- 
cesses in  [Marta,  in  d'Allierfi's  opera  of  "'Tief- 
lands",  and  as  Nedda  in  "Pagliacci".  In 
the  spring  of  1909  she  was  selected  to  create 
rhe  title  role  in  Henry  Hadley's  opera 
■'Safic".  Iler  career  has  been  one  of  steady 
advance,  according  to  the  musical  critics  of 
Kuro]>e.  wlio.  as  is  well  known,  are  not  inclined 
10  view  American  ;irtists  with  friendl.v  eye.'° 
Cora  LaA'ina  Isham  (  Eastburn )  was  an  In- 
dianapolis singer  whose  future  seemed  a.s- 
sured.  She  is  the  niece  and  foster-daughter 
of  D.  J.  Eastburn.  She  had  her  earl.v  musical 
training  here,  and  went  on  the  stage  in  189fi. 
>vith  the  Jeft'erson  De  Angelis  company. 
Later  she  was  with  Alice  Nielsen,  and  in 
1900  was  her  understud.v.  AVhile  everything 
looked  bi-ight,  she  found  evidences  of  in- 
cipient lung  trouble,  and  left  the  stage,  and 
devoted  herself  to  saving  her  health.  About 
n  year  ago  she  was  so  much  improved  that 
she  went  to  Pai-is  and  took  up  advanced 
inusieal  stud.v,  in  which  she  is  still  engaged."'^ 
Charles  Holman-Black.  son  of  Prof.  J.  S. 
Black,  grew  up  in  Indianapolis.  His  early 
instruction  was  from  his  father.  As  he  grew 
older,  and  his  voice  changed  from  a  soprano 
to  a  baritone,  he  became  a  pupil  of  Signor 
Severini,  who  became  nuich  interested  in  him, 
and  traveled  with  him  in  Germany,  Den- 
mark and  Norway.  On  his  return  he  went 
into  opei-a  for  two  i^easons,  after  which,  his 
friend  and  teacher  Severini  having  died,  he 
went  to  Paris.  Here  he  became  acquainted 
with  the  distinguished  maestro  Faure.  who 
took  him  for  a  pupil  for  four  years,  dnrinir 
which  he  also  followed  the  course  of  ~S\.  Dn- 


"Prrs.s.  May  2.  1900  ■.  J„iirna1.  :\ray  ir>. 
1892;  Xrirft.  February  11.  1S92:  and  Festival 
dates. 


^"Mi'sictil  Anioicd.  January  2.'i,  1908:  April 
17,  1909;  .l/»»sf»/'-v  MagaziiK.  December, 
1908;  Star.  Julv  o,  1908:  Ausiust  9,  1908; 
Mav  2,  1909;  .Y,  ,rv,  :\rMv  9.  1909. 

-"Press.  March  3  and   .\pril  24,  1900. 


IllSTOKV  OF  GKF.ATKi;   IXDIAXAl'OI.IS. 


539 


(\V.    //.    Bass    Photo    Compantj.) 

MARGUERITE  LEMON 
(as  "Eva"  in  "Die  Meislersingei".) 


540 


HISTORY  OF  OEEATER  INDIAXAl'Ol.ls. 


vernoi  at  the  conservatory.  He  was  the  first 
Auieriean  invitetl  to  sing  in  the  eoncei'ts  of 
"La  Trompette",  and  soon  was  singing  in 
the  most  exclusive  salons  of  Paris,  in  which 
congenial  occupation  he  still  continues.  He 
has  also  appeared  in  concert  elsewhere,  not- 
alily  in  London,  at  the  Promenade  concerts. 
Crystal  Palace,  St.  James  Hall,  the  People's 
Palace,  etc. 

Perhaps  the  highest  rank  attained  by  an 
Lidianapolis  singer  is  that  of  Mme.  Cahier, 
who  grew  up  here  as  Sarah  Layton  Walker. 
Thoush  born  at  Nashville,  Tennessee,  she  is  of 
iikl  Indiana  families  on  both  sides,  and  her 
parents  returned  here  when  she  was  a  child 
of  six  years.  Her  family  had  natural  musi- 
cal tastes,  and  her  mother,  Mrs.  I.  N.  Walker, 
and  aimt,  Mrs.  Emswiler,  of  Los  Angeles, 
California,  were  exceptionally  good  amateurs. 
^Irs.  Emswiler  had  a  knack  of  getting  music 
from  children,  and  her  imitations  of  chil- 
dren's singing  were  vastly  entertaining  to  her 
friends.  Before  Sarah  was  three  years  old 
she  was  sinsiiin-  .self-composed  alto  to  two 
dozen  airs,  while  Mrs.  Emswiler  sang  soprano. 
Her  music  teacher  here  was  Ernestinoff,  and 
to  him  she  owes  her  method  and  the  broaden- 
ino-  of  her  compass  from  one  octave  to  three, 
without  afl'ectinjT  the  quality  of  her  voice. 
From  here  she  went  to  Cleveland  to  take  a 
position  in  the  leading  quartet  choir;  and 
while  there  she  made  two  trips  to  Europe  to 
perfect  her  musical  education,  studying  on 
the  first  with  Amelie  Joachim,  in  Berlin,  and 
on  the  second  with  Fidele  Koenig.  in  Paris. 
After  the  second  trip  she  was  married  tt) 
Morris  Black,  of  Cleveland,  law  partner  of 
James  Garfield,  who  died  of  appendicitis 
about  three  months  after  the  marriage. 
Thrown  on  her  own  resources,  the  young 
widow  went  to  New  York  City  to  sinsr  at  All 
Souls  Unitarian  Church  (Dr.  Slicer's),  and 
was  soon  singins;-  in  salon  for  the  leadintr 
families.  She  made  another  trip  to  Paris, 
and  coached  in  singing  with  Koenig,  and  in 
acting  with  Victor  Capoul,  the  famous  tenor 
and  actor  of  the  Paris  opera.  Her  fourtli 
trip  to  Europe  was  to  study  with  Jean  de 
Retzke,  for  some  fifteen  months,  after  which 
she  made  her  debut  at  Nice,  on  February  12. 
1904,  as  Orjiheus  in  Orpheus  and  Eurydice. 
Her  success  was  overwhelming  with  both  the 


audience  and  the  critics,  who  jiraised  her  act- 
ing as  highly  as  her  singing.-'  One  of  them, 
speaking  of  the  air  "I  have  lost  my  Eury- 
dice", in  which  the  pathos  of  the  opera 
I'eaches  its  climax,  said:  "The  tragedienne 
was  the  equal  of  the  singer.  *  «  *  The 
three  verses  of  the  theme  were  sung  splen- 
didly by  her— the  first  at  half  voice,  with  a 
constrained  sorrow,  the  second  with  a  voice 
strangled  and  broken  with  sobs,  and  finally 
the  third  with  a  violent  and  tumultuous  ex- 
[iression,  and  a  veritable  explosion  of  despair. 
I'his  was  art,  and  grand  art,  and  I  have  no 
words  to  express  the  admiration  that  the 
Mudience  felt  for  this  eminent  artiste."  After 
this  she  sang  thi-ough  France  in  soirees,  and 
through  the  German  provinces  in  ''gastspiel" 
(i.  e.  as  star  for  local  companies),  as  also  at 
Paris  and  Berlin.  At  Berlin  she  M'as  called 
to  the  royal  box  and  complimented,  and  in- 
vited to  sing  at  the  queen's  church.  This 
high  honor  being  accepted,  the  queen  attend- 
ed and  received  her  afterwards.  While  at 
Frankfort  on  the  ilain,  Gustave  Mahler — 
now  of  the  Metropolitan  Opera,  New  York; 
then  Director  of  the  Royal  Opera  at  Vienna 
— came  to  hear  her.  and  engaged  her  for 
three  gastspiels  at  Vienna.  On  her  appear- 
ance there  .she  was  oft'ei-ed  a  contract  for  six 
years  as  the  leading  contralto,  which  she  ac- 
cepted. 

When  she  made  her  debut  at  Nice,  ilrs. 
Black  met  Dr.  Carl  Cahier,  a  native  of  Stock- 
liolm,  who  was  conducting  a  sanitarium  at 
-Xice,  and  about  a  year  later  they  were  mar- 
ried. In  1907  and  1!)08  she  visited  Norway 
and  Sweden  with  her  husband,  and  there  re- 
ceived notable  ovations.  Being  in  Christiana 
on  "children's  day"'.  1908,  when  everybody 
does  something  for  the  aid  of  poor  children. 
Dr.  and  Mme.  Cahier  took  a  piano  in  a 
wagon,  dressed  as  gypsies,  and  went  out  in 
the  streets  sinuiui;-  for  the  children's  fund. 
After  this  her  every  jnililic  appearance  was 
the  occasion  for  an  outburst  of  applause.  At 
Christiana  the  students  unhitched  the  horses 
from  her  carriage  and  drew  it  through  the 
streets— the  first  time  such  a  demonstration 
has  been  made  for  any  artist  since  Jenny 
Lind  except  Christine  Nielsen. 


-''Nrus.  :\Iarcli  :i.  HUM. 


CHAPTER  XLl. 


Till-;   .MEDICAL  PROFESSJOX. 


The  first  practitioner  of  mcdiciue  in  this 
vicinity  was  the  old  French  half-breed.  Jean 
l^aptisto  15nictt  (possibly  Brouillette)  who  was 
located  on  White  Hiver  at  the  llaniiiton  County 
line.  Like  other  Indian  doctors  his  system  was 
quiti'  uniform.  He  first  dosed  the  patient 
with  \egetal)lc  emetics  and  cathartics,  and  then 
put  him  in  a  sweat-house  until  pei-spiring 
freely:  after  which  he  had  him  jump  in  the 
river  for  a  bath.  As  most  of  his  ]iatients  were 
malarial  the  treatment  was  usually  beneficial 
— his  patients  ordinarily  looked  a  trifle  emaci- 
ated when  he  got  through  with  them,  but  ob- 
viously if  there  was  a  microbe  left  in  them  it 
was  concealed  in  their  bones.  There  was  quite 
an  extensive  adoption  of  Indian  root  and 
herb  remedies  by  the  early  settlers,  and  they 
were  held  in  quite  as  high  esteem  as  some  of 
the  remedies  of  the  white  doctors.  Robert  B. 
Duncan,  who  was  a  very  observant  and  reflec- 
tive man,  says  of  the  early  practice: 

"As  might  have  been  expected,  there  was 
some  sickness  in  those  early  times,  which,  as 
I  have  always  believed,  was  greatly  aggravated 
by  the  ignorance  of  some  of  the  earlier  doctors. 
The  ])hysicians  who  first  came  amongst  us 
seemed  to  be  whollv  ignorant  of  the  malarial 
diseases  peculiar  to  the  country.  They  gener- 
ally ]irovided  themselves  with  a  goodly  su])- 
ply  of  the  largest  and  most  approved  lancets 
and  unmeasured  quantities  of  English  calo- 
mel. With  these  evidences  of  medical  skill, 
a  flaming  sign,  painted  on  a  clapboard,  wa-^ 
hung  out.  and  as  opportunity  offered  these  men 
of  science  and  great  medical  skill  went  forth 
first  to  take  from  the  unfortunate  patient  all 
the  blood  that  could  be  extracted  from  his 
veins  without  killing  on  the  spot,  then  was 
dosed  out  calomel  enough  to  kill  the  largest 
sized  gorilla,  which  the  patient  was  required 
to    take    in    doses    indicated.      He    was    to    b' 


kept  confined  in  a  close  room  so  tiiat  not  a 
breath  of  pure,  cool  air  could  fan  his  cheeks 
or  kiss  his  lips,  and  was  to  have  neither  meat 
nor  drink,  warm  water  alone  excepted.  This 
practice,  while  it  lasted,  greatly  aggravated 
disease.  It  killed  quick  but  cured  slow.  It 
was  far  less  skillful  than  that  practiced  by  the 
Indian  doctors.  Happily  this  ignorance  was 
not  winked  at  and  soon  gave  way  to  a  more  in- 
telligent and  health  restoring  system;  not 
however,  tmtil  some  of  those  practicing  it  had 
justlv  subjected  themselves  to  the  soubriquet 
of  'Death  on  the  Pale  Horse.' "  ^ 

In  reality  it -was  not  for  years  that  reform 
came.  The  first  physician  here  who  made  nnich 
protest  against  the  extensive  use  of  calomel 
was  Dr.  JouatJian  Cool,  but  he  fell  a  victim 
to  intemperance  and  lost  weight  as  a  medical 
man.  In  1849  Dr.  David  Funkhouser  raised 
one  of  the  greatest  rows  ever  known  in  In- 
dianapolis medical  circles  by  a  paper  read  be- 
fore the  Marion  County  iledical  Society,  at- 
tacking the  use  of  mercury  and  bleeding  in 
continued  fevers,  and  reconinieinling  instead 
the  moderate  use  of  quinine,  opium,  mild  laxa- 
tives and  alcoholic  stimulants,  with  tlie  use 
of  turpentine  or  nitrate  of  silver  in  case  of 
ulcerations.  This  assault  on  the  prevailing 
practice  of  the  time,  sanctioned  by  Watson  atul 
Wood,  the  latest  and  most  approved  authorities 
on  practice,  called  for  rebuke.  In  his  ac- 
count of  it.  Dr.  P.  H.  Jameson  says:  "Of 
course  it  met  with  a  storm  of  disapproval.  It 
was  deprecated,  ridiculed,  apiu'oveil,  denounced, 
according  to  tlie  humor  of  the  assailant.  It 
was  hrandeil  as  Thompsonianism.  a  low  form  of 
(piackery  then  prevailing,  althouifh  capsicum 
and  lobelia  had  not  been  mentioned." - 


'Tnd.  ITlol.  Soc.  Pubs..  Vol  2.  p.  401. 

'lull.  Mril.  .IniiiiKil.  Vol    r.'.  ]>.    I3:i. 


541 


543 


HISTORY  OF  gi:i:atki;  i.xniAXAroLis. 


There  were  no  wliite  doctors  here  until  1831, 
and  then  the}"  came  in  abundance.  The  first 
was  J)r.  Samuel  G.  Mitchell,  in  April.  He 
first  built  a  log  house  at  the  southwest  corner 
of  Washington  and  Tennessee  street,  aud  later 
a  frame  honse  at  the  northwest  corner  of 
Wasliington  and  ^leridian,  where  lie  Hm-iI  and 
liad  his  office.  He  was  a  native  of  Kniliuky. 
and  came  here  from  Paris,  in  that  state.  He 
was  a  very  corpulent  man,  and  never  rode  be- 
yond a  walk.  At  the  time  of  the  Biackiiawk 
War.  in  is;i3,  he  was  made  surgeon  i\\'  the 
battalion  that  was  raised  here:  and  be  tbeii 
had  made  a  heavy  leather  belt,  reacliing  from 
breast  bone  to  tiie  hips,  to  facilitate  rapid 
transit.  Hi^  wife  died  in  18'29  and  his  daughter 
in  1832.  In  IS.'id  he  had  a  paralytic  stroke. 
and  was  poor  and  helpless:  but  he  had  be- 
friended an  orphan  boy,  named  Palmer,  who 
had  become  a  successful  physician  in  Oliio. 
and  he  took  the  old  doctor  and  cared  for  him 
till  his  death  in  1S37.  The  second  physician 
was  Dr.  Isaac  Coe.  who  arrived  in  May,  from 
Xew  Jersey.  He  located  on  Fall  Creek,  near 
where  the  City  Hospital  stands,  and  gardened 
extensively  as  well  a.-  practising  medicine.  Ih' 
was  active  in  the  religious  and  benevolent  life 
of  the  village,  and  i-  also  rememhered  for  his 
free  use  of  calomel  and  the  lancet.  Mrs.  Ket- 
cham,  who  was  one  of  his  patients  in  childhood, 
says:  "It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  his 
pills  were  as  large  as  cherries;  twenty  grains 
of  calomel  was  a  common  dose,  and  antimony 
till  one  was  sure  he  was  poisoned.  He  bled 
equal  to  any  Italian,  till  his  patient  fainted 
awa\'".  ^frs.  Ketchani  still  carries  the  mark 
on  her  arm  where  lie  bled  her.  But  he  changed. 
In  1S.3T  he  was  one  of  the  Ftmd  Commis- 
sioners of  the  -tate.  and  spent  much  time  in 
Xew  York,  where  he  became  a  convert  to  honie- 
ojiathy.  He  tried  to  practice  it  here,  but  it 
was  not  popular  at  that  time.  Peojile  did  not 
think  they  were  getting  enouijh  for  tlieir 
money.  Dr.  Coe  spent  mo^t  of  liis  later  years 
in  the  Northwest  with  his  sons,  Init  on  his 
death  his  remains  wei-e  brought  here  tor  bnriil 
in  the  Crown  Hill  Cemetery.  His  tnemory  is 
cherished  as  the  founder — or  chief  one — of  the 
first  Sunday  school. 

In  July  came  Dr.  l.i\  inus'  'i  jlunlap.  Ironi 
Cherry  Yallev.  New  '\'nrlv.  lie  fomieil  a  part- 
Tiorship  with  Dr.  Alitchell.  and  li\eil  at  bis 
house.      He   was   the   onlv    ^urgoo  i    in    Imlian- 


a polls  until  1830,  when  Dr.  Sanders  came.  Dr. 
Dunlap  was  a  student,  and  kept  at  it  after  he 
entered  the  practice,  taking  his  degree  from 
Transylvania  Medical  College,  at  Paris,  Ken- 
tucky, in  1830.  He  was  ajjpointed  Adjutant- 
(icneral  in  183-")  :■'  was  elected  town  trustee  in 
1831:  was  physician  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb 
Institute  for  several  years;  was  postmaster  from 
1845  to  1849.  He  served  in  the  city 
council  from  1853  to  1859.  In  all  these  posi- 
tions he  served  eHiciently,  and  at  the  same  time 
attended  to  a  large  practice,  and  was  a  close 
student.  A.t  the  organization  of  Central  Medi- 
cal College,  in  the  summer  of  1849,  as  the 
metlical  department  of  Asbury  University,  he 
was  made  professor  of  the  theory  and  practice 
of  medicine,  and  was  very  successful  as  a 
teacher.  He  died  in  lS(i3,  at  a  ripe  old  age, 
widely  lamented. 

At  about  the  same  time  as  Dr.  Dunlap  came 
Dr.  Kenneth  A.  Scudder,  a  young  man  of  22. 
Hi-  was  a  native  of  Xew  Jersey,  and  was  very 
popular  socially,  and  gave  promise  of  a  bril- 
liant professional  career.  In  the  winter  of 
1838-9  he  had  an  attack  of  measles,  and  was 
convalescent  when  he  ventured  out  to  call  on 
some  patients,  and  suffered  a  relapse,  from  the 
effects  of  which  he  died  on  March  «,  1829. 
The  general  sympathy  was  accentuated  by  the 
fact  that  he  had  married  only  three  months 
before  his  death.  The  physicians  of  the  city 
and  "the  Indianapolis  legislature"  adopted 
resolutions  of  regret,  and  wore  crape  on  their 
left  arms  for  thirty  days,  and  the  papers  pub- 
lished   eulogistic  articles   on  the   deceased. 

In  August,  1831,  Dr.  Jonathan  Cool  ar- 
rived. He  was  also  a  native  of  New  Jersey, 
and  the  best  educated  of  the  earliest  physi- 
cians. He  was  a  classmate  of  Judge  Black- 
ford, at  Princeton,  "raduating  with  the  highe.-t 
honors  of  his  class:  and  then  attended  medi- 
cal college  and  took  his  degree.  He  received 
an  appointment  as  army  surgeon,  and  was  sta- 
tioned for  xHiie  time  at  .Newport  Barracks. 
Kentucky.  11"  wa^  the  lirst  physician  to  pro- 
test ag'ainsi  tlie  e\ce<>i\"e  use  of  calomel,  and 
his  conlroxersv  with  I)r.  Coe  on  that  suliject. 
together  with  b-  downfall  li\  inteni]ierance. 
are  detailed  in  the  chanter  entitled  "The  De- 
mon Rnm".  Although  he  became  a  hopeless 
drunkard,  the  tcstinionv  to  his  intelliirence  and 


■Jdiirniil .   AuL:"\ist  ;'.0.    l,sv'5 


Jiisi'ouv  ()|-  (;i;i;.\ TKi;  iNhi.WAroi.is. 


543 


Hiiil'onii  gontlcin.inlv  character  is  unaiiuiious. 
He  lived  with  lii.s  inotlicr,  in  the  iiortlicasl 
part  of  the  town  till  his  death  in  18-iO,  and 
he  was  huricd  by  the  side  of  that  devoted  and 
heart-brnkcii    iimthci-    in    Greenlawii    Cemetery. 

These  were  the  only  doctors  resident  in  In- 
dianapolis for  the  four  years  following  1821. 
On  July  4,  1835,  Dr.  Mitchell  announced  that 
he  had  "associated  himself  in  the  practice  of 
Medicine  and  Sur>iery  with  Dr.  \V.  K.  lloss, 
who  has  lately  come  to  this  place  well  recom- 
mended".^ -V  year  later  l)i-.  Koss  announced 
that  he  had  "settled  himselt  i)crmanently  at 
Indianapolis'"'  and  gone  into  business  for  him- 
self— "His  shop  is  two  doors  west  of  Mr.  J. 
Hawkins'  Inn"."'  He  was  a  young  man  of  prom- 
ise, but  he  had  an  aversion  for  wild  animals 
and  snakes,  and  some  six  months  later  re- 
turnetl  to  the  more  civilized  region  of  Ohio, 
whence  he  came."  In  Decemi)er,  1825,  the 
city  received  a  visit  I'lum  "Dr.  L.  P>.  Bartle. 
Surgeon-Dentist"  who  pulled  teeth  witiiout 
pain,  made  false  teeth,  and  also  gave  an  en- 
tertainment "consisting  of  a  variety  of  new 
and  incomprehensil)le  experiments".'  There 
Were  also  several  other  doctors  who  located  here 
in  1834-C,  probably  temporarily,  as  no  special 
account  of  them  is  preserved,  .\mong  tluMn 
were   Doctors    I.aughlin,    Saxton,    and    Morris. 

William  H.  iJlly,  who  was  Auditor  of  State 
from  1816  to  1838  was  a  practicing  physician, 
and  devoted  more  time  to  that  than  to  audit- 
ing, the  latter  being  done  by  a  competent  dep- 
uty. Dr.  W.  H.  Wishard  says  that  he  came 
here  in  the  fall  of  1824,  and  formed  a  part- 
nership with  Dr.  Jones,  who  came  here  from 
Kentucky  about  the  same  time.  This  date 
is  too  early.  On  May  9,  1826,  an  article  ap- 
])eared  in  the  Gazette  inquiring  whether  the 
state  had  an  auditor,  and  suggesting  that  as 
5fr.  T.illy  had  "his  family,  property,  etc..  in 
Kentucky  alwavs,  and  is  only  absent  one-third 
of  the  year  in  the  sister  state  of  Indiana"  he 
could  hardly  be  considei'ed  as  coming  within 
the  constitutional  requirement  of  residence. 
This  pointed  criticism  seems  to  have  had  some 
effect,  for  six  weeks  later  Dr.  Galen  Jones 
offered   his   services  to   the   people  of  Indian- 


*Gazetie.  Julv  5.  1825. 
"Journal,  Julv  11,  1826. 
"fnd.  Med.  Journal,  Vol.  11,  p.  202. 
'Gn-elie.  December  27,   1825. 


apolis,"  and  the  next  week  was  announced  the 
l)artnership  of  doctors  Jones  and  Lilly,  whose 
ollice  was  "in  the  small  frame  building  on 
Washington  street,  near  Mr.  Henderson's  Tav- 
ern"." This  finn  was  wrecked  by  intemper- 
ance of  both  members.  Lilly  died  in  182!), 
and  Jones  was  at  that  time  a  dilapidated  sot. 
He  was  saved,  however,  by  the  efforts  of  his 
wife,  who  got  him  back  to  Kentucky  and 
straightened  him  up.  He  afterwards" main- 
tained an  excellent  practice  there.  He  was  a 
large,  fine-looking  man,  and  both  he  and  Dr. 
Lilly  were  creditable  practitioners. 

In  1828  Dr.  Chas.  McDougall  came  to  In- 
dianapolis from  Ohio,  for  a  stay  of  four  years. 
He  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother-in- 
law,  Dr.  nuiihii),  and  they  made  a  strong  firm. 
Dr.  ^IcDoiigall  was  ajipointed  a  suurgeon  iu 
the  T'nited  States  armv  in  18.i2.  He  served 
in  the  HIackhawk  and  Seminole  wars;  was 
made  a  major  in  1838:  and  served  at  West 
Point  in  1846-8.  At  the  beginning  of  the 
Civil  War  he  was  made  medical  director  of 
the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  and  in  Septemiier, 
1862.  was  put  in  charge  of  the  ifedical  Direc- 
tor's ollice  at  Xew  York  City.  He  was  brevetted 
Brigadier-General,  for  meritorious  service,  in 
1865;  retired  in  186H;  and  died  on  July  25, 
1885.  The  next  doctors  after  him  were  Dr. 
John  11.  Sanders,  who  came  in  the  winter  of 
1829-30,  and  Dr.  John  L.  Mothershead.  who 
came  in  1830.  They  were  both  from  Ken- 
tucky, and  both  graduates  of  Transylvania 
.Medical  College.  Dr.  Mothershead  formed  a 
partnership  with  Dr.  ^ritchell  for  about  a  year, 
and  then  with  Dr.  Sanders.  They  remained  to- 
gether till  1839.  a  very  popular  and  competent 
firm,  w-hen  Dr.  Sanders  went  to  Missouri  for  two 
years.  On  his  return  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  Dr.  Charles  Parrv,  and  later  one  with  Dr. 
P.  H.  Jameson.  He  died  April  I.  185(i.  Dr. 
^lothershead  practiced  alone  for  sonu>  time, 
but  for  a  jieriod  before  his  death,  in  Xovem- 
li(  r,   1854.  was  associated  with  Dr.  Rullard. 

Th(>se  were  the  medical  pioneers  of  Indian- 
apolis and  though  we  ridicule  their  system  of 
treatment,  they  were  quite  as  fearful  that 
someone  who  was  ignorant  of  correct  prin- 
ciples mighl  practice  medicine  as  the  physi- 
cians of  todav.     P>v  the  act  of  Decendier  24. 


'Jovrnnl.   June    20.    ISii;. 
"Jonrnal.  June  T,.  182(1. 


544 


HISTOEY  OF  GREATER  INDIAIS'APOLIS. 


^■'St^' 


OLD    IXniANA    MEDICAL    COLLEGE. 


HISTOJtV    or   (iUKATEit  l.NDlA.NAruLl.S. 


r^-j 


ISIO,  each  judicial  district  of  the  state  was 
made  a  medical  district,  and  live  censors  for 
cacli  dii^ti'ict  were  named  by  tlie  act.  These 
were  given  power  to  examine  applicants,  and 
to  grant  license  to  practice  on  satisfaetorv 
^ilowing  of  ability  and  moral  character.  They 
vvere  also  empowered  to  exclude  from  practice 
for  immorality  or  intemperance.  A  curious 
provision  of  this  law  w-as  the  restriction  of 
mileage  charges  to  Viy^  cents  a  mile,  going  to 
and  coming  from  a  patient  in  day  time,  and 
double  tiiat  sum  at  night.  On  .lanuarv  1.  1819 
ail  act  was  passed  creating  a  state  medical  so- 
ciety, com])osed  of  delegates  from  the  district 
>ocietics.  which  were  to  meet  at  Corydon  on 
Aijril  !(•,  following,  and  elect  officers,  and 
.idoi)t  a  constitution  and  by-laws,  "not  ineon- 
>ist('nt  with  the  laws  and  constitution  of  this 
>tate  nor  of  the  United  States".  The  state 
-ociety  was  emjjowered  to  fi.x  the  boundaries  of 
the  di^;tri(•ts,  and  "to  settle  linally  all  ditl'er- 
I'lices  between  the  district  medical  societies, 
and  also  between  individuals  and  the  respec- 
tive societies  in  case  of  appeal"."  By  act  of 
January  18,  1820,  the  state  society  was  au- 
thorized to  create  as  many  local  societies  as  it 
deemed  expedient. 

Question  arose  as  to  the  regularity  of  tho^sc 
associations,  and  on  petition  of  a  immber  of 
'physicians,  a  law  was  passed  on  February  12, 
18v'.5,  for  the  incorporation  of  state  and  dis- 
trict societies — each  judicial  district  consti- 
tuting a  medical  district.  To  organize  the 
state  so(-iety  "not  less  than  five"  were  neces- 
sary, and  in  the  districts  not  less  than  six 
physicians  were  to  meet  and  elect  officers,  in- 
cluding three  censors.  The  state  society  was 
composed  of  delegates,  from  one  to  five  from 
each  district,  and  was  empowered  "to  estab- 
lish a  uniform  system  of  tlie  course  and  time 
of  medical  study,  and  the  qualifications  neces- 
sary for  license" :  also  to  levy  a  tax  of  $3  per 
vear  on  each  mendx-r  of  the  society.  Candi- 
dates for  license  were  examined  by  the  cen- 
sors, who  granted  diplomas  or  refused.  In 
the  latter  case  there  was  a  right  of  appeal  to 
the  district  and  state  societies,  the  decision 
of  the  latter  being  final.  The  censors  were 
enjoined  not  to  give  license  to  anyone  of  im- 
moral character.  This  was  was  slightly 
amended  bv  the  act  of  .Tanuarv  .30,  1S30,  and 


all  actions  of  the  societies  in  the  past  were 
legalized.  It  was  continued  in  force  till  re- 
pealed by  the  revision  of  1843. 

In  the  spring  of  1833  the  Central  Medical 
Society  was  organized  at  Indianapolis,  with 
Dr.  Mitchell  as  president  and  Dr.  Livingston 
Dunlap  as  secretary.  On  December  10,  1833,  at 
the  meeting  of  the  State  Medical  Society  at 
Corydon,  Dr.  Livingston  Dunlap  was  elected 
secretary.  The  first  meeting  of  the  state  so- 
ciety at  Indianapolis  was  on  January  ly,  1835. 
But  the  most  notable  meeting  was  that  of  the 
Central  Medical  Society  on  November  G,  1834. 
The  county  government  was  then  in  the  hands 
of  a  board  of  justices,  and  the  board  had  cut 
doctor's  bills,  offering  amoiuits  "which  can 
be  considered  in  no  other  light  than  as  in- 
tended not  to  compensate  but  to  insult"".  Dr. 
Scudder  had  attended  a  pauper,  at  the  request 
of  the  overseers  of  the  poor,  from  August  5 
to  September  23.  "His  bill  was  $34. .JO,  and 
the  justices  allowed  $5  in  county  orders,  worth 
not  more  than  -$3,121/^".  Dr.  .Coe  had  been 
called  in  consultation  in  this  case,  and  his 
bill  of  $3  was  refused  entirely.  Dr.  Dunlap 
was  employed  by  the  overseers  of  the  poor  to 
attend  an  old  soldier.  He  called  on  him  five 
times,  "a  distance  of  5  or  6  miles,  and  fur- 
nished medicine  for  the  whole  time  of  his 
sickness.  His  bill  was  $13.75,  for  which  the 
board  allowed  $3.  in  county  (U'ders,  e<iual  to 
$1.8714".  On  this  showing  the  society  adopted 
stirring  resolutions  that  until  these  l)ills  were 
allowed  as  presented,  witli  no  deductions,  no 
member  of  the  society  would  attend  any  paujjer 
siipjMrted  by  the  county,  without  a  written 
assurance  of  reasonable  compensation,  "ex- 
cept in  sudden  and  dangerous  emergencies"'." 

No  account  is  preserved  of  the  results  of  this 
defiant  stand.  The  county  board  did  not  al- 
low the  bills,  however,  and  there  is  no  men- 
tion of  a  doctor's  bill  in  its  proceedings  for 
the  next  five  years.  On  July  6,  1829,  it  al- 
lowed $G.50  to  Dunlap  and  McDougall  "for 
four  days  attendance  and  medicine  on  Abijah 
Smith,  a  paui)er"'.  There  may  be  some  con- 
nection in  the  fact  than  on  the  same  day  they 
fixed  a  price  for  pauper  collins  of  50  cents  a 
lineal  foot.  The  |)robability  is  that  the  em- 
ployment of  doctors  for  paiijiers  was  turned 
over  to  the  overseers  of  llie  poor,  1.  <■..   made 


'"Ads  of   JSm.  p.  3C. 

Vol.  I— as 


''Gnzetlc,  November    Hi,    1834. 


54{i 


UISTOUV  OF  (;i 


ATKi;    1M)1AXA1>()L18. 


a  township  exjjL'use  instead  of  a  rnuntv  r.x- 
pense.  That  appears  to  liave  bei-onie  a  cus- 
tom, for  in  1849,  the  Supreme  Court  deciilcd 
that  tile  count)'  was  liable  for  attendance  on  a 
pauper,  by  a  physician,  on  order  of  the  over- 
seers of  the  poor,  although  the  primary  lia- 
bility was  on  the  overseers.'-  The  laws  at  the 
time  were  not  very  clear.  Paupers  were 
'•'farmed  out"  or  ".sold"  to  the  person  who  dl- 
fered  to  care  for  them  cheapest,  and  who  was 
required  by  law  to  furnish  them  the  "coiiiiiidii 
necessaries  of  life"".  At  the  same  time  tlic 
overseers  were  autlmrized  to  look  after  tran- 
sient sick  poor,  and  "grant  such  temporary  re- 
lief as  the  nature  of  the  case  may  require"". '•■ 

The  earliest  provision  for  medical  treatment 
for  resident  paupers  was  by  the  act  of  Febru- 
ary 17,  1838,  which  authorized  the  overseers, 
in  case  of  sick  paupers  to  get  "such  physicians 
to  attend  to  them  as  the  sick  shall  prefer,  and 
in  case  no  preference  is  signified,  the  said  over- 
seers shall  employ  such  best  physician  in  thr 
county  as  caji  be  procured".  There  was  im 
provision  for  cm])loymeut  of  a  physician  i)\ 
the  countv  to  attend  to  all  the  poor,  until  the 
act   of  May   27,   18.=i'?. 

A  new  State  Jledical  Society  was  I'oiinnl 
under  the  law  of  IS'i.T,  and  pursuant  to  a 
resolution  l)y  it.  the  ])hysicians  of  the  fifth 
judicial  circuit  met  at  Indianapolis  on  May 
1,  18'2fi.  and  organized  a  district  society,  whose 
annual  meetings  were  to  be  on  the  first  ^Fiin- 
day  in  ^lay,  and  semi-annual  meetings  on  thr 
day  preceding  the  meeting  of  the  State  society. 
Dr.  Isaac  Coe  was  made  president;  Livingston 
Dunlap.  secretary;  Kenneth  A.  Scudder.  treas- 
urer; Drs.  Laughlin.  Saxton  and  Morris,  cen- 
sors, and  Drs.  Mitchell,  t'oe  and  Saxton.  dele- 
gates to  the  State  society.'*  This  system  oT 
vohmtary  organization  of  societies  by  physi- 
cians, with  absolute  power  over  granting  id' 
licenses  to  practice  medicine  appears  to  haxc 
continued  until  the  law  authorizing  it  wa- 
drojiped  in  the  revision  of  lS-1.3.  lender  it  all 
practitioners  who  were  not  "regular"  seem  In 
have  been  .«hut  out — at  least  none  advertis<Ml 
— until  1836.  when  "botanic"  and  "Indian"" 
doctors   began   to   .ippcar.      Tlie  first   of   these 


'=  Board  vs.  Wil~(in.   1 
''Act  of  .Tanuarv  :i(i.  1; 
1831. 

^*Gazettr.  Mn\  ■>.  ls-.>( 


Ind..  p.  478. 
;■.'!;  ib..  February  111. 


was  .S.  1[.  .SeUnan,  au  Indian  doetor,  wlm  was 
located  at  Columbus,  but  toured  the  state,  and 
advertised  widely.^^  In  fact  there  was  an  un- 
usual amount  of  medical  advertising  in  the 
sjiring  and  stmmicr  of  1836.  Among  the  In- 
dianajiolis  regulars  who  had  cards  in  the  pa- 
])crs  were  Drs.  Luke  Munsell.  J.  S.  Bobbs.  F. 
Hidl'enstein.  J.  L.  Richmond  and  George  W. 
Clears.  ilcCluer  &  Jordan,  and  Sanders  (.\: 
.Mothershead. 

On  June  19.  Dr.  Abner  Pope — he  had  a  di- 
]tlonia  from  the  Botanic  ^ledical  Society  of 
Maryland — announced  that  he  had  a  full  stock 
of  "Thompsonian  Botanic  Medicine,  at  his 
new  store  on  Washington  street,  two  doors  east 
nf  the  post  office"'.  It  may  be  added  that  there 
was  a  notably  large  proportion  of  "vegetable 
remedies"  among  the  patent  medicines  adver- 
tised at  this  time,  and  on  July  9,  Morrison  & 
Tinnlinson.  the  regular  druggists,  advertised 
a  stock  of  botanic  medicines.  The  term 
"Thompsonian"'  refers  to  Dr.  Samuel  Tliomp- 
son.  iif  ^[assachusetts.  the  leader  of  the  new 
rnlt.  who  was  a  jihilosopher  as  well  as  a  doc- 
tor, lie  maintained  that  man  was  composed 
(d"  four  "elements,  earth,  air,  fire  and  water""; 
that  the  taking  of  mineral  drugs  carried  hini 
downward  to  the  grave,  while  the  use  of  plants, 
whose  tendency  is  upwards,  carried  him  in  the 
o|)posite  direction.  Possibly  not  all  who  used 
thc>  medicines  adopted  the  philosophy,  but  they 
were  (|uite  po])ular.  Pope  maintained  his 
store  for  fifteen  years  or  more,  and  was  a 
well-known  resident  of  the  city  after  that.  Two 
years  after  Pope  came  William  Kelly  Frow- 
hawk  Fryer,  an  Indian  doctor,  who  was  at 
least  "great  in  that  strange  spell,  a  name"". 
He  showed  bis  I'aith  by  offering  to  buy.  or 
exchange  medical  treatment,  for  roots  of  "co- 
hunbo.  rattleroot.  white  snakeroot.  sarsaparilla, 
angelica,  ginseng,  black  snakeroot.  elecampane, 
and  ]ioplar  root  bark"".'" 

There  was  not  a  little  conflict  between  the 
regulars  and  the  botanies,  the  latter  urging 
that  the  regulars  were  inur<lering  people  with 
in'neral  drugs,  and  the  former  denouncing  the 
liotanics  as  absurd  ignoramuses.  Many  sto- 
ries wcri'  |)ut  in  circulation  on  both  sides,  some 
]i()-sib|y  with  no  foundation,  and  some  very 
Will     founded.      Oliver    II.    Smith     records    a 


■■hniniiil.  April  9.  1836. 
■■luuriKtl.  ^lav   10,   1838. 


I1IST0]{V   (JF  GKEATEH    I  M)|.\NAr(i|.|s. 


547 


story  111'  ii  root  iloctor  who  could  not  euro  oiio 
of  his  patient?  with  his  reguhir  stock  of  roots, 
aiul.  confusing  cahmius  with  calomel,  thought 
to  try  the  system  of  the  regulars  by  giving  her 
ii  ilec-oction  of  calnuiiis  root.  He  stated  the 
result  thus:  "She  drank  it  with  some  ditli- 
culty,  turned  cimt  in  the  bed  and  died.  Still, 
1  don't  think  it  was  the  calamus  that  killed 
)ier,  as  all  tiie  caiani\is  doctors  are  giving  it 
ill  heavier  doses  than  1  did."  ''  There  was 
enough  id'  truth  on  hoth  sides  to  make  the 
j)utilic 

•'Hesitate  to  draw  the  line 
Between   the  l\Mi.  wlicre  (!od  has  not,"' 

as  .loa(|uiii  Milln-  puts  it.  and  the  controversv 
no  doiiht  had  a  heneticial  cll'ect  in  producing 
the  jireseiu  situation  in  which  the  use  of  reme- 
flies  usually  is  dictated  by  their  effects,  and  not 
by  their  sources,  .\fter  IS^.T.  liuliana  was  a 
free-for-all  medical  state  until  1  ss.").  In  tliat 
year  the  h'gislature  ])assed  a  hiw  proliibiting  the 
])ractice  of  medicine  without  a  license  from  the 
County  Clerk,  to  whom,  as  a  preliminary,  proof 
had  to  he  made  of  graduation  from  "some  rc])- 
utalile  nuMlical  college",  or  that  the  apjjli- 
cant  liad  "resided  and  ])racticed  medicine,  .sur- 
gery and  nhsti  tries  in  this  state,  continuously, 
for  ten  \cars  immediately  preceding  the  date 
of  thi'  taking  ell'ect  of'th's  act"^.Tuly  IS, 
IS.s;."').  The  [iitlliniii  Mctlicnl  Jniininl  for  .\pril 
irave  the  law  a  rather  feeble  indorsenuMit.  but 
said.  "It  will  probably  make  a  few  of  the  liun- 
•dreds  cd'  (piacks  who  now  infest  Indiana  seek 
more  congenial  climes,  and  if  enforced  will 
prevent  (piacks  from  other  states  from  set- 
tling within  our  borders". 

The  serious  ipiestion  was  what  was  a  "re|)- 
utal)le  medical  college",  which  was  left  to  the 
.■judgment  of  the  clerk:  and  as  his  fee  came 
only  on  admission  of  the  ii|iplicant,  he  was 
usuallv  lilicral  in  his  vii'\v>.  The  law  was 
amended  in  l.siil  b\-  making  the  license  good 
for  the  entire  state  instead  of  for  the  eounty 
<inly.  a<  originally.  There  was  a  great  deal  of 
di-((inlrnt  among  the  profession  over  the  sit- 
uation, bnl  not  nntil  1807  could  a  basis  for  a 
law  be  reached  bv  the  several  "scho(ds".  .\fter 
much  iiegotiati(m,  th(^  societies  of  tiie  four 
leading    schoids    a|)|iointed    committees    to    act 


'Kiirhj   Iii(7!(i}ifi   Tridh.  p.   1".' 


.jointly,  ami  on  December  10.  189G,  tlie.se  met 
at  the  office  of  Dr.  W.  X.  Wishard,  18  East 
Ohio  street,  and  agreed  on  a  law.  'J'he  "old 
school"  were  rei)ri'sented  by  Drs.  W.  N.  Wis- 
hard and  (ieorge  F.  Edeiiharler  of  Indian- 
apolis, (i.  W.  II.  KeiniHT  of  Muncie.  T.  C. 
Kennedy  of  Shelbyville.  ami  A.  M.  Owens  of 
I'^vansville;  the  homeopaths  bv  Di-s.  0.  S.  Run- 
nels and  F.  C.  and  \V.  D,  Stewart;  the  eclec- 
tics by  Drs.  W.  F.  Curreyer,  Henry  Long  and 
C.  G.  Winter;  and  the  physio-medicals  bv  Drs. 
v..  M.  Haggard  and  A.  W.  Fi.sher.  The  biusis 
agreed  on,  which  was  formulated  and  jiassed 
liy  the  legislature,  was  for  a  State  Board  id' 
Aledical  Registration  and  Examination,  to  con- 
trol all  future  licenses.  The  board  was  to  be 
comjioscd  of  live  members.  Each  school  was 
to  nominate  two.  and  the  Governor  was  to 
select  one  from  each  school,  and  the  fifth  at  dis- 
cretion. The  wording  of  this  provision  was 
changed  in  the  law  as  passed,  by  dropping 
the  uomiiuiting  ft'alnre  and  i^rovidiiig  that  the 
(i'ovei-iu)r  should  a])point  five  from  the  four 
schools  having  tb.e  largest  numerical  re|ire- 
sentation  in  the  state — which  were  the  fr)ur 
nameil — but  no  school  should  have  a  majority 
of  the  meiid)ers.  Apjdicants  must  be  graduates 
id'  a  medical  silmol  tb;it  complies  with  the 
M]inimnni  reipiirements  fixed  by  the  board,  or 
]iass  an  examination  by  it.  'Chere  was  a  good 
deal  of  opposition  to  the  bill  i)ut  it  |)as.<ed,  on 
March  .">,  ISOT.  and  is  still  in  force,  except 
that  in  1i)().')  the  membershi])  was  increa.sed  to 
six,  and  the  osteopaths  were  taken  in  on  the 
same  basis  as  the  other  schools. 

liulianapolis  had  no  niedical  college  until 
IStS.  On  Xoveniber  1  of  that  year  the  trus- 
tees of  .Vsburv  I'niversily  established  one  here 
— The  Indiana  Central  Medical  College — as 
The  medical  department  of  that  school.  For 
the  first  year  it  occu]iied  the  third  lloor  of 
the  Johnson  building,  and  the  ne\t  year  it  was 
moved  to  ilatthew  Little's  building  al  the 
southeast  corner  of  Washington  and  East 
streets,  a  two-story  brick.  The  facnlly  the 
first  year  was  announced  as  comimsed  of  .loliii 
S.  Robbs.  M.  D..  Trofes.sor  of  (iet)ernl  ami 
S))ecial  .\nalomy:  L.  Dindap.  M.  D..  Professor 
of  Surgery  and  Surgiial  .\naloMi\  ;  T.  W.  Cow- 
gil,  ^L  D.,  Professor  of  Theory  and  Practice 
of  Jledicine;  C.  G.  Downey.  A.  M..  Professor 
of  Chemistry  and  Pharmacy:  V,.  W.  Mears.  M. 

D.,     Pi-ofi— or    of    Ohsi.trli-     and     Disea-es    of 


548 


IllSTOKY  OF  CHKATEK  INDIAXAPOLIS. 


Women  ami  Chiklit'n ;,  J.  S.  Harriswi,  M.  D., 
Professor  of  Materia  Medica,  Therapeutics  and 
Medical  Jurisprudence ;  R.  Currau,  M.  D.,  Pro- 
fessor of  Pathology  and  Physiology.^*  This 
program,  however,  was  not  fully  carried  out. 
Dr.  Bobbs  Avas  made  Dean  of  tlie  medical 
faculty,  and  held  the  above  chair  till  1850, 
when  he  took  the  chair  of  Principles  and  Prac- 
tice of  Surgery  which  was  originally  held  by 
Dr.  A.  H.  Baker,  instead  of  Dr.  Duulap,  whose 
chair  was  Theory  and  Practice  of  Medicine. 
Dr.  Dunlap  served  till  1851,  and  was  then  suc- 
ceeded by  Dr.  E.  Deming.  At  the  same  time 
Dr.  Clears,  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  S.  E.  Leonard, 
Dr.  Harrison  by  Dr.  C.  G.  Comegys,  and  Dr. 
Bobbs  by  Dr.  Daniel  Meeker.  Dr.  Cowgil  did 
not  serve  at  all ;  and  Dr.  David  Funkhouser 
was  Demonstrator  of  Anatomy  for  the  first 
year.  Dr.  f'urran  had  been  Professor  of  An- 
atomy and  Physiology,  and  Professor  Downey 
had  held  the  chair  of  Xatural  Science  at  As- 
bury  before  the  medical  college  was  established. 

The  college  was  continuel  for  four  years,  the 
first  class  graduating  in  1850  and  the  last  in 
1852.  There  were  ten  graduates  in  1850, 
eighteen  in  1851,  and  twelve  in  1852.  Most 
of  these  were  from  outside  points.  Among 
those  knoAATi  in  Indiannjjolis  as  practitioners 
afterwards  were  J.  W.  Hervev  and  Delanev 
Wilev  of  the  class  of  1850,  J."M.  Tomlinson, 
E.  N.  Todd,  J.  W.  Gordon  and  I.  A.  Butter- 
field  of-  the  class  of  1851,  and  T.  M.  Stevens 
of  the  class  of  1852. 

There  was  some  opposition  to  the  school 
on  the  ground  that  it  was  a  ^fethodist  insti- 
tution— so  much  so  that  a  friend  of  the  insti- 
tution explained  that  several  of  the  faculty  did 
not  belong  to  any  church."  In  fact  the  only 
intolerance  shown  in  the  school  was  strictly 
professional,  and  the  only  special  case  was 
that  of  David  J.  Lee.  David  had  been  study- 
ing with  Dr.  L.  Abbett.  who  was  a  botanic,  but 
decided  to  acquire  the  learning  of  the  Egyp- 
tians, and  procured  a  regular  ticket  for  the 
college  lectures.  His  fellow  students,  however, 
disturbed  his  peace  by  yelling  "steam",  "yarbs" 
i?nd  other  derisive  epithets  when  he  appeared. 
Dr.  Meeker  rebuked  the  class,  and  tried  to 
give  Lee  a  fair  showing,  but  in  vain.  On 
January  34.  the  faculty  adopted  a  resolution 


''^Locomotive.  December  9,  1848. 
^^Senfhicl.  March    14,   1850. 


that  Lee  had  not  matriculated  properly,  and 
therefore  was  not  a  member  of  the  class.  On 
the  same  day  Dean  Bobbs  notified  him  to  re- 
turn his  ticket  and  his  money  would  be  re- 
funded, adding,  "It  is  hoped  Mr.  Lee  will 
understand  that  the  harmony  of  the  class  ren- 
ders this  step  necessar}'."  Lee  closed  the  in- 
cident with  a  warm  card  to  the  public,  in 
\vl\ieh  he  said  that  all  the  botanies  asked  of  the 
allopaths  was  that  "we  may  be  placed  on  an 
(■(]iuil  footing  witli  them,  and  our  'School' 
will  leave  theirs  as  far  behind  as  the  canter- 
ing horse,  with  blacksmith  bellows  for  pill- 
liags,  freighted  with  lobelia,  cayenne  pepper, 
and  other  coarse  fodder  (according  to  Profes- 
sor Curran),  can  leave  a  go-cart  laden  with 
calomel,  o]>ium.  antimony,  and  other  death- 
dealing  articles  used  by  the  Scientific  Murder- 
mis  (^'uaeks."  -° 

Indianapolis  has  seen  the  birth  of  many 
medical  colleges,  which  "like  snow  iipon  the 
ilusty  desert  space,  have  lingered  a  little  'hour 
or  two  and  gone".  Among  those  that  fol- 
lowed the  Indiana  Central  Medical  College, 
were  Indiana  Eclectic  Medical  College,  organ- 
ized in  1880,  lasted  ten  years;  Beach  Medical 
College,  organized  in  1884  and  merged  with 
the  preceding  Eclectic  Medical  College  in  '86 ; 
Indiana  College  of  Medicine  and  Midwifery, 
chartered  in  1878  and  discontinued;  Eclectic 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  organized 
in  1800,  extinct  in  '95;  American  Medical  Col- 
lege organized  in  1894,  graduated  one  class;' 
University  of  Medicine,  organized  1887.  grad- 
uated one  class;  College  of  Liberal  Medicine 
died  a-bornin'.  These,  it  will  be  noted,  with 
all  other  like  institutions,  were  organized  pre- 
sumablv  to  fill  a  long  felt  want,  that  was  sub- 
sequently discovered  to  be  not  a  vacancy,  but 
a  satiety. 

The  first  medical  college  in  the  state  was 
the  University  of  iledicine  of  Xew  Albany, 
which  was  organized  in  1833,  and  was  a  fail- 
ure. The  institution  next  in  order  of  nriority 
was  the  Indiana  Medical  College  of  Laporto, 
Indiana,  which  was  organized  in  1844  and  con- 
tinued until  1848,  at  which  time  it  beffan  a 
migratory  career,  going  to  St.  Charles.  Illinois, 
thence  to  Rock  Island.  Illinois,  in  1849.  and 
finallv  to  Keokuk,  Iowa,  where  it  remains  as 
the   College   of  Physicians   and   Surgeons. 


-'"  Locornotirr.  Fcbruarv  8,  1851. 


HISTOIJV  OF  PxREATKR    I  XDIAXAPnT.l- 


.-)40 


'I'lie  princi])al  collejii's  of  the  state,  liowever, 
have  been  what  were  familiarly  known  as  the 
Modieal  College  ol'  Jmliaua  and  the  Central 
College  of  Ph\sieians  and  Surgeons,  which 
.irter  in  eifeet  reappeared  as  the  State  College 
.1  Physicians  and  Surgeons.  The  Medical 
t'ollege  of  Indiana  was  organized  in  1878,  when 
the  Indiana  Medical  College,  organized  in  1868, 
and  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons, 
I'l-ganized  in  18^:?,  were  united  to  form  this 
'•illege.  It  was  formerly  the  iledieal  Depart- 
ment of  P.utler  University,  but  severed  its 
iipimeetion  with  that  institution  in  1883.  In 
1110.5  it  consolidated  with  Purdue  University. 
the  Central  (^"ollege  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
L^rons.  and  the  Ft.  Wayne  College  of  Medicine, 
iiii-iiiing  the  Indiana  >[edical  ('oUege,  the 
School  of  Medicine  of  Piirdnc  University. 

Dissatisfaction  amongst  the  medical  profes- 
-ii>n  in  Indianapolis  through  the  outcome  of 
his  consolidation,  coupled  with  the  desire  of 
ilie  State  University  at  Blooniington  to  have 
■  ■  Medical  College  of  its  own.  as  a  conii)lement 
.Mid  fulfillment  of  the  premedical  course,  which 
iwis  a  part  of  the  curriculum  of  the  State 
I  iiiversity,  lead  to  the  estalilishment  in  1907 
"<  the  State  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
Livons,  which  was  organized  and  r\in  as  a  branch 
if  the  State  I'niversity.  The  rivalry  exist- 
iiir  in  this  particular,  between  the  State  Uni- 
MTsity  at  Blooniington  on  one  hand  and  Pur- 
'liie  University  071  the  other,  led  to  one  of  the 
inn>t  spectacular  fights,  in  the  legislature  of 
IIM17.  that  the  medical  profession  of  the  state 
had  ever  seen,  iioth  of  these  large  iinivcrsi- 
tirs,  endowed  liy  the  -^tate,  went  before  the 
Ngislature  asking  for  enactments  legalizing  the 
^ilan^:  that  tliev  had  already  started  to  carry 
out. 

Kach  side  had  good  grounds   for  its  claims, 

I. lit    the    legislature    felt    that    it    would    be    a 

mistake  to  divide  the  medical  education  of  its 

-tiideiits    lictween    two   universities.      The   eon- 

■^■.|iien(i'   was,   that   neither  university  got  the 

^"vctrd    plum.      Sul)se(pient!y   the   matter   was 

;Hljii>trd    by    cMiiipromise    and    mutual    agreo- 

M-iit,  and  at  ])resent  tlie  medical  education  of 

!'■  state   is  centered   in  the  University  of  In- 

■  ina,   ].)asses   througli    its   jurisdiction,  and    is 

•  nducted    liy    one    of    the    largest    and    best 

'(|ulpped  ])lants  of  the  country  at  Indianapolis. 

With  true  catholicity  and  breadth  of  view,  the 

li  -isbitiirc  in  ])assing  the  enabling  act  for  tb' 


above  mentioned  eoiisolidation.  provided  that 
other  recognized  schools  of  medicine  should  be 
provided  for  in  the  curriculum  of  the  univer- 
sity as  occasion  might  arise. 

The  requirements  of  medical  education,  in 
the  present  day  and  age.  are  so  exceedingly 
rigid  and  based  on  such  high  standards,  that 
it  is  exceedingly  unlikely  that  in  the  future 
any  so  called  private  or  independent  colleges 
can  be  established  and  successfullv  main- 
tained. Indiana,  through  her  Board  of  Medi- 
cal Registration  and  the  laws  behind  it,  is  in 
the  forefront  as  to  educational  requirements 
on  medical  subjects. 

The  hospitals  of  Indianapolis  did  not  come 
early,  and  have  been  due  chietly  to  the  urging 
of  the  medical  profession.  The  founders  of 
the  Indianapolis  City  Ilo.spilal  were  leaders 
in  the  profession  of  medicine  during  the  dec- 
ade preceding  the  war.  Dr.  John  S.  Bobbs, 
the  "father  of  cholecystotomy".  and  Dr.  Liv- 
ingston Dunlap,  with  a  number  of  citizens, 
memorialized  the  citv  council,  presenting  the 
city's  needs  in  ]8.')4.  wdien  the  po]nilatioii  was 
less  than  "20,000.  'I'he  proposal  did  not  arouse 
enthusiasm,  but  in  January  and  Februarv  of 
IS.").")  there  was  considerable  small-pox,  wJiich 
cau.sed  a  panic,  anil  on  March  10  the  council 
ordered  the  erection  of  a  hospital.  Grounds 
were  bought  northwest  of  the  town — the  jires- 
ent  site— plans  were  prejiared,  ami  a  building 
was  begun.  But  the  small-pox  disappeareil 
and  the  panic  with  it,  ami  the  erection  of  ilu' 
building  was  suspended  repeatedly.  It  would 
|irobablv  not  have  been  finished  at  all  imt  for 
th<^  eft'orts  of  Dr.  Livingston  Dunla|),  who  was 
councilman  from  the  Fifth  Ward,  and  who  lin- 
allv  succeeded  in  getting  it  eom|)leted  in  the 
si)riiig  of  ISoO,  at  a  co.st  of  .some  .$:10.000. 
Then  came  a  hall  on  account  of  the  e.\|H'nsi' 
of  furnishing  and  conducting  it.  'Hie  eoinuil 
had  an  elephant  on  its  bands.  I'roposals  to 
sell  it,  and  to  turn  it  over  to  the  Sisters  of 
Charity  were  defeated,  but,  on  July  -.'1.  1S(;(>, 
it  was  granted  to  a  society  of  lailies  for  a  home 
for  friendless  women,  and  would  prolmblv  have 
licfu  devoted  to  tliat  \\<o  but  for  the  e(niiing  on 
of  the  Civil  War. 

When  the  volunteers  liegaii  assembling  ben' 
at  the  new  State  Fair  (I rounds  (Morton  Place) 
the  first  hospital  in  Indianapolis  was  o|)ene(l 
in  a  barracks.  1i»\'.'(»  feet,  under  charge  of 
Dr.  W.  B.   Flilrlicr  until  he  went  "IT  with  his 


550 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER   IXDIAXAT'Of JS. 


regiiiu'iit.  It  \\;i>  soim  outgi'own,  and  it  is 
nverml  tliat  the  <i(k  were  in  some  cases  housed 
in  the  cattle  ^tali^.  On  ilay  18,  1861,  the 
<-ity  turned  its  h<)s]iital  liuilding  over  to  the 
I'nited  States  froveriinient,  wliich  used  it  as 
a  iniiitarv  hos))ital  until  July  J,  1861,  and  then 
I'onr  months  longer  as  a  soldiers'  home,  sur- 
lendering  it  to  the  city  in  Xovember,  18(51. 
'J'he  national  government,  during  its  occupancy, 
added  two  3-story  ells  to  the  btiilding,  am! 
also  put  up  fences,  out-buildings  and  wooden 
liarracks  for  wards.  After  an  effort  to  sell 
these,  it  turned  tliem  over  to  the  city  in  lieu 
of  rent. 

In  the  spring  of  18GG  preparations  were  made 
for  occupancv.  bv  partiallv  furnishing  it,  and 
on  June  29,  1866,  the  Hospital  Board  of  the 
Council,  of  which  Dr.  John  il.  Kitchen  was 
president,  elected  Dr.  Green  Y.  Woolen,  the 
first  superintendent.  It  was  opened  for  pa- 
tients on  July  ].  The  old  buildings  were 
used  until  the  present  south  wing  was  con- 
structed under  Dr.  W.  X.  Wishard's  superin- 
tendency,  from  July  1.  1879,  to  January  1, 
1887.  Dr.  Woolen's  surgical  staff  comprised 
Dr.  John  S.  Bobbs.  Dr.  J.  S.  Athon,  Dr.  I,. 
D.  Waterman  and  Dr.  John  A.  Comingor,  the 
latter  resigning  after  a  continuous  service  of  a 
quartei-  of  a  century.  The  medical  consult- 
ants were  Dr.  James  H.  Woodburn  and  Dr. 
J.  .M.  Gaston,  and  Dr.  Robert  N.  Todd  and  Dr. 
T.  B.  Harvey,  who  served  the  hospital  up  to 
Ihcir  respective  deaths.  Dr.  Woolen's  house 
])hvsicians  were  Drs.  W.  W.  Fulev  and  E. 
lliidlev. 

The  first  civic  patient  treated  in  the  City 
Hospital  was  a  man  who  fell  from  a  hotel  win- 
dow in  Indianapolis,  and  was  taken  to  the  hos- 
]iital  when  it  was  used  as  a  United  States  mil- 
itary hosjiital,  with  Dr.  J.  Kitchen,  of  Indian- 
i']wlis,  as  military  surgeon  of  the  post,  and 
Dr.  ^[ilton  'SI.  Wishard  medical  officer  in 
cliariie.  The  man  died,  and  rtimor  has  it  that 
the  $60  found  on  his  person  was  expended  (as 
he  had  no  heir)  in  ]ilanting  the  sixty  soft 
maples  wliich  now  embellish  the  hosjiital 
grounds. 

Dr.  Wishard's  services  as  superintendent  were 
marked  by  the  rebuilding  of  the  hospital  and 
tlic  establi-^hment  of  the  Training  School  for 
Xurses.  under  the  auspices  of  the  Flower  ^lis- 
sion.  It  was  during  his  service,  also,  that  the 
r.ntiscptic    methods    were    introduced,    mainly 


tlii-niigh  the  instrumentality  of  Dr.  .lolm 
Chandlers.  Of  Dr.  Chandjcrs's  relation  to  this 
innovation.  Dr.  Wishard  has  furnished  the  fol- 
lowing note: 

"'I'o  Dr.  John  Cliandjcrs  belongs  the  credit 
111'  lirst  introducing  antiseptic  methods  in  treat- 
ment of  wounds  in  the  city  of  Indianapolis  and  ^. 
in  the  City  Hospital.  In  the  spring  of  1881:,  || 
111'.  Chandx'rs  made  an  aminitation  at  the  hos- 
pital. u>ing  antiseptic  methods,  and  sidise- 
(|Uenlly  did  a  number  of  other  operations  in 
whicli  antiseptic  dressings  were  used.  In  the 
beginning  Dr.  Cliambers  used  carbolized  gauze 
and  applied  'jjrotective'  as  an  outer  dressing, 
and  also  used  a  carbolic  acid  spray  during  the 
time  of  tile  operation,  following  the  general 
methods  then  in  vogue  with  the  advocates  of 
antiseptic  .<nrgery.  Dr.  Chambers  soon  modi- 
tied  his  technique,  but  continued  from  that 
time  to  follow  antise])tic  methods,  and  tliey 
were  adopted  in  the  hospital.  About  this  time 
Dr.  \V.  X.  Wishard,  who  was  then  superinten- 
dent of  the  hospital,  was  influenced  by  the  re- 
ports of  the  Emergency  Lying-in-Hospital  of 
Xew  York  to  ado])t  antiseptic  methods  in  the 
obstetric  ward,  with  the  result  that  deaths  from 
puerperal  sepsis  were  practically  done  away 
with.  Dr.  W.  X.  \\'ishard  subsequently  re- 
ported the  results  in  the  Iving-in  wards  to  the 
Clarion  County  Aleilical  Soeiety.  and  great  skep- 
ticism was  sliown  by  some  of  the  meinbei-s; 
it  was  claimed  that  the  new  building,  ami 
clearing  away  of  the  old  building  accounted 
for  the  disappearance  of  ])uer]ieral  peritonitis. 

In  the  summer  of  1886,  Dr.  Wishard  and  Dr. 
]\Iar.see  visited  the  hospitals  id'  the  ^[issouri 
Pacific  Railroad  system,  where  the  aiitise]itie 
treatment  was  in  full  ttse.  'i'he  results  in  the 
dilferent  hospitals  visited  were  highly  gratifv- 
ini;',  and  from  this  resulted  Dr.  ^larsee's  eon- 
M'tsiiin  to  antise])tic  surgery,  referri-d  in  by 
liiin  in  bis  remarks  liefore  the  ilarion  CniintN' 
^ledical  Society.  With  great  seriousness  nf 
manner  he  said:  "Brethren,  I  would  not  know 
a  microbe  if  I  were  to  meet  one  coming  down 
the  street:  but  I  do  know  that  whereas  I  w;\- 
once  blind,  thank  God  I  now  see."  And  then 
he  detailed  how  his  eyes  had  been  opened  by 
seeing  the  results  in  other  hospitals  of  the 
new  method  of  treating  wminds.  l-'rom  tliat 
meeting,  now  historical,  microbial  derision 
ceased  in  the  Marion  County  Society,  and  the 
opponents   of   the   germ    theory   of   wouml    in- 


Jl 


TTTSTOKY  OF  GTJKATF.n    IXDIAXAPOLTS. 


.-.51 


1 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLTS. 


fection  and  contagious  diseases  liocamc  a  silent 
and  rapidly  decreasing  minority. 

During  the  Civil  War  there  were  four  Sisters 
of  Charity  who  devoted  themselves,  free  of 
charge,  to  nursing  the  sick  at  the  Indianapolis 
hospital.  When  Sisters  Athanasius,  Hen- 
rietta, Frances  Ann  and  Helena  had  finished 
their  work  for  the  soldiers,  they  established 
tliemselvcs  in  a  little  frame  house  near  the 
rolling-mill  on  South  Tennessee  street,  but 
shortly  moved  to  a  larger  house  on  Georgia 
near  Tennessee,  where  Sister  Henrietta  had 
charge;  then  as  quarters  became  too  narrow 
they  procured  a  double  frame  house  where  the 
South  Tennessee  street  car  stables  are  now  lo- 
cated. Thus  it  remained  until  St.  Vincent's 
Hospital,  at  ^'ermont  street  and  Liberty,  was 
erected  for  them,  in  1880-1.  They  remained 
here  until  the  jn-esent  hospital  was  opened  in 
1889.  The  Sisters  of  Charity  have  never  lim- 
ited their  ministrations  to  the  professors  of  a 
particular  creed,  or  to  the  members  of  any 
^jjecial  occupation.  The  walls  of  creed  and  of 
jii-ejudice  have,  therefore,  fallen  at  the  ap- 
l)roach  of  a  tenderness  so  gentle  and  univer- 
sal. 

The  present  hospital  building  is  at  the  south- 
east corner  of  South  and  Delaware  streets,  ad- 
jacent to  the  Union  Station,  and  accessible  by 
"the  street  cars.  The  location  is  central  to  the 
railroad  and  manufacturing  interests  of  the 
citv.  After  twenty  years  of  occupancy  at  this 
location  the  Sisters  purchased  a  large  tract  be- 
tween Illinois  street  and  Capitol  avenue,  on  the 
north  bank  of  Fall  Creek,  and  are  even  now 
breaking  ground  for  what  promises  to  be  one 
of  the  finest  and  best  equipped  hospitals  in 
the  country.  In  the  latter  part  of  May.  1910, 
the  Sister  Superior.  Bishop  Chatard  and  Dr. 
Pfaff,  head  of  the  surgical  staff,  collectively 
drove  the  first  pick  into  the  ground  and  threw 
the  first  sjiadeful  of  earth,  which  marked  the 
beginning  of  tliis  mighty  and  noble  enterprise 
for  "sweet  charitv's  sake". 

The  Protestant  Deaconess  Society  of  In- 
dianapolis was  organized  on  January  2.  1895. 
with  14T  members.  It  began  its  work  by  ac- 
quiring the  northwest  corner  of  North  Senate 
avenue  and  West  Oliio  street,  then  occupied  in 
part  bv  two  two-story  frame  residence  build- 
ings, one  on  T^orth  Senate  avenue,  the  other 
fronting  on  Ohio  street.  The  former,  con- 
taining eighteen   rooms,  was  immediately  ren- 


ovated, anil  with  the  aid  of  various  societies 
of  the  Protestant  churches  and  the  German 
Ladies"  Aid  Society,  was  furnished  for  the 
temporary  use  as  a  hospital  and  Deaconess's 
Home.  The  latter  building  served  to  accom- 
modate infectious  cases  and  house  the  sisters 
isolated  to  nurse  the  same.  The  hospital  prop- 
er was  opened  on  October  1,  1895,  with  a 
capacity  of  fifteen  beds.  Repeatedly  was  this 
capacity  increased  through  voluntary  surrender 
of  their  private  rooms  on  part  of  the  sis- 
ters, until  finally  lack  of  room  demanded  re- 
fusal of  admittance  to  many. 

As  applications  for  treatment  became  more 
frequent,  the  management  found  itself  forced 
seriously  to  consider  the  erection  of  a  perman- 
ent building,  possessing  all  modem  conven- 
iences for  the  treatment  of  the  sick  and  the 
care  of  the  aged.  Ground  was  broken  in  May 
and  the  corner-stone  laid  with  proper  cere- 
monies on  Sunday.  July  the  3d.  The  build- 
ing is  195  feet  on  Ohio  street  by  135  feet  on 
Senate  avenue  and  constitutes  a  hollow  square 
open  to  the  north.  It  is  four  stories  high  in- 
iluding  an  eleven-foot  basement.  This  hos- 
pital, like  St.  Vincent's,  is  crowded  to  the 
doors ;  another  evidence  that  the  increasing  de- 
mand for  hospital  facilities  in  Indianapolis 
surpasses  the  accommodations. 

At  the  close  of  the  Epworth  League  Inter- 
national Conference  held  in  Indianapolis,  in 
1889,  the  Committee  on  Entertainment  found 
in  its  hands  a  surplus  of  about  four  thousand 
dollars.  After  careful  consideration  it  was 
decided  to  appropriate  this  money  toward 
founding  a  hospital  and  nurses'  training  school. 
A  legal  corporation  was  formed  in  which  the 
three  Annual  Conferences  and  the  Women's 
Home  ]\Iissionary  Societies  of  the  State  wore 
represented,  and.  later  all  these  several  l)odies 
elected  trustees  and  pledged  themselves  to  the 
support  of  the  organization.  In  this  way  the 
enterprise  of  the  Methodist  Hospital  was 
launched  and  the  entire  ilethodism  of  the 
state  fully  committed  to  it. 

On  February  10.  1902,  a  "hospital  service" 
was  held  in  all  the  Methodist  Churches  in  In- 
dianapolis, and  offerings  of  thirty-two  thou- 
sand dollars  were  made,  which  sum  was  after- 
ward increased  to  nearly  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars. Other  subscriptions  taken  throngli  the 
>tate  since  then  brought  the  aggregate  aniMuiit 


HiSToiiv  OF  (;i!K.\'i'i:i;  ixdi.wai-oi.is. 


553 


of  pledges  up  to  alwut  one  hundred  tlu)ii:rand 
dollars. 

At  the  ])re>('nt  time  the  efforts  of  the  Meth- 
odifts  have  crvstalli/.ed  in  the  shape  of  a  large 
hospital  building,  thoroughly  modern  and  up- 
to-date  in  every  respeet,  with  provision  for 
charity  patients  and  also  those  of  means.  The 
success  of  the   institution  has  been  such  that 


))lans  have  been  drawn  and  funds  raised  for 
the  erection  of  an  additional  building  to  ac- 
commodate the  overllow,  and  it  is  no  idle  pre- 
diction that  their  present  spacious  location  on 
the  corner  of  Capitol  avenue  and  ICth  street, 
will  at  no  very  distant  date  be  covered  with 
nianv  buildings  all  devoted  to  the  care  of  the 
sick.' 


CHAPTER   XLII. 


COUETS.  BENCH  AXD  BAR. 


I 


.lu(Ji;c  W'iek  toiik  Ills  Diitli  of  office  before 
Judge  -Mile^  Eggleston.  of  tlie  Tliird  Circuit, 
on  FeliruMi  V  ^^i.  M<'i'>.  liut  as  the  associate 
judges  Wry  mil  ck'ctt'il  in  time  for  tlie  spring 
term,  no  session  of  court  was  held  in  Marion 
County  until  Thursday,  September  2(i,  lis-i'^. 
On  that  (lay  the  court  assembled  at  John  Carr"s 
house,  but  it  was  too  small  for  court  sessioils, 
and  all  that  was  done  there  was  to  organize  for- 
mally, in  compliance  with  the  law,  which  called 
for  sessions  there  ''until  a  more  convenient 
room  can  Ijc  had'".  (_'ourt  was  duly  opened  in 
the  presence  of  Judge  Wick  and  associate 
judges  James  ^lellvain  and  Eliakim  Harding. 
The  judges.  Clerk  James  JI.  Ray,  and  Shcrirt' 
Ilervey  Bates,  presented  their  commissions  and 
took  the  oaths  of  office,  including  the  oath 
against  duelling,  wliich  was  very  stringent. 
Fourteen  rules  of  practice  were  adopted,  and 
the  following  attorneys  were  admittecl  to  jirac- 
tice:  Calvin  Fletchei-,  Hiram  M.  Curry.  Obed 
Foots,  Daniel  B.  W'ick  (a  l^-other  of  the  judgt-). 
Oliver  H.  Smith,  James  Xoble.  James  Rari- 
den,  James  \\'hiteomb.  Lot  Bloomfield  and  Har- 
vey Gregg.  All  of  these  except  the  first  three 
and  the  last  were  non-residents.  It  has  often 
been  stated  that  Calvin  Fletcher  was  "the  only 
lawyer"  in  the  early  settlement,  but  in  a  let- 
ter written  by  him  on  January  17,  18".i'i.  lir 
says:  "We  have  two  attorneys  here  besides  my- 
self— one  was  here  when  1  came,  and  one  lias 
come  since".  Eev.  J.  C.  Fletcher  conjectures 
that  the  one  who  came  first  must  have  been 
( 'nrr\ .  as  ]\r  understood  that  Foote  came  shortly 
after  his  father.  This  is  probably  coiTc.-t. 
^[r.  P'letcher  came  here  first  in  August,  1S21, 
and  went  back  to  Oliio  for  his  wife,  returning 
for  settlement  071  September  "iS  of  that  year. 
The  e.vact  date  of  Foote's  arrival  is  not  known, 
but  he  was  here  at  the  sale  of  lots  in  Octibn-. 


l^'.M.  Curry  did  not  :iiip<'ar  much  in  iiraclicc. 
as  he  t:iok  the  ]ios;tion  ot  dejnity  clerk  uiidci' 
James  M.  I'ay.  and  went  farther  wc?t  at  an 
early  ibi\.  .Mr.  l-'letrlu'i-  mentions  meeting 
Hai'vey  (iregg  here  on  l)ecend)cr  31,  18"?1.  on 
an  in\estigating  visit,  and  says  that  he  returned 
the  next  spring  for  settlement.  But  Xowlaml 
says  that  Gregg  was  here  at  the  sale  of  lots  in 
Octolier,  and  gives  a  family  traditi(m  of  his 
hiding  some  money  under  tlie  carpet  at  Xow- 
land's  Tavern,  where  he  lodged,  and  forgetting 
about  it.'  In  the  afternoon  of  the  first  day. 
John  A.  Breekenridge  of  Kentucky  was  ad- 
niitted  to  practice  "ex  gratia".  He  loi-ated  licre 
soon  after,  and  was  for  a  time  a  ])artiiiT  of 
:\Ir.  Fletcher. 

After  the  admission  of  tlic  lawyers,  the  Court 
adjourned  to  meet  in  the  afternonn  at  the 
hoTise  of  Jacob  R.  Cruniba\igh.  tlie  second  ju>- 
tice  of  the  peace  at  Indiauaoolis.  which  was  at 
the  southwest  corner  of  ^farket  and  Missouri 
sti-eets,  and  the  remainder  of  the  session  was 
held  there.  The  first  business  of  the  after- 
noon was  the  presentation  by  the  shei-ilV  of 
"good  ami  lawful  men  and  discreet  honse- 
liolders  to  serve  of  grand  jurors",  in  the  per- 
sons of  Josejih  C.  Reed,  who  was  nuide  fore- 
man. Jeremiah  Johnson,  Isaac  Wilson,  (ieoriio 
.Smith.  Asahel  Dunning.  Daniel  Pattingalo, 
Wm.  D.  Rooki'i-.  .\lexis  Jackson.  Peter  Har- 
monson.  Aaiou  Lamlieth.  James  Givan,  Thos. 
O'Xeal,  Archibald  C.  Reid,  Daniel  Yandes 
and  Jolm  Packer.  The  macliinerv  for  criminal 
business  was  completed  liy  ii|i|ioinl  ing  ('al\in 
Fletcher  prosecuting  attorney. 

The  court  next  gave  its  attention  to  the  I's- 
tablishment  of  "jirison  bounds"  for  insolvent 
delitors.  an  important  matter  at  that  time,  for 


^Jirmiiii^rrncrs.    p.    1  K!. 


iiisT()i;v  OK  (;i;i;ati:i;,  ixdiaxai'oi.i 


tln'  state  liad  a  systi-iii  of  iiii]iiis(iniiu'iit  t'lir 
(Iclit.  tlimigli  it  was  not  a  vury  oppiv^siVL'  one. 
ll  \va<  eliii'lly  desijriu'd  to  prevent  debtors  from 
leaving  tlic  state  with  their  ]iro|)erty,  to  the 
eonfusion  of  their  eicditors;  anil  tlie  debtor 
eonld  be  releasi'ii  by  giving  np  his  propei'tv 
subjeet  to  execution.  If  lie  were  not  able  to 
sui)port  himself  in  prison  the  county  took  care 
(if  liini  and  cliarged  the  cost  to  the  complain- 
:int.  If  the  complainant  refused  to  pay  the 
debtor  was  at  once  released.  Tiie  debtor  was 
allowed  to  roam  outside  of  jail,  within  prison 
bounds,  which  were  not  more  than  (iOO  vards 
from  the  jail.  (Ml  giving  bond  that  he  would 
i-cmain  "a  inic  prisoner",  and  not. try  to  es- 
cape. The  bounds  estalilishcd  for  Marion 
County  began  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Nc« 
York  and  East  streets;  thenc-e  west  on  the 
niirtli  I. lie  of  Xew  York  street  to  the  west  line 
of  ilcridian  street:  thence  south  to  the  north 
line  of  Ohio  street:  tlu-nce  west  to  the  west 
line  of  Illinois  street :  thence  south  to  the  .soutli 
line  of  Washington  street :  thence  east  to  the 
center  of  .Meridian  street:  thence  south  to  the 
center  of  Georgia  street :  thence  east  to  the 
south  line  of  Xorlh  Carolina  street:  thence 
northeast  to  the  west  line  of  East  street :  thence 
north  to  the  point  of  beginning. 

Following  this  came  the  naturalization  of 
Itichard  Good,  "lately  from  Cork,  in  the 
Kingdom  nf  li-eland"".  which  description  would 
indicate  that  he  repudiated  the  "I'nion",  and 
renounced  allegiance  to  George  IV.  with  all  liis 
heart.  Next  the  court  granted  a  tavern  li- 
cense to  .Tohn  Hawkins — the  first  liquor  license 
granted  in  Marion  Count v — for  hi«  hotel  on  the 
north  side  of  Washington  street,  midway  be- 
tween ^leridian  and  Pennsylvania.  It  was 
also  one  of  the  comparatively  few  licenses 
granted  hy  a  court.  Originally  licenses  were 
granted  bv  the  county  commissioners,  but  the 
act  of  January  .5,  ]821,  transferred  this  power 
to  the  Circuit  Court,  and  this  system  was  in 
force  until  the  power  was  restored  to  the  Com- 
missioners hy  the  act  of  .Tannary  20.  1S2-I.  The 
same  act  re(|uired  the  grand  jury  to  investigate 
tlie  tavern  business  and  they  indicted  John 
Wyant.  Samuel  ^[cGeorsfe,  Peter  Moasc,  James 
Paige,  ^foses  Cox.  Jeremiah  Johnson.  Jacob 
B.  Peid.  Jacob  Landis.  Pobert  Siddell,  Jere- 
miah Collins,  and  TIenrv  Ogden  for  .selling 
without  license.  The  indictments  against  the 
last  six   were  nolled   on   the  ground  that  they 


hail  ])aid  their  tax  and  rec(;ived  permits  from 
the  Clerk,  which  was  the  lawful  mode  beiwien 
sessions  of  the  County  Commissioners  mider 
the  old  system.  The  others"  cases  were  con- 
tinued to  the  next  term  when  Wyanfs  imlict- 
ment  was  quashed:  Closes  Cox  stood  trial  and 
was  acquitted;  and  the  remaining  imlictments 
were  nolled. 

'Hie  process  of  obtaining  a  license  from  the 
ctnirt  was  the  same  as  obtaining  it  from  the 
commissioners.  The  ajjplicant  liad  to  file  tiie 
certificate  of  twelve  reputable  citizens  that  he 
possessed  the  statutory  qualifications,  and  that 
it  was  desirable  to  license  him  for  tlie  conven- 
ience of  travelers.  He  then  gave  bond  to  obey 
the  law  and  paid  his  licen.=e  fee  of  .$10.  In 
addition  to  John  Hawkins,  the  court  licensed 
Thomas  Carter,  Pobert  Siddell  and  Asahel 
Dunning  at  this  term.  At  the  next  session  the 
grand  jury  reported  that  John  Hawkins. 
Thomas  Carter  and  .\sahel  Dunning  had  coni- 
l)lied  with  their  bonds  as  tavern-keepers,  but 
that  Pobert  Siddell  "has  not  since  he  openeil  a 
tavern  kept  two  spare  beds  nor  a  sutticient 
stable,  and  has  suffered  and  ]iermitted  gam- 
bling and  other  disorders  in  his  house  kept  as  a 
tavern".  Pobert  was  indicted  for  his  short- 
comings, but  apparently  the  lesson  was  not 
heeded,  for  he  kept  on  being  indicted  and  fined, 
until  his  croditrrs  also  fell  upon  him,  and  it 
was  but  until  Octoljer  11,  1824.  when  the  shcr- 
ifT  made  the  tell-tale  return:  '"Nothing  found  in 
my  bailiwick  of  which  to  make  the  am.ount  re- 
quired herein"",  and  thereafter  Pobert  had  an- 
other vocation. 

At  the  first  session,  Daniel  Yandes,  who  had 
been  returned  on  the  grand  jury  was  excused 
for  "indisposition"",  and  at  the  same  t<^rm  he. 
with  Andrew  Wilson,  John  MeCormick  and 
Wm.  Foster,  all  millers,  were  indicted  for  "ob- 
structing White  Piver"',  which  was  then  unques- 
tioned as  a  navigable  :-tream.  There  was  a 
warm  fight  made  on  these  cases,  for  none  r)f 
the  defendants  had  dammed  White  river  en- 
tirely, but  had  only  erected  "wing  dams",  or 
had  dammed  one  channel,  leaving  another  open. 
Public  sentiment  was  with  the  defendants,  for 
mills  were  essential  to  (he  existence  nf  (he 
connnunity.  Foster's  ease  cauu'  to  trial  first, 
at  the  'SUy  Term.  182.3.  and  he  was  fountl 
guilty  and  fined  1  cent,  whereupon  his  attor- 
neys filed  a  motion  in  arrest  of  judL'ment.  .\t 
the  Xovemher  term  .lohn  MeCormick  was  like- 


r,o(j 


JIISTUKY   UF  UliEATEU  l.\  D1A,\  Al'UJ  J,S. 


wise  tried,  found  guilty  and  fined  one  cent.  At 
the  same  term  Yafides  and  Wilson  were  tried 
and  found  not  guilty.  The  court  then  sus- 
])ended  judgment  in  the  Foster  and  McCormick 
cases,  and  tliat  was  the  last  of  the  obstruction 
of  White  Kivcr  at  this  point. 

At  the  close  of  the  first  term  the  court  al- 
lowed Crumljangh  $7.50  for  the  iise  of  his 
house,  and  adjourned  to  the  next  session,  which 
ended  the  distinction  of  Crunibaugh's  house  as 
court  house.  'J'iie  second  session  began  May  5, 
1823  at  Carr's  and  adjourned  to  Henderson's 
Tavern,  where  the  New  York  Store  stands.  The 
third  session  opened  at  Carr's,  November  3, 
liS'23,  and  adjoui'ned  to  Harvey  Gregg's  house, 
where  the  City  TJbrary  now  stands.  The  fourth 
went  from  Carr's  to  John  Johnson's  house — 
about  114  ]-:ast  Market  street,  on  April  12, 
1824.  The  fifth,  on  October  11,  1824,  went 
from  Carr's  to  the  new  court  house,  which  was 
sufficiently  advanced  for  use.  At  the  May  ses- 
sion, 1823,  Ciiarles  Test,  Philip  Sweetzer  and 
Rethuel  F.  Slorris  were  admitted  to  practice,  and 
at  the  Novcml)cr  term  Martin  il.  Ray,  Amos 
Lane,  James  Dulancy.  Craven  P.  Hester,  Ga- 
briel J.  Johnston  and  James  Forsee.  ^Ir. 
Johnston  settled  here  and  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  Harvey  Gregg.  At  the  spring  term  of 
1 824,  Moses  Cox  and  Josiali  Polk  were  added 
to  the  list,  and  these  were  all  tlie  attorneys  of 
record  until  the  court  was  settled  in  the  new 
<-ourt  house. 

The  business  of  the  court  was  chiefly  civil, 
and  not  involving  large  amounts.  The  criminal 
business  was  chiefly  in  the  line  of  affrays,  as- 
saults and  batterv,  and  violation  of  the  liquor 
laws.  On  November  :!.  1823.  the  Western 
Censor  proudly  called  attention  to  the  fact 
that  "there  lias  not  been  a  single  trial  ior 
felony  before  tlie  court  in  three  terms''.  There 
was,  however,  an  indictment  and  conviction  of 
one  Robert  Jfassey.  at  the  spring  term  of  1823. 
for  a  challenge  to  fight  a  duel,  which  was  close 
lip  to  the  felony  grade  under  the  rigid  laws 
that  had  been  enacted  to  stop  duelling.  Robert 
was  evidently  not  emisidereil  a  grievous  of- 
fender, for  lie  was  fined  one  ct'iit  and  costs  and 
imprisoneil  I'oi'  sixtv  davs.  The  absence  of 
crime  was  verv  notable :  .=o  much  so  that  Now- 
land  says:  "For  the  first  fifteen  years  after 
the  settlement  of  Indianapolis,  we  had  neither 
fire  engines  nor  ])olice  officers,  and  during  that 
entire  time  there  was  but  one  fire,  mie  burglarv 


and  one  homicide.  *  *  *  'p[jg  ijui-^rlary 
was  that  of  Jacob  Landis's  grocery,  by  an  old 
man  named  Redman  and  his  son-in-law  War- 
ner. Suspicion  pointed  to  them,  and  a  search 
warrant  issued  to  Sheriff  Russell  to  search  their 
house.  The  missing  articles  were  all  found 
there  with  the  exception  of  a  bolt  of  brown 
sheeting.  The  sheriff  had  noticed  that  Mrs. 
Warner  was  much  larger  in  front  and  more 
rotund  in  person  than  she  was  but  a  few  days 
before,  and  suspicioned  that  there  was  'some- 
thing more  than  meal'  concealed  there,  and 
asked  for  an  examination.  She  was  very  in- 
dignant that  a  gentleman  should  wish  to  ex- 
amine a  lady  in  her  condition ;  but  the  sheriff 
could  not  he  put  ofl' ;  he  had  seen  too  many 
women  in  that  situation,  and  never  knew  one  to 
assume  so  large  projiortions  in  so  short  a  time. 
The  search  disclosed  the  missing  goods. "^  At 
the  April  term,  1826,  Timothy  N.  Warner  was 
indicted  for  larceny,  and  Samuel  Redman, 
Peggy  Redman  and  Sally  Warner  for  receiving 
stolen  goods.  Peggy  was  found  not  guilty,  and 
a  nolle  was  entered  in  Sally's  case.  Samuel 
was  tried,  convicted  and  sentenced  to  a  year 
and  a  day  in  the  penitentiary  and  a  dollar 
fine.  On  April  29  Warner  entered  a  plea  of 
guilty  and  was  given  fifty  dollars  fine  and  two 
years   in   the   penitentiary. 

But  this  was  not  the  only  offense  of  this 
class.  A  year  earlier,  at  a  special  session  in 
June.  182.5,  David  Ross  was  convicted  of  lar- 
ccnv,  and  sentenced  to  one  dollar  fine  and  one 
year  in  the  penitentiary.  On  November  26, 
1826,  Archibald  Crawford  was  convicted  of  lar- 
cenv,  and  sentenced  to  one  dollar  fine  and  one 
year  in  the  penitentiary.  At  the  September 
term,  1833.  "William  Johnson,  a  person  of 
colour"',  was  convicted  of  larceny  and  sen- 
tenced to  five  dollars  tine  and  four  years  in 
the  penitentiary.  The  addition  of  these,  how- 
I'vcT-,  leaves  the  record  a  remarkably  clean  one, 
and  there  was  but  the  one  homicide,  as  Mr. 
Nowland  says.  This  was  almost  phenomenal 
in  an  American  frontier  town,  at  a  time  when 
drinking  was  almost  universal,  and  when  fight- 
ing was  verv  common.  But  in  the  frontier 
fighting  of  that  period  the  use  of  weapons  was 
the  exce|)tiiin  Miid  not  the  rule.  It  was  almost 
a  )ioiiit  of  bdnnr  to  rrl\  on  the  means  of  com- 
bat  tliat    nature  suiiplicd,  and  though  the  eon- 


-Reminisceiircs.  p.  2T3. 


HisT()i;v  ui'  (;jii:aii;i;  indiaxapolis. 


fine,  and  costs,,  like 
to  occurred  on  Jlay 


tests  were  sometimes  brutal  it  was  rare  in- 
deed that  one  was  fatal.  And  there  was  no 
pressing  obligation  to  fight.  In  this  coimnu- 
nity,  at  least,  it  was  no  disgrace  to  have  a 
tlireatening  enemy  put  under  bond  to  keej) 
the  peace.  There  are  several  traditional  cases 
of  gentlemen  who  reached  tlie  point  whore 
thev  "had  to  have  it  out"',  and  went  off  into  the 
woods  by  themselves  and  pummeled  each  other 
to  mutual  satisfaction.'  This  may  have  been 
due  to  unusual  sensitiveness,  or  possibly  to  re- 
gard for  the  law,  for  fighting  was  usually 
])unished  promptly,  and  no  favoritism  was 
sliown.  When  Calvin  Fletcher  was  prosecutor 
he  became  exasperated  one  day  with  Squire 
Foote.  and  undertook  to  chastise  him,  in  which 
be  did  not  succeed  as  fully  as  he  probably  an- 
ticipated. But  he  performed  his  official  duty 
by  having  himself  indicted,  and  on  May  8, 
1823,  pleaded  guilty  to  assault  and  battery 
and  paid  his  two  dollars 
any  other  freeman. 

The  homicide  referred 
8,  1833,  while  the  National  Road  bridge  was 
being  constructed.     Williani  McPherson,  who 
was  clwking  for  Wernwag.  the  contractor  for 
the  bridge,  asked  Michael  Tanblaricum  to  take 
him  across  the  river  in  his  boat.    Vanblaricum 
consented,  but  when  ont  in  the  river,  where  it 
was  eight  or  ten  feet  deep,  intentionally  upset 
the  boat.     The  traditional  accounts  of  the  af- 
fair   are    somewhat    varied,    and   none    agrees 
exactly  with  the  statement  in  the  local  paper 
at  the"  time,  which  was  as  follows :  "The  names 
of  the  j)ersons  who  were  in  the  boat  were  a  Mr. 
Lewis,  Michael  Vanblaricum  and  William  Mc- 
Plierson.     The   two  first  named   succeeded  in 
gaining  the  shore,  and  the  latter  in  climbing 
on  the  canoe,  which  lay  bottom  u]nvards.    After 
this  some  conversation  of  an  unkind  character 
passed    between   Vanblaricum,    who   had   over- 
turned the  boat,  and  IMcPherson,  who  was  sit- 
ting  on    it    in    the    water    when   Vanblaricum 
again  swam  towards  ^IcPherson  in  a  seemingly 
angrv  manner,  and  McPherson  in  attempting 
to  reach  the  oi>posite  side  was  drowned."    There 
was  no  doubt  more  in  the  case  than  this,  for 
the   account   adds.  "We  forbear  further  com- 
ment and  publication  of  circumstances  and  evi- 
dence as  detailed,  for  the  reason  that  great  ex- 


citement prevails  at  present."'  Xowland  says 
that  Vanblaricum  grabbed  McPherson  and 
went  down  with  him,  and  that  finger  marks 
were  found  on  iIcPherson"s  throat;  also  that 
lie  had  manifested  a  dislike  to  McPherson  for- 
merly, and  said  he  would  drown  him  when  he 
got  into  the  boat. 

The  afiair   was   a   tremendous  shock  to  the 
town.      McPher.son   had   been   here   for   about 
three   years   and    was   very    popular   with   the 
young  people.     In  fact  his  social  standing  is 
said  to  have  been  the  cause  of  Vanblaricum's 
ill-natured  animosity.     The  young  men  of  the 
town  held  a  meeting,  at  which  J.  L.  Mothers- 
liead  was  made  diairman  and  J.  'SI.  Moore  sec- 
retary,  and   passed   resolutions  of   regret  and 
sympathy  for  his  relatives.    They  also  resolved 
tiiat  "we  will  wear  crape  on  the  left  arm  for 
thirty  days,  and  unite  in  forming  the  funeral 
procession".     Tlie  funeral  was  very  large,  and 
the  services  impressive.    The  coroner's  jury  re- 
turned a  verdict  of  murder,  and  Justices  Brad- 
k'V   and   Wingatc  bound  Vanlilaricum  over  to 
the  Circuit  Court.     IIo  was  indicted  for  mur- 
der and  tried  at  tlie  fall  term;  and  on  October 
2    was    convicted    of    manslaughter,    and    sen- 
tenced to   twenty   dollars  fine  and   five  years' 
imprisonment   in  the  penitentiary.     This  ver- 
dict can  be  understood  on  the  theory  of  Now- 
land.   who   says:     "Although  he  had   said   he 
would   drown   him,  and   did.  there  were  none 
who  believed  that  he  intended  to  do  so,  but  only 
to   scare  him,   and   went   farther   than   he   in- 
tended ;   indeed  he  told  the  writer  so  himself 
after  he  had  paid  the  penalty  of  his  crime,  and 
could  have  no  inducement  to  lie."    The  defend- 
ant could  not  testify  in  his  own  behalf  at  that 
time,  but  it  was  an  age  when  "horse  play"  and 
rough  ])ractical  jokes  were  common,  and  there 
was'^probablv  something  in  the  surroundings  of 
the  case  that  gave   it   that   color.     There  was- 
no  manifestation  of  public  disapproval  of  the 
vcr<lict.      Tradition    has   somewhat   conllieting 
explanations,  including  one  to  the  effect  that 
McPherson  was  not  a  Joseph,  and  that  Van- 
blaricum liad  occasion  to  resent  his  attentions 
to  liis  wife.''     On  February  0.  1835,  Governor 
Xoble  issued  a  full  jiardon  to  Vanblaricum,  ti> 
take  etfect  April  1.  following. 

The  Circuit  Court   was  tin-  only  state  court 


\'^uJ!irnir.  lILsl.,  p.  77. 


^Indiana  Dnnorrttt.  Mav  11.  1S33. 
'•[[ollowny's  ludianapnlig.  p.    V<. 


5,58 


IIIS'I'OKV   OF   CIJKATKU   IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


ill  Marion  (.'(uiiity.  t'.xcL'pting  dI'  cinu'M'  tli(_'  Su- 
]>rfiiie  Court  iind  the  Justioes'  cDurt.^,  n;it,l 
lS"^i).  when  bv  act  of  Jamiarv  '^o,  |iro\  ision  \\ii> 
inade  for  probate  court?  in  all  the  eounties. 
The  object  of  this  law  wa<  to  have  some  eoii- 
viniious  mo(U'  of  trau?aetiii>;  jiroliate  Imsines.s, 
which  was  much  internipteil  by  the  iiiterniit- 
tciit  sessitnis  of  the  Circuit  Coui't.  The  law 
jirovidcil  for  a  probate  judge  in  each  county, 
elected  by  the  people,  for  a  term  of  .-jveii 
years.  TTiese  court.s  were  given  exclusive  juris- 
diction of  all  probate  business,  with  direct  ap- 
]ieal  to  the  Supreme  Court,  but  in  1S:58  this 
was  changed  by  ju'ovision  for  ajipeal  to  the  Cir- 
cuit Courts.  The  law  also  jjrovided  that  "Xo 
person  shall  be  elected  such  judge,  or  receive 
a  commission  therefor,  irntil  he  shall  first  ob- 
tain a  certificate  from  either  one  of  the  presi- 
di'iit  judges  of  the  Circuit  Courts,  or  from  one 
of  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  that  he  is 
qualified  to  discharge  the  duties  of  such  office, 
but  that  this  condition  shall  not  he  so  con- 
>trued  as  to  require  any  such  applicant  to  be  a 
])rofessio!ial  charac  ter."  In  consequence  of  this 
])rovision,  and  of  the  very  small  salaries  al- 
lowed, very  few  (d'  the  judges  were  men  of  any 
legal  training,  except  what  they  may  have  ob- 
tained as  justici's  of  the  peace,  or  iit  some  other 
indirect  wav.     This  svstem  was  continued  until 

Tn  the  Con<titutinnal  Convention  of  1S.")()-.">1 
tlii're  was  a  notable  sentiment  against  lawyers 
and  high-salaried  couits  am(mg  the  mendiers 
who  were  not  of  the  legal  profession.  It  re- 
sulted in  some  absurd  ])rovisions,  among  which 
the  mo«t  stujiid  was  Article  7,  Section  21.  that 
■■K\ery  ])erson  of  good  moral  character,  being 
a  voter,  shall  he  entitled  to  admission  to  ])rac- 
tice  law  in  all  courts  of  justice".  Tn  realit\ 
this  has  Ijcen  much  mcu'c  injurious  to  the  pub- 
lic than  to  the  law\(M>.  though  the  lawyers  ha\c 
made  nearly  all  the  complaint  about  it.  and 
])ro|)erly  so,  bccairse  it  brings  reproach  on  th" 
])rofession.  l!ut  at  the  same  time  there  has 
not  been  the  syin])athy  with  the  profession  in 
this  matter  that  there  might  have  been  if  flu- 
profession  had  shown  more  zeal  in  enforcing 
the  provision  for  '"good  moral  character". 
There  is  not  nnich  encouragement  to  respect 
for  a  profession  when  the  peojjle  .see.  as  they 
have  .seen  in  Clarion  Conntv.  a  man  adnrtted 
to  ])ractice  who  had  been  disbarred  in  a  neigh- 
boring  (-(ui'ifv.   ai:d    aeothei'   who   had    just   re- 


luin._d  fii.ni  a  term  in  the  penitentiarv  for 
comjjlicity  iu  a  burglary;  and  lioth  on  tlie  mo- 
tion of  reputable  attorneys,  who  had  allowed 
their  generosity  to  outrun  their  sensi'  of  pub- 
lic duty.  But  in  the  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion, with  all  its  diversity  of  sentiment,  there 
was  imiversal  agreement  that  the  probate  court 
svstem  was  very  bad,  and  ought  to  be  changed.'' 
There  had  developed  a  state  in  which  it  was 
.-aid  that  "in  a  majority  of  cases  where  an- es- 
tate has  passed  through  the  probate  court,  it  is 
found  to  be  insolvent"' :  and  this  although  it 
had  been  supposed  that  the  decedent  was  leav- 
ing something  for  his  wife  and  children.  This 
was  partly  due  to  an  oppressive  fee  system,  and 
partly  to  the  incompetency  of  the  judges,  who 
were  necessarily  called  upon  to  decide  all  sorts 
of  questions  in  chancery  and  real  estate  law 
that  might  well  puzzle  a  learned  judge.  It  was 
claimed  that  the  system  had  resulted  in  de- 
l\'ctive  land  titles  all  through  the  state.  After 
considerable  discussion  the  Convention  eon- 
(  liuled  to  leave  the  matter  to  the  legislature, 
which,  by  the  act  of  ^[ay  l-t,  lS."i'2,  transferred 
all  probate  jtiri-diction  to  the  Court  (d'  Com- 
mon  i'leas. 

In  1S4S  there  had  been  a  special  Cmirt  of 
Comnuin  IMeas  crrated  for  Tip|)ecauoe  County, 
and  ^Farion  Countv  decided  that  it  wanted  one 
also,  and  one  wa<  created  by  the  act  of  Jan- 
nary  1,  1S4!I.  Tlie  object  of  these  courts  was 
to  relieve  the  |ire>>ure  of  business  in  the  Cir- 
cuit Courts:  and  thev  were  given  concurrent 
jurisdiction  with  the  Circuit  Courts  in  all  civil 
cases,  but  no  jurisdiction  of  criminal  or  pro- 
bate business.  This  law  was  reiiealed  by  act 
of  .Tanuarv  12.  1852.  and  the  i)usini'ss  trans- 
ferred to  the  Circuit  Court;  but  liy  the  act  of 
May  If.  1S.')2.  a  geiu'ral  system  of  Courts  of 
Comon  rieas  uas  ottblished.  Under  this  law 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  had  exclusive 
jurisdiction  of  probate  business,  except  that  the 
Circuit  Court  had  concurrent  jurisdicti(ui  id' 
actions  against  lieirs,  devisees,  and  sureties  of 
ailniinistrator-.  executors  and  iruardians.  and 
also  in  suits  for  the  ))artition  of  real  estate  and 
a.ssignmeut  of  dower.  It  also  had  concurrent 
jurisdiction  with  the  Circuit  Court  in  civil 
cases,  in  criminal  cases  for  les<  than  felonic>. 
and  in  cases  of  felonies  not  punishable  with 
death,   if  the   accused   vohintarilv   snbniitted    t" 


''('iiiixliliit  iiiiiil    Dchiitrs.    |)ii.    1  lU'i.V'O. 


!l 


HISTORY  OF  GRKATKll  l.\l)J.\.\Al-(»|.ls. 


:>:}[) 


the  JHi'i^dictiou  ol  the  court  prior  to  iiulicl- 
iiu'iit.  These  courts  continued  until  abolished 
by  the  act  of  ^[arch  (i,  1S73. 

Before  that  time  the  pressure  of  legal  liiisi- 
iies~  liad  been  relieved  by  the  oroauization  of 
two  other  courts.  By  the  act  of  December  "^ii. 
l!S»!."),  .Marion  County  was  made  the  Sixteenth 
Jutlicial  Circuit,  and  the  Criniiual  Circuit 
Court  was  created.  The  Governor  was  author- 
ized to  appoint  a  .jud;re  and  prosecuting  attor- 
ney to  .serve  until  I  he  next  general  election, 
anil  (iovernor  .Moi'tnn  appointed  George  II. 
Chapman  judge,  and  William  W.  Leathers  jtros- 
ceuting  attorney  on  Deceudjer  21.  Tlie  consti- 
tutionality of  this  act  was  vigorously  attackeil. 
I'll!  it  was  sustained  bv  the  Supreme  Court,  and 
the  Criminal  Court  has  since  been  a  fixture. 
By  the  act  of  February  15,  1871,  the  Superior 
Court  was  created,  with  concitrrent  jurisdiction 
with  the  Circuit  Court  and  Court  of  Connnon 
Tl''a<  in  all  civil  cases  except  slander  and  the 
probate  business,  of  which  the  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas  had  exclusive  jurisdiction.  It  eon 
sisted  cu-iginally  of  three  judges,  each  with  a 
■■room"",  who  were  to  be  appointed  by  the  Gov- 
ernor until  the  next  general  election.  Gover- 
nor Baker  a])pointed  I-'rederiek  liaml.  ."Solomon 
I'dair.  and  TToratio  C.  Xewcomb,  and  the  coui-t 
(jpened  with  a  general  ternt  session  on  March 
i;.  ls;i.  .\  fourth  judge  was  added  in  18T7, 
l.ni    the  law    for  this  was  rejiealcd   in    18T9. 

Tile  State  Suiu-enii'  Court  and  the  V.  S, 
DiMriet  Court  were  removed  to  Indianapoli- 
im mediately  after  the  completion  of  the  court 
house  and  the  removal  of  the  capital.  The 
first  session  of  the  Supreme  Court  at  this  place 
began  (in  Ma\  :l.  lS->."i,  witli  James  Scott. 
.le->e  I,.  llohiKin.  and  Isaac  lUackford  as 
judges,  and  Henry  1'.  Coburn  as  clerk.  The 
fir.-it  session  of  the  C.  S.  District  Court  be- 
gan on  ^[ay  2.  182.").  with  Benjamin  T'arke 
as  judge.  Henry  Hurst  as  clerk,  and  John 
Vawter  as  imnsjial.  '{'here  was  no  session  of 
\]\i-  r.  S.  Circuit  Couft  at  Indianapolis,  or, 
for  thai  matter,  in  Indiana,  until  1837,  the  first 
session  being  opened  on  December  4  of  that 
year  with  Justice  John  :\rci,ean  of  the  Supreme 
Court  sitting  with  .IndL^e  Je.«se  L.  Holman  of 
the  District  Court.  This  nuinner  of  holding 
r.  S.  Cireuit  Court  continued  until  18()9, 
there  being  no  Circuit  Court  judges  till  Mav 
1(1  ol'  that  vear.  On  the  ])assage  of  the  law 
of  ISfi'.t.  Thomas  II.   I  Iruiiuiiniid  w-ii"  a)ipointeil 


Circuit  Judge  for  this  cireuit.  Trior  lo  thai 
time,  the  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court,  fol- 
lowing Judge  John  iIcJx>an,  who  were  as- 
signed to  Circuit  Court  duty  on  this  circuit, 
were  Xoah  llavnes  Swavne,  David  Davis,  John 
Marshall  Harlan,  iNfeilville  Weston  Fuller. 
John  iLarshall  Harlan,  and  David  Josiah 
Brewer,  in  the  order  named. 

'I'he  first  U.  S.  District  Judge  was  Benja- 
min Tarkc,  who  was  ap])ointed  to  the  oflice 
.March  lU,  18U,  and  served  till  his  death  on 
July  1."),  18;5.'),  He  was  a  native  of  New  Jer- 
sey, who  located  at  A'incennes  in  1801,  ami 
soon  took  high  rank  as  a  lawyer.  He  scu'ved  as 
a  captain  at  the  battle  of  Tip|iecanoe,  was  the 
loading  member  of  the  first  constitutional  con- 
vention of  the  state,  and  in  disinterested  pub- 
lic service  was  one  of  the  most  useful  citizens 
the  state  ever  had.'  The  first  case  heard  by 
him  at  Indianapolis  was  on  January  .">.  1825. 
entitled  "Cniteil  States  vs.  Sundry  Goods,  Wares 
and  Merchandizes"'.  It  was  a  libel  for  the  con- 
fiscation of  liquors  and  other  goods  of  Wm.  II. 
Wallace,  charged  with  illegal  trading  with  the 
Indians  on  I'ippecanoo  River,  which  was  filed 
by  Charles  Dcwcy,  then  District  Attorney,  and 
later  one  of  the  ablest  judges  of  the  state  su- 
jjrenu'  court.  It  resulted  in  judgnu'nt  of  for- 
feiture of  the  goods  seized,  oni'-half  to  the 
United  States,  and  one-half  to  the  informer. 
Eilward   ilcCartney. 

Tlie  -ei  ond  Hislricl  Judge  was  Jesse  Lynch 
Holman,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  who  was  com- 
mi.'^sioned  Se])teml)er  Ki,  18;i.">,  and  served  till 
his  death.  March  -28.  184-2.  He  read  law  in  the 
oflice  of  llenrv  Clay,  and  removed  to  Indiana 
in  1808,  where  he  was  a  terrilm-ial  circuit 
judge,  and  from  181(i  to  18;i()  oiu>  of  the  judjres 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Indiana.  Following 
him  came  Klisha  MilU  Hunt  ingloii.  coiinnis- 
sioned  Afay  2.  1842,  and  servimr  till  his  death 
on  October  2(i,  1Sfi2.  in  his  term  was  heard 
the  notable  fugitive  slave  case  of.Vaughan  vs. 
Williams.  Yaughan,  a  citizen  of  ^tissonri. 
sued  Williams,  in  18-I.-..  fnr  reseiiiiii; 
A'aughairs  fugitive  slaves,  which  he  had  found 
and  arrested  in  a  cal)in  near  N'oblesville,  in 
Hamilton  Countv.  Williams  demurred  on  the 
ground  that  the  Ordiiuince  of  1787  rwpiired 
the  reliirn  of  fuu:iliM'  -Lives  only  to  one  of  the 


'Iflxl.    of    liididiiii.    .\iii.    ('i)iiiiiiiiiiiriiillli    Sr- 
ri<:<.  p.  :;2!). 


ofiO 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAl'OLIS. 


IIIST()|;v  OF  GREATER  INDIAXAl'OLIS. 


.-.(ll 


tliirtt'Cii  original  states;  but  tiic  coiiil  ruli-il 
tliat  thu  constitution  superseded  this,  and  that 
|ihiintiir  was  entitled  to  recover  if  he  proved 
title  to  the  negroes.  On  trial  it  appeared  that 
\'aughan  had  bouglit  thcni  of  one  Tipton,  who 
previously  had  taken  them  into  Illinois,  and 
kept  them  till  he  gained  residence,  and  voteil 
as  a  citizen  of  Illinois,  which  made  them  free 
under  the  law  of  that  state.  The  jury,  as  in- 
structed by  the  court,  returned  a  verdict  for  the 
defendant.' 

Judge  Huntington's  successor  was  Caleb 
Jilood  Smith,  a  native  of  Boston,  who  studied 
law  at  Cincinnati  and  Connersville  before  lo- 
cating at  Indianapolis.  He  was  a  noted  orator; 
and  was  intluential  in  securing  the  nomination 
for  the  presidency  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  in 
whose  cabinet  he  served  as  Secretary  of  the  In- 
terior. He  resigned  this  position  to  acce]:)t  the 
position  of  District  Judge  on  December  22, 
lSf)2.  His  service  was  terminated  by  death 
a  little  over  a  year  later;  and  he  was  succeeded 
by  Albert  Smith  White,  of  Lafayette,  who  also 
bad  a  short  term,  dying  on  September  4,  1864. 
President  Lincoln  then  appointed  David  ^fc- 
Donald,  (iiic  iif  the  ablest  of  our  federal  judges, 
who  took  ollice  on  Decend)er  13,  1864.  He  was 
a  professor  of  biw  at  Indiana  Universitv.  wliicb 
conferred  on  bint  the  degree  of  LL.  D.  His 
monument,  however,  was  his  "Treatise"  on 
powers,  duties  and  procedure  of  Justices  of 
the  Peace,  wbicl)  is  the  best  known  and  most 
widely  useil  law  te.\t  book  ever  produced  in 
Indiana.  Since  its  publication,  in  1856,  it 
has  goiu'  throngb  six  revisions  by  various  au- 
thors, the  last  in  IHHi.  Tt  was  during  Judge 
.McDonald's  term  that  certain  members  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle  were  tried  for 
treason  by  a  military  commission,  which  met 
in  the  TL  S.  Court  room.  After  the  convic- 
tion and  sentence  to  death  of  Lamhdin  V.  'MU- 
ligan.  ,i|)|)lication  for  a  writ  of  habeas  coi-pus 
was  made  to  I'.  S.  Circuit  Court.  Judge  Mc- 
Donald and  Supreme  Justice  David  Davis,  who 
sat  with  him  on  the  Circuit  bench,  being  un- 
able to  agree  on  the  three  main  questions  in- 
volved, certified  them  to  the  Supreme  Court, 
which  decided  them  in  favor  of  Milligan,  hold- 
inir  the  militarv  conimission  unauthorized." 

Jud-e  MrDonald   dic.l  on   Auyust  2.5,   186!). 


"A'auiiban  vs.  \\"illiams,  ?,  McLean.  |>.  ''-W. 
■'In  re  :\rilligan.    I  Wallace,  p.  2. 
Vol.   I— :!6 


and  was  succeeded  by  Walter  t).  tlreshani,  who 
was  commissicmed  on  .Sejitcndper  1,  1869.  He 
was  not  considered  a  profound  lawyer  at  the 
time  of  his  appointment,  but  ho  was  a  man  of 
ability,  and  President  Grant,  who  appointed 
him,  had  known  him  as  a  good  soldier,  and  as 
such  had  made  hira  a  brigadier-general.  He 
developed  as  a  judge,  bis  chief  failing  being 
an  imi)etuous  nature,  which  caused  iiim  to  ad- 
mjnisti'r  wliat  be  considered  justice  like  a  road- 
roller  when  he  once  got  his  bead  set.  The 
business  of  the  court  increased  largely  during 
bis  administration,  due  largely  to  the  hard 
times  of  the  seventies  with  their  crop  of  bank- 
ruptcies, receiverships  and  foreclosures;  added 
to  which  were  the  Whiskey  Ring  cases,  the 
first  election  cases,  and  others.  The  most  not- 
ai)le  decision  of  this  period,  however,  was  by 
Judge  Drumniond  of  the  Circuit  Court  in  the 
receivershi])  of  the  I.  11  &  W.  Railway.  It 
had  become  a  fashion  of  railroad  companies 
controlled  by  bondholders  to  pile  up  floating 
•  lebt  preparatory  to  receivership  and  foreclos- 
ure. This  caused  great  hardship  to  employees 
and  material  men,  and  John  M.  Butler,  of  the 
lirni  of  McDonald  iV"  Hutler,  made  a  deter- 
mined fight  in  this  ease  for  a  modification  of 
the  old  e(|uity  rule  which  gave  tiie  mortgagee 
absolute  priority  in  such  cases.  Judge  Drum- 
niond recognized  the  justice  of  tiie  plea,  and 
announced  the  now  celebrated  "six  months 
rule",  which  gave  precedence  to  claims  for  la- 
lior  and  nuiterial,  for  six  months  prior  to  the 
receiversjiip.  The  decision  was  warmly  con- 
tested but  the  rule  was  sustained  by  the  Su- 
preme Court,'"  and  has  since  been  established 
law.  It  is  doubtful  if  any  decision  in  tiiis 
country  ever  brought  larger  and  more  just  re- 
lief to  a  large  class  of  men. 

In  April,  1883,  Judge  Greshain  resigned  to 
;i(ce|)t  the  position  of  Postmaster  General  in 
I'residcnt  .Vrthur's  cabinet.  He  was  s\icceoded 
by  Wm.  .\llen  Woods,  a  native  of  Tennessee, 
who  lutd  been  elected  to  tb(>  Suprenu'  liencii  of 
the  state  in  1880,  and  resi<rned  to  lake  this 
position.  He  was  commissioiu'd  on  Afay  2, 
188.1.  The  most  notable  events  of  his  term 
were  the  election  ca.ses  wiiich  are  iiresentt'd  in 
the  chapter  entitled  "A  Political  Epoch". 
Judge  Gre.sham  managed  the  Poslonice  Depart- 
ment will)   vigor.     Tliere  were  no  Star  Route 


'"Fosdick  vs.  Schall.  iif)  V.  S..  p.  2:i.">. 


.)(,■.' 


IlISTOlfV   OF  (IHKATKU    I  XDIAXAI'OLIS. 


or  othei'  scandals  in  his  term  ;  nml  lir  also  ex- 
cluded the  I.ouisir.na  t,«ttciv  Irom  the  iiiaiU 
iu  spite  of  strong  o]i])osit  ion.  (In  I  he  ileatli 
of  Secretary  Folger  in  1884,  lie  was  nuuie  fSee- 
I'etarv  of  the  Treasury,  hut  served  hut  a  sliort 
time.  He  resigned  from  the  eahinet  in  Oetoher 
of  that  year,  and  on  Deeeniher  U  was  apiiointed 
U.  S.  CircTiit  Judge.  This  position  he  held 
until  ^larch  5.  lS9.i.  when  he  was  made  Sec- 
retary of  State  hy  President  Cleveland.  As 
Secretary  of  Slate  he  was  kept  busy  by  the 
Samoan  and  Hawaiian  complications,  the  re- 
j)eal  of  the  reciprocity  treaties  by  the  Wilson 
l)iil,  and  the  smaller  affairs  of  San  Domingo 
and  Bluefields,  but  he  handled  them  all  witli 
i-onspicnons  ability  till  his  deatii.  on  Mav  "JS, 
189.5. 

From  the  District  bench.  Judge  Woods  was 
nominated  V.  S.  Circuit  Judge  by  President 
Harrison,  and  commissioned  on  ^lareh  K. 
1892.  He  served  in  this  capacity  uiiiil  hi- 
death  on  June  29.  1901.  He  was  siicceedi'd  a- 
District  Judge  by  John  H.  Baker  on  March 
39,  1892.  He  served  for  ten  years,  and.  hav- 
ing attained  the  age  of  70  years,  resigned  undei- 
the  ]n-ovisions  of  the  law  providing  fin-  retire- 
ment on  full  pay.  under  those  e(unlitioiis. 
Judge  Baker  was  a  general  favorite,  and  on 
his  retirement  he  was  given  a  banqni't  hy  the 
bar.  on  December  30.  1902.  the  first  ociunenee 
id'  the  kind  in  the  history  of  the  court  since 
its  organization  in  1817.  His  successor.  .Al- 
bert B.  Anderson,  was  nominated  by  President 
lioosevelt.  and  was  jiromptly  confinn.ed  b\-  the 
Si  nate  on  December  8,  1902.  He  did  not  take 
otlice  for  10  days,  however,  as  Judge  Baker  was 
engaged  in  trying  the  case  of  one  Jennings 
against  a  number  of  whitecappers  who  liad  a--' 
saulted  him.  and  the  expense  and  tronliie  to  th'' 
parties  of  a  new  trial  was  cons'dered  all  ai-onml 
as  sufficient  rea-^mi  for  delaying  the  change  of 
judges.  Judge  .Vnderson  took  tlie  oath  of  of- 
fice and  began  his  duties  on  December  18:  and 
in  his  service  has  impressed  ttie  ])ublic  as  a 
judge  both  competent  and  upright. 

TJie  character  of  the  leu'al  ]n-()fession  divides 
its  history  naturally  into  three  pei'iods.  The 
first  was  when  tlie  lawyers  "traveled  the  cir- 
cuit", riding  horseback  from  county-seat  to 
eoiinty-scat  as  the  court  held  its  sessimis  in  the 
various  counties  of  the  circuit.  M  times  they 
woTilil  he  ab-cnt  tVom  home  f  ii-  weeks;  ami 
occasionally    when    on    the    move,    stopping   at 


laiiii  houses,  or  e\en  lamping  out.  I'suallv, 
lio\ve\ef.  the  evenings  were  passed  in  company 
aronnil  the  tireplaee  of  some  tavern,  and  this 
developed  a  capac-ity  for  self-entertainment  iu 
story-telling  and  jiraetical  jokes.  There  were 
few  law  libi-aries,  and  but  few  books  could  be 
carried.  In  consequence  there  was  a  greater 
reliance  on  the  application  of  commonly  recog- 
nized principles  of  law  iu  argument;  and  there 
were  no\y  and  then  instances  of  cases  won  h\ 
sharp-witted  lawyers  before  the  unU'arned  jus- 
tices of  the  peace  of  those  days,  by  adroit  twist- 
ing of  the  law.  This  feature  of  [jioneer  his- 
toiy  has  perliaps  been  more  fully  recorded  than 
any  other,  and  for  this  vicinity,  it  is  preserved 
so  well  in  Oliver  H.  Smith's  "Pearly  Indiana 
Trials  and  Sketches"  that  it  would  be  unnec- 
essary repetition  to  say  much  of  it  here. 

It  may  be  noted,  however,  that  reailine>s  and 
wit  counted  for  a  great  deal  under  those  con- 
ditions, and  that  the  sharpest-witted  of  our 
early  lawxeis  was  Hiram  Brown,  a  Pennsyl- 
\anian,  wiio  took  up  the  study  of  the  law  at 
the  age  of  28,  in  the  office  of  and  by  the  ad- 
vice of  the  noted  "Tom"  Corwin,  after  failing 
financially  in  mercantile  business.  Of  the  many 
stin'ii^s  ]uvserved  concerning  him.  ime  by  I{ev. 
J.  C.  Fletcher  is  wortliy  of  note,  as  it  prob- 
ahlv  fufiiishes  an  explanation,  in  part  at  least, 
of  why  Simon  Yandes  did  not  attain  a  bril- 
liant legal  career.  He  had  graduated  \vith  high 
honor  at  Harvard  and  began  tlie  juactice  here. 
in  connection  with  Calvin  Fletdiei-.  with  e\ei-\ 
promise  of  success.  But  he  was  quite  eccentric. 
anil  especially  so  in  the  matter  of  forming 
theories  for  action  under  various  contingencies. 
One  of  these  was  that  th.e  best  way  for  a  young 
lawyer  to  attract  public  notice,  and  win  sue- 
ii's~.  was  to  attack  ohli^r  and  established  attoi-- 
ne\s  personally,  in  trials,  when  opportunity  was 
presented.  I'nfortunately  fiU'  liim  lie  tirst  |nit 
ids  theory  to  the  test  with  Hiram  Brown,  and 
Ml-.    l-"lercher  gives  the  story  thus: 

"'Mr.  Yaniles,  though  still  young,  was  c\- 
rremelv  tall,  loosely  jointed,  and  somewhat  >lo\\ 
in  movement.  His  audience  eotn.prised  all  h'- 
Mumg  compeers,  who  closelv  watched  the  le- 
sults  of  liis  eastern  training,  and  gauged  the 
caliber  of  their  future  op|}onent.  The  knowl- 
edge tliat  they  were  so  watching  him  spun-ed 
him  to  the  utmost,  and  he  became  very  bitter 
towai'd  ^Ir.  r>rown.  His  tall  I'oi-m  swaved  back 
and    forth,    while    his    voice    i-ose    to    a    roar    in 


lllSToK'V    OF  GlIEATKH.   I  N  1  >1  A  N  A  IMil.l  >. 


.JG3 


i-ariit-'sl  (lemmciation  ol!  lii,<  o])i)i>iiem,  wlio, 
.-c'ciningly  cowed,  hid  liis  facr  in  his  hamls  on 
ihc  T.ihlf.  Apparently  contented  with  hini.^eif 
anil  hi^^  elfort.  Mr.  Yaiides  pansud  a  moment  to 
take  a  di'ink  of  water  and  note  the  elTeet  on 
the  jury,  when,  to  his  horror,  .Mr.  Brown  slow- 
ly i-ai<ed  liis  head,  a  wicked  twinkle  shiniiifr  in 
ills  eyes  as  he  jrlanced  sidewise  at  the  jury,  and 
in  .1  ilcar,  sharp  whisper  said:  "If  that  younj; 
man  should  ever  live  to  get  his  growth  he  will 
make  a  very  severe  man."  The  head  dropped 
into  the  hands  once  more,  ^[r.  Yandes,  utterly 
i-on founded  by  the  suddenness  of  the  retort, 
and.  the  roar  of  laui;hter  from  jnd<;e.  har  and 
jury,  dropjied  the  further  prosemtion  of  his 
speech." 

In  eonneclion  with  this  .Mr.  Kletelier  adils: 
■•.lanie-i  Iiussell  Lowell,  the  poet  and  diploma- 
list,  once  told  me  while  visiting  me  at  Naples, 
Italy,  that  Simon  Yandes  was  in  his  class  at 
Harvard,  and  that  he  (Yandes)  was  the  first 
man  in  the  class.  "While  we',  said  Mr.  Lowell, 
'were  ])laying  at  law,  Yandes  studied  law  and 
inipioved  evi'i'y  advantage  all'orded  by  Harvard. 
The  recollection  of  him  at  the  Dane  law  school 
give  mc  the  highest  res])ect  for  the  man".  Simi- 
lar views  coiu-erning  Mi',  ^'ande-  wi're  ex- 
pressed to  me  in  Paris,  France,  l)y  (Jcorgr 
liemis,  Esq.,  of  Boston,  who  is  in  some  respects 
our  first  authority  on  international  law.  Be- 
mis  was  also  a  classmate  of  Jlr.  Yandes.'"" 
It  may  also  he  mniiioned  that  the  tendency  of 
.Mr.  Yanih-^  lo  ""play  theories'"  stood  him  in 
good  slead.  for  he  develo]ied  a  theory  of  the 
rei  iirreiice  of  panics  and  financial  depressions 
that  made  hiiii  a  handsome  fortune.  It  was 
based  on  the  pro|iosition  that  "good  tinu'S  make 
bad  times,  and  bad  times  make  good  times"' — 
;'.  '■,,  when  times  are  Hush  ])eople  become  e-\- 
Iravagant,  go  into  debt,  and  create  the  condi- 
ticms  that  pi-od'.n-e  panics:  and  in  hard  time~ 
thev  cccnomi/.c  and  produce  the  conditions  tlial 
cause  pros|iciit\ .  It  worked  like  clock-work,  at 
li'Msl  until  after  the  demonetization  of  silver 
upset  the  ordinary  economic  movement  :  and  b\ 
buying  real  estate  in  what  be  had  decided  would 
be  vears  of  lowest  pri(es,  ami  selling  in  yeai- 
.d'  highest  prices,  he  amassed  his  wealth. 

Ill'  put  his  fortune  to  good  use,  too:  not  onlv 
ill  liand-nmr  limrfactinns  at  his  death,  but  in 
lii,-    life.       He    was    extremclv    secretive    in    his 


Auirust  ".'.■•..  18;9. 


.L'ood  work.-,  but  It  IS  .pule  eerlaiii  llial  he  was 
the  chief  su|)port  of  John  B.  Dillon  in  his  old 
age:  and  when  "Fncle  Jimmy"  Blake  died  prac- 
tically baukruiit,  and  his  home  |)roperty  passed 
to  ;Mr.  Yandes,  he  managed  to  bt  Mrs.  Blake 
live  ill  it  the  rest  of  her  life  without  even  sus- 
pecting that  «lie  did  not  own  it.  There  is  an- 
other fact  about  Simon  Yandes  known,  to  but 
few,  and  that  is  that  he  drafted,  and,  although 
not  a  member  of  the  legislature,  secured  the 
jiassage  of  the  '"year  of  redemption"  law.'-  Be- 
fore ISIil  holders  of  junior  incumbrances,  who 
had  not  been  made  ])arties  to  foreclosure,  or  in 
general  on  slierilf"s  sales  of  real  estate,  were 
not  aflected  by  a  sale,  and  could  redeem  while 
their  liens  existed,  hut  the  o\nier  had  no  right 
of  redemption  at  all.  The  attention  of  Mr. 
Yandes  was  drawn  to  the  matter  by  a  hard 
case,  where  a  morts.'ao'or  was  unable  tempiu'arily 
to  protect  his  ])ro|)erty,  and  he  at  once  ])re- 
])ai"ed  the  bill.  There  are  few  laws,  indeed,  that 
have  given  so  great,  mi  ecpiitable,  and  so  ra- 
tional relief  to  end)arrassed  debtors. 

But.  to  resume:  the  tendency  of  the  early 
])erio(l  was  to  make  ready  lawyers,  and  "all- 
round""  lawyers.  There  were  no  specialists.  .\s 
the  country  settled,  and  railroads  were  built, 
the  necessity  for  riding  the  circuit  disapneared. 
Libraries  increased:  decided  cases  multiplied. 
Xo  matter  what  his  logical  abiliti-s,  a  lawyer 
had  to  keep  in  touch  with  the  rulings  of  the 
courts.  T'nder  the.se  conditions  the  (dd  tinu' 
circuit  lawyer  canu;  to  his  best,  and  it  may 
fairly  be  said  that  the  tridden  age  of  the  In- 
dianaiiolis  bar  was  the  twentv  years  following 
the  Civil  War.  I,i'gal  business  was  abundant 
and  profitable.  The  line  was  beginning  to  Im" 
prettv  clcarlv  drawn  betwe<Mi  civil  and  criminal 
practice:  but  there  were  few  lawyers  who  aimed 
at  civil  ])i"actice  who  were  not  (pialilieil  to  trv  a 
criminal  case  if  thev  I'ked.  .\bout  the  lii"st 
specialization  bevond  that  was  bv  .lolni  .V. 
Finch,  who  took  up  insurance  law  as  a  sjie- 
ciallv,  and  nnide  •!   notable  success  of  it. 

Tbi'ie  were  three  firm<  in  this  pi-riod  that 
were  preeininenl  in  the  volume  of  their  luisi- 
ness  and  the  staudimr  of  their  mi-nibers — Ueii- 
dricks.  llord  I'it  Uendrieks:  M.  Donald  X"  Biil- 
ler:  and  TTai"rison.  Ilinc'^  iV  Mill-r.  flie  mem- 
bership changing  somewhat  from  I  in-  (o  time, 
r.overnor— later  Viee-Pr.'-.'. -i    II.-  '■  '       ''"" 


ulr;,K 


tb 


"Arts  of  /.sv;/.  p. 


» 


564 


HISTORY   OF  GKKATEi;   IXDIAXAPOLTS. 


senior  memher  of  the  first,  retired  aud  was 
sucteeckHl  l)y  Go\-.  C^oiirad  Baker,  a  lawyer  of 
tlie  t^aiiie  class.  Senator  Joseph  E.  McDonald 
and  Jolin  M.  Butler  were  the  leading  members 
of  the  second  firm,  but  a  large  part  of  the  work 
was  done  In'  George  Bntler,  a  younger  brother 
of  John  M. — in  fact  he  worked  himself  to 
death,  and  was  cut  off  from  the  promise  of  a 
brilliant  professional  career  at  a  comparatively 
early  age.  Benjamin  Harrison  and  W.  H.  H. 
Miller — later  Attorney  General  of  the  United 
States — are  known  to  the  whole  country.  Judge 
C.  C  Hines,  their  partner,  was  a  fine  lawyer 
who  retired  from  the  practice  largely  to  give 
his  attention  to  his  invalid  \rife  He  was  suc- 
ceeded in  the  firm  bv  John  B.  Elam,  still  one 
of  the  ranking  lawyers  of  the  city.  Close  up 
to  these  firms  were  a  number  of  others,  largely 
of  younger  men,  Dye  &  Harris,  Claypool,  New- 
comb  &  Ivetcham,  Taylor,  Rand  &  Taylor, 
Smith  &  Duncan — later  joined  by  John  R. 
Wilson,  Byfield  &  Howland,  Byron  K.  Elliott, 
James  R.  ilitchell,  Gordon,  Lamb  &  Sheppard, 
Judah  &  Jameson,  Finch  &  Finch,  Hanna  & 
Kuetler.  Herod  &  Winter.  Avres  &  Jones.  Mc- 
Lain  &  Baker,  A.  G.  &  G.  T.  Porter.  Ritter, 
Walker  &  Ritter,  Young  &  Pritchard,  John  E. 
Scott,  Thomas  L.  Sullivan.  Caleb  Denny,  David 
Turpie,  Charles  W.  Fairbanks,  Vinson  Carter, 
McMaster  &  Boice,  Buskirk  &  Nichol,  Wm! 
Wallace,  T.  S.  Rollins,  and  othei-s,  who  made  up 
a  bar  of  high  quality. 

The  first  law  school  in  Indianapolis  was  that 
of  Xorthwestern  Christian  University,  opened 
in  1856.  It  was  not  much  of  a  school,  the  in- 
struction being  given  by  John  Young,  then 
president  of  the  institution,  and  there  being 
four  graduates  to  the  time  of  his  resignation 
in  1858.  He  was  succeeded  by  Judge  Saml.  E. 
Perkins  as  "Professor  of  Law",  and  the  school 
grew  under  his  administration — it  being  made 
a  department  with  a  faculty,  of  which  Judge 
Perkins  was  a  dean.  There  were  18  graduates 
in  the  three  years  ending  in  1861.  The  shock 
of  civil  war  did  not  leave  much  of  the  law  de- 
partment, thouirh  it  was  continued  in  a  small 
way  witli  ,7udge  Perkins  and  Judge  David  Mc- 
Donald as  instructors.  At  the  beginning  of 
the  seventies  it  was  revived  and  reorganized, 
opening  January  16,  1871,  with  Byron  K.  El- 
liott. Cliarles  H.  Test  and  Chas.  P.  Jacobs  on 
the  faculty.  Later  Judge  H.  C.  Xewcomb 
succeeded  Judge  Test,  but  the  school  was  dis- 


continued after  a  few  years.  The  next  school, 
organized  through  the  efforts  of  Judge  Elliott, 
was  known  as  the  Central  Indiana  Law  School, 
and  was  a  wholly  private  undertaking.  It  was 
incorporated  July  1,  1879.  Judge  Elliott  was 
a  great  student,  with  Ijoth  the  desire  and  the 
ability  of  imparting  information.  He  had  an 
indomitable  will  that  carried  a  frail  body 
through  a  life  of  hard  work,  and  gave  him  an 
enduring  monument  as  a  jurist  aud  a  legal 
writer.  Associated  with  him  in  this  school 
were  Judge  James  B.  Black  and  Charles  P. 
Jacobs,  with  some  special  lectures  by  John  R. 
Wilson  and  F.  J.  Van  Vorhis.  The  school  was 
quite  successful,  but  went  to  pieces  after  the 
election  of  Judge  Elliott  to  the  Supreme  bench 
in  1881.  and  the  appointment  of  Judge  Black 
to  the  Supreme  Court  Commission  in  188"^^. 

John  R.  AVilson  was  a  large  factor  in  local 
legal  instruction.  Coming  here  from  Virginia. 
a  young  man  of  limited  means  aud  almost  un- 
known, he  made  his  way  by  application  and 
ability  to  the  front  ranks  of  the  profession, 
and  at  the  same  time  to  the  affectionate  respect 
of  all  who  knew  him.'''  He  was  one  of  the 
men  that  God  made ;  aud  there  was  never  a 
person  in  Indianaapolis  to  whom  so  many 
yoimg  men  were  indebted  for  friendly  aid  and 
counsel  as  to  him.  Abotit  1877  the  law  stu- 
dents of  the  city  organized  a  moot  court — it 
was  probably  the  first  successful  effort  of  A.  F. 
Potts  at  promotion.  At  fir.sf,  one  of  their 
nundjcr  was  chosen  to  act  as  judge,  but  Jolni 
L.  Griffiths  was  then  reading  law  with  ilr. 
Wilson,  and  ^fr.  Wilson  was  persuaded  to  join 
the  organization  and  serve  as  judge.  He  gave 
as  much  care  to  the  preparation  of  his  de- 
cisions as  a  Supreme  Justice — sometimes  more. 
After  the  moot  court  disbanded  he  had  law 
classes  for  .several  winters,  iisually  going  over 
some  new  law  book.  These  were  entirely  free 
to  any  of  the  law  students  of  the  city,  and 
were  well  attended.  It  may  be  mentioned  here 
that  ^Fr.  Thaddeus  Rollins  also  gave  this  same 
kind  of  gratuitous  instruction  for  a  year  or 
two. 

In  189-1  the  desire  for  a  law-school  again 
became  imiierntivc,  and  the  Indiana  Law  School 
was  organized.  The  chief  factors  in  the  move- 
ment were  Byron  K.  Elliott,  John  R.  Wilson. 
Addison  C.  Harris,  Charles  W.  Fairbanks,  and 


iWrc-.s'.  Julv  16  and  18.  1907. 


IIISTUUV  OF  G HEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


.,(;.-i 


W.  P.  Fisliback.  It  was  opeued  on  Ottober  '2, 
1894.  (Ill  the  basis  of  a  two-years  course,  and  a 
senior  class  was  foriiud  the  first  year  from  ad- 
vanced students,  cliietiy  from  Indianapolis  of- 
fices, so  that  the  first  class  graduated  in  the 
spring  of  ISOo.  Jn  addition  to  the  five  gentle- 
men named,  who  formed  the  faculty,  the  first 
resrular  lecturers  were  James  B.  Black,  Charles 
\y.  Smith,  Will.  11.  11.  Miller.  Wm.  P.  Kappes, 
Wni.  F.  Elliott,  .lohn  A.  Finch.  Charles  F. 
Collin.  .John  L.  (.rilliths,  Charles  \V.  Moores, 
Thaddeus  S.  IJollins,  Evans  Woollen,  and  Miss 
Laura  Donnan.  Special  lectures  were  given 
by  the  .judges  of  the  Supreme  and  Federal 
Courts,  and  also  by  Charles  A.  Korbly,  Daniel 
P.  Baldwin  and  Ons  O'Bryan — the  last-named 
on  prnbate  practice.  Instruction  in  elocution 
and  oratory  was  given  by  Prof.  T.  J.  McAvoy. 

The  school  was  successful  from  the  start, 
and  in  18!)G  an  alliance  was  made  bv  it  with 
The  Indiana  Dental  College,  The  Medical  Col- 
lege of  Indiana,  and  Butler  College,  by  which 
The  I'niversity  of  Indianapolis  was  formed. 
Thus  far,  however,  the  L'niversity  has  been  lit- 
tle more  than  a  name,  each  member  preserving 
its  individuality  very  completely.  In  18!)!1  the 
need  of  an  executive  otHcer  who  could  give  full 
attention  to  the  law  school  was  felt  to  be  ur- 
gent, and  the  ])lan  was  amended,  Mr.  James  A. 
Rollback  being  made  Secretary  and  Professor 
of  Law.  with  the  active  management  of  the 
school.  In  1901  he  was  made  dean,  on  the 
death  of  Mr.  Fishback,  who  had  served  in  that 
cajiacity  from  the  beginning  of  the  school.  The 
institution  is  now  in  a  flourishing  condition, 
and  ajiparently  on  a  permanent  basis.  The 
average  attendance  is  about  75,  the  graduating 
classes  usually  consisting  of  from  30  to  .50 
members. 

Tn  the  last  quarter  of  a  century  there  is 
.senerally  conceded  to  have  been  a  lowering  of 
the  dignity  and  standing  of  the  legal  profes- 
sion, not  due  so  much  to  its  members,  as  to 
changed  business  conditions.  In  the  process 
of  systemizing  many  corporations  have  their 
stall'  attorneys,  who  are  in  a  sense  simply  of- 
ficials having  in  charge  a  department  of  the 
business.  In  fact  there  seems  to  have  grown 
up  a  need  of  atlenfion  fo  business  details  that 
tends  to  a  universal  making  of  barristers  with 
no  counselors.  The  change  is  hard  to  define, 
but  there  is  a  feeling  among  the  older  prac- 
titioners  that    the   profession    is   not   as   inde- 


])eudeut  as  it  formerly  was.  Possibly  the  large 
increase  of  lav\Ters,  and  the  competition  for 
business  that  has  arisen  to  some  e.\tent  may 
be  factors  in  it.  If  this  idea  of  a  change  iii 
the  relative  position  of  the  legal  fraternity  is 
true,  it  of  course  applies  to  the  whole  coun- 
try, and  is  not  peculiar  to  Indianapolis. 

There  was  a  "Law  Library  and  Bar  Asso- 
ciation" organized  at  Indianapolis  in  the  early 
seventies,  but  it  did  not  prosper,  and  it  was 
decided  to  begin  anew.  On  November  30, 
1878,  forty  of  the  leading  lawyers  of  the  city 
met  at  the  office  of  Dye  &  Harris  and  organ- 
ized The  Indianapolis  Bar  Association.  Na- 
jioleon  B.  Taylor  was  made  president :  John 
T.  Dye  and  Livingston  Ilowlaiul.  vice-presi- 
dents; John  A.  Henry,  secretary;  .John  M. 
.hidah,  treasurer.  The  executive  committee  was 
composed  of  Solomon  Claypool.  W.  H.  H. 
Miller,  John  M.  Butler  and  .John  S.  Duncan; 
and  the  committee  on  ''admission",  or  mem- 
bership, of  Oscar  B.  Hord,  Lewis  C.  Walker, 
Wm.  Wallace,  11.  C.  Newcomb,  C.  C.  Hines, 
Ferd  Winter,  and  Samuel  II.  Buskirk.  The 
dues  were  made  .$•")  a  year,  and  the  membership 
increased  very  rapidly.  The  old  association 
met  and  donated  its  property — consisting  of  .58 
volumes  of  ilaine  report*  and  .$."i4.95 — to  the 
new  association,  after  which  it  disbanded. 

Special  attention  was  given  to  the  accuniu- 
latioTi  of  a  library.  On  February  11,  1879,  it 
was  ordered  that  .$000  be  invested  in  books; 
and  on  .\pril  S  it  was  reported  that  the  re- 
ports of  Iowa,  Michigan,  California  and  Ohio 
had  been  iiurchased.  On  June  10  the  dues 
were  raised  to  .$20,  and  a  coininiltee  was  ap- 
])ointed  to  solicit  donation  to  the  library  fund. 
On  September  13  it  reported  $950  subscribed, 
which  was  duly  invested  in  books.  The  library 
gi'cw  steadily  until  1899.  when  a  special  im- 
petus was  given.  Mrs.  Susan  W.  Butler,  widow 
of  .Tohn  M.  Butler,  died  in  the  spring  of  that 
year,  and  bv  her  will  left  a  large  interest  in 
real  estate,  estimated  at  .$(10,000,  in  remainder 
on  the  death  of  her  daughter  Margaret  llui- 
ler  Snow,  to  the  association,  for  the  erection  .if 
a  building,  to  be  known  bv  her  husband's 
name.  Immediately  .after  this,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Snow  donati'd  to  the  association  the  entire  law 
librarv  of  Hutler,  Snow  &  Butler.  On  March 
5,  1900,  the  law  library  of  Lucian  Barbour 
was  donated  to  the  association  bv  his  daugh- 
ter.s,  ^Ir~.  M;ir\   H.  .Tackson  and  Miss  Sallie  W. 


566 


HISTOEY  OP  GREATEK  INDIANAPOLIS. 


Barlxnii'.  On  May  28,  11)02,  Win.  Watson 
Woiilli'ii  pri'seiitt'd  to  the  ai^sociatioii  liis  eol- 
It'ctioii  of  Indiana  legal  publii-ations,  iiielud- 
iiig  annotated  reports,  statutes,  etc.,  tlie  gift  to 
beeonie  etfecti\e  at  his  death.  Exclusive  ol' 
this,  the  library  now  has  over  T.OOO  volumes. 
It  is  much  used  by  students  of  tiie  Indiana 
Law  School,  to  whom  this  privilege  was  ex- 
tended on  J  line  4,  lilUd. 

The  association  lias  h.ad  cpiite  an  active  ex- 
istence, and  has  been  instrumental  in  securinx 
numerous  reforms  connected  \\'ith  court  proced- 
ure. Its  most  notalde  back-set  came  in  1897. 
The  street  railroad  com])any  was  then  coii- 
troll(>d  by  Yerner  and  Melvee.  and  had  made  a 
large  increase  in  cajiitalization.  E.  Dwiglit 
Church  and  others,  who  had  been  induced  to 
buy  some  of  the  new  stock  on  advertisements 
of  it  that  were  made,  lirought  suit  in  the  Fed- 
eral Court  for  the  appointment  of  a  receiver, 
the  cancellation  of  TO  per  cent  of  the  stock, 
and  the  winding  up  of  the  company.  Their 
right  to  any  remedy  being  questioned  on  the 
hearing.  Judge  Baker  was  reported  to  have 
said  :  "]f  the  law  does  not  give  any  relief,  and 
I  do  not  know  that  it  does,  there  ought  to  he 
by  po]iular  subscription  a  lot  of  lamp-posts 
provided  for  hanging  up  the  fellows  who  go 
into  such  business."'"'*  The  next  day  the  ar- 
gument was  continued,  and  Judge  Baker  again 
warmed  up  sufficiently  to  observe,  as  reported. 
"So  far  as  McKee  is  concerned,  if  the  truth 
is  set  up  here  in  this  bill  it  would  be  no  in- 
justice to  him  to  hang  him"".  Mr.  Perd  Win- 
ter, counsel  for  the  defense  replied:  "It  has 
been  a  long  time  since  men  have  been  hanged 
for  such  things ;"'  to  which  Judge  Baker  re- 
joined: "I  confess  tliat  with  these  Napoleonic 
systems  of  highway  robbery  I  have  no  sym- 
pathy. These  fellows  will  go  on  until  finally 
they  will  induce  the  ]ieo]de  of  tliis  country 
to  lyiuli  them.""  Mr.  Winter,  wdth  some 
warmth,  then  said:  "1  think  it  hardly  legiti- 
mate for  the  court  to  make  such  comments  as 
these,  which  are  caught  up  and  nublished  in 
the  newspapers.  The  Scnliiirl  this  morning 
had  a  great  deal  of  this.  The  remarks  tlic 
court    is    niakinn-   here    are    being    u-^ed    in    the 


legislature  for  the  purpose  of  wiping  out  this 
street-car  company;""  and  the  interchange  of 
observations  continued  until  the  court  in- 
structed Mr.  Winter  to  sit  down.'"'  The  reports 
[uiKlislicd  by  the  nioi-iiing  iiajiers  were  substan- 
tially the  same. 

Xaturally  the  episode  created  some  excite- 
ment outside  of  the  court,  and  on  March  1 
the  Bar  Association,  by  a  vote  of  10  to  •.'. 
a(lo|itcil  a  motion  dllVred  bv  W.  A.  Ketchani 
Icir  a  lommittee  to  investigate  the  matter  ami 
repoi-t  whether  the  language  was  used  a-  rc- 
jiorted.  Judge  Baker  declined  to  receive  this 
committee,  on  the  ground  that  he  was  not  a 
mi>mber  of  the  association;  and  the  committee 
reported  that  there  was  some  question  as  to 
the  language  used:  and  recommended  tliat  no 
further  action  be  taken,  and  that  it  be  dis- 
charged. Instead  of  this,  the  matter  was  re- 
ferred back  to  the  committee  with  instructions 
to  ascertain  whether  the  language  was  used,  and 
report.  On  ^tay  3,  the  committee  finally  re- 
])orted  that  the  language  "was  used  by  him 
substantially  as  reporti'd",  but  "was  not  in- 
tended to  advise  or  counsel  lawlessness  in  any 
manner'",  and  was  used  "for  the  sole  ]Hir|)()se 
of  ex])ressing  his  condemnation  of  the  deal- 
ings which  were  described  in  the  bill"".  The 
committee  again  recommended  no  further  ac- 
tion, and  asked  for  discharge.  Tlie  members 
wfU'  out  in  some  force  that  evening,  and  the 
rcjiort  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  25  to  IG.  And 
so  the  incident  closed,  leaving  the  layman  tn 
wonder  whether  judges  sliould  say  what  thev 
leallv  think,  or  whether  Indianapolis  la\vy(  r- 
are  unduly  sensitive.  It  was  only  two  years 
rarlier  that  W.  P.  Pishback  in  his  account  of 
bis  visit  to  Lord  Coleridge  mentioned  that  in 
discussing  the  ilafia  riots  at  New  Orleans  his 
lordship  said  that  "there  were  times  when  the 
swift  methods  of  Judge  Lvnch  became  neces- 
sary ill  a  comniuiiily  where  criiiK^  is  influential 
■and  powerful  enough  to  deliauch  or  intimidate 
courts  or  juries".  .Vnd  ^Ir.  Pishback  adds: 
■''Iliis  language  from  the  Lord  Chief-Justice 
of  England,  while  he  was  assuming  the  wig 
and  gown,  surprised   me.""'" 


< 


^'Xcirs.   Pebruarv  11.  1S9r. 


'•■Yc»'.v,  Pebruarv  12,  ISO:. 
^''•Ri'rnJlcillons  of  Lard  ('(jliTiili/i\  yi.   0. 


CHAPTER   XLlll. 


TIIK   ClirK'CIIES. 

The  question  wliii-li  was  the  Hrst  clmieli  in  i-oiikt  of   .Meridian   and   .Maryland,  and   put 

Indiana])olis  is  one  whose  answer  depends  on  up  a  one-story  brick  ehureh.  which  was  used 

the  definition  given   to  the  word  "ehureh".  for  ii.ariy  twenty  years. 

Perhaps  the  prioiity  sliould  be  given  to  the  From  July.  IHM)'.  to  Kebruary.  l.s:{4.  there 

Baptist    organization,     whieh     was     offieially  was  no  regulai'  pastor,  but  sei-vi<-es  were  lieid 

pronounced   "a    reiiular    liaptist   ch)U-ch"'  on  (piite    regnhirly    with    lirethren    Hyron    I.aw- 

October    10,    ISi'i':    altliough    the    .Methodisl  renee,  Janieson    Hawkins    and    K/ra      Fislier 

"ela.'<s"  luid  l)ecu  established  as  a  "station"'  otifieiating.     In  1S.'!4  K/ra  l-'isher  aeeepted  tlie 

on   a    "circuit"    in    \^^2\ -.    and   the    I'resbyte-  [)astorate,   and   held   it   for  a  year.   when,   in 

rians   had   engagec!   a    pieacher  for   intermit-  July,  1835,  he  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  John  L. 

tent  service  foi'  the  year  beginning  October  Kieinnond,     who    officiated     regularly     until 

1,    1822.      An    account    of   thi'se   early    move-  188!).      Di'.    Kichniond    w;is    highly    esteemed, 

ments  has  been  uivrn  in  the  chapter  on  "The  i)oth  as  a  clergyman  and  as  a  physician,     lie 

^Vforal    Foundation".      John    Ilobai-t,    who    is  was   not  oidy  a   man  of  ability  but   also  one 

known   to   fame   as  "the   first    native  poet  of  with   a   sense  of   humor,   autl   a    readiness  of 

Indianapolis",   commemorated    the  establish-  c.xpre.ssion    that   are   almost   essentials   for   a 

meiit  of  th(>  Baptist  Church  in  some  lines,  be-  po|)uliir  s|)eaker.     Among  the  anecdotes  pi-c- 

giiniing:  seived    relating    to    him    is   one   of    his   over- 
whelming a  boaster  who  was  enlarging  on  the 

"In  tw<'nty-two  a  liniiililr  few.  Fertility  of  his   farm   by   telling  of   a    farm 

Who  di(i  the  Script\ires  search.  whei'c.  "the  pumpkins  gi-ew  so  tliick  aM  over 

In  Jesus"  luimi'.  toiietlici'  came.  one  of  the   fields  that   if  a   man   would   kick 

And  fnriiiiMl  a   Haptist  cluncli    "  one  on  one  side  of  the  field   it    would  shake 

those  against   the   fence  on   the  other  side"'. 

John  was  not  very  inspiring  as  a  poet,  but  In  November.  1S:^!I,  Rev.  (Icorgc  K.  Chandler 

he  was  always  strong  in   his  i)rcsentalion  of  was  called    to   the    pastoi-itc   and   served    ini- 

facts.     The  Bapti.st  church  was  handicapitcd  til  May,  184:-);  when  he  resigned  1..  ac<-ept  the 

by  lack  of   funds  for  a   number  of  years,  and  pi'csidency  of   Franklin   College,   and   was  an 

niiuht    not     have    liveil    throueli    but     for    aid  eflicient   agent    in    the   upbuilding  of   thai    in- 

frnm  the   Home  .Mission   Society.     .\s  it  was.  stitution. 

its   pastorate    was    much    bi'okiii.       Heii.jamin  F(n-  the  ne.\t  three  years  the  situation  was 

Barnes  served    in    18-_':5   and    1824;   and   then  not  eneouraL'iug.  C.  B.  Phillips  preached  ocea- 

there  was  an   inferinission  of  18  months  with  sionally,   ami    in   October   |)roposed   (o   preach 

?io  rcL'ulai-  pastor,  and  occasional  services  and  regularly    for   a    salary   of   ^'■i^tO   and    board, 

Iireachiui:      hv     bretliren      Fa.ssett.      Harncs,  This  the  congregation  was  obliired  to  .i.'cline 

Smock  and  Fisher.     In  December.  182fi.  Abra-  for   lack    of   resources.      It    is    interesting    to 

liam  Smock  was  called  to  preach,  and  served  note  that  at  this  time  Henry   Ward   Ueeeher 

until   18:?(),  with  the  exce|)tion  of  six  months  was  getting  the  salary  of  $1)00  at  the  Second 

in  the  winter  of  1827-8.     In  1820  the  c"n>.'re-  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which  his  wife  eom- 

gatioii    purchased    the    lot    at    the    southwest  plained   later.     'I  hen   .Mr.    I'liillips  iniderlook 

ocr 


5G8 


HISTOT!Y  OF  GKEATER  IXDIAXAPOLlS. 


I 


to  establish  a  new  Baptist  Church,  aud  dis- 
organization was  becoming  serious,  until  a 
council  of  the  churches  of  the  Indianapolis 
Association  was  called,  which  condemned  the 
Phillips  movement,  and  the  danger  was 
averted.  In  September,  184-4.  James  Johnson 
was  called  as  pastor  for  a  year,  but  resigned 
after  six  months,  and  the  church  had  no  regu- 
lar pa.stor  till  1846.  ileanwhile  Ur.  Rich- 
mond preached  occasionally  and  administered 
the  offices  of  the  church. 

In  1846  the  Bajitist  Church  in  Indianapolis 
was  started  in  a  more  stable  epoch  by  the 
coming  of  Timothy  K.  Cressy.  He  was  one 
of  those  men  in  whom  the  union  of  l)usiness 
sense  with  religions  fervor  makes  the  com- 
posite essential  for  the  effective  aid  of  strug- 
gling congregations  in  all  sects.  Born  in 
Connecticut,  a  graduate  of  Aauherst  and  New- 
ton Theolouicai.  he  pledged  himself  to  mis- 
sionaiy  work  in  the  West,  and  for  tliirty-five 
'years  pi'oseeutecl  that  work  in  Ohio,  Indiana. 
^Minnesota.  Illinois  and  Iowa,  until  called  to 
his  reward  in  1870,  at  Des  Moines.  Before 
coming  here  he  had  been  agent  of  the  Ameri- 
can and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  for  nearly 
two  years,  in  Ohio,  Kentucky  and  Indiana. 
In  that  ('a])acity  he  first  visited  Indianajiolis. 
and  found  hcvc  in  the  Baptist  Church  ^Irs. 
Burkitt,  wlio.  as  iMiss  Ellick.  had  been  in  his 
bible  class  in  Boston.  She  took  an  active 
interest  in  securing  his  location  here,  and  so 
did  Nicholas  ]\[cCarty.  Si'.,  who  got  up  a 
subscri]>tion  for  the  ]iurpose.  and  thereby  se- 
cured an  ecpial  conti'ibution  from  the  Iloiiii' 
I\Iission  Society. 

l\Ir.  Cressy  wrote  of  his  service  here:  "July 
3.  1846,  I  arrived  in  Indianapolis  to  take 
pastoral  charge  of  the  church.  They  had  a 
little  old  cracked  and  dilapidated  meeting- 
house, about  as  large  as  a  Yankee  school- 
house,  which  it  was  dangerous  to  occupy  in  a 
storm :  also  a  bell  hung  on  a  frame  in  back  of 
the  nieetinsi'  house.  As  there  was  a  divided 
church  to  be  i-eunited,  a  ineeting-house  to  be 
built,  and  a  reputation  to  be  earned  fen-  the 
church,  I  bad  previously  told  the  brethren 
that  I  eonid  not  undertake  so  desperate  a 
case  unless  they  would  settle  me  foi'  five 
years  and  the  Home  ^fission  Society  conunis- 
sion  me  for  Ihe  same  length  of  time.  This 
was  done,  and  T  I'cmained  the  five  yeai's  and 
one  more.     While  at  Indianajiolis.  I  baptized 


seventy  into  the  fellowship  of  the  church,  ami 
received  a  large  number  by  letter;  also  the 
church  M'as  enabled  to  build  on  the  site  of 
their  old  structure  a  brick  house  of  worship, 
seating  some  four  hundred,  with  basement 
rooms  for  prayer  meeting  and  other  pur- 
poses."' At  this  time  there  was  little  inter- 
est in  mission  work  in  Indiana  among  the 
Baptists,  and  in  1845  the  State  Convention 
had  raised  only  $150  for  Home  Mission  work. 
Says  Cressey:  "With  such  a  field  before  me, 
both  in  Indianapolis  and  throughout  the  state 
at  large,  every  religious  enterprise  moving 
tardily,  I  determined,  by  the  help  of  Cod,  to 
make  some  things  move.  And  some  things 
did  move.  Within  three  years  the  Conven- 
tion raised  over  $3,500  for  state  missions, 
and  had  over  thirty  missionaries  in  the  field; 
I,  meantime,  writing  many  articles  for  the 
local,  state  and  national  press,  and  dealing 
my  best  blows  in  favor  of  missions,  Sunday- 
schools,  ministerial  education,  and  ministerial 
support.  Meantime  I  endeavored  not  to  neg- 
lect my  pulpit  and  pa.storal  work.  "^  By 
1852,  the  church  at  Indianapolis  had  ad- 
vanced so  far  that  it  lost  interest  to  Cressey, 
and  on  ilay  2,  he  preached  his  farewell  ser- 
mon, and  two  days  latei'  started  to  St.  Paul, 
to  take  chai-ge  of  an  invalid  congregation 
there. 

Great  as  the  progress  was  that  had  l)eeM 
made,  his  successor  Sidney  ]\r.  Dyer  did  not 
feel  that  the  position  was  a  "flowery  bed  of 
ease".  This  was  largely  due.  no  doubt,  to  a 
pathetic  misfortune  which  befell  him  at  the 
start.  He  preached  his  introductory  sermon 
here  on  October  18,  1853.  and  on  ilonday  re- 
turned to  Louisville,  whence  he  came,  to  set- 
tle his  affairs  there  and  forward  his  goods. 
On  Tuesday  afternoon  he  received  a  disjiatch 
to  retui'n,  as  his  wife  was  dangerously  ill. 
On  Wednesday  he  arrived  and  found  her 
dead,  of  cholera.  He  was  left  with  three 
young  children,  the  youngest  but  a  few 
months  old.  and  the  oldest  in  feeble  health. 
His  first  inclination  was  to  seek  some  other 
field,  but  he  overcame  it,  and  labored  on  for 
over  Four  years.  But  it  is  easy  to  understand 
how  he  wrote  forty  years  later:  "In  trying 
to  jjet  a  clear  coneejition  of  the  work  before 


'Seventy-Fifth    Anniversary.   First   Baptist 
Church,  p]i.  84-5. 


II1ST(»|;V    (IF  CliHATER    INDIAN Al'ol. IS. 


:)69 


me  I  found  matters  in  a  vory  unsatisfactory 
condition.  Tlic  ufw  house  was  occupied,  but 
with  some  heavy  hills  to  meet,  witli  surround- 
ings, unsightly  and  appalling.  The  stumps 
from  the  foundation  were  piled  against  the 
building,  and  were  the  refuge  of  a  number 
of  vagrant  swine.  The  memliership  was  re- 
ported as  above  a  hundred,  but  a  cai-eful  can- 
vas of  the-  roll  fcjund  only  seventy  odd  in 
active  connection  witli  the  church,  being 
about  equally  divided  between  the  Xortli  and 
the  South;  many  of  them  holding  the  ex- 
treme views  of  the  sections  from  which  they 
came.  This  was  the  occasion  of  constant 
heated  faction,  and  led  to  two  or  thi'ce  ef- 
forts for  a  division,  only  [)revented  by  the 
firm  yet  i)ru<leiit  action  of  the  jiastor  and 
more  thouizhtfiil  brethren.  The  salarv  was 
$600  from  the  church  and  -fiOO  from  the 
Baptist  Home  ^lissionary  Society,  to  be  paid 
quarterly;  but  at  no  time  did  the  pastor  re- 
ceive more  than  $25  (i.  e.,  in  ca.sh)  during 
an.v  (juarter.  the  pa.v  being  orders  on  stores 
or  pi-oduce.  and  his  wood  mostly  of  refuse 
from  a  factory.  Disheartened  and  sad.  I  cer- 
tainly should  have  I'csigned.  but  the  Lord  was 
blessing  my  work,  and  nearly  every  month 
from  one  to  six  were  baptized.  This  state  of 
things  continued,  more  or  less  marked,  for  the 
near  five  years  of  my  pastorate.  That  j)rog- 
rcss  was  made  is  shown  fi-om  the  fact  that 
in  tliis  time  the  actual  menibershi])  had 
doubled,  ovei'  sixty  by  bapfisni,  and  the 
church  was  able  to  pay  iri.v  successor  $1,500 
a  year — each  (|u:irter's  rate  deposited  in  bank 
to  be  drawn  at  the  pastor's  option.  ]My  hard- 
e.st  and  most  trying  experiences  of  life  were 
met  during  my  niinistrv  in  Indianapolis:  but 
now,  as  I  look  back,  some  of  the  recolhictions 
are  i-edolent  and  precious."' 

Sidney  Dyer  was  one  of  the  besi  known 
Baptists  ever  called  1o  Indianapolis.  Born 
at  Canibridge,  N.  Y.,  in  181-t,  he  was  largely 
self-taught.  He  entered  the  arm.v  as  a  druni- 
mei'  boy,  and  served  for  ten  years,  the  Blacl<- 
hawk  War  falling  among  his  experiences.  He 
began  stud.x-intr  theolotry  in  18-30.  and  was 
ordaini>d  in  1842.  He  fiist  went  as  a  mission- 
ary to  the  riioetaws.  but  was  soon  called  to 
Tiouis'.'ille  as  seci-elary  of  the  Indian  Mission 
Board,  whence  he  was  called  to  Indianapolis. 
He  fillcfl  a  lar<;e  si)aee  hei-e.  It  was  a  time 
when  sei'ious  poetry  was  appn'ciated.  and  in 


his  grief  he  found  a  solace  in  song.  His 
contributions  to  the  local  press  were  very 
frequent,  especially  to  the  Journal.  :Nrany  of 
them  were  songs;  and  one,  "The  Grave  of 
Lily  Dale",  which  was  set  to  nuisie  by  W.  AV. 
Currie,  a  local  nuisic  teacher,  became  one  of 
the  most  popular  songs  of  the  day.  He  wrote 
while  here  seveial  hynnis  and  songs  for  spe- 
cial services  in  his  chui-ch  and  Sunday  school. 
In  1851  he  had  published  the  "Southwestern 
Psalmist",  at  Louisville,  for  the  use  of  Bap- 
tist churches,  wiiich  contains  16  of  his  hynnis ; 
and  in  1850  a  small  volume  of  poems,  entitled 
"Voices  of  Xature".  He  resigned  liis  charge 
here  in  1857,  and  in  1850  was  made  secre- 
tary of  the  American  Baptist  Publication  So- 
ciety, which  position  he  held  for  a  inntiber 
of  years,  and  was  then  made  critic  of  tlie 
society.  His  work  was  at  Philadelidiia.  but 
he  resided  fir.st  at  "Woodbury.  X.  J. ;  then  for 
6  or  7  years  in  Florida :  then  in  Germantown, 
where  he  died  Decendier  22,  1898.  After 
leaving  here  he  published  numerous  volumes, 
pro.se,  poetrv,  and  musical  compositions— a 
cantata  of  "Ruth"  being  tin-  best  known  of 
the  last.  His  daughter  Matlii'Mrs.  J.  H. 
Britts.  of  Ladoga.  Ind.  — is  widely  known  as 
an  author  of  juvenile  books,  and  a  writer  for 
periodicals  and  newspapers.  She  was  edu- 
cated at  the  Baptist  Seminary  in  Indian- 
apolis. 

After  some  correspondence,  in  whieh  lie 
stipulated  for  ;i  larger  church  building  ".so 
soon  as  directed  b.v  the  Pi-ovideiice  of  (iod", 
Bev.  James  J.  Siinnioiis.  of  Providence,  R. 
I.,  accepted  the  pastorate,  and  entered  on  his 
duties  in  Xovember,  1857.  After  consider- 
ing several  sites,  the  congregation  decided  on 
the  northeast  corner  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Xew  York  streets,  and  it  was  purchased  in 
June.  1858.  for  $6,750.  The  payment  of  this, 
and  the  erection  of  the  niission  at  South  and 
Xoble  streets  were  heavy  burdens;  and  an- 
other was  ad<led.  .\boiil  5  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  January  27.  1861.  the  old  church 
at  ^Feridian  and  Maryland  streets  was  dia- 
covei'cd  to  be  on  fire,  and  in  a  short  time  was 
in  a.shes.  Mr.  SiimiKPiis.  who  bad  taken  a 
I'adical  stand  on  slavery,  wrote,  in  18!t7: 
"Oiw  meeting-house  was  burned  because  tlu' 
doctrine  of  cmanci|jation  was  preached  with- 
in its  walls."  The  ti'ilslees  at  once  rented 
Masonic  Hall    for  public   meetini:s  and   Sun- 


570 


1ST(»I;V   Ol"   (iltKATKIl   IXDIAXAI'OMS. 


(lay  school  purposes;  and  i)rayei-  and  cove- 
nant meetings  were  held  at  private  rcsidcnees 
and  the  seminary.  In  Oetolier.  lS(il.  ^Ir. 
Sinnnous  felt  called  to  another  field,  and  his 
resignation  was  accepted  with  expressions  of 
rcErret,  and  eonnriendation  to  his  new  charge. 

About  this  time  IJev.  lleni'v  Day  came  to 
the  city  to  rest  and  recruit  his  health.  He 
was  called  to  the  pastorate  and  accepted, 
preaching  his  first  sermon  on  January  5. 
1862.  He  remained  for  fifteen  years,  longest 
in  service  and  most  loved  of  the  Baptist  pas- 
tors here.  He  was  devoted  in  his  pa.storal 
labors,  and  was  brought  in  closer  sympathy 
with  the  peojile  through  his  wife— =-Suzanna 
^IcCarty,  a  daughter  of  Nicholas  ilct'arty— 
who  had  been  an  active  worker  in  the  elmrcli 
and  Sunday  school  almost  from  childhood, 
and  who  wa.s  married  to  Dr.  Day,  December 
7,  1857.  His  first  laboi-s  were  largely  for 
the  ei-eetion  of  the  church  — to  wliicli  hi'  cun- 
tributed  genei-ously  from  his  salary  — but  this 
was  imi)eded  liy  the  calls  for  special  service 
brought  l)v  the  war.  and  it  was  not  until  ^[ay 
4,  1864,  that  it  was  dedicated.  The  cost  for 
lot.  building  and  furnishing  was  about  $'^5,- 
000.  When  the  church's  own  affairs  were 
cared  for  its  energies  were  reddubled  in  mis- 
sion work  both  at  home  and  abroad.  The 
church  was  builded  up  under  Dr.  Day.  and  in 
the  words  of  Dr.  ^Nfaitin:  ""When  he  re- 
signed the  pastorate  on  December  S,  1875,  the 
church  was  prosperons,  nnited  and  happy". 
Dr.  Day  resided  in  Iiidiana])olis  iintil  his 
death,  mi  August  1.  18i)7.  and  freqnenth 
j)reached  and  performed  ])astoral  work  in 
vacancies  of  the  pastorate.  He  was  a  man  of 
fine  education,  and  befoi-e  coming  here  had. 
in  addition  to  pastorates  at  Providence,  Phila- 
delphia and  Ashland,  Mass.,  held  the  profes- 
sorships of  ]\Iathematics  and  later  Physica' 
Sciences  at  (Jeorgetown,  Ky..  and  of  Natural 
Philosophy.  Asti'onomy  and  Civil  Engineei-- 
ing  at  Brown  rniversity. 

After  considerable  search,  the  congregation 
extended  a  call  to  Rev.  Wai-ivn  Randolph. 
D.D.,  wild  accept(>d,  and  began  his  .service 
on  January-  1,  1877.  He  was  a  man  of  na- 
tional prominence.  A  native  of  New  Jersey, 
he  ui'aduated  at  Brown  T'liivei-sity  in  1851 ; 
and  had  filled  pulpits  nt  I'awtucket.  Provi- 
dence, (rermantown,  Boston  ajid  Phihidi]|)hia. 
Pie  was  secretarv   of  the   Iiiternatidiial    Sim- 


ilay  School  Lesson  Committee  from  its  start 
ill  1872;  and  was  secretary  of  the  American 
Baptist  Publication  Society  from  1871 
to  1877,  resigning  it  to  come  here.  <  >ii 
account  of  his  connection  with  it.  tin- 
International  Lesson  Connnittee  met  here 
in  ]\Iarch.  1877,  and  on  ^larch  28  a 
public  meeting  was  held,  with  addresses 
liy  Dr.  John  H.  Vincent.  H.  F.  Jacobs, 
and  Dr.  John  Hall.  Dr.  Randolph  wji.s 
especially  energetic  in  Sunday  school 
work,  and  in  organiziuii'  church  work  of  all 
kinds.  On  January  3.  1879,  he  tendered  his 
lesignation,  to  take  effect  on  April  1.  He 
went  from  here  to  New|)()it.  \\'here  he  served 
lill  his  death,  in  1899. 

(^u  June  5,  1879.  the  church  extended  a 
call  to  Rev.  Henry  C.  liable,  who  had  just 
closed  a  successful  pastorate  at  Brookline. 
^[ass.  He  accepted,  and  began  his  work  in 
September.  He  was  an  energetic  pastor,  and 
a  notable  effect  was  the  organization  of  the 
Yoke-Fellows  Society  by  the  young  men  of 
the  church  in  'Slay.  1880.  It  reached  a  mem- 
bership of  over  100,  and  was  active  not  only 
locally  but  also  in  oi-ganizing  societies 
thi-oughout  the  state.  A  state  convention  was 
held  at  Lafayette  in  1882.  The  organization 
was  kejit  up  for  about  five  years,  and  then 
dropped  out  of  active  existence.  In  June. 
1882,  'Slv.  ?ilabie  received  the  degree  ef  Do-- 
tor  of  Divinity  from  the  T'niversity  of  Chi- 
cago. Sir.  Mabie  had  at  the  time  gone  to 
Kiirope  for  his  health,  which  was  much  im- 
proved; Init  he  did  nvt  wholly  recc  vei-,  and 
on  May  8.  1884,  resigned  on  account  of  fail- 
ing health.  Afterward  he  was  with  the  IMis- 
''iionary  ITnicn  for  a  uuniber  of  years;  and 
he  is  now  a  lecturei-  to  Bajjtist  seminaries  on 
Foreigii   Missions. 

The  church  was  without  a  remilar  nastor 
for  the  rest  of  the  year,  but  at  the  beuinnine- 
of  1885  Dr.  Reuben  Jefitery  accepted  a  call 
He  is  generally  conceded  to  have  been  the 
ablest,  intellectually,  of  the  Baptist  pastors 
here.  Born  in  Lancastei-.  England,  February 
15.  1827,  he  came  to  this  country  at  the  age 
of  10.  and  at  20  began  his  clerical  work  at 
Nantucket.  He  had  filled  impm-tant  (lulpits 
at  Brooklyn.  Albany  and  Denver,  his  iiios! 
notable  work  beins  at  ?ilarcy  Avenue  Church, 
lirroklyn.  which  he  built  un  from  a  strug- 
gliuEr  eongi-egation   <  f  40  to   l.OOO   members. 


llisr(»i;v  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


571 


I'lulcr  his  si'i'vice  tlu't'c  wrn'  notable  revivals 
in  the  sprinj^s  oi'  1885  and  ISSfi;  ami  the 
rliiirch  was  usually  filled  wlirii  he  preached. 
He  teudered  his  resiunation  Se|)1enii)eV  1:5, 
1888.  hut  at  the  re(|uest  of  the  ehureh  eou- 
tinued  his  service  to  the  end  of  the  yeai-.  lie 
enji-aged  in  no  active  work  after  leavinij  here, 
but  lived  with  his  son  at  Brooklyn,  wliei-e  he 
died  on  December  1-1.  1889. 

After  four  rncniths'  vacancy,  the  piili>it  was 
filled  by  AV.  V.  Taylor,  who  was  called  from 
East  ()rani;e.  N.  .1.  In  addition  to  excellent 
jiastoi'al   work,   Mi'.  Taylor  secui'cd  an  e.xten- 


went  fi'om  here  to  I'edtlie  ^Memorial  Church. 
Newark,  when  he  left  here  in  1906.  Follow- 
ing- 'Sly.  Villei-s  came  Frederick  E.  Tayloi'. 
wlio  is  still  in  charge.  He  is  a  j^'radnate  of 
Coluate  Seminary,  ordained  in  1888.  He 
served  as  assistant  pastoi-  at  Peddie  ]\Iemorial 
and  the  Second  I}ai)tist  Church  of  St.  Louis, 
and  was  jjastor  of  Central  Church,  Brooklvn. 
from  1899  to  190:?.  He  was  with  Dr.  Chap- 
man in  evangel i.stic  woi-k  from  190:!  to  19(l(). 
All  of  these  later  pastors  have?  been  com- 
l)atatively  youn<;'  and  eneriictic  men,  and  un- 
dci-    them    ihe    prosperity    of    the   church    has 


FIRST    B.APTIST    CHURCH. 


sive  remodeling  of  the  church,  addinii  hand- 
.some  stone  porticos  at  the  front  and  si<le, 
now  seatinLT  and  new  windows,  all  at  a  cost 
of  over  $22,000.  He  .served  until  the  middle 
of  ITay,  1894,  when  he  i'esit;ncd,  and  the  pul- 
])it  was  vacant  until  the  close  of  the  yeai-. 
l)r.  I).  -J.  Ellison,  who  had  been  called  fi'om 
.leise>-  City  then  beyan  his  service  of  three 
.years,  which  was  a  period  of  prosperity  and 
blessinjr  to  the  church.  He  was  followed  in 
1898  by  Thomas  .Teliferson  Villers.  who  served 
for  ei»ht  yeai's.  He  is  a  Viruinian.  born  ]\lay 
23.  18(il.  and  ordained  in  1888.  He  bad  suc- 
cessful pastorates  at  (iloucester.  IMass..  and 
Syracuse,   N.    Y.,   before   comintr    here:    and 


been  contiiuious.  ( )n  -lanuary  :!.  11104.  the 
church  at  Peini.sylvaiiia  and  XCw  'I'ork  streets 
was  desti'oyed  by  fire.  su|)])osed  to  result  from 
a  defective  furnace.  The  coni;'re<iation  de- 
ciiled  to  rebuild  elseuhere,  and  secured  the 
present  site  at  .Meridian  and  X'ei'mont  streets. 
The  handsome  stone  edifice  llierc  is  a  model 
of  convenience  in  modern  church  archilec- 
ture.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  Tlianks- 
"'i\  iny  day,  190.'5.  and  the  church  di'dieated  in 
Xovember.  190(;.  The  cost  was  $7.").00(l  foi- 
the  lot  and  .$150,000  for  the  buildinii'.  The 
membership  of  the  church  is  now  1.120,  and 
the  Sunday  school  enrollment  1.200.  And 
scattered  over  the  (;itv  ;ire  other  cbni'ches.  its 


HISTOEY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


mission  children,  some  of  them  in  almost  as 
flourishing  condition  as  the  mother  church 
itself. 

In  the  year  18.56.  there  was  some  considera- 
tion of  organiziiio-  a  second  Baptist  society  in 
Indianajiolis,  hut  after  the  resignation  of  ilr. 
Dyer  in  1857  the  proji'ct  was  abandoned.  The 
chui'ch,  however,  pledged  its  support  and 
cooperation  to  a  mission  Sunday  school  which 
had  been  conducted  for  over  a  year,  opposite 
Little's  Hotel,  on  East  Washiugton  street, 
by  brethren  Joseph  Sutton,  Louis  IMoss  and 
A.  G.  AYallace.  In  September.  1859,  an  offer 
was  made  of  a  Icit  80x126  feet  at  the  corner 
of  South  and  Noble  streets,  for  church  and 
Sunday  school  purposes,  by  Messrs.  Calvin 
Fletcher,  Stone.  Witt,  Hoyt  and  Taylor. 
This  was  accepted,  and  though  the  parent 
church  was  then  in  the  struggle  of  building  -i 
new  house  for  itself,  a  little  chapel  was 
erected  there,  and  the  East  "Washington  street 
school  was  removed  to  it.  This  was  continued 
as  a  mission  until  August  31,  1869,  when  a 
church  was  oraanized  with  a  membership  of 
76 ;  and  received  the  property  as  a  gift  from 
the  parent  church.  This,  the  South  Street 
Baptist  Church,  worshipped  in  the  chapel  un- 
til 1882,  when,  having  attained  a  member- 
ship of  over  ;^00.  the  corner-stone  of  a  new 
edifice  was  laid.  The  new  church  was  dedi- 
cated and  occupied  in  1883.  The  pastors 
in  charge  have  been,  William  Elgin.  1869-71 : 
H.  Smith,  1871-3:  G.  W.  Rilev.  1873-4;  J.  S. 
Gillespie,  187-t-7:  I.  N.  Clark."  1878-85:  C.  H. 
l\rcDowell.  1885-S:  A.  B.  Whitnev,  1889-94: 
C.  E.  AV.  Dobbs.  189.5^7 :  F.  G.  Parrish,  1898- 
9;  J.  A.  Kuowlton.  1899-1904;  L.  D.  Bass. 
1904-7;  Cromwell  P.  Kirby,  1907  to  date. 
The  chvirch  has  at  present  a  membership  of 
380,  and  262  enrolled  in  its  Sunday  school. 

The  second  swarm  fi'om  the  hive  went  to 
the  North,  where  an  inviting  field  was  pre- 
sented. It  began  hy  a  nunibei'  of  Baptists 
i-enting  a  hall  over  a  grocery  at  the  south- 
east corner  of  Broadway  and  Cherry,  on 
January  1.  1870.  On  March  22  the  North 
Baptist  Mission  Sunday  school  was  organized  ; 
and  officers  elected ;  and  on  ]\rarch  27  its  first 
school  was  held,  with  13  teachers  and  29 
scholars,  in  addition  to  the  6  officers.  Within 
two  weeks  the  hit  at  the  northeast  corner  of 
Cherry  and  Bro;idway  was  bought  for  $1,000. 
and   a   conti-act   made   for  a   building  32x45 


feet.  It  was  completed  at  a  cost  of  $2,600, 
and  occupied  by  the  school  on  July  3.  On 
September  19,  1871,  the  North  Baptist  Church 
was  organized,  32  of  the  membere  coming 
from  the  First  Baptist,  and  on  October  16 
the  church  building  was  dedicated.  It  was 
occupied  for  20  years,  and  then  the  society 
decided  to  move  still  farther  north.  A  lot 
was  purchased  at  Fifteenth  and  College  ave- 
nue: the  corner  stone  was  laid  in  1892;  and 
the  church  dedicated  in  November,  1893.  The 
name  was  then  changed  to  College  Avenue 
Baptist  Church.  The  new  building  was  par- 
tially destroyed  by  fire  in  February,  1906; 
but  was  speedily  rebuilt  and  rededicated  in 
September  of  the  same  vear.  The  pastors 
have  been  E.  K.  Chandler,  1871-3;  J.  B. 
Shoff.  1873-5;  I.  N.  Carman,  1875-8;  G.  H. 
Eliiin,  1879-82:  D.  D.  Reed,,  1882-3;  R.  E. 
Xeiuhbnr,  1884-9;  J.  F.  Williams,  1890-5;  C. 

A.  Hare,  1895-8;  W.  C.  Taylor,  1899-1903; 
H.  N.  Queisenberry.  1903-7;  W.  G.  Eversou, 
1908  to  date. 

Prior  to  this  northward  movement,  in  1864. 
another  mission  school  had  been  .started  in  the 
old  Apollo  Garden  at  Kentucky  avenue  and 
Tennessee  street.  The  home  of  beer  and  the- 
atricals was  transformed  by  ]Mi-.  and  ^Mrs. 
Uriah  (iregory,  Air.  and  Airs.  Alilton  Huey. 
Aliss  .\inui  Jones  into  a  place  for  instriiction 
and  worship,  and  others  quickly  rallied  to 
their  aid.  Afr.  Henry  Knippenberg  being  made 
the  superintendent  of  the  school.  It  re- 
mained a  mission  of  the  First  Baptist  until 
1872,  when  the  Ciarden  Baptist  Church  was 
organized.  The  mission  Sunday  school,  in  the 
meantime  had  removed,  first  to  the  corner  of 
AVashington  and  Alissouri  streets,  and  then 
to  Bright  street  above  New  York,  where  the 
church  still  preserves  its  name.  The  pastors 
in  charge  have  been,  successively,  Samuel 
Cornelius,  Philander  Shedd,  Cvrus  B.  Allen. 

B.  F.  Patt,  John  Sheppard,  A.  B.  Charpie. 
G.  AY.  Tcrrv,  Ohas.  L.  Berrv.  John  L.  Bevl, 
Halle  P.  Fudge,  E.  AL  Ryan,  Jos.  E.  Sherrill, 
and  AA'^m.  H.  Harris.  Twenty-three  member.s 
of  the  First  Baptist  Church  were  dismissed 
to  join  this  church  at  its  organization. 

The  Fii-st  German  Ba]itist  Church,  coruei' 
of  Singleton  and  Iowa  streets,  developed  front 
a  mission  started  by  the  First  Baptist  Church 
in  1872  at  North  and  Davidson  streets.  In 
1883  th(>  cliui-ch  was  organized,  and  in  1901 


HISTOTIV   OF  GHKATi:!!   JM  )1  AXArOLTS. 


573 


it  sold  tlu'  (j1(1  inTiiiertv.  In  i;)02  the  present 
ehurcli  was  liuill  aud  dedicated.  The  pastors 
in  charge  have  been  G.  Koopmaun,  1873-6 ;  E. 
Tsehirch,  1877-80;  A.  Boelter,  1881-3;  F.  A. 
Lieht,  1883-7;  A.  JI.  Petersen,  1887-91;  A. 
Heinz.  1892-6;  A.  Freitasr,  1896-1900;  E. 
Schueller.  1900-1:  R.  M.  von  .Millei',  1901-5; 
H.  Sellhorn.  1906  to  date.  It  had  in  1909  a 
iiieiiibersliip  of  62,  with  110  in  the  Sunday 
school.  On  :May  1,  1888,  the  First  Baptist 
Church  organized  a  mission  school  on  Twenty- 
second  (now  Thirtieth)  street,  and  it  grew  so 
rapidly  that  on  July  11,  1889,  eleven  mem- 
hcrs  of  the  First  Baptist  were  dismissed  to 
join  in  organizing  Fniversity  Place  Church, 
which  is  now  located  at  Meridian  and  Thirty- 
third  streets. 

In  September,  1888,  a  few  Baptists  living 
on  the  East  side  determined  to  start  a  Sun- 
day school,  and  on  September  16  it  was  be- 
gun in  a  part  of  the  large  house  south  of  the 
arsenal  grounds  which  had  been  built  and 
occupieil  by  Herman  Sturm.  This  school 
prospered  sreatly.  and  on  ^larch  3,  1902,  was 
made  a  station  of  the  First  Baptist  Church. 
On  March  15,  1904.  an  independent  church 
was  organized  under  the  name  of  "Woodruff 
Place  Baptist  Church,  which  is  now  located 
at  ^Michigan  and  Walcott  streets.  In  the 
preliminary  period  C.  A.  McDowell,  A.  B. 
Charpie.  and  A.  D.  Beriy  served  as  pastors. 
After  oraranization  the  pastors  wei-e  A.  D. 
Bei-ry.  1894-1904:  Fredei'ick  Donovan,  1904-5; 
Fred  Glendower  Kenney,  1905-9.  The  church 
was  badly  daraased  by  fire  in  June,  1909,  but 
was  at  once  rebuilt  and  enlarged.  The  society 
is  in  flourishing  condition  with  348  membci's 
and  323  in  the  Sunday  .school.  When  or- 
ganized in  1894.  there  were  120  members  of 
the  ?"'irst  Baptist  dismissed  to  join  it. 

West  of  White  River,  the  first  mission  of 
the  First  Baptist  Church  was  in  1878,  in  West 
Indianapolis.  The  ground  was  donated  by 
Julius  F.  Pratt,  and  a  sum  of  money  by 
Nicholas  ^FcCarty.  This  developed  into  the 
River  Avenue  Baptist  Clnu'ch.  The  Tlaugh- 
ville  mission  was  established  in  1890,  with 
J.  G.  Holmes  as  superinlmdent.  It  devel- 
oped into  the  Germania  Avenue  Church.  In 
October,  1892,  twenty  scholars  and  teachers 
organized  in  Greenleaf  hall.  North  Indian- 
apolis, with  Henry  Fitch  as  superintendent. 
In  June,  1901,  the  corner  stone  of  a  clnu'ch 


Iniilding  was  laid,  and  it  was  completed  in 
.\ovember.  In  June,  1907,  the  Thirty-first 
Street  Baptist  Church  was  organized  on  this 
Foundation.  Its  pastors  have  been  H.  A.  Bel- 
Ion.  1897-8;  Chas.  West,  1898-9;  R.  E.  Neigh- 
bor, 1S99-1903;  S.  A.  Sherman,  1903-6;  R.  D. 
Licl<lidci-  1906  to  date.  This  is  a  |)rosperous 
church,  M-ith  22.")  meiiibers,  and  140  in  the 
Sunday  school. 

Emmanuel  Baptist  Church  is  a  swarm  from 
South  Street  Baptist  Church,  in  March,  1899, 
rhi'  new  church  organizing  on  April  9,  1899. 
The  society  bought  a  double  store  building  at 
Woodlawn  avenue  aud  Laurel  street,  and  re- 
iiiodel"d  it  for  its  piuposes.  The  pastors 
have  ])een  C.  H.  :\rcDowell :  P.  H.  ^McDowell, 
and,  since  February  1,  1900,  John  R.  Henry. 
This  is  known  as  a  live  church.  It  not  only 
has  225  members,  and  175  in  its  Sunday 
school,  but  it  has  organized  five  missions. 
One  of  these  is  on  Bluff  avenue,  half  a  mile 
beyond  the  city  limits;  and  one  at  Whiteland. 
Ind.  Another  is  at  Beech  Grove,  an  Indian- 
aj)olis  suburb,  the  building  there  being  dedi- 
cated on  October  18,  1908.  Churchman  Ave- 
nue Baptist  Church  is  a  mission  from  Em- 
manuel in  1904.  Its  pastors  have  been 
Charles  W.  Swift  and  I.  W.  Stark.  It  has 
70  members,  aud  80  in  the  Sunday  school. 
The  latest  is  the  Southern  avenue  Sunday 
school,  which  is  located  east  of  Shelby  street. 
It  was  first  held  in  the  school  house  on  Shelby 
street,  but  on  June  13.  1909,  it  moved  into 
its  new  building,  from  which  the  plasterers' 
scaffolds  had  not  yet  been  taken,  and  opened 
business  with  126  present. 

Tuxedo  Parle  Bai)tist  Chnirh.  on  Garfield 
avenue,  north  of  Washington  street,  grew  out 
of  a  union  Sunday  school  which  was  organ- 
ized and  ccmducted  in(le|)endcntly  for  several 
years,  but  on  Di'cembcr  14,  1S99,  ai)i)lied  to 
be  recognized  as  a  mission  of  Woodruff"  Place 
l-Japtist  Church.  This  was  granted,  ami  the 
relation  continued  till  it  was  organized  as  an 
independent  chui'ch  on  Jiuie  15,  1902.  It  is 
prosperous,  having  155  meiiibers.  and  a  total 
Sunday  school  enrolluuMit  of  'M-i.  The  pas- 
tors have  been  L.  0.  Stierin-;-.  1902-7:  Allen 
O.  Hess,  1908—3  monllis:  V.  O.  Clutton, 
1908  to  date. 

The  pioneer  church  of  the  cohu-ed  Baptists 
in  Indianapolis  is  known  as  the  Second  Bap- 
tist   Church,  located  on   ^Michigan  street,  be- 


574 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


twei'U  ludiaiia  avenue  uikI  West  street.  .Must 
"f  its  early  history  was  uathered  up  \>y  l»ev. 
.Mose.s  Broyles,  its  most  noted  pastor,  and  told 
by  him  with  L;reat  frankness.  The  he>;iiinin!^ 
of  the  chnreli  was  in  1846.  when  I'J(h'r 
Charles  Sliaehel  eanie  here  from  Cincinnati. 
and  uatheri'd  tiie  seattei'ed  Baptists  into  a 
church,  wliich  worshipped  usually  at  th^ 
lioii.se  of  Deacon  John  Brown.  In  1848  Eldei- 
Joshua  Thurman  was  called  from  ^Madison 
as  pa.stor,  and  the  next  year  a  little  chui'ch. 
2()x:50  feet,  was  built  on  ^lissouri  street,  be- 
tween New  Yoi-k  and  Ohio.  Troubles  arose  in 
the  church,  pi'obably  on  account  of  the  jias- 
tor.  Hroyles  says  that  "he  was  an  excellent 
preacher,  but  that  he  did  not  act  prudently 
as  a  pastor".  In  the  winter  of  1851,  the 
chui'ch  burned,  uninsured,  and  the  conofrega- 
tion  moved  back  to  Deacon  Brown's.  In 
1852  Elder  Jesse  Young-  was  called  to  the 
pastorate  for  a  year,  and  in  1853  Elder  Jo- 
sei>h  J.  Fitzuerald.  The  latter  was  a  youni;' 
]ii'eacher  from  ^Fadison,  who  also  taui;lit 
school  here.  Some  slanderous  reports  about 
him  appeared  in  the  ^Madison  pai)ers,  which 
were  brought  here  and  caused  him  to  leave 
the  pastorate.  He  afterw-ards  acted  as  a 
missionary  iji  the  West,  and  for  five  or  six 
years  in  Liberia,  where  he  was  said  to  be 
very  sncccssfid.  lie  was  succeeded  by  Elder 
(ieorao  Butlei',  fi'om  Vincennes,  for  a  year; 
and  then,  in  185fi,  Elder  Pleasant  Bowles  was 
called  from  Kalamazoo.  He  was  a  good- 
lookinu'  youiiii'  man,  with  wiunino'  ways,  and 
a  good  preachei'.  But  the  men  found  that 
not  only  "his  conduct  towards  the  female 
■^ex  was  unbecomini;-  in  a  minister,  lint  that 
he  would  not  do  to  trust  with  the  money". 
Added  to  these  weaknesses,  Bowles  joined  the 
^lethodists  and  tiied  to  hreak  up  the  ehnicli. 
Then  they  rose  in  wrath  and  tired  bim. 

In  1857  ]\Ioses  Broyles.  who  had  been  of  tb' 
conuresation,  was  oi'dained  anil  made  pastor. 
He  was  quite  a  notable  cbiii-actei-.  P>cirii  a 
slave,  and  sei)arated  from  his  nai'cnts  at  the 
aae  of  four,  he  had  the  goixl  fcirliuic  tn  fall 
into  the  hands  of  a  kiiidh-  mastei-,  and  an'nn<.i 
wbite  boys  who  Ir-e.-itcd  bim  well.  Fi-nni  tbciii 
he  learned  to  read,  and  by  hard  woi'k  [lusbi'd 
through  the  elementary  bi-aneties;  after'  wbicb 
he  had  nearly  thi'ce  years  of  seliooliug  at  Col- 
lege Hill,  ten  mil(>s  below  ^Fadison.  In  the 
spring   of    1857    he    cainc    t<i    Indianapelis    to 


teach  school,  and  he  contiiuieil  to  teach  for 
twelve  years  after  he  entered  the  ministry, 
at  a  little  house  on  ^Finerva  street,  between 
-Michigan  and  North,  which  still  stands.  He 
had  to  do  so  at  first  because  the  church  could 
only  pay  his  board  for  his  services,  for  three 
>eai'S.  But  he  worked  ahead,  and  soon  the 
church  began  to  grow.  In  18(54,  the  church 
had  to  be  enlarged,  and  it  was  doubled  in  size. 
In  1867  it  was  aaain  outgrown,  and  the  con- 
gregation decided  on  the  substantial  buildini;- 
wliieh  it  now  occupies.  It  was  built  63  feet 
square,  with  basement  and  auditorium  above, 
the  latter  having  galleries  on  three  sides.  The 
cost  of  the  building  aiul  lot  was  about  .'ii'iS.OOO. 
Here  he  preached  till  the  time  of  his  death. 
August  31,  1882.  And  he  labored  nuieh  out- 
side. He  was  tlie  chief  factor  in  organizing 
the  State  Association  of  Colored  Baptists, 
and  was  the  life  of  their  church  in  this  city. 
Since  his  day  the  pastors  liave  been  J.  ^I. 
Harris,  J.  AV.  Carr,  Charles  Johnson  and 
B.  J.  Prince,  the  present  incundient.  Tic 
ehureli  is  in  flourishing  condition,  with  400 
nu^mbers,  and  200  Sunday  school  pupils. 

Early  in  1867  came  a  development  that  was 
a  sore  thorn  in  the  fiesh  to  F^rother  Broyles. 
The  Central  Christian  Chui-ch  purchased  a  lot 
at  Second  (Eleventh  >  and  Lafayette  streets, 
on  which  was  a  soldiers"  barracks— a  relic  of 
Camj)  Carrington — and  started  a  colored  mis- 
sion church.  Elder  Daniel  Orr.  who  had 
come  Fiere  from  Kentucky  during  the  war. 
ami.  after  some  service  as  a  soldier,  had  been 
oi'diiined  in  1866  as  a  Baptist  minister,  joined 
till'  Christian  i  Camjihellite'i  Church  and  took 
I'harge  of  this  mission  -.  and  some  white  breth- 
ren assisted  in  the  Sunday  s-hool.  F^i-oyles 
says  they  tried  to  pro,selyte  the  Baptists  of 
the  vicinity,  but  "I  took  great  jiains  in  ex- 
plaining the  difference  between  the  doctrines 
held  forth  by  that  church  and  that  of  the  JFis- 
sionary  Baptist  Church.  There  were  oidy 
thi'ee  mendiers  of  this  church  that  joined 
that  one.  Two  of  them  returned  and  thaid<ed 
the  FiOi'd  that  they  had  once  more  irturned 
home".  The  mission  did  not  succeed,  and  in 
1873  it  was  sold  to  !\Fount  Zion  Baptist 
Church,  whicli  was  oi'ganized  in  tlie  previous 
year.  It  occunied  the  church  nearly  fert>- 
years,  remodeling  it  twice.  In  1!)08  the  con- 
gi'CLration  beuan  work  on  a  new  bi'iek  chui'ch. 
which    will    ciist    almut    ^Id.llOO    wh.'U    com- 


HISTOID    OF   ui;  HATER   INDIANA  I '( tl 


plctcil.  'I'hc  pMsttirs  i)f  .Mount  Zioii  Churcli 
iiavt.'  lieeu  Win.  Siiijili'toii.  1).  Slauulitcr,  II. 
Bloodwoith.  Jaiiics  Moi'ton,  B.  F.  FonvU,  ami 
(i.  Will.  Ward,  wlio  is  now  SLTvini;-.  Tlii' 
clniirli  lias  ;-!.")(l  iiiciiilicrs.  and  ITti  Sunday 
scliool  seliolars. 

Early  in  1874.  Elder  Jacob  K.  Kaynor  be- 
•jan  hoidint;  prayer  nieetiugs  and  preaching 
in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  city  near 
the  old  sewing-niachine  factory.  As  a  result 
nf  his  work  New  Hethel  Bajitist  Church  was 
iiruranized  on  July  -1-.  1874.  Mr.  Rayiior  was 
i-allcd  a.s  pastor,  and  a  church  was  erected 
the  next  year,  and  dedicated  in  November, 
ls7r).  Raynor  served  for  ten  years,  and  has 
iieen  followed  li.\'  J.  Franklin  and  Nathaniel 
.\.  Seymour,  tln'  present  incumbent.  The 
,  church  has  a  iiirinbci-ship  of  422,  and  the  Sun- 
day schd'il  an  average  attendance  of  60.  This 
iliurch  ])ut  up  a  new  building  in  1901  at  lolo 
-Martintlale  avenue,  at  a  cost  of  $.").00().  and 
has  been  much  liami)ered  by  debt  ever  since. 
Another  of  the  oldei-  churches  is  Olivet,  which 
was  originally  oruani/'.ed  south  of  the  city  as 
Lick  Creek  Church  in  September,  1867.  Later 
it  sold  its  pi-opcrty  and  moved  into  the  city, 
locating  on  Hosbrook  street,  whei'c  Elder  An- 
d<'rs(in  Simmons  preached  in  the  seventies.  It 
MOW  has  a  ciiurcb  building  at  Leonard  and 
t'r.pspect  streets,  with  Rev.  KimbMll  Warren 
as  pastor. 

Barnes  Chapel.  !)-_'7  West  Twenty-fifth 
sti'cet.  was  or-ianized  as  a  ciiuicii  in  1887. 
antl  named  in  honor  of  A.  A.  Barnes,  wlm 
ilonatrd  the  lot.  and  contributed  to  the  build 
iii'j^.  It  was  the  oiitiirowth  of  a  mis,sioM.  Tln' 
pastors  have  been  C.  T.  Lewis,  C.  II.  Taylor. 
I).  W.  Ilestoii.  C.  Jones.  '!'.  T.  Cariienter.  P. 
J.  Siiiitb.  11.  Diipce,  J.  C.  Jones.  C.  C.  Alex- 
ander, and  Tlios.  I\.  I'rinliss.  now  servinu'. 
Tliere  are  72  members.  Trinity  Baptist 
Church,  located  at  .\llier1  and  Ilalbone  streets, 
was  oruani/.ed  .Noxmiber  l(i.  l'.l()2.  and  com- 
]ileted  its  (•liurcli  biiildinii  in  Sei)temt)er.  1907. 
It  has  o2  members,  and  20  in  the  Sunday 
scIkoI.  B.  F.  Ferrill,  C.  C.  Wilson  and  J. 
Averet  have  officiateil  as  pastors,  and  A.  11. 
^larlowc  i^  now  in  charge.  There  are  about 
a  dozen  small  coiiLireu-ations  of  coloi'cd  Bap- 
tist-:  of  coni))aratively  later  oriraiiization.  bii^ 
tlieii-  pastors  ai'c  not  sntTiciently  iiiteres*  ■  I  to 
answer  !-e(|ne«ts  fer  inroriiiMtioii. 

The  l''i'ee\\ill   B.'iptists  are  a  sepai'ate  i  r;.;an- 


izatio'i,  I'.avinu  three  churches  in  Indianapolis. 
As  the  name  indicates,  they  incline  to  Armin- 
ianism,  which  means  that  they  are  "not  quite 
so  predestinated  as  the  others'".  The  First 
Freewill  Baptist  Cliiireh.  now  located  at  Col- 
ton  anil  ilinervji  streets,  was  organized  in 
1882,  and  has  had  a  rather  strenuous  exist- 
ence. Its  church  building  was  completed  and 
dedicated  in  1908.  It  has  at  pi-esent  97  mem- 
bers and  35  in  the  Sunday  school.  Its  pastor 
is  Rev.  Ben.i.  ^Iclnlosh.  The  other  two  Free- 
will Baptist  churches  are  St.  Johns,  at  Briiiht- 
wood,  of  which  Rev.  E.  ^I.  Turner  is  pastor, 
and  Freinenl.  of  wliicli  Rev.  A.  Johnson  is 
pastor. 

The  Presbyterians  were  not  long  after  the 
!5a[)tists  in  their  formal  chnrch  organization. 
As  has  been  mentioned  in  the  cliapter  entitled, 
"The  iloral  Foundation",  this  was  made  on 
July  .").  182:^,  at  Caleb  Scnddei-'s  cabinet  shop, 
and  H  meeting-house  was  completed  and  oc- 
cupied in  the  same  year.  .\t  that  time  Rev. 
David  Proctor  was  devoting  three-fmirths  of 
his  time  to  the  Indianapolis  l^ri'sliyterians. 
and  the  remaining  fourth  to  tiiose  at  Bloom- 
ington.  His  year  ended  October  1.  182:1  and 
be  was  not  recalled.  lie  was  regarded  as  toi' 
i-old  and  formal  for  a  frontier  jireacher,  and 
was  never  settled  as  a  past(H-  after  leaviii'.;' 
iiere.  thouuli  he  preached  (|nite  often.  1  b- 
mairid  a  woman  of  consider:ible  wealth,  and 
settled  at  Frankfort,  Kentucky,  wberc  be  died 
on  January  18,  ISfi'i. 

The  First  Presbyterian  iiiceiiiiL;  house  was 
on  Pennsylvania  street,  on  lironnd  now  occu- 
pied liy  the Talbott  block.  The  subscription 
for  it  was  $1,200.  but  the  cost  was  ^l.fiOO,  and 
the  bnihlinu  committee.  Dr.  Isaac  Coe,  James 
Blake,  and  Daniel  Vandes,  arranged  to  coni- 
iilete  it  by  yiviii^  the  carpenters  orders  on 
Nicholas  McCai-ty  for  goods,  for  their  work. 
and  paying  ^Ir.  ^IcCarty  when  they  i-euld 
Most  of  the  liiiiibi'r  was  rnrnisbrd  by  lliraii: 
Bacon.  It  was  a  combination  cliur"li  and 
school,  and  Mrs.  Ketcluim  de<cribes  it  tliii--: 
"The  first  r'resb\-1erian  Clinrch  was  on  Penn- 
sylvjinia  street,  about  half  way  between  !\Iar- 
ket  and  l  Uiin.  It  w.is  so  far  back  that  tli- 
rear  enil.  the  school  room,  wiis  on  the  ,-dlc\ 
l-'niii  tbe  L'ates  it  was  very  pretty  rising' 
'.zronnd.  •.n-assy  to  the  I'roni  doors.  One 
smallish  wiiulow  was  biuli  up  o\ir  the  pulpit 
wbicb    was   between    tile   two    front    di'ois.    tbe 


576 


HISTORY  OF  (;i;HA'1'KR  ixdiaxapolis. 


gable  end  toward  tlie  street.  Two  aisles  ran 
down  from  the  doors.  Two  rows  of  seats  in  the 
niiddli\  and  one  on  the  north  and  one  on 
the  south  side.  The  back  part  or  school  room 
was  shut  oft'  by  a  kind  of  water-gates.  When 
the  ehureh  was  finished  these  were  raised  and 
the  aisles  ran  through  little  gates.  Pews  were 
in  the  church,  but  here  the  seats  were  with- 
out any  backs.  A  row  of  desks  all  around  the 
west  and  north  sides  dignified  it  into  a  school 
room.  The  ceiling  of  the  church  went  to  the 
roof,  but  this  was  low,  and  the  space  above 
was  open  to  the  clrarch,  with  seats,  but  so 
daik  no  choir  ever  sat  there.  The  whole  was 
an  original  specimen  of  architecture,  espe- 
cially the  bell  tower.  Surely  there  never  had 
been  so  funny  a  little  thing.  The  steps  ran  up 
out  of  the  school  room,  and  it  was  the  delight 
of  the  boys  to  ring  the  bell,  and  the  girls  to 
hear.  The  stove  in  this  room  was  a  long  high 
one  with  the  door  and  hearth  in  one  end.  I 
have  seen,  for  punishment,  two  standing  on 
the  top  of  this  stove  and  one  on  the  hearth." 

After  ^Ir.  Proctor's  departure,  B.  F.  Mor- 
ris, James  Blake  and  Dr.  Coe  were  appointed 
a  committee  to  procure  a  preacher.  They 
wrote  to  Rev.  Samuel  D.  lloge.  of  Ohio,  but 
he  had  just  accepted  a  professor.ship  in  the 
college  at  Athens.  They  M-rote  to  Rev.  Wm. 
I\rartin,  who  liad  aided  in  organizing  the 
church,  but  the  letter  miscarried,  and.  not 
hearing  frmn  him,  they  wrote  in  IMarch,  1824, 
to  Rev.  (ieiirge  Bu.sh,  a  licentiate  of  the  pres- 
bytery of  New  York.  He  came  out  on  July  9, 
bearing  a  commission  as  missionary  from  the 
General  Assembly,  and  having  ministered 
until  September  6,  was  unanimously  called  to 
the  pa.storate.  On  IMarch  5,  1825,  the  pres- 
b\'tery— the  church  had  been  tran.sferred  to 
Salem  Pi'esbytery— was  called  to  Indianapo- 
lis to  ordain  him.  The  ceremony  was  held  in 
the  new  court  house.  Rev.  ^Tr.  Crow  preach- 
ing the  sermon.  'Sir.  Dickey  giving  the  charge 
to  the  pastor-elect,  and  ^Ir.  Reed  to  the  peo- 
ple. On  IMarch  9,  Mr.  Bu.sh  left  for  Phila- 
delphia, to  attend  the  (ieneral  Assembly,  and 
when  he  returned  on  July  27  he  brought 
with  him  ^Frs.  Bush,  whom  he  had  married 
in  1823.  She  was  a  daughtei'  of  Hon.  Lewis 
Condit,  of  ]\rorristown.  Xew  Jer.sey,  and  was 
much  esteemed  by  the  people  of  Indianapolis. 

(ieorge  Bush  was  one  of  the  most  accom- 
plished  scholars   tliat   ever   located    here,    al- 


though he  was  a  young  man.     He  had  gradu- 
ated   with    high    honor    at    Dartmouth    and 
Pi-inceton  Theological   School,  and  served  as 
tutor  for  a  year  in   Princeton   College.     He 
had  several  oft'ers  of  professorships,  but  pre- 
ferred ministerial  work.     His  moral  charac- 
ter was  beyond  reproach,  and  he  was  a  man 
of  progressive  character  generally.     It  is  re- 
corded  that   he   bi'ought   the   tirst    wood-saw 
and   the  first  pair  of  India   rubber  shoes  to 
Indianapolis,  and  these  novelties  were  natur- 
ally objects  of  general  curiosity  to  the  com- 
munity.    But  he  was  clearly  out  of  place  in 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  his  ordination 
as   a   Presbyterian  clergyman   can  be  under- 
stood only  on  the  supposition  that  his  views 
of    church    government    changed    materially 
thereafter.     His  service  was  very  acceptable 
to  the  church  until  December,  1826.  when  he 
stated    in   a   sermon   that   "there   was   not    a 
shadow  of  authority  in  the  sci-ipture  for  any 
government   beyond  the   bounds   of   a  single 
church,   from   whose   decisions   there   was   no 
appeal  but  to  the  court  of  Heaven".-     The 
elders  remonstrated  with   him,   and  tried   to 
secure  at  least  a  promise  that  he  would  re- 
frain  from   preaching  such   doctrine,  but  he 
i-egarded   it   as  a   conscientious  duty.     After 
extensive   correspondence   and   discussion,   he 
submitted  his  view's  to  the  session,  on  March 
3,  1828,  in  a  counnunication.  stating,  in  sub- 
stance, "  (1)  That  he  believes  there  is  but  one 
Catholic  Church,  and  that  all  distinct  organi- 
zations, as   E|)iscopal,   Baptist,   Presbyterian, 
&c.,  are  a  sinful  rending  of  Christ's  one  body. 
(2)  That  Christ  Jesus  is  not  only  spiritually 
but  also  ecclesiastically  the  only  head  of  His 
church,  to  the  exclusion  of  an.v  visible  head, 
in  any  shape  Avhatever,  and  that  all  appeals 
from   the  presbytery  of  a  single  church   re- 
(|uiring   an   authnritative   decision   are   to   be 
made  directly  and  immediatel.v  to  Him.     i'-U 
That  evei-y  individual  church,  properly  con- 
stituted, is  entirel.v  competent  to  the  final  de- 
cision   of   whatever   cases   of   discipline   ma.v 
occur    anions'    them".      This    communication 
was    in    ex)ilanation    of    another,    a    mouth 
earlier,  in  which  'Sir.  Bush  stated  to  the  ses- 
sion  "the   terms   on   which   he   is   willing   to 
continue  to  Iqiior  with  us".    These  terms  were 
in  three  pi'opositions :      ''1''    ""That   the  male 


-Miiini( 


n. 


HLSTOHY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


or? 


members  of  the  clmrch  be  privileged  to  at- 
tend the  nicetingrs  of  tlie  session,  but  without 
the  rifrht  to  vote  or  speak  unless  permitted." 
(2)  "That  the  session  give  their  full  consent 
and  hearty  eoneurrence  in  what  he  conceives 
his  permission  from  a  higher  source  to  talk, 
write,  piiblish  and  preach,  relative  to  the  con- 
stitution, laws,  and  order  of  church,  what- 
ever, whenever,  wheresoever  &  in  what  waj' 
soever  he  might  deem  proper."  (3)  "That 
the  session  should  guarantee  him  $300  for  % 
of  his  time  for  one  year." 

To  these  terms  the  session,  which  was  then 
composed  of  Elders  Isaac  Coe,  Ebenezer 
Shai-pe.  Caleb  Scudder,  John  G.  Bro\vn  and 
John  Johnson,  declined  to  accede,  and  on 
March  4  adopted  resolutions,  of  which  the 
first  three  are  as  follows:  "Resolved,  (1) 
That  so  far  as  we  understand  the  views  of 
our  pastor,  the  Rev.  George  Bush,  relative  to 
church  government,  we  cannot  approve  them 
as  a  whole  as  being  scriptural  or  expedient. 
(2)  That  believing  the  Presbyterian  form  of 
church  govei-nment  to  be  most  conformable 
in  its  institutions  to  the  word  of  God  of  any 
in  existence,  and  best  calculated  in  its  effects 
to  promote  the  peace,  purity  and  edification 
of  the  Church  of  Christ,  we  cannot  consent 
to  abandon,  it  for  any  other,  much  less  for 
one  which  we  believe  not  warranted  by  scrip- 
ture and  untried  in  practice.  (3)  That  how- 
ever serious  the  consideration  of  dissolving 
the  endearing  connection  between  jiastoi'  and 
people,  we  feel  it  to  be  a  solemn  duty  to 
God  &  his  church  not  to  use  our  influence 
to  continue  the  relations  now  subsisting  be- 
tween our  pastor  and  this  people,  if  it  can  be 
done  only  on  the  terms  he  has  proposed." 
The  other  resolutions  included  a  ileterniina- 
tion  to  bring  the  matter  befoi'c  the  church  and 
the  presbytery  "for  advice  and  direction", 
and  a  letter  to  the  pastor  stating  his  views  as 
they  understood  them,  and  refusing  to  accept 
them.  On  ^NFarch  10  the  church  members  held 
a  meeting  in  the  school  room  to  discuss  the 
matter.  ]\Tr.  Bush  was  present,  and  opened 
the  meeting  with  prayer.  Aftei-  considei-ilile 
discussion  Robert  Gowdy.  Alexandei'  Fra/.ier 
and  Xoah  Tjcvei-ton  "expi-es.sed  tlieii-  unwill- 
ingness to  part  with  l\Tr.  Bush.  &  were  de- 
sirous as  they  were  not  well  acquainted  with 
the  principles  of  church  govt,  that  ^Iiv  Bush 
be  invited  to  preach  thei-eon.  to  which  effect 
Vol.  1—37 


^Ir.  Gowdy  made  a  motion".  To  this  Eben- 
ezer Bharpe  and  Doctor  Coe  objected,  saying 
they  were  "unwilling  to  countenance  and  sup- 
port the  preaching  of  error  with  no  one  to 
contradict  it.  which  they  conceived  to  be  run- 
ning into  temptation,  but  expre.s.sed  their 
willingness  if  desired  to  meet  a  public  discus- 
sion of  the  subject".  "Without  further  action 
the  meeting  adjoui'iied  to  ^larch  18.  "to  allow 
time  for  further  consideration". 

On  ]\rareh  18  the  church  members  again 
met  in  the  school  room,  and  there  was  an- 
other reading  of  Mr.  Bush's  fomier  letters, 
and  also  of  one  of  that  date  in  which  he  said 
he  co!isidered  himself  "as  standing  in  the 
attitude  of  a  candidate  for  permanent  settle- 
ment, the  term  of  his  previous  engagement 
having  expii-ed  and  that  the  true  question  is 
not  whether  the  chui'ch  shall  forthwith  cea.se 
to  be  a  Presbyterian  society,  but  whether  it 
will  agree  to  the  three  propositions  he  has 
made  to  the  session.  That  he  had  hardly  any 
hope  we  should  asree  to  his  terms  and  did  not 
think  on  the  whole  there  was  sufficient  ground 
for  a  break  in  the  church  and  therefoi-e 
wished  to  withdraw  quietly  a!ul  that  the 
elders  and  brethren  would  confirm  their  love 
to  each  other".  It  was  explained  verbally 
that  he  did  not  intend  "to  decline  continuing 
as  the  pastor  of  this  church",  but  "wished 
his  proposals  to  be  taken  up  and  acted  upon 
by  the  memb(>rs".  There  were  then  submit- 
ted to  vote  five  questions,  prepared  by  the 
session,  as  follows:  (1)  Are  you  willimr  to 
make  the  alterations  proposed  by  Jlr.  Bush 
in  the  form  of  the  government  of  this  church? 
(2)  Are  you  willinsr  Mr.  Bush  while  he  con- 
tinues our  pastor  should  preach  on  the  s\ib- 
ject  of  church  goveriuuent  those  views  which 
in  his  cori-esponilence  with  the  ses,sion  he  has 
stated  he  holds  and  shall  endeavor  to  prove? 
(^)  Will  you  and  sihIi  as  may  unite  with 
you  guarantee  to  ^Fr.  Bush  three  hundred 
dollars  for  three-fourths  of  his  time  for  the 
present  year?  (4")  Are  you  willing  to  con- 
tinue Mr.  Bush  as  your  pastoi-  if  liy  so  doing 
you  must  break  off  connection  with  the  Pres- 
byterian Church?  (5")  Do  you  approve  of 
the  three  first  resolutions  adopted  by  the  ses- 
sion on  the  4tli  instant  and  which  have  now 
been  read  relative  to  the  proposals  of  the  Rev. 
I^Ir.  Bush  and  our  referring  them  to  the  de- 
cision of  the  pi'esbytei-y  ? 


IIIS'I'OKV   OF  GKKATEl!    I  M  )|.\  \  AIM  H.IS. 


On  tlie  first  two  questions  KobiTt  (iowtly 
alone  voted  "aye"'  and  twenty-one  voted 
"no".  Noah  Leverton  and  Ensley  T.  Gowily 
declined  to  vote  on  any  of  the  questions.  On 
the  last  three  questions  there  was  no  atifinna- 
tive  vote,  Robert  (iowdy  voting-  with  the  ma- 
jority on  the  ;h'd  and  5th  and  declining  to 
vote  on  the  4th.  In  addition  to  the  vote,  word 
was  received  from  Phanuel  Orahain.  ]\Iary 
Carothers,  Jlrs.  Elizabeth  .Morris  and  Daniel 
Yandes  that,  "We  do  not  w-ish  to  continue 
the  services  of  our  pastor  on  the  above  named 
terms  (as  specified),  nor  to  withdi'aw  from 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  nor  to  encourage 
him  or  anyone  to  ])reacli  against  the  Presby- 
terian form  of  church  government".  These 
members,  for  various  T-easons.  were  unable  to 
attend. 

This  action  would  seem  to  dispose  of  the 
case,  but  on  March  20  the  session  decided  to 
call  a  meeting  of  "the  congregation"  for  iho 
next  evening,  and  notice  was  duly  j)ublished 
in  the  Joiinial:  "The  members  of  the  Pres- 
byterian C'lnirch  in  Indianapolis  rtniue.st  a 
meeting  of  the  couuregatinn  «  «  *  ^^ 
take  into  consideration  certain  pi'ojjositions  of 
the  Rev.  George  Bush,  relative  to  his  contin- 
iiance  as  pa.stor  of  the  congregation".  At  the 
same  time  a  notice  ap])eai*('d  in  the  Journal 
calling  for  a  meeting  of  "the  congregation" 
on  the  22nd  to  elect  trustees,  etc..  which  ex- 
pi-es.sly  stated  that  "a  general  attendance  of 
pewholders  and  those  w'ho  conti-ibute  to  the 
temporal  support  of  the  Gospel  therein  is  re- 
qnested".  The  audiences  of  ^Ir.  Bush  aver- 
aged about  twice  the  number  of  church  mem- 
bei-s,  and  this  meeting  was  eaptui-ed  by  the 
Bush  adherents,  who  did  as  they  liked.  The 
church  minutes  recite  that  it  was  "a  meeting 
composed  of  the  members  of  the  congrega- 
tion and  of  persons  of  other  denominations", 
and  that  it  "passed  certain  resolutions  ap- 
pi-obatory  of  Mr.  Bush  as  a  preacher,  &  of 
his  deportment  as  a  man.  evidently  intended 
to  compel  the  church  to  continue  him  as  pas- 
tor. But  not  considering  the  doings  of  the 
meeting  as  matter  of  record  which  should  be 
entered  on  the  sessional  book  no  copy  of  the 
resolutions  i)assed  at  the  meeting  is  insei'ted 
here". 

On  the  31st  the  .sr«ssion  ajmointed  Dr.  Coe 
a  delegate  to  the  Wabash  rresbytery,  wnth 
]>owei'  to   act.      'i'lii    situation    was  submitted 


to  the  i)iesijytery,  which  advised  that  the  ses- 
sion a.sk  to  liave  the  pastoral  relation  of  Jlr. 
Bush  to  the  church  dissolved,  and  on  this  re- 
quest being  submitted,  appointed  a  meeting 
at  Indianapolis  on  June  20  to  consider  the 
application.  On  June  22  the  relation  was 
dissolved.  Jlr.  Bush  then  began  preaching 
at  the  court  house  to  a  congregation  composed 
of  a  few  members  of  the  chui-ch  and  other 
.sympathizers,  and  apjieaied  to  the  synod  from 
the  decision  of  the  presbytery.  The  synod 
sustained  the  presbytery  but  made  some  com- 
ments on  "heated  feelings"  and  the  like,  ap- 
parently intended  as  oil  f<ii'  the  troubled  wa- 
ters, and  thereuiton  both  the  session  and  Dr. 
Bush  appealed  to  the  (ieneral  Asembly,  where, 
"after  considerable  discussion  and  mature 
deliberation,  it  was  resolved  that  this  busi- 
ness be  dismissed  on  account  of  informality, 
and  that  the  papers  be  returned  to  the  re- 
spective parties".  And  so  this  matter  came 
around  to  j.fr.  Bush's  point  of  view,  that  the 
congregation  was  caimble  of  dis]>osing  of  its 
own  troubles,  and  would  have  to  do  .so. 

^Ir.  Bush  resolved  to  stay.  There  was  a 
great  deal  of  sympathy  for  him,  especially 
outside  of  the  church,  and  this  was  increased 
by  the  death  of  his  young  wife  on  Xovendier 
!•,  liS27.  leaving  an  infant  child.  She  was 
a  most  amiable  and  attractive  woman,  and 
had  won  the  heaits  of  all.  IMrs.  ilerrill 
weaned  her  own  baby  ;ind  took  little  Lewis 
Bush  to  nurse.  The  fiuii'i-al  was  large  and 
impressive,  the  school  chihli'cn  joining  in  the 
procession  and  marching  two  and  two  to  the 
old  cemetery  on  Kentucky  avenue.  The  ser- 
mon w'as  pi-eacbed  by  AVm.  Ijowry,  a  young 
licentiate  who  had  come  that  spring  to  supply 
the  ])ul]iit  in  the  (|uarter  wiien  ^Ir.  Bush  was 
away,  and  who  was  drowned  the  next  Febru- 
ary while  attempting  to  ferry  Driftwood." 
The  prayer  was  made  by  Ebenezer  Sharpe: 
and  both  sermon  and  prayer  were  long  re- 
membered by  the  hearers.  Mr.  Bush's  serv- 
ices were  held  in  the  coui-f  house,  and  were 
well  attended,  especially  wbile  the  legislature 
was  in  session,  but  he  found  that  synqiatby 
was  a  \^vy  unstable  foundation  for  a  chui'ch, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1820  he  went  back  to  the 
East.  He  there  left  the  ministry  and  engaged 
in  literary  ])ursuits.  I'l-ectini;'  a  lasting;-  monu- 

■Joiiniiil.    Februai-v  2S.  1S28. 


HISTOKY   OF  GKEATHH  IxVDIANAPOLIS. 


579 


■■'^.. 


REV,   GKORGE   P.   BUSH. 


LtR.   ISAAC   COE. 


580 


HISTOEY  OF  GRKATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


meut  to  himself  iu  his  Notes  ou  the  Pentateuch 
—  a  work  so  successful  from  the  start  that 
the  first  volume  had  reached  the  sixth  edition 
before  the  series  was  completed.  In  1831  he 
was  elected  Professor  of  Hebrew  and  Oriental 
Literature  in  the  University  of  the  City  of 
New  York,  and  later  Superintendent  of  the 
Press  of  the  American  Bible  Society.  In 
1845  he  publicly  avowed  his  support  of  the 
:^ystem  of  Emanuel  Swedenborg.  This  was 
not  prinuirily  due  to  any  study  of  Sweden- 
borg  but  to  his  own  developing  views  on  the 
nature  of  the  spiritual  bod.y,  the  interpre- 
tation of  prophecy,  and  other  abstruse  sub- 
jects. After  one  of  his  addresses  a  lady 
spoke  to  him  of  the  similarity  of  his  views  to 
those  of  Swedenborg,  and  on  examination  he 
found  this  so  true  that  he  allied  himself  with 
the  "New  Church". 

The  final  separation  was  probably  the  best 
thing  that  could  have  happened,  both  for  Mr. 
Rush  and  for  the  Indianapolis  church,  for  it 
would  be  an  absurdity  to  expect  to  build  up 
a  church  of  any  denomination  under  a  pastor 
who  persisted  in  preaching  against  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  the  church.  It  is  stated 
in  the  life  of  Prof.  Bush,  published  under 
Swendenborgian  auspices,  that  in  the  troubles 
at  Indianapolis  "his  congregation  was  sev- 
ered in  twain"."*  This  was  not  true  of  the 
church  membership,  which  was  50  at  the 
time  the  actual  separation  began  in  iFarch, 
1828.  The  church  had  begun  with  15  mem- 
bers in  182.3,  and  51  had  joined  since  that 
time,  39  of  them  diiring  the  three  and  one- 
half  years  of  Mr.  Bush's  ministry,  from 
October  1,  1824:  and  16  had  gone  out  by 
death  and  dismission.  In  the  year  to  April 
1,  1829,  there  were  3fi  accessions  and  9  dis- 
missions, etc.,  leaving  the  membership  77. 
To  April  1,  1830.  the  accessions  were  44  and 
the  deaths  and  dismissions  22,  making  the 
membership  99.  This  growth  was  principally 
due  to  the  efforts  of  Rev.  John  R.  Moreland, 
who  was  called  to  the  pastorate  in  October, 
1828.  He  was  a  genuine  frontier  product, 
with  several  years'  experience  as  a  flatboat- 
man,  who  did  not  learn  to  read  till  he  was 
eighteen,  and  entered  the  ministry  compara- 
tively late  in  life.  Rev.  James  Green  says: 
"PTis  preaching,   naturally,   was  not  charac- 


*Neic  Chnrcli  Tracts,  No.  10,  p.  iv. 


tei-ized  by  polish  of  diction  or  the  graces 
of  oratory,  but  did  abound  in  a  rugged  and 
pointed  eloquence  that  was  not  destitute  of 
impressiveness  and  effect".  Mrs.  Keteham 
says  he  was  "a  real  i-evival  preacher,  who 
meant  good  and  was  good.  He  wept  with  his 
congregation". 

Mr.  Moreland  died  in  the  pastorate,  Octo- 
ber 13,  1832,  and  was  followed  by  Rev.  Wm. 
A.  HoUiday,  who  served  as  stated  supply 
from  February,  1833  to  1835 ;  Rev.  James  W. 
McKennan,  installed  June  16,  1835,  i-esigned 
April,  1839 ;  Rev.  Samuel  Fulton,  stated  sup- 
ply, January  to  April,  1840;  Rev.  Phineas 
Gurley,  installed  December  15,  1840,  resigned 
November  28,  1849;  Rev.  Charles  S,  Mills- 
principal  of  a  local  female  seminary— stated 
supply,  November,  1849,  to  September,  1850, 
Rev.  John  A.  McClung,  installed  December 
31,  1851,  resigned  September  29,  1855;  Rev. 
Thos.  M.  Cunningham,  installed  May  7,  1857, 
resigned  l\Iay,  I860:  Rev.  J.  Ploward  Nixon, 
installed  April  17,  1861,  resigned  April  14, 
1869;  Rev.  J.  F.  Dripps,  temporary  supply, 
May  to  October,  1868,  during  the  pastor's 
absence  in  Europe;  Rev.  Robert  D.  Harper, 
D.D.,  installed  October  19,  1869,  resigned 
February  23,  1871 ;  Rev.  Jeremiah  P.  E.  Kum- 
ler,  installed  October  1,  1871,  resigned  Sep- 
tember 14,  1875;  Rev.  Myron  W.  Reed,  in- 
stalled October  4,  1877,  resigned  April  1. 
1884;  Rev.  Matthias  L.  Haines,  installed  April 
12,  1885,  and  still  officiating. 

Several  of  these  pastors  were  of  more  than 
local  celebrity.  Dr  .Gurley  was  called  from 
here  to  the  First  Church  of  Dayton,  Ohio; 
and  from  there  to  F  Street  Church  in  Wa.sh- 
ington  City,  later  known  as  "Lincoln's 
Church".  In  1859  Dr.  Gurley  was  made 
chaplain  of  the  Senate,  and  during  Lincoln's 
administration  he  was  his  honored  friend.  He 
was  pi-esi^nt  at  his  death-bed,  and  preached 
his  funeral  sennon.  Dr.  Gurley  was  always 
popular  as  a  preacher  and  as  a  man,  and 
during  his  pastorate  the  old  church  on  Penn- 
sylvania street  became  too  small  for  the  con- 
gregation. A  new  location  was  found  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  Circle  and  Market 
sti-eets— where  the  American  Central  Life's 
building  now  stands.  The  cornerstone  was 
'aid  on  October  7,  1841,  and  the  new  church 
dedicated  on  May  6,  1843.  The  life  of  Dr, 
McClung— like  Dr.  Gurley,    he    received    his 


I 


HISTORY  OF  GEEATICR  TM)l.\XAi'()I.IS. 


581 


D.D.  after  Icaviiisj  here — reads  like  a  I'O- 
niauce.  Converted  at  sixteen,  and  entering 
the  ministry  with  the  highest  promise,  he 
found  himself  unable  to  answer  some  of  the 
infidel  arguments  of  Gihljon  and,  in  1831, 
a.sked  leave  of  his  presbytery  to  surrender  his 
license.  He  took  to  tlie  law,  and  followed  it 
for  fifteen  years,  attaining  high  standing  in 
it  and  in  political  life.  In  1S:5"J,  soon  after 
leaving  the  ministry,  he  wrote  and  published 
the  pioneer  stories  that  were  printed  under 
the  title,  "Sketches  of  Western  Adventure", 
which  has  been  more  widely  read  than  any 
othei'  book  of  American  frontier  adventure, 
and  which  is  the  basis  of  everything  since 
written  covering  the  same  i)eiMod.  In  1848 
his  mind  was  turned  again  to  tlie  evidences  of 
Christianity  by  a  sermon  lie  heard,  and  on 
reading  Sir  David  Dalrymple's  reply  to  Gib- 
bon, he  found  the  oli.jeetions  that  had  trou- 
bled him  veiy  fully  answered.  Tie  then  made 
a  careful  and  exhaustive  examination  of  the 
whole  ground  of  the  cvidencrs,  with  the  result 
of  convincing  hiuiself,  and  I'cturning  to  the 
faith  and  to  the  nunistry. 

Soon  afterward  he  was  called  here.  AVhile 
here  he  showed  an  especial  interest  in  proph- 
ecy that  caused  some  of  the  conservative 
afterwards  to  doulit  his  sanity,  but  he  com- 
manded the  interest  of  all.  In  the  winter  of 
]8r)4-5  he  di'livered  a  series  of  Sunday  even- 
ing lectures  on  the  i)ro[)hecy  of  Daniel  that 
attracted  general  attention  and  crowded  the 
church.  He  left  here  on  account  of  ill  health, 
first  trying  residence  in  the  South,  then  in 
Minnesota,  then  again  in  the  South,  but  with 
littli'  imi)rovement.  On  August  ii,  18r)rt,  while 
traveling  for  his  health,  he  came  to  Tona- 
wanda.  on  the  Xiagai'a  Hiver,  nine  nnles  above 
the  falls.  On  the  tJth  he  started  to  walk  to 
Niagara.  On  the  next  day  his  clothing  was 
found  on  the  jiier  at  Sehlosser,  six  miles 
above  the  f^dls.  and  thi-(>e  days  later  his 
bruisi'd  body  was  found  in  the  rivei'  fai'  below 
the  falls.  He  was  an  expert  swimmer,  and 
fond  of  the  i-ecreation,  but  unacquainted  with 
the  dangei'ous  chai-aeter  of  the  stream.  Tlis 
death  catised  many  surmises,  and  it  was  surely 
a  strange  climax  that  a  life  which  had  been 
so  Inrtrely  passed  in  mi<_dity  mental  and  spir- 
ituid  maelstroms  slmuld  end  liv  this  terrible 
physical  powei'. 

Dr.  Cunningham   wms  nciled  as  a  preacher 


at  Chicago,  Philadelphia  and  San  Francisco. 
During  hi.s  pastorate  here  plans  were  made 
for  a  new  church  at  the  southwest  corner  of 
New  York  and  Pennsylvania  streets,  which 
were  carried  out  in  the  pastorate  of  ]\Ir. 
Xixon,  who  followed  him.  The  cornerstone 
was  laid  on  April  2l',  18ti6,  and  the  church 
was  occui)ied  on  December  29,  1867,  the  cost 
beino-  $104,117.74.  It  was  not  dedicated  until 
after  the  debt  was  fully  paid,  on  April  24, 
1873.  Myron  W.  lieed  was  one  of  the  most 
widely  popular  preachers  Indianapolis  ever 
had.  If  he  did  not  call  siruiers  to  i-e])entance 
lie  at  least  called  them  to  church.  His  record 
as  a  soldier,  his  non-clerical  ai)i)earance  and 
maimer,  and  his  cordial  good  fellowship  at- 
tracted many,  while  his  keen  intellect,  out- 
spoken courage  and  pungent  wit  reconciled 
all  to  his  lack  of  conventionality.  He  went 
from  here  to  the  First  Congregational  Church 
of  Denver,  where  he  preached  for  eleven 
years,  and  then  took  charge  of  an  independent 
congregation  at  the  Broadway  Tem|>le  until 
his  death  on  January  30,  1899.  A  .series  of 
his  sermons  at  the  latter  place  was  published 
here  in  1898,  under  the  title  "Temple  Talks". 
^Ir.  Reed  was  as  popular  in  Denver  as  he 
was  here,  and  became  more  widely  known 
throiieh  i)olitical  prominence.  Ijcaving  here 
a  Republican,  he  was  nominated  for  Con- 
gress by  the  Democrats  of  the  Denver  dis- 
trict in  1886,  and,  though  the  district  was 
normally  from  6,000  to  10,000  Heiuiblican, 
lost  it  liy  only  803  votes.  Later  he  affiliated 
with  the  People's  party,  and  declined  the 
nomination  for  Congress  in  1892,  which  Lafc 
Pence,  another  Indiana  man,  accepted,  and 
was  triumphantly  elected. 

And  .Matthias  L.  Haines— longest  in  serv- 
ice, and  destined  to  stay  for  life  if  his  con- 
gregation decide  the  matter— if  he  were  work- 
ing among  the  Miami  Indians  they  have  a 
personal  name  that  they  would  pi-ohably  give 
to  him  — Al-wa-non-dah.  It  is  translated, 
"  Hverybody  loves  him".  He  is  a  native  of 
IndiaiKi.  born  at  .\urora,  in  18.^50.  His  ances- 
toi's  for  three  generations  were  physicians. 
He  graduated  at  Wabash  in  1871,  and  at 
Union  Theological,  of  .\'(nv  York,  in  1874. 
He  was  called  to  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church 
of  Astoria,  New  York,  and  served  there  for 
eleven  years,  being  called  to  Indianapolis  in 
1885.      In    addition    to    liis   church    work   he 


583 


HlSTUliY  UF  ur.EATEE  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


has  taken  an  active  and  useful  interest  in  the 
charitable,  literary  and  civic  att'airs  of  the 
city.  Under  his  pastorate  came  the  last  move 
of  the  church.  In  1900  the  United  States 
goverjunent  wanted  to  buy  the  church,  with 
other  property  on  the  block,  to  make  room. for 
its  new  federal  building.  A  consideration  of 
the  residence  location  of  the  congregation 
showed  that  its  geographical  center  was  far 
to  the  north.  It  was  therefore  decided  to' 
locate  at  Delaware  and  Sixteenth  streets.  The 
old  church  property  was  sold  to  the  govern- 
ment for  .$65,000,  and  the  congregation  moved 
to  a  temporary  frame  structure  on  the  east 
side  of  Delaware  street  between  Fourteenth 
and  Fifteenth  while  l)uilding  at  Delaware 
and  Sixteenth.  The  chapel  of  the  present 
stone  building  at  that  point  was  completed 
and  dedicated  on  June  7.  1903.  Tlie  main 
Iniilding  was  occupied  and  dedicated  October 
4,  1903.  Its  cost,  including  the  ground  and 
the  furnishing  of  the  church,  was  $114,000. 
The  church  has  at  present  836  members  and 
740  on  the  Sunday  school  rolls. 

Few  jieople  evei-  raised  more  disturbance 
in  this  world,  unintentionally,  than  Rev.  Sam- 
uel Hojjkins.  of  Waterbury,  Connecticut.  He 
made  some  unkind  remarks  about  the  doc- 
trines of  original  sin  and  the  atonement,  as 
to  which  of  necessity  no  one  can  speak  with 
authority  who  has  not  fathomed  the  infinite : 
and  also  put  altruism  on  a  pedestal  by  de- 
claring +hat  selfishness,  of  whatever  nature, 
was  inherently  and  essentially  sinful.  These 
doctrines  spread,  and  in  1836  Dr.  Albert 
Barnes,  who  .s\^npathized  with  them,  wa.s  tried 
for  heresy  by  the  General  Assembly  and  ac- 
quitted. In  1837  the  General  Assembly  ruled 
out  the  Geneva  Synod,  and  several  others ; 
and  also  repealed  the  "Plan  of  Union"  under 
which  the  Presbyterians  and  Congregational- 
ists  had  been  working  harmoniously  on  the 
frontier  for  3.5  years.  In  1838  the  commis- 
sioners from  the  excluded  synods  a.sked  ad- 
mission and  were  refused,  whereupon  they 
and  theii'  friends  organized  an  assembly  of 
their  own.  There  were  140  commissioner.s 
who  remained  in  the  first  assembly,  and  136 
who  went  to  the  new  one.  both  parties  claim- 
ing to  be  the  genuine  assembly.  The  former 
became  known  as  "the  old  school",  and  the 
latter  as  "the  new  school",  and  for  32  years 
the  church  was  thus  divided.     Presbvterians 


all  over  the  country  began  discovering  that 
they  could  not  be  saved  under  the  .same  roof, 
and  new  cluirehes  were  started  in  all  direc- 
tions. 

In  Indianapolis  there  were  fifteen  members 
of  the  First  Presbyterian  Cliurch  who  with- 
drew, and,  on  November  19,  1838,  organized 
the  Second  Church.  They  were  Bethuel  F. 
^Morris.  Daniel  Yandes,  Luke  Munsell.  Law- 
rence M.  Vance,  Jlary  J.  Vance,  Sidney  Bates, 
William  Eckert.  Alex  H.  Davidson.  Robert 
Mitchell.  AVilliam  S.  Hubbard,  J.  F.  Holt, 
;\f.  R.  Holt.  John  L.  Ketcham,  Jane  Keteham. 
and  Catharine  ^lerrill — a  goodly  company. 
They  made  three  calls  for  ministers,  fortu- 
nately for  them  all  unsuccessful,  and  then 
called  young  Henry  Ward  Beecher  from  Law- 
rencehurg.  He  accepted,  and  began  work  on 
July  31.  1839,  by  which  time  the  member- 
ship had  increased  to  32,  without  any  pastor. 
The  new  church  held  its  services  for  a  year  in 
the  county  seminary,  on  University  Scpiare, 
and  then  moved  into  the  lecture  room  of  its 
new  building  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Cir- 
cle and  ^larket  streets.  The  church  was  fully 
completed  and  occupied  October  4,  1840. 

It  would  be  superfiuous  to  attempt  a  gen- 
eral sketch  of  Henry  Ward  Beecher.  He 
came  here  in  the  flush  of  his  youth,  and  with 
much  more  liberal  ideas  than  his  distin- 
guished father,  who  had  been  tried  for  heresy 
tm  account  of  his  "moderate  Calvinism"  in 
1835.  The  whole  Beecher  family  were  of  the 
New  School :  ;\[rs.  Stowe  nuide  Sanniel  Hop- 
kins the  central  character  in  her  novel.  ""The 
]\Iini.ster's  Wooing".  Henry  had  all  of  his 
father's  warm  antagonism  to  slavery  and  in- 
temperance, and  was  utterly  fearless  in  speech 
and  action.  He  whacked  sinners  as  lustily  as 
he  rebuki^d  sin.  His  elo(|uence  and  wit  won 
liiiii  faviu'  with  people  who  did  not  auree  with 
his  ideas.  Outside  of  his  puljiit  life  he  \\as 
one  of  the  people,  not  in  any  affectation  but 
because  he  was  genuinely  interested.  He 
talked  agriculture  with  farmers,  helped  at 
fires,  and  lab(uvd  fni-  im]irovements.  He 
chatted,  .iokcd  and  romiied  until  he  convinced 
the  ]iublic  that  a  man  could  be  a  Presby- 
terian )ireacher  and  still  really  enjoy  him- 
self. He  would  alai'iu  the  carpenters  who 
were  working  on  his  hoase  by  "skinning  the 
cat"  on  the  exposed  joists:  and  when  ex- 
hausted  would   lie    down    in    the    arass    and 


TIISTOKV   or  (;i!K.\TKK    1  XHI  W  APOIJ^. 


583 


THE   HOUSE   BEECHER   BUILT— "PAINTED   WITH    MY   OWN    HANDS" 
(South   Side  of  Ohio.   Ijetwocii    Alabama  and   New  Jersey   Streets.) 


581 


HISTORY  OF  GKEATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


work  on  a  sermon.  "When  he  left,  in  1847, 
his  departure  was  regretted  by  the  general 
public  as  well  as  liy  his  eongregation.  There 
were  notable  revivals  during  his  ministry,  es- 
pecially in  the  spring-  of  18-12,  1843  and 
1845.  and  when  he  left,  the  membership  of  the 
church  had  reached  275. 

For  six  montlis  after  Beecher  left,  the 
ehnreh  was  supplied  by  Rev.  Shubert  Granby 
Specs,  and  then  for  sixteen  months  was  va- 
cant. In  October,  1848,  Clement  E.  Babb, 
a  yonng:  licentiate  of  the  Presbytery  of  Day- 
ton, was  installed.  He  was  at  the  time  a 
student  at  Lane  Seminary.  Beecher 's  was  a 
hard  place  to  fill.  Init  Babb  did  very  well. 
It  is  recorded  that.  "In  the  spring  of  1851. 
because  of  the  blessing  of  God  upon  the  labors 
of  C.  E.  Babb.  pastor  of  the  Second  Church 
of  Indianapolis,  the  church  edifice  became 
too  small  for  the  congregation,  and  it  became 
a  question  with  the  church  whether  to  en- 
large their  building  or  to  colonize  and  form 
another  church '".■■  The  latter  course  was 
taken  and  the  Fourth  Chui-ch  was  formed. 
Mr.  Babb  resigned,  on  account  of  failing 
health,  Januarj-  31,  1853,  and  the  piilpit  was 
vacant  for  eleven  months.  On  January  1, 
1854.  he  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Thornton  A. 
trills,  who  remained  till  February  9.  1857. 
when  he  was  released  to  take  the  position  of 
Secretary  of  the  Committee  on  Ediication  of 
the  General  Assembly.  On  August  6,  1857, 
Rev.  George  P.  Tindall  was  called  and  re- 
mained with  the  church  till  September  27. 
1863.  On  January  17,  1864,  Rev.  Hanford 
A.  Edson.  who  had  been  preaching  at  Niagara 
Falls,  entered  this  jiulpit  and  remained  until 
]\rarcli  10.  1873.  Following  him.  Dr.  John  L. 
"Withrow  served  from  October  19.  1873.  to 
July  1.  1876:  Rev.  Wm.  Alvin  Bartlett  from 
October.  1876.  to  June.  1882:  Rev.  Arthur  T. 
Pierson  from  September,  1882,  to  May.  1883 : 
Dr.  James  ^IcLeod  from  December.  1883.  to 
October.  1889:  Rev.  Joseph  A.  .Milburn  from 
June,  1890,  to  ^larch,  1901 :  Rev.  Owen  Davies 
Odell  from  April,  1902,  to  date. 

The  history  of  the  church  has  been  one  of 
quite  steady  progress.  In  1864  it  was  decided 
to  remove  from  the  old  church  on  the  Circle, 
and  work  was  bfo-nn  at  the  noi-thwest  corner 


'^Moorr's  Historji  of  IJir   I'n  ttjnjh  rij  <if  Fii- 
dia)ia)ioUs.  p.  83. 


of  Vermont  and  Pennsylvania  streets.  The 
cornerstone  of  the  present  handsome  stone 
church  was  laid  on  ilay  14,  1866.  The  chapel 
was  occupied  December  22,  1867,  and  the  com- 
pleted building  was  dedicated  January  9, 
1870.  The  entire  cost  of  the  property  was 
^105,000.  The  mission  at  Michigan  and  Black- 
ford streets  (Fifth  Presbyterian)  was  begun 
in  1864:  that  at  Union  and  ]\IcCarty  streets 
(Sixth  Presbyterian!  in  1867;  that  at  Chris- 
tian avenue  and  Belief ontaine  (Memorial)  in 
1869:  that  on  West  :Maryland  (Twelfth  Pres- 
byterian) in  1874:  that  on  West  and  Norwood 
.streets  (Mayer  Chapel)  in  1894.  The  mem- 
bership of  the  church  at  the  close  of  1909 
was  700,  and  of  the  Sunday  school  250, 

flayer  Chape!,  a  tlourisliing  mission  of  this 
church,  is  named  for  Ferdinand  L.  flayer, 
who  furnished  most  of  the  means  for  purchas- 
ing the  lot  and  erecting  the  chapel  in  1894. 
The  building  was  enlarged  in  1897,  and  addi- 
tional ground  was  donated  by  William  S. 
Hubbard  in  1895.  Regular  services,  of  an 
evangelistic  character,  are  held  every  Wednes- 
day and  Sunday  evening.  The  chapel  has  86 
members,  and  450  are  enrolled  in  the  Sunday 
school.  The  primary  and  class  rooms  are  oc- 
cupied through  the  week  by  the  Free  Kinder- 
garten :  and  the  trustees  of  the  chapel  also 
give  free  quarters  to  the  Children's  Aid  Asso- 
ciation for  a  Pure  ^lilk  Station.  Rev.  A.  R. 
]\Iiles  is  the  pastor  in  charge  of  the  work, 
which  has  largely  the  character  of  a  ''neigh- 
borhood house",  as  well  as  of  a  mission. 
^Mothers'  meetings  and  boys  and  girls'  clubs; 
are  among  the  regular  institutions  of  the  mis- 
sion. 

In  1851  both  of  the  schools  in  Indianapo- 
lis showed  a  disposition  to  spread,  and  the 
old  got  a  few  days  the  start.  On  September 
23.  eighteen  members  of  the  First  Church  as- 
.sembled  at  the  house  of  Caleb  Scudder  and 
oruanized  the  Third  Presbyterian  Church, 
now  known  as  the  Tabernacle.  Notable  among 
them  were  James  Blake.  Jolni  W.  Hamilton. 
Caleb  Scudder.  H.  C.  Newconib.  Nathaniel 
Bolton.  Dr.  W.  C.  Thompson,  and  C.  B.  Davis. 
The  new  congregation  worshipped  for  some 
time  at  Temperance  Hall,  on  Washington 
street,  but  bought  property  at  the  northeast 
corner  of  Ohio  and  Illinois  streets,  and  finall.v 
completed  and  dedicated  its  church  there  in 
1859.     The  first  pastor  was  David  Stevenson, 


IIISTOKV   OF  GKKATKii   l.N J)l AN Al'OLIS. 


585 


wliii  i-aiiie  from  tlii'  presbytery  of  Elizabeth- 
Inwii,  and  was  iiistalle(l  in  July,  1852.  He 
left  in  October,  18(JU,  on  account  of  failing 
health.  The  pastors  following-  him  were 
George  Heckman,  1861-67;  Robert  Sloss, 
1868-72 :  and  11.  ^M.  ilorey.  In  Seiitember, 
1869,  came  the  reunion  of  the  old  and  new 
school  Presbyterians  in  Indiana,  and  on  July 
.").  1870,  the  united  Presbytery  of  Indian- 
apolis bejian  its  session  at  the  Third  ('hureh. 
All  of  the  seven  Presbyterian  Churches  then 
in  Indianapolis  were  represented  and  the  oc- 
casion was  one  of  rejoicing'. 

In  1883,  the  Third  Church  being  without  a 
|)astor.  and  a  church  l)eing  desirable  in  the 
rapidly  iirowing'  northern  district,  a  number 
(if  menibei's  of  the  Second  Church  transferred 
to  the  Third,  and  on  July  12.  1883,  its  name 
was  changed  to  the  Tabernacle.  It  occupied 
the  old  building  until  December.  1885,  when 
it  removed  to  a  temporary  frame  structure 
at  [Meridian  and  Second  streets,  while  its  new 
church  was  building.  The  chapel  part  of  the 
structure  was  completed  and  first  occupied  on 
February  24,  1889.  It  is  a  whispered  tradi- 
tion that  Dr.  Arthur  T.  Pierson,  of  the  Sec- 
ond Presbyterian,  had  agreed  to  go  to  the 
new  flock  when  the  delegation  from  his  church 
went  to  it,  but  he  had  a  loud  call  from 
Wanamaker's  Church  at  Philadelphia,  and 
resiuiied  on  May  25,  1883,  to  accept  it.  The 
reoi-ganizcd  church  was  without  a  pastor  until 
Xiivembcr  9.  1884.  when  Rev.  J.  A.  Rond- 
thaler  was  installed,  and  remained  with  the 
church  until  Jfay.  1896.  He  was  very  popu- 
lar in  the  chui'ch  and  out,  and  had  advanced 
Iiractieal  ideas.  In  1892  the  church  began 
publishinu-  a  little  monthly  paper,  called  The 
Hicoi'l.  which  continued  for  two  yeai'S,  and 
then  became  intermittent,  foi-  special  occa- 
sions. In  1892  the  ebui-ch  also  opened  a  read- 
ing room  and  social  ])ar]ors  foi'  the  use  of  the 
l)ublic  as  well  as  the  church  members.  Dr. 
Rondthaler  was  the  object  of  some  criticism 
by  the  pedestrians  for  his  devotion  to  the 
bicycle,  but  he  was  an  effective  jiastor.  Ife 
was  followed  by  Dr.  J.  Cumiiiin-iS  Smith,  on 
Jauuai'v  1.  1897,  who  remained  until  his 
death  in  July,  1904.  In  December,  1904,  Rev. 
Neil  .McPher.son  came  to  the  church  from  Can- 
ada. He  was  an  honor  graduate  of  Queen '.s 
University,  Kingston,  takinu-  the  mast(n-'s  de- 
gree in  arts  and  the  bachelor's  <legT-ee  in  thc- 


ologj'.  For  eight  years  he  served  at  St. 
Paul's  in  Hamilton,  and  was  called  from 
there  to  the  Tabernacle,  where  he  still  re- 
mains. The  church  is  in  flourishing  condi- 
tion. Its  membershii)  is  948,  and  there  are 
751  on  the  Sunday  school  roll. 

It  wa.s  on  September  4,  1851,  that  Rev. 
Clement  Habb  i-ejtorted  to  the  new  school 
presbytery  the  desirabilitj-  of  another  church 
and  the  presbytery  i-econnnended  its  fornui- 
tion  to  the  Second  Church.  On  September 
23  the  Third  Church  was  organized  in  the  old 
school  presbytery,  and  on  November  30  the 
Fourth  Church  was  organized  in  the  new 
school,  twenty-four  members  of  the  Second 
Church  being  tlismisst>d  to  organize  it.  The 
new  church  secured  the  service  of  Rev.  George 
]\I.  Maxwell  as  stated  sui)ply,  and  he  re- 
mained until  December,  1858,  when  he  was 
relea.scd  on  account  of  failing  health.  His 
pastorate  was  a  time  of  struagle.  The  church 
first  held  its  services  in  a  hall  at  Pennsylvania 
and  Washington  streets,  and  later  in  one  at 
Delaware  and  Virginia  avenue.  The  new 
church  building  at  the  southwest  corner  of 
Delaware  and  AFarket  was  finally  completed 
and  dedicated  on  September  13,  1857.  It  was 
occupied  for  sixteen  years,  when  property  was 
purchased  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  Pratt  streets,  and  the  new 
church  erected  thei'e  was  dedicated  on  April 
19.  1874.  In  January,  1892,  the  session  de- 
cided to  move  farther  north.  The  church 
property  was  .sold,  and  the  Peck  Mission  prop- 
erty, on  Delaware  above  Seventeenth,  was 
bought  of  the  Second  Church.  It  was  occu- 
pied until  1895.  when  the  present  building  at 
Alabama  and  Nineteenth  was  completed  and 
occupied.  The  P(>ck  Mission  building  was  re- 
moved to  the  rear  of  the  same  lot  and  is  used 
for  a  chapel.  The  succession  of  jiastors,  since 
I\Ir.  Maxwell,  has  been  A.  L.  Brooks,  Septem- 
ber, 1859,  to  March  9,  1862 :  Charles  \V.  Mar- 
shall, Julv  20,  1862,  to  October  4.  1870:  John 
H.  :\rorron.  December  27,  1870.  to  1872:  Ed- 
ward Beecher  Mas(m,  March  17,  1873.  to 
March,  1^70;  .\ui;iistns  Ilarl  Caiwier,  Novem- 
ber 1,  1S7'I.  t(i  July  9.  1SS5;  George  Lorain 
IMcNutt,  Jannarv  1,  1886,  to  Ai)ril  1,  1889; 
Edwai'd  P.  Whallon,  :\Iay  1,  1889,  to  :\lay  1, 
1891 ;  George  Lewes  ^Mackintosh,  November 
5.  1891,  to  June  30.  1907:  Robert  Ncwcomb 
Fultnn,    September    15.    1!I07.    bi    dale.      Mr. 


oSfi 


HISTORY  OF  (ii;HATi:R  IXDIAI^APOLIS. 


^Mackintosh  was  released  to  accept  the  presi- 
deuey  of  Wabash  Collese.  His  successoi-  \v;is 
called  from  the  Contiresational  Chiii'ch  ;it 
Littleton,  a  suburl)  of  Boston.  He  is  a  arail- 
uate  of  Boston  rnivei'sity  and  the  Hartford 
School  of  Theoloiiy.  The  present  memher- 
ship  of  the  church  is  :{()()  and  the  mnnliei-  en- 
rolled in  the  Sunday  school  is  1200. 

The  Fifth  Presbyterian  Church  originated 
in  a  mission  school  started  in  1864  by  mem- 
bers of  the  Second  Church  on  the  east  side  of 
Blackford  street,  below  ^lichi^an.  The  build- 
inu  was  dedicated  on  Jfav  1.").     In  the  fall  of 


The  Si.xth  I'rcsbyter'ian  Church,  or  Olivet 
Church,  as  it  was  oi'iiiinally  named,  was  a 
colony  from  the  Second  Church.  On  June 
■J2,  1867.  a  committee  was  instructed  to  se- 
cure a  site  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
city,  and  the  corner  of  I'nion  and  ]\IcCarty 
streets  was  selected.  A  frame  chapel  was 
ci'ected  and  dedicated  on  October  20.  On 
.Vovembei-  20  a  church  orofauization  was 
formed  with  twenty-one  members,  and  Rev. 
•T.  B.  Brandt  was  called  as  jiastor.  The  prop- 
erty, which  had  cost  about  ^;5.000.  was  do- 
nated  bv   the   Second   Chui-cli.   and   its   incni- 


FIRST    PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH. 


1866  it  \'as  purcliased  by  the  Third  Church, 
which  took  cliariic  of  the  school.  In  October. 
1867.  the  clnii'ch  was  organized  and  Rev. 
"William  B.  Cliamberlain  was  called  from 
^fadison  as  jiastoi-.  and  served  until  1873.  In 
1873  a  new  buildins:  was  erected  at  the  south- 
west corner  of  Michigan  and  Blackford 
streets.  In  1890  the  conirreaation  decided  to 
change  this  to  a  Congregation.d  Church,  and 
it  has  since  been  known  as  the  People's  Con- 
gi'egational  Chui'cli.  The  Presbytery  of  In- 
dianapolis relinquished  the  property  on  con- 
dition of  the  new  organization  a.ssuming  the 
debt   wliii-h  i'i'maiii<'(l  nii  the  church  buildiiiir. 


bees  also  contributed  largely  to  the  brick 
church  which  was  erected  six  years  later  at 
a  cost  of  about  $7,000.  and  dedicated  on  Jan- 
uary 25.  1874.  In  19()!t  this  church  had  175 
mendiers,  and  214  in  the  Sunday  school.  The 
pastors  have  been  John  B.  Brandt.  1867-8;  L. 
A.  Aldrich.  1868-70;  J.  K.  Scott,  1870-2; 
J.  B.  Brandt.  1872.  after  whom  the  i)astorate 
was  vacant  several  years;  J.  ^I.  Crawford, 
1879-80:  C.  :\I.  Living'stone.  1881 ;  AV.  A.  Pat- 
ton,  1882-3;  (ieo.  Booth,  1884-7:  Chas.  E. 
Evans.  1887-8:  J.  E.  Brown.  1888-93:  E.  A. 
Allen.  1893-8;  A.  R.  Wood.son,  1898-1901: 
L.  W.  A.  Luckv.  1901-3:  R.  F.  Soutre.  1903- 


IIISTOIJV   OF   CKKATKIJ    1  X  DIAN  AIM  il.IS. 


587 


(J:  AVin.  :Me:\raxton,  1907-8;  Thos.  C.  :\rcXary. 
1!»(I8  io  date. 

The  Seventli  Preshyteriaii  Clnircli.  a  mis- 
sion of  the  First  Church,  originated  with  Wm. 
R.  Crajfr,  a  staid  old  Scotehiiiau  whose  Sab- 
bath quiet  was  disturbed  by  the  reprobate 
youth  of  the  soutlieast  part  of  the  city.  A 
eonsideratiori  of  i-emedies,  from  poliee  to  di- 
vine s'raee,  led  to  choiee  of  the  last,  and  as 
an  elder  of  the  First  Chureh  lie  submitted  the 
ease  there.  The  chureh  was  favoi-able.  ^Ir. 
t'raig:  and  X.  ]\r.  Wood  were  appointed  a  com- 
mittee to  establish  the  school,  and  $130  was 
appropriated  for  the  work.  Peter  Routier's 
carpenter  shop  on  Cedar  street  was  rented 
and  the  Sunday  school  was  opened  with  seven 
pupils  the  fii'st  day.  Thomas  ^lelntire  aided 
in  the  oruanization,  and  ^M.  il.  Wood  was 
superintendent.  The  (|uarters  proved  insutR- 
cient.  and  a  jiei-manent  home  was  determined 
I'll.  James  ^I.  Ray  seeui-ed  the  donation  of 
a  lot  on  Elm  street,  noi-th  of  Cedar,  from 
Calvin  Fletcher.  A.  Stone.  AV.  S.  Witt,  Elisha 
Taylor  and  James  .M.  Ilonyli.  wlio  owned  the 
addition.  The  Board  of  Church  Extension 
l>ledu'ed  ;|'oOO  foi'  the  in'w  buildiim.  and 
Thomas  ^Iclnlire  tind  James  W.  Hnnvn  were 
made  a  committee  from  the  First  Church  to 
superintend  the  construction.  Subsci'iiitions 
of  over  $3,200  were  obtained,  and  the  new 
buildinff  was  dedicated  on  D(H'ember  '14.  1865. 
The  First  Church  maintained,  as  missionai'ies 
in  this  Reld.  successively.  \V.  \V.  Sickles, 
Thomas  (Jalt  aiul  C.  JI.  TTnward.  ( )n  Xovem- 
l)er  '27.  18(17.  the  Seventh  Church  was  orjran- 
ized,  with  23  members.  C.  M.  FTowai-d  served 
as  pastor  till  October,  ISCi).  and  left  the 
ehnrcli  with  over  12o  members,  .\fter  him 
J.  B.  Brandt  served  for  one  year,  and  then 
re.sisrned  to  become  Secretary  of  the  Y.  ^I.  C. 
A.  of  the  city.  In  1909  tliis  church  repoi-ted 
4(i9  m(>nii)ers.  and  341   in  the  Sunday  school. 

The  Eiiilith  Church,  now  West  Washinji- 
ton  Street  Presbyterian  Chureh.  srew  from 
Indianola  Mis>iii)n.  which  was  started  Julv 
15,  1870,  by  IT.  IT.  Fulton.  E.  C.  Williams 
and  John  0.  Blake,  thnc  youn<''  meiiil)ers 
of  the  Thii-il  Church.  Tin'  property  had  been 
occupied  by  the  Methodists  for  several  years, 
but  they  yot  discouraszed  and  quit,  and  the 
buildinir  was  rented  for  the  mis.si(iii.  This 
building''  was  at  Lansin'jr  and  WashinL;ton,  buf 
a  I'emoval  was  made  to  "Walnut   and   Drake 


streets".''  where  a  frame  scliool  house  was 
bouirht  and  made  intd  a  church.  Hei'c,  on 
October  1.  1871.  the  Eiiihth  Church  was  or- 
L'anizcd.  with  7  members,  and  Kev.  J.  i{. 
Sntiierland  as  the  first  pastoi-.  This  church 
was  iuirned,  and  a  l)rick  chureh  was  erected 
on  tile  same  site.  The  mw  church  was  badly 
damasred  by  a  cyclone,  and  the  di.seourayfed 
members  sold  the  property,  disbandeil.  and 
transferred  to  Tabernacle  Church.  In  1892 
Dr.  Kondthaler  trot  them  braced  uj)  for  an- 
other effort.  A  lot  was  secured  at  Washiui;- 
ton  and  Aliley  avenue,  and  a  chapel  erecteil, 
which  was  dedicated  September  25,  1892.  It 
was  badly  damasred  by  fire  on  February  12. 
1897,  but  was  promptly  repaired.  Rev.  W.  B. 
Dunham  serveti  as  pastor  of  the  mission  from 
1892  to  1S99.  On  :\lareli  12.  1901.  duriiijr  the 
ministry  of  C.  L.  Luc:is,  tiie  [iresent  West 
Washington  Street  Church  was  orjranized. 
Mr.  Lueas  served  till  1903;  J.  C.  Christie. 
1903  to  1907;  F.  W.  Kirkpatrick,  1908  to 
date.  The  church  has  140  members  and  the 
Sunday  school  200. 

The  Xinth  Presbyterian  Chureh  orieinated 
in  a  mission  at  Xorth  and  Railroad  sti'eets. 
started  by  the  First  Church  in  July,  1870. 
Railroad  .street  was  then  the  third  street  east 
of  East  street.  The  ^Methodists  had  had  a 
mis.sion  there,  known  as  "the  Saw-mill  ]Mis- 
sion'',  but  abandoned  it.  The  property  was 
|)urchased  and  donated  liy  James  W^.  Brown, 
and  the  leaders  in  the  mission  work  were 
Cen.  Beni.  TIarri«on,  Dr.  C.  C.  Bui^ess,  Capl. 
E.  !'.  Tlowe  and  others.  On  February  18, 
1872,  the  .Xinth  Presbyterian  Church  was  or- 
jranized  with  14  members.  L.  Faye  Walker 
was  the  first  iiastor.  Tlie  eliurch  dissolved  in 
18S1  and  was  reor<;aiiized  as  a  coloi'ed  Pres- 
byterian eliurch  — the  only  one  in  the  city. 
The  ne\\-  oriianization  ])urchased  the  old  ITni- 
versalist  Chui-ch  on  the  north,  side  of  ]\Iichi- 
iran  east  of  'iV'nnessee,  and  moved  there  in 
1881.  In  the  winter  of  1907  the  buildinir  was 
condemned  by  the  city  autiiorities  as  unsafe, 
and  in  January,  1908,  it  was  sold,  and  later 
torn  down.     The  cony'reyation  tlien  purelinsed 


"i.  e..  Ohio  and  Ilanlini;'  streets.  The 
streets  west  of  the  river  at  that  time  were 
named  without  regard  to  those  ea.st  of  the 
river,  though  the  names  were  in  several  cases 

tb<'  same. 


588 


HISTORY  OF  GEEATER  IXDIANAPOLIS. 


property  at  Senate  avenue  and  Fourteenth 
street,  which  was  remodeled  and  occupied  in 
December.  1909. 

In  the  winter  of  1869-70  the  session  of 
Second  Church  decided  to  eomiiieniorate  the 
reunion  of  the  two  .schools  by  a  new  mission. 
On  itarch  17,  1870,  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed which  purchased  a  lot  at  the  south- 
west corner  of  Bellefoutaine  and  Christian 
Avenue.  A  chapel  was  built  there  and  dedi- 
cated on  ]\Iay  8.  The  mission  was  rather  un- 
successful, and  there  was  talk  of  abandoniutr 
it,  but  on  October  13,  1870,  tlie  session  of 
Second  Church  decided  to  oo  on,  and  the 
woi'k  was  put  in  charge  of  the  Young  ^Men's 
Association  of  the  church.  The  work  was 
pushed  with  vigor,  and,  in  the  spring  of  1878, 
forty  members  having  expressed  a  desire  to 
unite  in  a  nev.-  church,  tlie  Tenth  Presby- 
terian, or  ^Memorial  Churcli  was  constituted 
on  March  12.  Rev.  11.  A.  Edson  was  released 
as  pastor  of  the  Second  Church  and  began 
service  with  ^Memorial  in  April.  Property  for 
a  permanent  church  was  bought  soon  after, 
at  Christian  and  Ash  (Eleventh  and  Ash- 
lancFi,  and  the  corner-stone  was  laid  on  April 
7,  1874.  The  chapel  was  opened  for  services 
on  March  7,  1875.  'Mr.  Edson  remained  witli 
the  church  for  twenty  years  and  retired 
chiefly  on  account  of  illness  in  his  family. 
He  is  a  man  of  broad  culture,  educated  at 
Williams  College  and  the  University  of  Halle. 
He  held  but  three  charges— at  Niagara  Falls 
and  the  Second  and  ^Memorial  Churches  here. 
The  last  is  a  memorial  to  him  as  well  as  to 
Presbyterian  I'eunion,  for  his  long  devotion 
made  it  a  success.  He  has  another  memorial 
in  our  public  library  which  was  largely  a  re- 
sult of  Thanksgiving  sennon  preached  by 
him  on  November  26,  1868.  His  successor  at 
^femorial  Chui-cli  was  Rev.  Frank  O.  Ballard. 
D.D.,  the  present  incumbent.  The  church 
had  a  narrow  escape  from  destructicm  by  fire 
on  November  22.  1908,  but  the  damage  was 
fully  covered  by  insurance.  The  church  now 
has  652  members,  and  the  Sunday  school  600. 

The  Eleventh  Presbyterian  Church,  now 
kmnvn  as  Ti'oub  ^lemorial.  was  organized 
April  18.  1875.  under  the  Home  ^lissions 
Connnittee  of  the  Presbytery  of  Indianapolis, 
with  37  members.  The  pastors,  from  the  or- 
ganization, have  been  C.  A.  Quir(>ll  9  months, 
B.  F.  Woods  1  year.  W.  B.   Chamberlain  4 


years,  C.  H.  Raymond  2  years,  N.  S.  Dickey 
1  year,  Samuel  Sawyer  1  year  6  months,  John 
IMcComb  1  year  6  months,  J.  T.  Orton  3 
years,  M.  ]M.  Xawson  7  years  3  months,  Vic- 
tor Demaree  2  months.  Geo.  B.  Troub  2  years, 
3  months,  \Vm.  C.  Logan  since  November  17, 

1907.  The  name  of  the  churcli  was  changed 
to  Olive  Street  Presbyterian  Churcli  on  April 
15,  1887,  the  church  then  being  on  Olive 
Street  north  of  Willow.  The  present  build- 
ing is  at  Cottage  and  Edgewood.  The  name 
was  changed  to  Troul)  ^Memorial  on  ^larch  11, 

1908,  in  memory  of  Rev.  Geo.  B.  Troub,  who 
was  killed  by  a  Shelby  street  car  on  August 
29,  1907,  while  riding  on  his  bicycle  from  the 
new  site  to  the  old  one. 

The  Twelfth  Presbyterian  Church  was  the 
outgrowth  of  a  mission  established  July  25, 
1869.  by  several  young  men  from  the  Pres- 
byterian churches,  who  rented  for  the  pur- 
pose an  old  building  on  West  Street  near 
Georgia  that  liad  been  originally  a  soldiers' 
barracks.  The  young  men  in  charge  of  the 
Sunday  school  — Henry  D.  Carlisle,  P.  L. 
Mayhew,  R.  D.  Craighead,  Leroy  W.  Braden, 
and  Charles  ^Meigs— also  conducted  religious 
services  and  did  some  preaching.  In  1874. 
largely  throu>;h  the  assistance  of  Thos.  D. 
Ki)igan.  funds  were  raised  to  buy  a  lot :  and 
in  1875  a  chapel  was  erected  on  Maryland 
street,  west  of  West  street.  On  June  14, 
1876,  the  Twelfth  Presbyterian  Church  was 
organized  with  14  members.  Rev.  E.  L. 
Williams  was  the  first  pastor.  In  1909  the 
church  had  90  members  and  50  in  the  Sun- 
day school.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  Wm. 
A.  Hendriekson. 

In  1877  the  Second  Church  started  a  mis- 
sion in  the  Exposition  Building  on  the  old 
State  Fair  grounds.  It  grew  and  in  1881  a 
new  home  was  needed.  A  lot  was  purchased 
on  Delaware  north  of  Seventeenth,  and  a 
chapel  was  erected  and  occupied  on  December 
25,  1881.  The  expense,  about  $3,300,  was  met 
by  contributions  from  members  of  the  Sec- 
ond Church  and  the  Peck  fund.  This  organi- 
zation has  been  erroneously  called  the  Thir- 
teenth Presbyterian  Church,  but  it  was  only 
a  mission  Sunday  school.  The  property  was 
sold  in  1892  to  the  Fourth  Church,  which  oc- 
cupied it  until  1895:  and  also  occupied  the 
field  of  the  school. 

East      Wasliiu'jton      Street       Presln-terian 


HISTORY  OF  CxREATEE  INDIAXAPOIJS. 


589 


Church  was  organized  February  22,  1888.  It 
was  a  development  from  a  Presbyterian  mis- 
sion which  liad  erected  a  ehapel  on  Washing- 
ton street,  between  State  street  and  Arsenal 
avenue,  which  was  dedicated  on  September  4, 
1887.  The  pastors  in  charge  liave  been  K. 
P.  Whallon.  December  1.  1887.  to  :\Iarch. 
1889 ;  T.  N.  Todd,  July,  1889,  to  July,  1891 ; 
F.  C.  Hood,  September  15,  1891,  to  October, 
1896;  A.  L.  Hossler.  March  3,  1897.  to  :\rarch. 
1898;  Alexander  T^rquhart,  August.  1898,  to 
November.  1900:  F.  C.  Hood.  :March,  1901, 
to  Julj-,  1907;  H.  C.  Calhoun,  January  1, 
1908,  to  date.  The  church  has  a  membershii) 
of  225,  and  the  Sunday  school  of  300. 

Home  Presbyterian  Church,  at  Thirty-fii-st 
and  Rader  streets.  North  Indianapolis,  was 
organized  February  7,  1897;  and  the  church 
building  was  dedicated  on  September  16. 
1900.  The  pastors  in  charge  have  been  David 
Van  Dvke,  1897-8 :  E.  C.  Trimble.  1898-9 :  J. 
E.  Brown.  1899-190.3:  A.  L.  Duncan.  1903-6; 
Frank  B.  Stearns.  1906-7;  Geo.  D.  Adamson, 
August  1,  1907,  to  date.  It  is  a  prosperous 
organization,  with  221  members  in  the  church 
and  250  in  the  Sunday  school. 

Grace  Presbyterian  Church,  at  Capitol  ave- 
nue and  Thirty-Second  street,  was  organized 
September  26.  1897.  Th(>  corner-stone  of  the 
building  was  laid  on  September  26,  1898,  and 
it  was  dedicated  on  December  10,  1899.  The 
pastors  have  been  Walter  ^I.  Elliott,  October 
9,  1898,  to  September  12.  1900;  R.  C.  Hunt, 
December  10,  1900,  to  December,  1901 ;  C.  A. 
Foreman,  Januam-  11.  1902.  to  September  3, 
1908;  E.  S.  :\rarshall.  January  1,  1909,  to 
date.  The  church  now  has  150  members  and 
the  Sunday  school  200.  This  church  has  al- 
ready developed  a  mission.  The  prospective 
fa.shionable  suburb  of  Meridian  Heights  had 
a  union  Sunday  school  for  several  years, 
which  wa.s  discontinued  early  in  1906.  In 
response  to  a  call  from  the  neighborhood  it 
was  revived  in  August.  1906.  under  the  care 
of  Grace  Church.-  In  the  fall  of  1908.  the 
school  house  at  Central  avenue  and  Forty- 
Sixth  street,  where  it  had  been  held,  was 
found  inadequate  and  a  movement  was 
started  for  a  church  building.  Silas  Johnson 
donated  a  lot  at  Park  avenue  and  Forty- 
Seventh  street,  and  a  committee  from  First 
Church  raised  funds  for  a  building.  A  for- 
mal church  organization  was  made  on  ^farch 


15,  1909,  and  the  new  building  was  dedicated 
on  November  14,  1909. 

Sutlierland  Presbyterian  Church,  at  Twen- 
ty-eighth and  Bellefontaine  streets,  was  or- 
ganized in  July.  1908.  It  is  a  growth  from 
a  mission  Sunday  school  and  Christian  En- 
deavor Society  that  were  established  bj' 
Memorial  Church  five  years  earlier.  The  First 
Church  has  contributed  largeh'  to  the  sup- 
poi't  of  this  organization,  it.s  donations  includ- 
ing the  lot  and  building,  which  was  erected  in 
1905.  The  chui-ch  has  64  membej-s,  and  there 
are  150  in  the  Sunday  school.  Rev.  William 
Carson,  the  present  pastor,  has  been  the  only 
one  in  charge. 

Irvington  Presbytei-ian  Church  was  organ- 
ized in  June,  1906.  The  corner-stone  of  the 
building,  at  John.son  and  Julian  avenues, 
was  laid  in  April.  1908,  and  the  church  was 
dedicated  in  December  of  the  same  year. 
Jonathan  C.  Day  has  been  the  only  pastor. 
The  church  has  240  members,  and  150  in  the 
Sunday  school. 

The  United  Presbyterians  have  been  repre- 
sented in  Indianapolis  for  three  score  years, 
their  first  church  having  been  built  in  1849. 
The  earlv  ]instors  were  J.  C.  Steele,  1849-53; 
Samuel  Wallace.  1854-8;  Gilbert  Small,  1860- 
7;  A.  W.  Clokey.  1868-9.  In  1869  the  church 
went  to  pieces,  and  remained  so  until  1872, 
when  it  was  reoi-ganized  and  still  continues  as 
the  First  I'nited  Presbyterian  Church.  The 
present  building  of  this  church  is  at  Park 
avenue  and  Twenty-second  street,  and  before 
locating  there  it  was  at  Massachusetts  ave- 
nue and  I]ast  street.  The  pastors  since  the 
reorganization  have  been  J.  h.  Clark,  1872-5; 
H.  G.  McVev,  1875-6;  J.  P.  Cowan,  1880-92; 
J.  A.  Litteil,  1893-1900:  C.  M.  Lawrence, 
1900-5;  D.  G.  :\rcKay.  1906-8;  G.  L.  Brown, 
1909  to  date.  The  church  is  in  a  prosperous 
condition,  as  are  also  the  other  two  churches 
(if  this  denomination  in  the  citj'. 

Woodruff  Avenue  T'nited  Presbyterian 
Church  is  located  at  Arsenal  avenue  and 
Twelfth  street.  It  was  organized  November 
21,  1892,  and  Rev.  J.  P.  Cowan.  D.D.,  has 
been  its  pastor  from  the  start.  Dr.  Cowan  is 
the  "oldest  inhabitant"  among  the  protest- 
ant  ministei-s  of  the  city,  having  come  here 
in  1880  as  pastor  of  First  Church,  and  re- 
mained ever  since.  He  is  a  native  Iloosier, 
born  in  Rush  county  in  1847.     He  was  edu- 


.j!tO 


ILISTUKV  Ui''  liKEATElt  1M)L\XAP0L1S. 


(•;it('(l  at  ]\Iiaiiii  riiiversity  and  Xenia  Theolog- 
ical Seminary.  His  lirst  pastorate  was  at  Des 
Moines,  Iowa,  after  which  he  came  here.  Dr. 
Cowan  was  moderator  of  the  General  Assem- 
bly of  the  United  Presbyterian  Chiircli  in 
]  908 :  and  has  served  as  a  member  of  the 
l-Joard  of  Managers  of  Xenia  Seminary  since 
ISS:?.      For    twentv-two    years    he    has    been 


Seci'etary-Treasurer  of  the  Indianapolis  ]Min- 
isters'  Association.  The  other  church  of  this 
denomination — AYitherspoon  United  Presby- 
terian Church— has  a  coloi'ed  congregation. 
It  was  organized  April  30,  1907,  and  is  lo- 
cated at  712  N.  West  street.  C.  W.  McColl 
was  pastor  in  1907-8.  and  D.  F.  AVhite,  the 
|)resent  pastor,  followed  him  in  1909. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 


THE  CIirifCllES   (Continued) 


'I'lir  Methodists  uu(|uesti()iial)ly  luiil  ihr 
first  I't'licrious  orjranizatiou  in  Indianapolis. 
whicli  was  a  "elass"'  that  met  at  Isa;ic  Wil- 
son's cabin  in  1821.  The  okl  ^NFethodist  Disci- 
pline defines  a  eluirch,  or  "society",  as  it  was 
formerly  called,  as  "a  •company  of  men  hav- 
ing- the  form  and  seeking-  the  power  of  godli- 
ness, united  in  in-der  to  pray  together,  to  re- 
ceive the  word  of  exhortation,  and  to  watch 
over  one  another  in  love,  that  they  may  help 
eacli  otlii'r  to  work  out  their  salvation".  Tliis 
would  seem  to  apply  to  a  "class'",  but  a  class 
is  by  the  same  Discipline  a  subdivision  of  a 
church  or  society,  for  special  purposes.  Of 
course  there  might  be  only  one  class  in  a 
church,  but  the  two  are  distinct.  In  the  fall 
of  1821  William  Ci-avens  was  delegated  In- 
tlie  ]\Iissouri  Conference,  to  which  Indiaii.-i 
belonged,  to  oi'ganize  a  circuit,  with  Indian- 
apolis as  a  station,  and  did  so.  It  is  quilr 
probable  that  stewards  were  elected  soon 
after,  but  the  records  are  not  preserved,  and 
there  is  no  definite  information  as  to  this. 
The  first  chui'ch  buildim;-— they  were  always 
called  "chapels"  initil  some  years  after  tin- 
Civil  War- was  built  in  1823.  In  1824  tli.- 
Missouri  Conference  was  divided;  and  Illi- 
nois Conference  was  formed,  comjjosed  of 
Illinois  and  Indiana  Districts.  Indianapolis 
remained  a  circuit  station  imtil  1828,  when  il 
became  a  separate  charue  with  a  "stationed 
preacher". 

In  this  earliest  |)eriod.  the  pastors,  or  cii-- 
enit  preachers,  were  William  (^ravens,  1821  ; 
James  Scott.  1822:  Jesse  Ilaile  and  Georgi' 
Horn,  1823:  John  ^Miller.  1824:  Thomas  Ilew- 
son.  1825:  Edwin  Ray.  182() :  Xehemiah  B. 
(Iriffith.  1827.  The  pi-e.siding  elders  (now 
called  district  siipei'intendents)  were  Samuel 
Hamilton,   1822:  William   Beauchamp,  1823: 

.59: 


•loliii  Strange,  1824-11.  These  were  mostly 
strong  frontier  preachers — men  who  were  en- 
grossed in  their  work,  enduring  its  extreme 
hardshi])s  gladly,  and  usually  sacrificing  their 
lives,  for  though  they  were  comparatively 
voung  men,  William  Beauchamp  died  in 
1824;  Edwin  Rav  in  1831;  John  Strange  in 
1833 ;  N.  B.  (iriffith  in  1834.  Beauchamp  was 
a  notable  oratcn- — sometimes  called  "the 
Demosthenes  of  the  West",  — and  of  literary 
ability.  He  was  for  some  time  editor  of  the 
Western  Christian  Monitor,  published  at 
Chillicothe,  the  only  Methodist  paper  at  the 
time;  and  published  a  volume.  "Essays  on  the 
Truth  of  Christianity".  But  of  all  of  them 
John  Sti-anue  was  easily  first  in  oratorical 
powei'.  and  his  utter  devotion  to  his  ^Master's 
cause  made  him  almost  an  ob.ject  of  adora- 
tion. He  refused  to  acce])t  as  a  present  from 
a  friend  a  house  and  lot.  because  if  he  did  he 
could  no  longer  sing : 

"Xo  foot  of  land  do  1  possess. 
No  eottasre  in  the  wilderness." 

Hi'  swayed  audiences  alunist  at  will.  Says 
Smith:  "B.v  his  sudden  exclamations  he 
would  thrill  a  whole  congregation  as  by  a 
shock  of  electricity.  Sometimes  when  speak- 
ing of  (iod's  love  to  man  in  the  redemption 
of  the  world,  the  .ioys  of  Chri.st's  great  salva- 
tion, the  glory  of  heaven,  his  sold  would  bo 
filled  with  such  heavenly  rajdure  that  he 
would  exclaim  in  his  pecidiar  voice,  'Alleluia! 
Alh'luia  I  Alhluial'  when  the  people  would 
catch  the  spirit,  and  from  i'V(>ry  part  of  the 
congiv'gation  shouts  of  praise  would  ascend 
to  heaven.  Sometimes,  when  portraying  the 
torments  of  those  shut  \\]i  in  the  prison-house 
of   hell,    and    describinu:     tin-     wicked     as     in 


,■592 


HISTOIJY  OF  GKEATEE  INDIANAPOLIS. 


crowds  they  urgt'd  their  way  down  to  black- 
ness and  darkness,  the  sinners  in  the  congre- 
gation wonld  scream  out,  crying  for  mercy. 
Seizing  upon  the  occasion,  ilr.  Strange  would 
exclaim,  in  his  inimitable  way,  "A  center  shot, 
my  Lord;  load  and  tire  again!"  The  back- 
woods hunters  knew  well  how  to  apply  such 
expressions.    *     *     * 

"His  powers'  of  description  wei-e  of  the 
finest  order.  He  could  so  describe  a  scene 
that  you  would  seem  to  behold,  in  undimmed 
light,  that  which  he  was  portraying.  When 
he  was  preaching  the  funeral  sermon  of  Rev. 
Edwin  Kay,  in  Indianapolis,  toward  the  close 
of  the  discourse,  while  describing  the  second 
coming  of  Christ,  his  bringing  with  him  'them 
that  sleep  in  Jesus',  descending  'in  the 
clouds  of  heaven',  he  stood  erect  for  a  mo- 
ment, then,  looking  upward,  cried  out.  'AVhere 
is  Edwin  Ray?'  Still  looking  ujiward,  he 
said,  'I  see  him;  I  see  him!"  and  then  with 
both  hands  raised  as  if  welcoming  him,  he  ex- 
claimed, in  a  voice  that  seemed  to  go  up  to 
the  clouds,  'Hail,  Edwin!  Hail,  Edwin!  Hail, 
Edwin ! '  The  effect  upon  the  congregation 
will  never  be  forgotten  by  those  who  heart! 
that  sermon  and  felt  the  power.'"' 

The  obvious  fact  is  that  John  Strange  w-as 
a  great  natural  actor,  nnconseious  of  it  per- 
haps, but  nevertheless  an  artist  of  the  high- 
est type.  And  he  loved  Edwin  Ray.  They 
had  had  their  little  clash  not  long  before.  The 
village  belle,  the  tavern-keeper's  daughter, 
had  been  converted  at  a  revival  in  the  little 
log  church.  She  was  active  in  her  church 
duties,  but  she  retained  her  worldly  dress, 
with  ruffles,  flounces,  ribbons  and  rings,  in 
.spite  of  remonstrances  from  her  class  leader 
and  sisters  in  the  church.  Then  the  young 
preacher  was  instruct'Cd  to  visit  and  rebuke 
her.  He  went  and  in  a  few  weeks  called  on 
John  Sti'ange,  the  presiding  elder,  to  consult 
him  about  his  marriage.  "To  whom?"  asked 
Strange.  "To  Sallie  Nowland, "  meekly  re- 
plied Ray.  "Sallie  Xowland!  Sallie  Now- 
land !  It  will  never  do  in  the  world.  "NAThj', 
she  is  not  even  entitled  to  a  ticket  to  love 
feast:  and  if  you  had  done  your  duty  yon 
would  have  turned  her  out  of  meeting  long 
ago.     She  wears  a  high-head  bonnet,  ruffles. 


^W.   C.   Smith's  Indiana    Miscellany,    pp. 
154-6. 


rings,  flounces  and  furbelows— no,  you  can 
never  have  my  consent.  Brother  Ray."  "But 
I  did  not  come  to  ask  your  consent.  Brother 
Strange ;  only  to  consult  you,  as  the  discipline 
requires.  I  intend  to  marry  Sallie  Nowland, 
luffles,  rings,  flounces  and  all,  and  I  now  ask 
you  to  marry  us  next  Wednesday,"  answered 
the  young  pastor.  And  John  Strange  mar- 
i-ied  them ;  but  he  did  not  live  to  know  that 
the  ornate  convert  lived  to  an  old  age  of  good 
works  despite  her  dress;  and  that  her  son 
John  W.  Ray,  maintained  the  standard  of 
.Methodism  long  after  she  was  gone. 

The  first  of  the  stationed  preachers  was 
James  Armstrong,  in  1828;  and  following 
him,  until  the  division  of  the  charge  in  1842, 
came  T.  S.  Hitt,  1829-30;  Benj.  C.  Stevenson 
1831  (died);  James  Havens,  1831;  C.  W. 
Ruter,  1832-3:  Edwa^-d  R.  Ames.  1834;  J.  C. 
Smith,  1835;  Anunistus  Eddv,  1836;  J.  C. 
Smith.  1837;  Allen  Wiley,  1838-9;  W.  H. 
(ioode,  1840-1.  The  presiding  elders,  after 
John  Strange,  were  Allen  Wilev,  1829-31; 
John  Strange,  1832;  Allen  Wiley,  1833; 
James  Havens,  1833-6 ;  Augustus  Eddy,  1837- 
9 ;  James  Havens,  1840-2.  These  were  all 
strong  men— men  whose  names  are  treasured 
in  the  annals  of  Indiana  Methodism.  Father 
Havens,  Allen  Wiley  and  John  Strange  are 
hei'oes  of  an  hundred  stories.  Allen  Wile.y 
was  one  of  the  most  learned  of  them  all.  He 
was  self-taught  but  he  was  one  of  the  most 
proficient  Latin,  Greek  and  Hebrew  scholars 
in  the  West.  W.  H.  Goode  was  a  man  of 
culture,  and  served  later  as  principal  of  the 
New  Albany  Seminary  and  of  the  government 
academy  for  the  Choctaws,  at  Fort  Coft'ee. 
.\ngustus  Eddy  was  called  to  Indianapolis  as 
post  chaplain  during  the  civil  war.  Benj.  C. 
Stevenson,  a  -young  man  of  much  promise, 
died  before  actually  entering  on  his  work  in 
this  charge.  Edward  R.  Ames  is  better 
known  to  the  country  as  Bishop  Ames.  John 
C.  Smith  was  a  forcible  preacher,  and  the 
author  of  a  volume  "Reminiscences  of  Early 
^lethodism  in  Indiana".  He  passed  his  later 
years  in  Indianapolis.  It  was  during  his 
pastorate,  in  the  spring  of  1838,  that  "the 
great  revival"  occurred  in  old  Wesley  Chapel, 
which  resulted  in  265  additions  to  the  church. 
Among  the  converts  were  IMorris  Morris, 
Austin  AV.  ^Morris,  Jesse  Jones,  James  Yohn, 
Samuel  Beck,  Henry  Tutewiler,  Judge  Wick, 


IIISTOKV   OK  (JltEATF.n    1  XDIAXAI'OI.IS. 


593 


Win.  Jhinnaiiian.  and  otliurs  that  it  is  hai-dly 
]>()ssiljle  to  think  of  as  ever  univjrent'i-atc  — 
they  v.-civ  fatliers  in  Israel  so  lonj;. 

The  Methodists  worshipiied  in  a  hewed  log 
liuilding  on  the  south  side  of  Maryland  street, 
at  the  alley  between  ^feridian  and  Illinois 
streets,  from  l.S"J5  to  1829.  Then  they  ereetetl 
ii  bi'iek  ehui'eh  at  the  southwest  eorner  of 
('irele  and  ^Meridian  sti'eets.  whieh  they  oeeu- 
]iied  until  1846,  when  the  walls  cracked,  and 
it  was  torn  down  and  rephieed  by  a  more 
substantial  building,  which  still  stands,  re- 
modeled as  a  business  block.     The  first  brick 


J.  P.  Lindernum,  1853;  J.  II.  Noble,  1854-5; 
James  Hill.  1856-7:  E.  T.  Fletcher,  1858-9; 
C.  D.  Battelle.  1860-1:  S.  T.  Gillett,  1862-3; 
Wm.  McK.  Hester,  1864-6;  Chas.  X.  Sims, 
1867-9;  R.  Andrus.  1870.  The  presiding 
elders  were  James  Havens,  1842-3:  Lucien  "W. 
Berry.  1844-5:  Edward  R.  Ames,  1846-9:  C. 
\V.  Kuter.  18.50:  James  Havens.  1851:  B.  F. 
Crarv.  1852-5:  AVm.  C.  Smith.  1856-9:  James 
II.  Noble,  1860-1:  James  Hill,  1862-5:  S.  T. 
(iillett,  1866-7:  B.  F.  Rawlins.  1868-70.  A 
part  of  the.se  have  been  mentioned.  Lucien 
W.   Berry   was  a   notable    man.    both    as    a 


THK    THIRD    WESLKY    CH.XPKL.    HUll.T    1S4G. 
(Fi-om    an    old    cut.) 


church  cost  $3,000;  the  second  $10.1)00.  In 
1842  the  conference  divided  Indianapolis  sta- 
tion into  two  charges,  making  Mei'idian  street 
the  dividing  line:  and  the  .Methodists  east  of 
it  formed  Koberts  chapel.  In  1S45  the  west- 
ei'ii  cliai-ge  was  again  divided.  Wesley  chaiiel 
remaining  as  the  central  charge.  whil(> 
Strange  chapel  was  built  for  the  Mcthnilists 
vvesl   of  the  canal. 

The  pastoi's  of  Weslev  f'ha|>('l  lo  1870  were 
Lucien  W.  Berry,  1842-3:  AV.  W.  Hibhen, 
1844:  Wm.  V.  Daniels,  1845-6:  F.  ('.  Holli- 
dav.  1847-8:  J.  S.  Bavless.  1849:  B.  F.  ("rary. 
1850;  AV.  C.  Smith.  1851:  John  Keariis.  1852; 
Vol.  1—38 


preacher  and  an  educatoi'.  He  was  made 
pi-esident  of  Asbury  I'niversity  in  1849,  to 
succeed  Dr.  Simpson.  He  remained  there  five 
years  and  then  resisrned.  AVithin  a  year  he 
was  elected  president  of  Iowa  Wesleyan  Uni- 
versity. From  tliei'e  he  was  calle(l  to  the 
presidency  of  the  .Methodist  college  at  Jetfei-- 
son  City,  whei-e  he  died  the  next  year.  July 
23.  18.58.  S.  T.  (iillett,  "the  sailor  preacher", 
was  always  a  great  favorite  in  Indiainipolis, 
whei'c  he  resided  many  years.  Fnrthiir  no- 
tice of  him  will  be  found  in  the  chaiitc^i- 
"Some  Old  Time  Religion". 

])i'.  Sims  was  in  the  Ihish  nl'  inanhodd  when 


594 


IllSTOKV   OK   GHKATKU  l.\  DIAXAl'Ol.lS. 


he  came  to  Indianapolis  in  1867.  He  M'as 
born  in  I'nion  County.  Indiana,  and  had  not 
sei'ved  outside  of  Indiana  at  that  time.  Gradu- 
ating- at  Asbnry  (now  De  Pauw)  in  1859,  he 
served  as  principal  of  the  Thorntown  Acad- 
emy for  some  months,  and,  in  1860.  accepted 
the  presidency  of  Valparaiso  College.  In 
1862  he  went  to  Richmond.  Indiana,  as  a  pas- 
tor— then  to  AVahash.  I^vansville.  Indianapo- 
lis. On  leaviuL''  here  in  18611  hr  went  to  ^ladi- 
son  Avenue  ('hnrcli,  Broi)klyn;  then  to  St. 
Paul's,  Newark:  and  Brooklyn  and  Summer- 
field  chni-ches.  Brooklyn.  On  November  17, 
1880.  he  became  Chancellor  of  Syracuse  Uni- 
versity and  I'cmained  there  for  thirteen  yeai-s. 
resigniuii'  in  189.'>  to  return  to  his  old  church 
at  Indiana|)olis  for  five  years  longer.  He 
built  U|)  Syi'acuse  T^niversity  to  a  great  insti- 
tution, inci-easinu  its  assets  from  $350,000  in 
1880  to  .•^1.800.()()0  in  189.S:  and  the  number 
of  its  students  fi-om  3(10  to  900  in  th(>  same 
time. 

lie  urged  on  the  p(>(ii)le  of  AYcsley  Chapel 
tlu'  need  of  a  new  chui-ch  building,  and  in 
18(i9  a  lot  was  |iurch;ised  at  the  southwest 
corner  of  ^Feridian  and  New  York  streets  and 
the  corner  stone  of  the  new  building  was  laid. 
With  the  parsonage,  it  cost  +100.000.  It  was 
dedicated  on  Decemljer  10.  1871.  ^leainvhile 
the  congregation  worshi|)]>cd  in  the  old  Uni- 
vei'salist  Church,  on  tln'  noith  side  of  ]\Iiehi- 
gan  street,  between  Illinois  and  Capitol  ave- 
nue. Here  ^Mr.  Sims  diil  some  of  his  most 
effective  preaching.  People  did  not  think  of 
him  as  an  orator—  he  was  so  natural  in  his 
speech— but  he  had  an  exquisite  gift  of 
pathos.  One  series  of  four  evening  sermons 
at  this  place,  on  the  crucifixion  and  the  scenes 
lea<ling  to  if.  will  never  be  fortiotteu  by  those 
\vho  heard  them.  He  was  called  ba'-lc  to  In- 
dianapolis in  1893  an<l  remained  till  1898. 
when  he  w,ent  to  the  First  Jlethodist  Church 
at  Syracu.se  and  remained  thei-e  luitil  1906. 
On  account  of  failins;  health  he  tiien  rcsi<jncd 
and  retired  to  his  farm  near  Liberty,  in  rnion 
County:  from  which  he  came  for  .some  months 
to  ;u>t  as  H(>ld  seci-etary  for  the  ^lethodist 
Hospital  at  Indianapolis.  He  died  at  his 
farm  home  on  March  27.  1908:  and  impres- 
sive memorial  services  were  held  for  him  at 
.Alei'idian  Street  Church  on  :\Iaivh  29. 

'I'he  name  of  the  church  had  been  cliauL'cd 
from     Weslev     Chaiiel     to     ]\[eridian     Street 


Church  in  1869;  and  the  new  building  was  oc- 
cupied until  November  17.  1904.  wlu'u  it  was 
desti'oyed  by  fire.  It  was  then  decided  to 
move  farther  north,  and  the  present  property 
at  the  northwest  corner  of  ;Meridian  and  St. 
Clair  streets  was  ])urchased  for  $40,000,  anil 
the  corner-stone  of  the  new  church  was  laid 
on  November  30,  1905.  The  Sunday  school 
room  was  completed  and  occupied  on  August 
19.  1906.  Like  its  predecessor  it  is  of  stone. 
While  it  was  building  the  church  services 
were  held  first  in  the  Propylaeum,  and  later 
in  Caleb  ilills  Hall.  In  addition  to  the  main 
iiudience  room  and  Sunday  school  room  the 
building  has  a  ladies'  parlor,  six  class  rooms, 
pastor's  study,  with  boy's  club  room,  kitchen 
and  dining  room  in  the  basement.  Its  cost, 
aside  from  the  ground,  was  .$125,000. 

Since  the  change  of  name  to  Meridian 
Street,  the  pastors,  in  addition  to  ]\Ir.  Sims. 
have  been  Bishop  Thomas  Bowman  (supplv^, 
1870:  Reuben  Andrus,  1870-1;  H.  R.  Nayfor. 
1872-4:  G.  D.  Watson.  1875-6;  Stephen  Bow- 
ers (supplvi.  1877;  W.  C.  Webb,  1877-9:  H. 
J.  Talbott,  1880-2:  John  Alaba.ster,  1883-4; 
J.  E.  (iilbert,  1885-8:  H.  A.  Cleaveland,  1888- 
93:  Charles  N.  Sims,  1893-8;  Wm.  A.  Quavle. 
1898-1901 ;  Jo.shua  Stansfield,  1901  to  date. 
These  were  all  able  jtreaehei's.  ^Ir.  Quayle  is 
also  quite  widely  known  as  a  lecturer  and 
essayist.  Br.  Stansfield  was  called  here  from 
Bay  City.  ^Michigan.  He  is  an  Englishman  l)y 
birth,  and  it  is  a  notable  coincidence  that  two 
other  of  the  older  Indianapolis  pulpits— Rob- 
erts Park  and  the  Second  Presbyterian — are 
also  occupied  by  men  of  English  birth.  At 
jiresent  the  chui'ch  has  753  members  and  609 
in  the  Sunday  school.  In  jiassing,  it  may  be 
noted  that,  on  July  12.  1909.  the  north  spire 
of  the  church  was  struck  by  lightning,  during 
a  remarkable  electrical  stoi'm.  but  no  damage 
was  done  beyond  knocking  off  a  numbei'  of 
the  tiles. 

When  IndiaJiapolis  station  was  divided  by 
the  conference,  on  October  19.  1842,  it  had 
about  600  members;  and  some  60  members  at 
the  northwest  of  the  city  were  added  to  the 
castei-n  charge,  to  eiiualize  the  two.  John  S. 
Bayless  was  assigned  to  the  new  charge,  and 
Mhen  he  came  he  announced  that  he  was  go- 
in<;  to  pi'eaeh  if  he  had  to  do  it  in  the  market- 
house.  He  was  spared  this,  for  the  eourt- 
house  was  secured  for  Sundavs,  and  the  so- 


iiisTouN'  OK  (;i;i'..\Ti;i:  imhanai'oi.is. 


595 


ciiil  iiieetiiiirs  (if  the  cliuieli  wcro  lu'ld  at  pri- 
vate resideiioi's.  At  tlic  first  (iiiartcrly  con- 
fiMviicf.  on  Di'cfiiilici-  "^4.  \SV2.  Saiimcl  Beck, 
Andrew  Hi-oiisc.  ilenry  Brown.  Samuel  (iolds- 
lieiiy  and  .(olm  !•'.  Ilill  were  cleeted  trustees 
and  action  was  tai^eii  tin-  a  clnircli  building. 
A  lot  was  purchased  at  the  northeast  corner 
of  I'ennsylvania  and  ^Market  streets  for 
;!!l.:iUO.  and  in  the  s|)i-in!i-  of  lcS4:?  tlie  corner- 
stone was  laid  hy  Dr.  Matthew  Sinipson. 
President  of  Ashui-y  I'niversity.  who  also 
dedicated  it  in  Au<,nist.  184().  'i'iie  basement 
was  finished  and  occupied  in  the  spi-iu'':  of 
iS43.  The  buildina:  cost  $7,000.  and  the  main 
audience  room  seated  about  500.  The  church 
had  a  bell-tower  and  steeple:  and  l\e\'.  T.  .\. 
(Jiiodwin  says:  ""It  was  only  In-  the  sti'ata,y:em 
iif  desirini.''  a  place  for  a  town  clock,  and  l>y 
ut'ttinji'  subscriptions  for  that  s|)ecific  pur- 
pose, mostly  fi'om  non-members,  that  the  pas- 
tor could  overcome  the  .scruples  of  the  trus- 
tees enouirh  to  allow  a  cupola  u|)on  it.  There 
were  probably  not  ten  churches  with  cupolas 
in  the  state  at  that  time.'"-  Tn  fact,  however. 
tlir  town  clock  was  not  added  until  ten  years 
later,  and  was  i)aid  for  by  a  s|)eci<d  city  tax. 
But  a  bell  was  put  in  the  towei'  in  184<S.  and 
is  still  amontr  the  treasures  of  the  chur<'h. 

In  1843  the  church  was  named  IJoberts 
Chapel,  in  honor  of  Bishop  Robert  Riehfoi-d 
Koberts.  who  presided  at  the  conference  of 
1S42.  which  established  this  charee.  and  who 
died  on  March  2(>.  1843.  It  was  always  "a 
workine-  church"',  punctilious  in  its  class 
services,  and  strong:  in  revivals  and  missions. 
In  1848  .some  of  its  members  started  a  mis- 
sion Sunday  .school  in  the  Madison  Railroad 
depot,  which  developed  into,  and  was  organ- 
ized as  tlie  "Depot  Mission"  on  November 
17.  1849  — later  becominj:  Asbury  Chapel  — 
now  Fletcher  Place  Ciuirch.  In  18"):?  a  Sun- 
<lay  .school  was  organized  at  J.  \V.  D(Hsey"s 
tnidei'  direction  of  the  Roberts  Cha])el  (|uar- 
tPi-ly  conference.  which  devel(i|>ed  into 
"North  .Street",  later  "Trinity",  now  "Cen- 
tral Avenue"  church.  In  18G0  the  x\nies  In- 
stitute was  oi'iranized  by  younir  men  of  the 
Nb'thodist  Church  in  Indianajtolis.  and  did 
cNteiisive  mission  woi'k  in  the  city.  Two  ol 
its   schools    were     followed     li\-     Presbyterian 


churciies.  "Inilianola"  and  "Ninth":  and 
two  developed  into  .Methodist  churches, 
"Third  Street"— now  "Hall  Place",  and 
"Ames".  In  18()7  John  A.  Wilkins  was  ap- 
liointed  to  take  charue  of  a  mission  school 
which  the  Y.  'SI.  C.  .\.  had  stai'ted  in  Spief^el 
i^  Thoms"  chair  factory.  The  school  was  re- 
moved to  Wriuhts  Hall,  and  in  the  fall  of 
18fi8  was  organized  as  (irace  Church  by  mem- 
bers of  Roberts  Chapel. 

In  18(i8  the  <ild  church  was  sold  to  E.  B. 
Martindale  for  .$40,000.  reserving  the  bell. 
l)ulpit  and  seats.  The  trustees  purchased  .1 
lot  at  the  iiortheasl  corner  of  Vermont  and 
Delaware  streets  and.  within  30  days  from 
surrenderinir  the  old  buililin.ir.  erected  a 
"Tabernacle",  at  a  cost  of  $1.78.').  whii-h  was 
dedicated  Ausrust  P.  18()8.  by  Bishop  Thonuis 
Bowman,  'hen  pi'csident  of  .\sliiir,\"  Iniver- 
sity.  .Meanwhile  the  couiireeat ion  had  held 
theii-  Sunday  .services  in  Morrison's  Opera 
Hall,  and  their  weekly  services  in  Wesley 
Chap<'l.  On  May  14.  1870.  the  cornerstone 
of  the  new  church  was  laid,  and  in  that 
month  the  name  of  the  church  was  changed 
to  Roberts  Park.  The  Sniida>'  school  I'ooni 
was  completed  and  dedicated  on  Deceiubci'  2"). 
1S7(I.  The  main  buildine  was  finished  an<l 
dedicated  on  -Vueust  27.  I87(i.  The  <-ost  of 
the  huilding  and  gi-ounds  was  in  round  num- 
bers $140,000:  and  it  left  thi'  congri'iration 
with  .-1  debt  which  was  not  finally  dis|)osed  of 
until  1!I01.  when  a  jubili'e  was  held  in  com- 
memoi'atioTi  of  the  event.  Fm-  the  dedication 
Sarah  T.  Bolton  wrote  one  of  the  most  charm- 
inir  of  her  poems,  "The  Old  Bell",  begin- 
ning : 

"The|-e  lives  in  each  hell  — 

As  old  Icirends  tell 

A  beautiful   Spirit,  that    lauehs  and  sings. 

When  the  good  b(>ll   rings 

Merrily. 
But   sobs  and   si<jhs. 

.Vnd  troubles  the  air.  with   its  nmurnful  ericas 
When  the  bell   i-ings  drearily. 
If  so.  the  Sprite  in  the  ancient  bell. 
Whos"  voice  I'ose  and   fell 
To-day.  in  the  paths  of  azure  air. 
Calling  oui'   feet    to    the    Mouse   iif    P|-ayer. 
Has  a   stoi'\-  to  tell," 


-Tin     !•! rill ii' iini    nf     Ann  riiini     Milliinh 

k;. 


The   |)astors   of   Ihi'^ 
Bavless.  1842-4:  -b  hn 


ehni'ch    were   -lolm    S, 
..  Smith,  1844-():  Sam- 


596 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


iiel  T.  Gillett,  1840-8;  Geors-e  M.  Beswick, 
1848-9:  John  H.  Hall,  18-19-51;  William  Wil- 
son. 1851-3:  Samuel  T.  Cooper.  1853-4;  H.  N. 
Barnes,  1854-6 :  John  W.  T.  :Mc:\Iiillin,  1856- 
8;  Charles  W.  Miller.  1858-9;  William  Wil- 
son, 1859-61;  Jacob  Colclazer,  1861-3:  John 
V.  R.  Miller,  1863-5;  A.  S.  Kinnan,  1865-8; 
M.  H.  :\Iendenhall,  April-September.  1868; 
Fernando  C.  Holliday,  1868-71:  Gilbert  De 
La  Matyr,  1874-6 :  Jeremiah  H.  Bavliss.  1876- 
8 ;  S.  il.  Vernon.  1879-81 ;  Ross  C.  Houghton, 
1882-3:  I.  H.  McConnell.  1884-6:  S.  A.  Keen, 
1887-8 :  C.  A.  Van  Anda.  1889-92 :  T.  I.  Coul- 
tas,  1893-7:  C.  E.  Bacon.  1897-1903:  Albert 
Hurlstone,  1903  to  date.  Dr.  Hurlstone  is  of 
English  birth.  He  was  called  here  from  New 
Albany,  and  is  a  popular  and  efficient  minis- 
ter. Van  Anda  and  Coultas  were  polished 
speakers,  who  drew  from  the  general  public. 
Ross  C.  Houghton  made  a  tour  of  the  world 
with  Bishop  Harris,  and  was  suspected  of 
writing  "The  Bread  Winners",  but  proved 
an  alibi.  Jeremiah  H.  Bayliss  was  later  edi- 
tor of  the  Western  CJirisfian  Advocate.  Gil- 
bert De  La  ]\Iatyr  was  a  man  of  great  force 
and  intense  feeling,  whose  warm  heart  carried 
him  o\it  of  church  work  twice.  He  was  so  im- 
pres,sed  with  the  right  of  the  Union  cause 
that  he  helped  enlist  the  Eighth  New  York 
Hea^'y'  Artillery  and  went  out  with  it  as 
chaplain  in  1862.  serving  for  three  years.  He 
was  so  convinced  that  the  severe  hard  times 
of  the  seventies  were  caused  by  the  resump- 
tion of  specie  payments  and  the  demonetiza- 
tion of  silver  that  he  accepted  a  nomination 
of  the  National  party  for  Congress  in  1878. 
and,  being  indorsed  by  the  Democrats,  was 
elected  from  this  district,  defeatinsr  John 
Hanna  by  18.720  to  17.881.  After  his  term 
iu  Congress  he  went  to  a  charge  in  Denver. 
Colorado,  and  has  since  died.  Dr.  Holliday 
was  a  popular  pi-eacliei-  and  the  author  of  the 
standard  history  of  Indiana  ^lethodism.  A. 
8.  Kinnan  was  a  notable  revival  preacher; 
there  wei-e  1.000  accessions  to  the  church  in 
his  three  years  of  service.  Mc^Mullin  was  a 
notable  orator  of  his  day.  Charles  AV.  ililler 
became  involved  in  a  scandal  while  here,  and 
was  expelled  from  the  conference."  The  first 
three  pa.stors  have  been  mentioned  heretofore. 
Roberts  Park   is  one  of  the  strong  churches 


"Joiinial.  April  12,  1860. 


of  the  city,  having  a  membership  of  1.350. 
and  the  Sunday  school  722. 

In  1845  a  second  charge  was  cut  otf  from 
Wesley  Chapel  to  accommodate  members  in 
the  northwest  part  of  the  city.  The  society 
was  organized  as  the  Western  Charge,  but  a 
frame  buildintr  was  soon  erected  on  ^Michigan 
street,  west  of  the  canal,  and  it  was  ehri.stened 
Strange  Chapel,  in  honor  of  John  Strange. 
The  location  proved  unsatisfactory  and  in  a 
short  time  the  building  was  removed  to  the 
east  side  of  Tennessee  street  below  Vermont. 
The  membership  leaned  to  "old  fashioned 
^Methodism",  and  on  January  12,  1869.  the 
quarterly  conference  adoptecl  a  resolution 
that  "the  prosperity  of  the  charge,  spirit- 
ually and  financially,  will  be  promoted  by 
its  adherence  to  the  old  usages  of  the  chui'ch. 
especially  in  the  seating  of  the  congregation 
and  singing,  and  that  the  conference  hereby 
pledge  the  charge  to  stand  by  these  usages"'. 
In  other  wortls  the  women  were  to  sit  on  one 
side  of  the  church,  and  the  men  on  the  other : 
and  there  was  to  be  no  choir  nor  instrumental 
music.  This  was  especially  in  accord  with 
the  views  of  Alfred  Harrison,  the  wealthiest 
member  of  the  church,  who  believed  in  stabil- 
ity in  all  departments  of  religion.  Goodwin 
says  that  when  Daniel  De  ^lotte— the  first 
^Methodist  preacher  in  Indiana  who  ventured 
to  wear  a  beard — came  once  to  preach  at 
Wesley  Chapel,  his  beard  so  offended  ilr. 
Harrison  that  he  walked  out  of  the  church 
and  -would  not  listen  to  the  sermon.  This  was 
not  unprecedented,  for  Goodwin  says  that  the 
cause  of  the  ostracism  of  Lorenzo  Dow  by  the 
iVIethodist  Church  was  his  wearing  a  beiud : 
and  also  that  when  Daniel  De  AFott  appeared 
at  conference  unshaven.  Rev.  John  A.  Brouse 
offered  a  r':>solution  of  censure.  But  Brouse 
wore  a  wig;  and  when  De  Alott  in  I'eply.  ob- 
served that  he  wore  no  hair  which  the  Lord 
had  not  t;i\'en  him,  Brouse  saw  trouble  ahead, 
and  withdrew  the  motion. 

In  18t)9  the  lot  on  West  ^lichigan  street 
was  sold,  and  a  new  brick  church  was  built 
at  the  southeast  corner  of  Michigan  and  Ten- 
nessee streets.  Pi-ovision  was  made  in  the 
deed  that  old  time  usages  should  continue. 
Th(>  church  cost  $13,000  and  was  dedicated 
Jaiuiaiy  9.  1870.  Later  in  the  same  year  the 
chui-eh  split  on  the  question  of  receiving  L. 
M.   Walters,   who  had  been   assigned  to  the 


TTTSTORV  OF  (;  IM'.ATF.Il   IXDI.WA  I'OI.IS. 


59: 


chiU'yc  by  tlic  coiifpiTiK'e.  ami  tlir  wi'jiltliiiT 
pai't  (if  till'  ('()ii<;re^a1i(in  withdrew  aiul  lifuaii 
woi'shippiiisr  in  the  old  Univei-salist  Cliiircli. 
just  across  Michifiau  street,  which  had  re- 
cently been  vacated  by  the  Wesley  Chapel 
coiiirreiratioii.  'I'lie  reiiiaindei-  continued  as 
they  were,  witli  Mr.  Walters  as  ])asti>r  until 
Smulay,  January  S.  1871.  when  the  church 
was  destroyed  by  tire.  The  eon^n-c^^ation  then 
removed  to  Kuhn's  hall.  On  March  (i.  1871. 
the  quai'terly  cont'crencc  appointed  <i  commit- 
tee with  full  power  to  buy  a  lot  and  build  a 
church.  At  the  same  time  the  name  of  the 
church  was  chan.ized  to  St.  -Tohn's  .Methodist 


as  California  Street  Church,  ilr.  Walters 
ended  his  service  in  1871,  and  wa.s  succeeded 
by  J.  E.  Brant.  1871-0;  J.  II.  Ketcham.  187(i- 
8;  Thos.  G.  Beharrell,  1878-80;  W.  H.  Ilal- 
sted.  1880-1;  W.  B.  Collins,  1881-4;  J.  A. 
Ward.  1884-5;  F.  D.  Anderson,  188r,.S  ;  Wm. 
Tclfer.  1888-9:  :^rorris  Woods,  1889-i)l :  \l.  \l. 
Bryan.  1891-:{;  Homer  .\sheroft.  1893-(; ;  W. 
S.  Kiddle.  lSi)ti-<):  .J.  W.  J.  Collin.s.  18!)'.)- 
I!t(t2:  John  JctVrics.  19()L>-r) ;  L.  S.  Knntts. 
U)().'»-7;  James  Ili.xon.  1907-8;  J.  L.  Stout, 
1908  to  date.  The  present  membership  is  205. 
and  there  are  1()2  in  tln>  Sunday  school. 
The    First     (icrman     Methodist     Episcopal 


KOI?ERTS     I'ARK    CHURCH. 


P-piscopal  Church.  The  pastors  of  Strange 
Chapel  precedin-;  .Mr.  Walters,  were,  in  order 
of  service,  Wesley  Dorsey,  I).  Crawford.  Win. 
Jlorrow.  T.  G.  Beharrell.  Frank  Tavloi'.  Iv  I). 
LonfT.  T.  S.  Webb,  G.  M.  Boyd,  (friffith  .Mor- 
jran.  William  Graliam,  X.  ]j.  Bi'akeman.  J. 
C.  Keed,  Janu's  Havens.  J.  W.  (irecii.  C.  S. 
Bur-ner.  G.  W.  Telle,  J.  W.  T.  .McMiillin.  T. 
G.  Hehari'cll  is  known  as  the  anthoi-  of  a 
Biblical  Biography,  which  was  piinlccl  at  In- 
dianapolis in  18()7. 

The  new  St.  John's  Church  was  located  at 
California  and  North  streets,  but  the  name 
did  not  adhere,  and  it  ha.s  alwavs  been  known 


Church,  at  New  Jersey  atul  New  York  strcH'ts, 
was  organized  in  184().  with  1-")  memlx'rs.  The 
pastor  in  1840-7  was  Louis  Xippert.  tlie  lirsl 
(ierman  Methodist  ])reachci'  in  the  city,  Tlh 
lirst  church  buildin<r  was  erected  in  IS.'iO  be- 
tween New  Jei'sey  and  East,  ami  in  this  new 
bnildinir  there  was  a  yreat  revival  luidrr  the 
fourth  pastor.  J.  II.  Barth.  who  served  in 
18.")()-2.  The  second  ami  third  pastors  were 
Charles  Baur.  1847-8.  and  Konrad  Miith, 
1849-.")().  Succcediui!;  Barth  the  jiastors  have 
been  J.  II.  Barenburir.  1852-4:  G.  A.  Breuni^', 
1854-5;  J.  liier.  185.5-():  H.  T,n<-l<emeyer,  185(i- 
7;  :\Iax  Ilohans.  1857-8:  G.  F.  .Mueller.  1858- 


•jiJS 


JIlSTOliY    OF   CI.'KATKU   IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


60;  J.  Hoppen,  1860-1— died  durinir  pastor- 
ate ;  J.  Schneider.  1861-2 :  W.  Ahreiis.  1862-3 ; 
G.  A.  Brexinig',  1863-4;  A.  Loebenstein,  1864- 
6;  H.  G.  Lieh.  1866-8;  G.  Trefz.  1868-71;  G. 
Nachtrieh,  1S71-4;  H.  (;.  Lieli.  1874-6;  K.  Bo- 
zenhardt,  1876-7:  J.  Rothweiler.  1877-81; 
(^tto  Wilke,  1881-4;  J.  G.  Sehaal,  1884-5;  J. 
S.  Sehneider.  1885-90 ;  J.  C.  IMarting,  1890-5 ; 
P.  W.  Griewe,  1895-7;  F.  A.  Hamp.  1897- 
1904:  Hermann  Rogratzky.  1904  to  date. 

Tlir.  society  prospered,  and  in  1868  a  more 
eapaeions  chnreli  was  needed.  The  site  of 
the  present  building  was  purchased  Decem- 
ber 19,  1868,  but  the  erection  of  the  building 
was  soiniMvhat  delayed  by  lack  of  funds.  The 
basement  was  finished  and  occupied  on 
Christmas,  1869 ;  and  by  the  persistent  enei-gy 
of  ;Mi-.  Tivf/.  the  liuilding  was  com})leted,  and 
dedicated  <  n  A])i'il  17.  1871.  Its  cost,  in- 
cluding the  site  was  $27,500.  This  is  the 
parent  (ieriiian  ^Methodist  of  the  city.  It  has 
at  present  200  members,  and  160  in  the  Sun- 
day si'hool. 

Blaine  Avenue  Church,  though  recent  in 
Indianapolis,  had  its  origin  in  the  fifties,  in 
a  class,  with  David  Johnson  as  leader,  of 
llethodists  living  between  Eagle  Creek  and 
\Yhite  River.  It  met  for  some  time  in  the  old 
schoolhouse  on  what  is  now  Belmont  avenue, 
and  then  disbanded:  but  a  Sunday  school 
that  had  been  organized  in  1858.  by  Fred- 
erick Reisner  continued:  and  when  the  school 
house  was  built  at  Howard  and  Reisner 
streets  it  was  moved  there.  Prayer  meetings 
and  occasional  preachings  were  also  held  at 
this  place,  and  in  1882  the  class  was  reor- 
ganized. Four  years  later  a  church  was 
erected  on  what  was  then  Wjlliams  street.  It 
cost  about  $2,500.  and  was  dedicated  on  Feb- 
ruary 6.  1886.  by  Presiding  Elder  TTalstead. 
It  was  remodeled  and  enlarged  dui-ing  Key. 
Zaring's  jiastoi'ate.  and  rededieated  on  July 
1,  1894,  the  first  sermon  being  preached  by 
Rev.  Chas.  N.  Sims.  At  this  time  the  name 
was  chanired  to  First  Church,  but  during  the 
pastorate  of  Rey.  S.  L.  Welker  the  name  was 
changed  again  to  Blaine  Avenue  Church.  ^Ir. 
AVe]l\ei'  was  succeeded  in  September.  1907.  by 
Rey.  Josej)!!  K.  Ake.  the  present  pastoi-.  The 
present  membership  of  the  church  is  287,  and 
of  the  Sunday  school  241. 

Another  old  snburbnn  chni'ch  is  ^lapleton 
^lethodist.     It  'jyvw  fi-oni  a  class  formed  in 


1843.  which  was  composed  of  half  a  dozen 
women,  ami  met  at  the  house  of  Delanson 
Slawson;  later  at  the  old  log  school  house. 
The  I'arly  ])reaehers  who  visited  them  and 
held  seivices  were  John  L.  Smith,  Lucien 
Berry,  Frank  Hardiu  and  H.  J.  Aleck.  In 
the  summer  of  1855  Rev.  H.  J.  Meek,  a.ssisted 
by  George  Havens,  a  local  preacher,  held  a 
proti'acted  meeting  at  Sugai-  (irove;  and 
there,  with  hoards  laid  on  logs  for  seats, 
Suuar  Grove  Jlethodist  Church  was  organized 
with  33  charter  members.  On  August  23  the 
society  met  and  elected  trustees,  and  also  ap- 
pointed a  building  committee.  Thomas 
Ruark  donated  half  an  acre  of  ground  in 
Sugai-  Grove  for  the  church;  and  Noah 
Wright  yave  an  acre  for  church  purposes,  on 
which  a  ]iarsonage  was  built  later.  A  frame 
building  was  at  once  erected,  at  a  cost  of 
$800;  and  served  the  congregation  for  near 
half  a  century,  being  repaired  and  refitted 
in  1884  at  about  the  original  cost  of  the 
church.  The  corner-stone  of  the  present 
building  was  laid  in  1899.  and  the  church  was 
dedicated  in  June,  1900.  The  present  mem- 
bei'ship  is  205.  with  274  in  the  Sunday  school. 
The  present  pastor,  F.  A.  Lester,  has  served 
for  two  years. 

In  1849,  a  mission  church  was  formed  by 
members  of  Roberts  Chapel  living  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  city.  It  was  called  the 
■'Depot  ]\Iis.sion"  because  at  first  it  met  in  an 
upper  room  of  the  old  Aladison  depot ;  and 
officially  it  was  the  Depot  Charge,  with  Rev. 
Samuel  T.  Cooper  as  pastor.  In  1850  a  lot 
was  piirchased  on  New  Jersey  street,  near 
South,  and  a  building  was  begun  which  was 
completed  and  occupied  in  1852.  It  was  then 
named  Asbury  Chapel.  After  more  than 
twenty  yeai's  at  this  point  a  lot  was  pur- 
eha.sed  at  Virginia  avenue  and  East  street, 
and  a  brick  church  was  finished  sufiiciently 
for  occupancy  in  1874,  when  the  name  was 
changed  to  Fletcher  Place  Church.  It  was 
dedicated  on  December  13,  1874.  The  pastors 
following  Mr.  Cooper,  in  chronological  order, 
have  been  J.  B.  De  Alotte.  1851-2;  Sanniel 
T.  Gillett,  1852-3:  Samuel  P.  Crawford, 
1853-4;  Jas.  T.  McMullen.  1854-6;  Joseph 
Cotton,  1856-7:  F.  A.  Hester,  1857-9;  E.  D. 
Long,  1859-60:  John  G.  Chaffee,  1860-1;  R. 
^\.  Barnes,  1861-2;  J.  W.  Mellender,  1862-4; 
F.  C.  Hollidav,  1864-6;  John  H.  Lozier,  1866- 


I 


I 


HISTORY  OF  CKKATKIJ.    I  X  DIA  NAI'ol.lS. 


599 


■-;  Samuel  T.  (iillrtt.  ISOS-TO;  Charles  Tins- 
lev,  1870-3;  G.  L.  Curtiss,  1873-6;  John  S. 
Tevis.  1876-9:  G.  L.  Curtiss,  1879-82;  John 
11.  Doddridtre,  1882-5;  J.  A.  Sargent,  1885-6: 
•Fiplin  S.  Tevis.  1886-9;  C.  C.  Edwards,  1889- 
'Xi:  li.  Roberts,  1893-8;  C.  W.  Tinslev,  1898- 
1900;  V.  W.  Tevis.  1900-2;  JL  B.  Ilvdc,  1902- 
.');  Geo.  David  AVolfe,  1905  to  date.  The 
iliureh  ^vas  twice  damaged  by  fire,  ouee  from 
lightning,  but  not  seriously.  In  1894  a  swarm 
I  if  bees  took  possession  of  the  upper  part  of 
the  spire,  and  their  flight  caused  an  investi- 
iration  by  firemen,  who  mistook  them  for 
smoke.  The  church  is  in  good  condition,  with 
.")()6  members,  and  331  on  the  Sundav  school 
nills. 

On  -May  17,  1^.')4,  (uie  of  the  Koliei'ts  Chapel 
classes  led  by  .1.  \V.  Dorsey,  a  school  teacher, 
organized  as  the  Seventh  Church.  They  met 
in  Doi'sey's  school  house,  near  the  corner  of 
New  Jersey  and  Walnut  till  the  end  of  the 
\'ear.  ^FeanwhiU'  they  i)urchased  a  lot  at  the 
mii'thwest  corner  of  Xcn-fh  anil  Alabama,  and 
i-rected  a  small  church  on  the  west  side  of  it. 
They  niiived  into  this,  with  Rev.  Griffin  as 
I>astor,  and  adopted  the  name  of  North  Street 
Nfcthodist  Episcopal  Church.  It  was  more 
ecinunonly  called  the  North  Street  ^lission. 
however,  as  it  did  not  become  .self-sui)porting 
till  1867.  In  Jainiary  of  that  year,  under 
the  pastorate  of  W.  J.  Vigiis,  who  had  come 
t(i  the  church  in  1864,  a  new  church  was  com- 
|)leted  and  dedicated  by  Dr.  T.  :\I.  Eddy,  on 
the  east  side  of  the  lot.  The  society  now  took 
the  name  of  Trinity  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  In  the  summer  of  1870,  a  ^lethodist 
church  was  oriratiized  by  Rev.  B.  F.  Morgan 
which  built  a  church  at  Ma.s.sachusetts  avenue 
and  Oak  street.  Tliere  were  about  80  charter 
mcmbeis,  iiKist  of  them  ''lil)eral  I'liited 
lirethren".  who  had  left  their  church  on  ac- 
count of  a  schism  in  1869.  Rev.  Amos  Han- 
wa.v,  one  of  these,  succeeded  to  the  pastor- 
ate in  September,  1870.  In  1877  this  church 
and  Trinity  con.solidateil.  Tlicy  leased  a  lot 
at  Butler  and  Colleire  avenues  and  moved  the 
^Massachusetts  avenue  church  to  it  :  and  en- 
larged it  sutTiciently  for  the  new  society.  The 
name  was  then  changed  1o  Central  Aveiuie  ]\I. 
E.  Church.  This  building  was  damaged  by 
a  tornado  on  :\Iarch  4.  IMSO;  but  was  rejiaired 
and  occuiiied  until  June.  1.S93.  when  the  pres- 
ent building  was  (lcdicatc(|.      Its  cdi^ncr-slnne 


!iad  biH'u  laiil  in  May,  1892.  The  pastors  nf 
Central  Avenue  have  been  B.  F.  ]Morgan, 
Reuben  Andrus,  J.  N.  Beard.  Abi.iah  Mai-ine, 
A.  W.  Lamport,  J.  H.  Ford,  A.  Gobin.  W.  V. 
Wheeler,  II.  A.  Buchtel,  J.  R.  La.sby,  A.  W. 
Kellogg,  and  \Vm.  Wirt  King,  present  incmn- 
bent.  It  is  a  strong  church,  with  1.082  mem- 
bers, and   1,350  in  the  Sunday  school. 

In  1864  a  class  of  36  members  was  formed 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  city  with  Jesse 
Jones  of  Strange  Chapel  as  leader.  In  the 
spring  of  1866  a  site  was  purchased  on  the 
north  side  of  Third  street,  between  Tennessee 
and  Illinois,  under  the  direction  of  Ames  In- 
stitute, but  the  Institute  was  unable  to  finish 
it,  and  turned  the  property  over  to  Jesse 
Jones,  who  completed  it  at  his  own  expense. 
The  location  was  considered  disadvantageous, 
and  in  December,  1885,  on  proposal  of  Rev. 
J.  W.  Duncan,  then  pastor,  it  was  decided  to 
move.  A  site  was  purchased  at  Sixteenth 
street  and  Hall  Place  and  the  ccn-ner-stone  of 
the  new  church  was  laid  on  July  26,  1886. 
The  chiu'ch  was  dedicated  on  .Vovendier  28, 
1886,  by  Dr.  C.  N.  Sims.  The  name  was 
changed  from  Third  Street  to  Hall  Place 
Church.  The  pastors  since  ]\Ir.  Duncan  have 
been  JIarshall  B.  Hyde.  George  Cochran,  J. 
A.  Sargent.  George  M.  Smith.  R.  E.  Vest. 
(ieorge  S.  Henninger,  Festus  A.  Steele,  and 
John  Ratrle,  the  jiresent  incund)ent.  Of  these 
George  M.  Smith  was  noted  for  charitable 
and  social  work.  He  went  from  here  to  the 
Methodist  Church  at  Shelby ville,  which  be 
made  known  throughout  the  country  for 
work   in   these   lines.     The  church    has    360 


■mbers  and   27 


in   the   Siuidav  school. 


In  Jidy.  1866.  Hev.  Joseph  Tarkington  or- 
ganized a  mission  in  an  unfinished  building  at 
.Vorwood  and  Illinois  streets,  and  services 
were  held  there  till  cold  weather  cau.sed  re- 
moval to  an  unoccupied  grocery  room  on 
.Madison  avenue.  Meanwhile  a  lot  was  pur- 
chased by  members  of  AVesley  Chapel  on 
South  Illinois  street,  and  a  small  frame  build- 
ing erected.  Rev.  L.  iM.  Walters  was  sent 
1o  the  charge  as  missioiuiry  |)astor  in  Septem- 
ber. 1867.  A  revival  meeting  the  following 
winter  added  about  100  to  the  miMnbeishii). 
and  the  building  was  too  small.  The  prop- 
ei-ty  of  th(>  Tndianajxilis  .Mission  Sunday 
School,  at  Madison  avenue  and  Tnion  street 
was  then  bontrht,  for  ;f'5.000.  and  occujiied  in 


(i()(l 


HISTORY  OF  (ilJKA'I'KI!   I XDIAXAPOLIS. 


fl 


\'.   Presb. Church. 


'i'iPre.b  Church. 


S'.  Johns  Cath,  Church 


JME^ 


n_rtj  '"hn. 


Episc.  Church. 


Wes  ley  Chapel  . 


Baptist  Church. 


Ch  ristia  II   Ch  a  p  e  I  . 


i'-   Krebb.  Oil  ti  I  ch. 


Robert  s  Chapel 


(\V.    11.    lia.-i.-i    Phfitn    Cinnpany.) 

INDIANAPOLIS    CHURCHES,    1854. 


iiisioi;^'  OF  (;i;kati:i;,  indianai'oi.is. 


GUI 


JiiiK'.  liSfi!),  It  \v;is  a  siil).staiitial  brick  Iniild- 
iui;-.  4Ux7l'  IV'ct.  'I'lic  L'liuri'li,  wliicli  had  Ix'cu 
Ames'  Chapel,  was  now  ealled  .Madison  Ave- 
nue Chureh.  After  a  lonjr  stay  here  the  so- 
eiety  boiiuht  a  new  site  on  .Moi'ris  street  near 
^ladison  avenue,  and  the  corner-stone  of  the 
l)resent  church  was  laid  in  1905,  the  church 
being-  completed  and  oeeupietl  in  1906.  The 
present  jiastoi'  is  Fianklin  F.  Lewis;  and  the 
church  has  .SBli  members  ami  :]()4  in  the  Sun- 
dav  school.  Ft  is  now  called  .Morris  Street 
M.'  E.  Church. 

(Ji'ace  Churcii  was  practically  organized  on 
Septendjer  10,  18()8.  by  a  number  of  members 
of  Roberts  Cha])el,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
cit.v;  who  jietitioiied  the  confei'ence  for  n 
preacher,  pleduiuL;-  $5,000  for  a  chureh  build- 
ing. In  comidiance  with  the  re(|uest  Kev. 
\V.  H.  ^Mendeidiall  was  appointed.  By  Sep- 
tendjer 22  about  100  members  of  Roberts 
Chapel  had  .joined  the  new  church,  and  it 
was  formally  organized  on  that  date.  A  site 
for  a  church  was  obtained  at  ^Farket  and 
East  streets.  ;ind  a  building  was  erected  at 
once.  It  was  dedicated  on  {'"cbruary  21. 
1869.  by  Bishop  Clark.  The  church  at  the 
present  time  lias  281  meiid)e)-s  aniF  198  in  the 
Sunday  school.  The  pastors  of  the  church 
have  been  :\I.  11.  Mcndenhall,  J.  W.  Lock.  T. 
11.  Lynch,  J.  P..  Lathrop.  G.  P.  Jenkins,  S. 
Tincher,  Gilbert  De  La  .Matyr.  S.  ,T.  (iillett, 
.1.  \V.  Duncan.  T.  IT.  Lynch,  S.  A.  Bright, 
T.  H.  McClain.  C.  W.  Tinsley,  L.  D.  Moore, 
L.  K.  Kennedv.  1).  A.  Robertson,  M.  L.  Wells, 
11.  J.  Black.  11.  X.  King,  L.  (i.  Ivnotts.  J.  L. 
P'unkhouser,  J.  ilachlan,  and  W.  M.  Zaring, 
the  present  pastor.  The  cliurch  has  had  two 
small  fires,  and  was  once  .struck  by  lightning, 
witli  small  damage. 

Blackf(U-d  Sti-eet  Chui'ch.  at  the  <'oi'ni'r  of 
lilackford  and  .Market  sti'cets.  was  organized 
in  1869.  by  Rev.  Wni.  II.  l\endrick.  with  30 
miMnbers.  It  grew  out  of  a  mission  of  Wes- 
ley Chapel,  and  was  for  some  j'cars  later 
aided  by  that  church.  'F'Fie  present  site  was 
secured  atid  a  smalF  building  was  erected  in 
1873-4,  under  the  pastorate  of  H.  N.  King. 
The  pastors  succeeding  Mv.  F\inL'.  witFi  the 
dates  of  tFieir  accession.  ,irc  -1.  Wharton. 
,1875;  Amos  FFaTiwav.  1SS1  .  T.  M.  (luild. 
1884:  W.  F.  Sheridan.  18<.-,;  T.  11,  F)evall, 
1>>S9;  T.  P.  Walter,  1890:  W.  S.  Hiddle. 
1892;  C.  W.  Crook.  1896:  J.  T.  .Fones.  1898; 


E.  1'.  .Icwctt,  1903;  IF.  S.  JleaiFen,  1905; 
Samuel  L.  Welkt'r,  the  present  iueumbeut, 
1908.  The  chureh  was  enlarged  under  the 
pa,storate  of  W.  F.  Sheridan  at  a  cost  of 
$2,500.  It  was  badly  damaged  by  tire  in 
1896,  but  was  repaired ;  and  was  again  re- 
modeled and  repaired  in  1900.  Ft  Fias  always 
l)een  known  as  a  revival  church:  and  has  now 
235  mend)ers,  and  181  in  the  Suiulay  school. 
Firoadway  ]\F.  E.  Churcli  was  organized  in 
1874,  and  built  a  small  chapel  at  Yandes  and 
Seventeenth  streets.  In  1881  the  congrega- 
tion removed  to  Si.xteenth  and  liellefoutaine; 
and  in  1894  to  their  present  location  at 
Broadway  and  Twenty-second.  The  churcli 
then  erected  was  i-eplacetl  by  the  i)resent  one 
in  1908.  The  jiastors  in  succession  have  been 
Revs.  Reager,  Black,  .M.  L.  Wells,  Wydnuin, 
Frank  Tincher.  .Fohn  W.  Tevis,  T.  W.  Xoi-th- 
cott,  Geo.  II.  iFurphv,  L.  F.  Dimmitt.  V.  W. 
Tevis,  C.  W.  Tinsley,  Worth  ^M.  Tipjiy,  and 
Layton  C.  Bentley,  the  present  incumbent. 
This  is  a  strong  church,  with  a  membership 
of  740  and  722  in  the  Sunday  school. 

The  Second  (ierman  JFethodist,  at  I'ros- 
liect  and  Spruce  streets  was  organized  in 
1874.  and  the  first  chureh,  a  frame  structure 
was  built  the  same  year.  'I'he  pastors  in 
charge  have  been  G.  Nachtrieb,  1874-5 ;  T. 
ScFiumberg,  1875-6:  J.  C.  ]\Iartin<i-,  1876-9; 
Theo.  TFiorward,  1879-82;  J.  Bier,  1882-3; 
W.  Meier,  1883-4;  II.  E.  Wulzen,  1884-7;  :\r. 
(icorg.  1887-92;  J.  T.  Barth,  1892-5;  A.  Har- 
well. 1895-8;  C.  E.  Ploch.  1898  to  date.  The 
first  building  was  jiartially  desti'oyed  by  tii'e 
in  1882.  but  was  rebuilt  and  cnlai'ged  the 
same  year.  In  19t)2,  the  present  brick  church 
was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $10,000.  The  church 
is  free  from  debt;  and  has  140  members  and 
150  in  the  Sunday  school. 

F'^dwin  Ray  Af.  E.  Church  was  organized 
August  13.  1879,  and  built  its  church  at 
Woodlawn  avenue  and  Laurel  street  the  same 
vear.  The  pastors  in  chari;e  have  liecn  Wm. 
B.  Clancy,  ('.  W.  Lcc.  K.  K.  K'awls.  .1.  K.  T. 
Lathrop,  C.  C.  Edwar<ls.  (I.  W.  Smith,  and 
II.  C.  Clippinger,  now  in  charge.  This  is  a 
live  congregation  with  735  ineudjci's  and  565 
in  the  Sunday  school.  Ft  staite<l  Barth  Place 
Church,  at  Shelby  and  ^Martin  streets,  which 
now  has  132  mi'iiibers  and  216  in  its  Sunday 
school,  as  a  mission:  and  also  Woodside  M.  E. 
Church,  at  Southeastern  and  Temple,  wliicii 


602 


HISTOTJY  OF  (iKKATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


has  142  members  aiul  2"2()  in  tin-  Sunday 
school. 

Kiiiu'  Avenue  ]\I.  E.  Church,  at  Kin^-  ave- 
nue and  Walnut  street,  was  a  eolony  fioin 
Meridian  Street  Church  organized  on  Janu- 
ary 1,  1884.  The  corner-stone  of  the  church 
buildiiiff  was  laid  on  ]\Iarch  1,  1884,  and  it 
was  dedicated  November  1,  1884.  The  pas- 
tors in  charg-e  have  been  J.  E.  tJilbert.  S.  J. 
Wilson,  E.  R.  Johnson,  W.  11.  Wooley,  J.  (!. 
Campbell,  H.  C.  Weston,  C.  U.  iStockbargei-, 
O.  B.  Rippetoe.  A.  AV.  Wood,  N.  A.  Cham- 
berlain, H.  H,  Dunla\y,  J.  C.  Kemp,  and  J. 
F.  Rainier,  who  is  now  serving.  The  church 
has  300  membei-s,  and  there  are  200  in  the 
Sunday  school.  P^ast  Tenth  street  ^I.  E. 
Church  was  organized  and  the  church  occu- 
pied, without  any  special  ceremonies,  in  1888. 
The  pastors  have  been  Rev.  Bailey,  1888; 
Samson  Trieeher,  1889-93;  B.  W.  Cooper. 
1893-5;  J.  T.  O'xNeal,  1895-7;  Charles  Tiuslev. 
1897-1901:  W.  E.  Edgin.  1901-4;  C.  W. 
Crooke,  1904-5;  E.  A.  Campbell,  1905-7; 
W.  J.  Collins,  1907  to  date.  The  Sunday 
school  division  of  a  new  church  building  was 
dedicated  en  October  11,  1908;  and  the  main 
part  is  now  in  process  of  construction. 

Brightwood  M.  E.  Church  was  organized  in 
1886.  Its  building,  at  2402  Station  street, 
was  dedicated  in  1904.  The  pastors  have  been 
A.  A.  Jones,  1887-9;  T.  W.  Northcott.  1890-2; 
W.  W.  Revnolds,  1893;  D.  A.  Robertson. 
1894-5 ;  W.  W.  Revnolds,  1896-9 ;  11.  J.  Black, 
1900-2;  W.  J.  Collins.  1903-7;  E.  M.  Cham- 
bers, 1908  to  date.  It  has  428  members  and 
473  in  the  Sunday  school.  East  Park  M.  E. 
Church,  at  New  York  street  and  Beville  ave- 
nue, is  a  development  from  a  mission  school 
that  was  started  in  a  store-room  at  East 
Washington  street,  bv  Mrs.  S.  C.  Heath,  of 
Roberts  Park  church.  The  pastors  have  been 
W.  F.  Walker,  E.  F.  Albertsou,  :\Iiss  :Marv 
M.  Dennis,  E.  L.  Winnner,  T.  K.  Willis,  D. 
A.  Robertson,  H.  W.  Baldridge,  F.  A.  Lester, 
and  C.  C.  Bonnell.  the  present  incumbent.  .\ 
woman  pastor  was  a  rare  exception  in  In- 
dianapolis, but  iliss  Dennis  served  acceptably 
for  a  year  and  a  half.  The  church  was  or- 
ganized on  ]\Iarch  14,  1893.  and  its  bviilding 
was  erected  in  1894— dedicated  June  22.  It 
was  rebuilt  in  1909.  The  church  has  222 
members  and  273  in  the  Sunday  school. 

Cajntol   Avenue  M.   K.   Cliui-ch   is  the  suc- 


cessor of  Hyde  Park  Church,  which  was  or- 
ganized in  1894,  and  built  a  ehurcli  that  year 
on  Thirtieth  street  near  Illinois,  which  was 
dedicated  on  December  16,  1894.  On  July 
6,  1905,  the  corner-stone  was  laid  of  the  pres- 
ent building,  at  Capitol  avenue  and  Thirtieth 
street.  The  new  church  was  dedicated  Octo- 
ber 5,  1905,  President  E.  H.  Hughes  of  De 
Pau\\-  ofiliciating;  and  the  name  was  changed 
to  Capitol  Avenue.  The  pastors  have  been 
R.  Scott  Hvde,  1894-5;  J.  W.  :\[axwell, 
1895-6;  Robert  Zaring,  1896-8;  W.  :\I.  Whit- 
sett,  1898-1900;  J.  W.  Baker,  1900-3;  J.  T. 
O'Neal,  1903-4;'  E.  H.  Wood,  1904-7;  W.  II. 
W.vlie,  1907  to  date.  The  church  has  535 
mendiers  and  there  are  397  in  the  Sunday 
school. 

Nippei-t  ^Memorial  Church  —  formm-iy 
Fourth  German  il.  E.  Church — is  an  offshoot 
of  the  First  German  Church.  A  Sunda.x 
school  was  organized  February  19,  1893,  and 
the  church  society  on  April  9,  1894.  The  cor- 
ner-stone of  the  church  building,  at  Tenth 
and  Keystone  streets,  was  laid  on  June  17. 
1894;  and  the  church  was  dedicated  on  Sep- 
tember 23,  1894.  The  pastors  have  been 
Heniy  R.  Bornemann,  John  Claus.  Herman 
C.  Beyer.  August  J.  Weigle,  and  A.  C.  Bauei'. 
who  is  now  serving.  The  church  has  83  mem- 
bers, and  there  are  99  in  the  Sunday  school. 

Wesley  Chapel— th(>  second,  and  present  of 
that  name  —  was  a  mission  of  Blackfoi-d 
Sti'eet  Church.  The  soeiet.v  was  organized 
March  22.  1895,  and  the  building  at  Ehler 
and  New  York  streets  was  dedicated  the  saitu' 
(lav.  The  pastors  have  been  Revs.  Biddlc 
l^odkins.  Stout.  W.  AY.  Reynolds,  AY.  B.  Far- 
inei-  and  J.  AY.  Culmer.  There  are  280  mem- 
bers and  244  in  the  Sunda.v  school.  River- 
side Park  ,M.  E.  Church  was  organized  Ajiril 
23,  1905.  Its  buildintr,  at  Chicago  and  Hard- 
ing streets,  was  dedicated  on  Alarch  18,  190(i. 
G.  F.  Hubbarth,  the  first  pastor,  served  till 
1908;  and  Dr.  Alfred  Kunnner  since  then. 
The  mendier.ship  is  100  and  the  Sunda.v  selioul 
enrollment  200. 

Tuxedo  AI.  E.  Churcli  was  the  result  of  ;i 
local  denumd  from  Methodists  residing  in 
that  suburb,  who  called  on  Rev.  Robert  Zar- 
ing,  of  Irvington  M.  E.  Church,  for  assisN 
ance.  He  appointed  Thomas  E.  Smiley,  a 
local  preacher,  to  assist  them,  and  in  Jann- 
ai'v.  1904.   a   mission   was  oi'ganized.      A   hall 


llis'rol;^'  OF  CU'KA'I'HU   1  N  DIA  XAI'ol.ls. 


(io;? 


was  rent  'd  for  services,  ami  a  Sunday  school 
was  started  on  February  28.  The  church  so- 
ciety was  organized  on(>ct(il)cr  1.  1905,  and 
the  cornei'-stniie  of  tlie  buihlin}?  was  hiid  on 
Ocfohei-  It).  It  was  dedicated  on  February 
20,  1!H)(1.  .Mr.  Smiley  sei'ved  for  two  years, 
and  has  been  followed  by  S.  L.  Welker  and 
James  Hisson,  the  present  pastor.  The 
church  has  283  members,  and  301  in  the  Sun- 
day school.  Thomas  E.  Smiley  was  known 
for  a  number  of  years  in  Indianai)olis  as  a 
contributor  of  verse  to  the  local  press. 

The  oriraiiization  of  tlie  ^letlKidist  Church 
amonur  the  colored  people  has  lontr  been  dis- 
tinct from  that  of  the  whitcsj  and  is  in  three 
branches:  The  African  ]\r.  E.  Church,  which 
was  oriranized  in  1816,  by  followers  of  Rich- 
ard Allen,  for  which  reason  they  wei'e  form- 
erly called  "Allenites";  the  African  M.  E. 
Zion  (Jhurch.  which  was  oriranized  in  1820; 
and  the  Colored  .M.  E.  Church,  which  was  set 
apart  after  the  Civil  War  by  the  },\.  E. 
Church,  South.  The  first  branch  is  i'ei>re- 
sented  in  Lndianapoiis  by  ei^ht  churches,  and 
the  second  by  four.  The  oldest  of  the  A.  ^1. 
E.  churches  is  now  known  as  Bethel  A.  M. 
E.  Church.  It  was  originally  oi'ganized  in 
1836,  and  foi'  thirty  years  was  the  only  A. 
]\I.  E.  church  in  the  city.  The  society  was 
small  and  poor,  and  its  meetings  were  held 
in  private  houses  luitil  l.s41,  when  a  small 
frame  building  wa.s  erected  on  the  north  side 
of  (jleorgia  street  between  .Mi.ssis.sippi  street 
and  the  canal.  In  l.s.")7.  when  the  original 
Episcopal  Church  was  i-emoved  to  make  way 
for  the  present  Christ  Ciiurch.  it  was  bought 
by  Bethel  Church  and  lemoved  to  their  (Jeor- 
gia  street  site.  It  was  used  by  them  until  it 
was  destroyed  by  fire  on  July  fl.  1862.  The 
mcst  notable  church  events  before  the  war 
w^ere  occasional  visits  of  Kev.  Paul  C^uiiui,  nf 
Baltimore,  later  a  bishop  of  the  Colored  Meth- 
odist Church,  who  was  a  man  of  ability,,  ami 
much  esteemed  by  everybody.  These  visits 
were  always  occasions  of  revival  and  building 
up  of  the  church.  Dur-ing  four  years  of  the 
war,  1861-5,  llie  pastor  was  W.  R.  Revels, 
brother  of  the  Mississippi  i-ceonstruction  sen- 
ator, who  was  also  a  man  of  .some  ability. 

Another  wooden  structure  was  erected  on 
Ceorgia  street  after  the  fire,  and  the  congre- 
gation occupied  it  till  after  the  war.  At  this 
time   it   was   Iciiown    as   "•the    .African    M.    E. 


Church ■■  or  "the  Colored  .M.  H.  Clnu'ch'", 
there  being  no  other.  In  18()6  the  Allen  Mis- 
sion was  stai-ted  on  Broadway  between  Cheri'y 
and  Christi.m,  by  Rev.  Wliittou  S.  Lankford 
and  it  shortly  developed  into  Allen  Chapel, 
or  Allen  A.  M.  E.  Chun-h.  At  the  same 
time  the  other  church  tletermined  to  move. 
They  secured  a  lot  on  Vermont  street  west 
of  Mi.ssouri,  and  began  the  erection  of  a  sub- 
stantial brick  building,  which  they  occupied 
in  1869,  when  it  was  only  partially  finished. 
The  name  of  Bethel  A.  .M.  E.  Church  was 
then  adopted.  For  some  time  before  movin.ir 
into  this  chui'ch  the  congregation  worshi])ped 
in  old  Strange  Chajjcl,  on  Teiniessee  street. 
These  were  the  only  A.  ]\I.  E.  churches  un- 
til 1875,  when  Simpson  Chapel  was  organized. 

Simpson  t^liapcl  is  the  earliest  of  the  A. 
M.  E.  churches  that  has  |)resei-ved  its  rec- 
ords. It  was  organized  by  Daniel  Ellison. 
B.  J.  Wood  and  C.  11.  Taylor,  local  preachers, 
and  an  unpretentious  fiame  building  was 
erecteil  at  .Misso\iri  aii<l  Eleventh  streets.  The 
pastors  have  been,  in  succession.  Rev.  Dr. 
Marshell,  W.  Taylor.  Daniel  Jones,  Simon  G. 
Turner,  Charles  Jones.  A.  A.  Price,  (!.  A. 
Si.ssle,  E.  D.  ililler.  T.  L.  Ferguson,  L.  JI. 
ITagood,  (j1.  a.  Sissle.  E.  L.  (iillian.  AV.  IT." 
Riley,  N.  11.  Talbott.  \V.  11.  Sinmious  and 
J.  S.  Bailey,  the  pr<'sent  |)astor.  The  church 
in  time  iiutgrew  its  (|uartei-s,  and  on  August 
20,  1899,  the  corner-stone  of  the  present  brick 
veneei-  building  was  laid.  The  church  now 
has  350  members,  and  125  in  the  Siuidax' 
school. 

In  1879  the  West  Mission  was  organized, 
occupying  a  room  on  Blaekfoi'd  sti'cet,  south 
of  North,  which  soon  developed  into  Zion's 
\.  M.  E.  Chui'cli.  Othei's  were  organizerl 
later,  there  now  being  eight  A.  M.  E. 
churches  in  the  city.  The  A.  M.  E.  Zion 
Church  was  not  represente(l  in  Tndianaiiolis 
initil  1886,  when  Lovely  Lane  Church  was 
established  at  568  Virginia  aven\ie.  There 
ai-e  now  four  churches  of  this  <lenomination 
in  the  I'ity.  It  ditl'ers  from  the  .\.  M.  E. 
( 'luireli  aliout  as  the  ^lethodist  Protestant 
lilies  from  the  Methodist  Lpiscopal.  the  chief 
point  being  that  it  does  not  recognize  a  sep- 
arate order  of  Ijishops— at  least  not  one  oi-- 
ilained  by  "laying  on  of  hands".  The  Col- 
ored 'M.  E.  Church  had  its  fiist  congregation 
(il'L'.anized   in   Indiananiilis  in    l-'eln-uarv.     The 


(;()4 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


corner-stone  of  its  chureh  on  Drake  street. 
near  We.st,  kivown  as  I'hillips  Chapel,  was 
laid  on  June  14,  1908,  by  Bishop  C.  H.  Phil- 
lips, A.M.,  M.D..  D.D.  This  denomination  is 
essentially  Southern  and  this  chureh  belongs 
to  the  Tennessee  Conferenee.  It  has  had  two 
pastors,  J.  F.  Taylor  and  Thomas  A.  AVilson. 
It  now  has  47  iiieinbers,  and  30  in  the  Sun- 
day school.  , 

Of  the  se\-eral  otfshoot  sects  of  the  Metho- 
dist Church  four  are  represented  in  Indian- 
apolis. The  oldest  of  these  is  the  Methodist 
I'rotestant  Chureh,  whose  first  congregation 
here  was  organized  in  1880.  and  esta])lished 
at  Hoyt  avenu(>  and  Dillon  (later  Shelby), 
with  John  P.  Williams  as  pastor.  Another 
I'hureh  of  this  denomination  was  organized  in 
November,  1901,  by  the  Jlethodist  Pi-otestant 
Chi'istian  Endeavor  of  Indiana.  The  corner- 
stone of  ils  building'  at  Villa  avenue  and 
Prospect  street  was  laid  on  January  8,  1902. 
and  it  was  dedicated  in  June  of  the  same 
vear.  Its  pastors  have  been  A.  B.  Williams. 
1901-3;  S.  S.  Stanton.  1903-4 -.  W.  C.  Reeder. 
1904  to  date.  It  has  200  members  and  275 
in  the  Sunday  school.  The  Free  [Methodists 
have  a  chureh  at  1114  East  Tenth  street, 
which  was  organized  in  November,  1907,  by 
Rev.  U.  E.  Harding,  and  was  formally  incoi'- 
porated  as  the  First  Free  ^Nfethodist  Church 
of  Indianapolis  on  January  25.  1909,  by  Jos. 
B.  Lutz.  the  present  pastor.  It  has  47  mem- 
bers, and  50  in  the  Sunday  school ;  and,  in 
addition  to  the  usual  church  functions,  car- 
ries on  the  work  of  the  East  Tenth  Street 
Mission,  which  was  established  in  1903.  It 
has  no  chureh  building  as  yet.  but  is  planning 
for  one.  The  Original  ^Methodists  have  a 
small  congivgation  at  2201  Nortli  Arsenal 
avenue;  and  the  Reformed  Methodists  have 
one  at  90'2y-,  North  Behnont  avenue,  with 
Rev.  Martha  A.  Swigert  as  pastor. 

The  Congregatioiudists  were  among  the 
7)ioneers  in  Indianapolis,  although  they  had 
no  church  oi'ganization  in  the  first  qiutrter  of 
a  century  of  the  town's  existence.  David  C. 
Proctor,  who  visited  the  cit.v  for  a  week  in 
May,  1822,  and  later  served  as  the  first  pas- 
tor of  the  fii'st  Presbyterian  Chureh,  was  a 
Congregationalist.  scut  out  by  the  Connecti- 
cut Missionary  Society.  So  was  Isaac  Reed, 
who  on  July  5.  1823.  "preached  as  moderator 
in    the    fonii;itioii    ut'    the    church    of   Indian- 


apolis". The  Coiniccticut  ^lissionary  Socie- 
ty was  the  first  home  mi.ssion  organization  of 
the  country,  and  it  was  very  rea.sonably  said 
in  1827  that  "half  the  Presbyterian  churches 
in  Indiana  had  been  planted  by  its  mission- 
aries." The  First  Presbyterian  Chureh  of 
Indianapolis  recognized  the  obligation  on 
September  20,  1823,  by  a  formal  resolution 
of  thanks  to  the  society  for  sending  Mr. 
Proctor,  and  expressing  appreciation  that 
they,  "in  addition  to  their  exertions  to  pro- 
mote the  interests  of  religion  in  their  own 
country,  and  also  to  spread  its  light  among 
the  nations  of  Asia  and  the  Indians  of  Amer- 
ica, are  doing  so  much  to  sujtply  with  preach- 
ing and  the  orilinances  of  the  Gospel  the  new 
settlements  in  our  Western  country".  The 
two  churches  wei'e  acting  together  in  the 
early  period,  under  what  was  called  "the 
plan  of  union",  by  which  the  missionaries  of 
either  church  "settled"  churches  of  the 
other,  and  served  them.  The  Presbyterians 
seemed  to  get  the  best  of  it  in  Indiana,  but 
when  it  is  considered  that  this  work  was 
merely  gathering  together  persons  already 
church  membei's.  it  means  only  that  there 
were  more  Presbyterians  who  desired  church 
organization  than  there  were  Congregation- 
alists. 

There  were  several  unsuccessful  efforts  to 
organize  a  Congregational  Church  in  Indian- 
apolis, but  they  were  usually  thwarted  by 
some  new  missionary  enterprise  of  one  of  the' 
other  churches.  Not  tnitil  1S57  did  success 
come.  On  August  9  of  that  year,  in  the 
senate  chamber  of  the  old  state  eapitol,  Ply- 
mouth Congregational  Church  was  b(n'n.  It 
was  an  occasion  of  general  interest,  and  the 
council  that  assisted  in  the  organization  was 
composed  of  Rev.  ]M.  A.  Jewett,  pastor  of 
First  Church.  Teire  Haute;  Dr.  T.  M.  Post, 
pastor  of  First  Church.  St.  Louis;  Dr.  11.  M. 
Sfoi-rs,  pastor  of  Seventh  Street  Church,  Cin- 
cinnati ;  Rev.  S.  P.  Fay.  jiastor  of  the  church 
at  Dayton,  and  Dr.  Sturtevant.  president  of 
Illinois  College.  The  church  was  organized 
with  31  member^,  of  whom  5  came  in  on 
profession  of  faith,  ^^ld  the  rest  by  letter 
from  other  churches.  For  several  months 
pi'ior  to  the  organization  these  members  had 
maintained  reliaious  services  and  a  Sunday 
school  iu  the  senate  chamber,  and  they  ctm- 
•  inued   to   woi-ship   there,   with   fiu^  exception 


HISTORY  OF  (MtKATKi;.    1  XDI AXAl'OLl.s. 


60.= 


(if  a  short  period  when  services  were  held  at 
Kamsey's  Hall,  on  Illinois  street,  until  their 
cliiireh  building  was  ready  for  oecupaucy. 

This  first  ehureh  buijtliuir  was  on  ileridiau 
street,  opposite  C'hi'ist  Chureh— now  eovered 
liy  the  Eufilish  Hotel.  The  front  part,  con- 
taiiiinu:  the  leeture  room,  study  and  social 
nionis,  was  completed  and  occupied  in  Sep- 
tember, 18.59.  The  renuiinder  was  finished 
and  dedicated  on  April  W.  1871.  The  con- 
'jre<.'ation  occupied  this  building'  until  1884, 
under  the  pastorate  of  Oscar  C.  IMcCidloch, 
when  it  built  a  handsome  chur<'h  at  the  south- 
east corner  of  New  York  and  .Meridian.  This 
liuilding:  was  occupied  until  September  15. 
lltOl.  when  it  was  delivered  to  the  United 
States  as  a  part  of  the  site  for  the  federal 
building.  The  sellin<r  price  was  .$48,000,  and 
the  sale  was  eonsunuuated  in  Autrust,  1000, 
the  cougrefjation  reserving  the  right  of  occu- 
pancy for  a  yeai-.  Th(>  church  then  pur- 
ehasiMl  tiie  buildiiie-  erected  by  the  Seventh 
Day  Adventists  at  Oenti-al  aveniu'  and  Four- 
teenth streets,  and  occupied  it,  after  some  re- 
modeling, until  September,  1908.  While  the 
ehanges  were  being  made  in  the  Central 
.\veuiie  Church,  the  congregation  was  given 
the  coiiiplinieutaiy  use  of  the  Jewish  Syiia- 
L'ogue.  on  Delaware  street.  On  May  1^5.  1906. 
I  lie  .\(>rth  Couijreeatioual  Church  united  with 
i'lyinnuth  Church,  the  united  congregations 
retailing  the  latter  name.  On  July  10.  1908. 
I'lymoiith  and  Mayflower  Churches  united. 
lakiiiiT  the  name.  The  Fii'st  Congregational 
•  'hureli.  They  occup.v  the  former  ^TayHower 
liuildiuL'.  at  th(>  southwest  corner  of  Deleware 
and  Sixteenth  sti-eets.  and  Rev.  Harry  15lunt. 
nf  Plymouth,  is  the  present  pastor.  This 
chureh  now  has  :189  members,  and  121  in  the 
Sunday  school. 

Plymouth  Church  had  nine  pastors,  in  the 
following  order:  W.  C.  Bartlett,  :Mav  to 
Antrust,  18,58:  \.  A.  Ilvde,  1858-67:  E.  P. 
Ineersoll,  18H8-71  :  J.  L.  Bennett.  1871-3:  O. 
S.  Dean.  1873-7:  Oscar  C.  :\rcCulloch.  1877- 
!n:  F.  E.  Dewhtn-.st.  1892-9:  IT.  C.  :\Ieserve. 
1900-4:  Harry  Blunt.  1904-8.  Of  these.  Na- 
thaniel   Alden   H.vde   was  longest  indentified 

\  ith  Indianapolis.  He  was  born  Mny  10, 
1827.  at  Stafford.  Coiui..  of  Pilgrim  stock, 
the  "Alden"  in  his  name  being  for  John 
Alden.   of   "Ma.vflower"    fame,   of   whom   he 

vas  a  descendant  on  his  mother's  side.     He 


graduated  from  Yale  in  1847.  and  Andover 
Theological  in  1851;  preached  at  Central 
\'illage  and  Rockville,  Conn.,  in  1851-3;  was 
assistant  secretary  of  the  Children's  Aid  So- 
ciety of  New  York  Cit.v  in  1854-1):  preached 
at  Dayton  and  ('incinnati  in  parts  of  1857-8; 
aiul  was  then  called  to  I'lymoiith  Church. 
During  his  service  there,  on  August  28,  1866, 
he  married  Laura  K..  daughter  of  Stoughtou 
A.  Fletcher,  Sr.  In  1867  the  State  Associa- 
tion of  Congregatioiud  (Churches  asked  for  a 
superintendent  of  missions  in  Indiana.  The 
.American  Home  Missionary  Society  told  the 
brethren  to  name  their  man.  They  promjjtly 
united  on  Mr.  Hyde,  who  reluctantly  con- 
sented to  serve.  He  tilled  this  position  most 
acceptably  until  1873,  when  he  resigned  and 
soon  after  accepted  the  pastorate  of  May- 
tiower  Church.  He  served  as  pastor  there  till 
April  n.  1888.  and  as  pastor  emeritus,  which 
he  was  formally  made  on  resigning;  he  su|)- 
plied  the  pulpit  between  succeeding  pastor- 
ates until  his  death,  on  July  19,  1901.  After 
his, resignation  inucli  of  his  time  was  devoted 
to  the  charity  work  of  the  city,  the  Art  As- 
.sociation.  and  other  interests  of  a  pul)lic 
character,  as  well  as  the  general  interests  of 
the  Congregational  Chureh. 

.Mayflower  Chureh  had  its  inception  in  a 
Sunday  school  that  was  started  by  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  at  a  private  residence  on  the  corner  of 
Jack.son  and  Cherr.v  streets.  On  ;\Iay  23, 
1869,  ^layflower  Church  was  organized  with 
13  members,  5  from  Plymouth,  2  from  Third 
Street  ."\I.  E..  1  from  Roberts  Park  :\I.  E.,  and 
'■i  from  the  Fourth  Presbyterian.  C.  M.  San- 
ders was  called  as  pastor,  and  served  until 
November,  1S70.  He  was  followed  by  0.  W. 
Barinnii  in  1871-2.  and  he  by  Dr.  Hyde.  A 
church  building  was  erected  at  St.  Clair  and 
East  streets,  which  was  dedicated  in  Janu- 
ary, 1870.  This  was  occupied  until  1894, 
when  the  chapel  of  the  chureh  building  at  the 
southwest  corner  of  si.xteenth  and  Delaware 
was  completed  and  occupied.  The  main 
church  building  was  com|)lete(l  seven  years 
later  and  was  dedicated  on  Oclober  20,  1901. 
After  the  resignation  of  Dr.  Hyde.  Rev.  Fred- 
erick S.  Huntington  was  called  to  the  pas- 
torate, but  died  of  typhoid  fever  before  ar- 
riving here.  The  pastors  succeeding  were 
Kinion  D.  Evans.  1888-90:  John  W.  Wilson. 
1S91-7;    Henrv   \.    Kinnev.  Januarv   to   Feb- 


(illli 


IIISToKV  ol' 


K.\'l'i:i;    IXDlAXAl'ohls. 


niiirv,  1898;  S,  A.  llovt.  1898-9;  H.  S.  Os- 
-o(m1,  1900-4:  Arthur  J.  Franc-is.  19()4-fK  11. 
J.  Van  Aukon.  190()  to  the  rMinsDliiUitinn  with 
I'lymouth. 

The  most  widi-ly  laiowii  of  tlii>  Conprefra- 
tional  pastoi-s  was  Oscar  C.  'SI.  .^^f'Cullol'll. 
who  occupied  a  hirue  place  in  the  life  of  th'' 
city.  Indeed  his  was  a  I'eliyioii  of  life.  lie 
loved  to  call  '.he  church  "the  house  of  life": 
and  he  preached  eloquently  from  the  text. 
"T  am  come  that  they  misiht  have  life,  and 
that  they  might  have  it  nun-e  abundantly". 
He  was  a  native  of  Fremont,  Ohio,  boin  Jul.v 
2.  1843.  His  father  was  a  druggist  and  he 
learned  the  liusin(>ss.  puttiu'.;-  in  his  spaiv 
time  readini;'  good  literature.  On  arrival  at 
manhood  he  went  to  Chicago  .-ind  liecaiin' 
salesman  for  a  wholesale  drup  house.  While 
in  the  city  he  srave  much  attention  to  mission 
and  charitable  woi-k.  In  1867  he  gave  uj) 
his  employment  and  entered  Chicago  Theo- 
loo'ical  Seminai-y  to  fit  himself  for  the  niin- 
istry.  His  fii-st  ])astorate  was  at  r'heboyuan. 
Mich.,  where  he  remained  seven  years;  and 
from  where  he  was  called  to  Plymouth 
Church  in  July  1877.  He  found  it  a  pooi' 
and  weak  conirreuation.  with  an  inconvenient 
buildinff.  heavily  mortgaoed.  His  preachiuu' 
and  work  built  up  the  eonsregation.  and  his 
original  genius  financed  a  new  church  ju'o.iecl 
by  an  issue  of  .4!2r>.000  of  fifteen-year  bonds. 
The  new  church  was  occupied  in  1884.  and 
was  a  new  ehiu-eh  in  its  devotion  to  instruc- 
tion, charity,  helpful  recreation,  and  the  gen- 
eral uplift  of  hiniianity. 

But  his  woi-k  was  not  confined  to  the 
church.  On  'JMianlcsgivini!'  eveniui;'.  1878.  he 
attended  the  atuinal  meeting  of  the  Indian- 
ai>olis  Benevolent  Society — an  institution  that 
had  existed  continuously  for  fortv-lhi'ei' 
years,  and  had  bi>en  a  thiim'  of  pride  and  t:en- 
ei'al  interest  in  the  eai'liei-  \('ai-'^  nf  the  i>lace 
There  were  OTily  seven  persons  nresent,  and 
they  were  somewhat  discouraged.  A  motion 
wa>»  made  tn  disband.  ]\T"Culloch  opnosed  it. 
He  spoke  of  the  worlc  tlia*  wms  being  dour 
elsewhere  and  (if  the  need  .f  ;ind  opp(U'- 
tunity  for  woi'k  here,  'i'hi'  iiiDtion  to  disband 
was  withdrawn.  an<l  one  to  "n  on  was  sub- 
stituted. He  was  elected  president,  and  he 
was  re-elected  to  that  position  annually 
throughout  his  life.  The  work  at  once  liegan 
to   l)e   svsteiiiatic   and   etifeelive.      The   recoi-d 


of  visits  and  investigations  was  opened  Jan- 
uary 20,  1879.  and  in  April  an  employment 
agency  was  started.  In  December  the  work 
was  reoi'ganized  as  The  Charity  Organization 
Society.  ^In  the  fall  of  1880,  the  Friendly  Inn 
and  woodyard  was  opened,  which  became  a 
nightmare  to  the  professional  tramp  and  a 
i-elief  to  the  neetly  man.  In  1881  a  success- 
ful campaign  was  made  to  i-efoi-m  abuses  in 
the  county  jioorhouse.  and  in  the  same  year 
was  organized  the  Children's  Aid  Society, 
from  which  developed  the  free  kindergartens. 
In  December,  1882,  preliminary  steps  were 
taken  for  the  Flower  Mission  Training  School 
foi-  Nurses,  the  active  work  beginning  in  the 
following  September.  In  1883  the  establish- 
ment of  the  county  workhouse  was  secured. 
Ill  1885  the  Dime  Savings  and  Loan  Associa- 
tion was  formed. 

In  1888-9  the  work  reached  out  to  the 
state.  Mr.  MeCulloch  formulated  bills  for  the 
State  Board  of  Charities  and  Corrections  and 
the  Board  of  Children's  (iuardian.s.  They 
fortunately  came  before  the  gi'cat  Democratic 
lefoi'm  legislature  of  that  winter,  and  Mr. 
MeCulloch  found  an  able  and  vigorous  co- 
ad.iutor  in  Samuel  E.  INIorss,  of  the  Sentinel, 
by  whose  aid  they  became  laws ;  and  they 
have  i-evolutionized  charity  and  correctional 
work  in  Tn<liana.  By  this  time  the  Associated 
Charities  of  Indianajiolis  had  become  an  or- 
ganization of  national  repute,  and  at  the  Na- 
tional Conference  of  Charities  and  Correc- 
tions at  Baltimore,  in  1890,  Mr.  MeCulloch 
was  nuide  its  president,  and  the  annual  meet- 
ing for  1891  was  fixed  at  Indianapolis.  It 
convened  in  ]\Iay.  and  was  a  great  siu'cess 
in  evei-y  way.  especially  as  an  iiis()iration  to 
organized  charity  throughout  the  state.  It 
was  the  climax  of  his  public  w(U'k.  In  June. 
1891.  he  went  to  Europe,  hoping  by  rest  and 
change  to  regain  the  health  he  had  broken 
by  overwork.  On  his  return,  without  physi- 
cal bi'nefit.  he  i)reached  one  Sunday,  and 
then  in  patience  waited  the  call  to  lasting 
Ix'alth  and  rest,  which  came  on  December  10. 
1891.  In  1892  a  volume  of  his  most  striking 
and  characteristic  sermons  was  jjrinteil  in  this 
city  under  the  title,  "The  Open  Door". 

Although  the  first  preacher  who  delivei'ed 
a  sr'rmon  at  Indianapolis  was  a  ".Newlight ". 
who  might  be  r-laimed  as  a  "Campbellite". 
or  "Christian",   the  sect    had   no   formal   or- 


I 


IIIS'l'()i;V  OF  CK'KATEK   IXDIAXATOMS. 


607 


i:aniz;iti()ii  lu'ii'  for  iiioiv  than  a  decade  later; 
llioutrh  sev<'ral  of  its  ijieinhers  united  and 
rented  a  lojr  liouse  on  .Market  street,  where 
they  held  ])r:iy(>r  meetings  and  oeeasionai 
services.  In  January.  18oS,  .John  O'Kane.  a 
\'iri.nnian.  who  had  heeii  doiny:  evantrelistie 
wnik  in  Oliio  and  eastei-n  Indiana,  as  well  as 
teaching  school,  made  a  trip  as  Tar  west  as 
linlianapolis.  Xo  chureh  was  oixn  to  him, 
anil  preaehinji  for  three  successive  evenings 
in  the  log  house  showed  that  it  was  in- 
adi-(juate  foi'  those  who  wished  to  hear;  but 
the  lesiislature.  which  was  in  session  in  the 
old  court  house,  ottered  him  that  building  on 
Saturday  evcniiiLis  and  Sundays,  and  a  season 
iif  I'cvival  folhiwed.  He  was  one  of  the  most 
noted  debaters  of  his  church,  locally,  aggres- 
sive, ready  and  with  a  keen  wit  that  often 
took  the  form  of  ingenious  invective  oi-  eut- 
ting  sairasiii.  A  lather  ]iom[)ous  "orthodox"' 
minister  havinu  declined  to  debate  with  him. 
Init  intimatinu  his  readiness  to  meet  AJex- 
.indei-  Campbell.  (_)"l\ane  leveled  his  long  thin 
liuLier  and  answered:  '•'\'(iu!  Vou  debate 
with  Alexander  ('ami)bell  I  Why.  if  one  of 
his  ideas  should  get  into  your  head  it  would 
explode  like  a  bond)shell."  He  made  one  or 
two  visits  to  Indianapolis  in  the  spring,  and 
on  June  12.  1KV.I.  "the  Church  of  Christ" 
at  this  point  was  organized  at  the  hous(>  of 
Benjamin  Koberts;  and  Peter  II.  Roberts  and 
•  lohn  II.  Sanders  wei-c  chosen  the  first  ovci'- 
seers.  The  church  had  no  regular  pastor  for 
nine  yeais.  hut  O'Kane  wa.s  among  those  who 
\  isited  it  and  i)reached  at  interv;ils.  In  18411 
he  located  at  Indi;in;ii)olis  and  engaged  in  the 
book  and  stationery  business,  preachinu-  when 
occasion  ott'ered.  lie  took  an  active  intci'cst 
in  organizing  Xoi'thwestern  Christian  Cniver- 
sity,  and  in  IS")!  was  appointed  general  agent 
and  solieitor  foi-  't.  to  its  material  advan- 
laire.  In  1S.")()  he  removed  to  Independence. 
Missoni-i.  and  died  in  that  state  in  1881. 

.\mong  othei's  who  visited  the  cinirch  were 
■  leliii  L.  Jones  and  Thomas  Lockhart.  who 
;ra\'eled  together  ;is  evangelists  in  central  In- 
diana; Lo\-e  11.  .lameson.  .Miehacl  Combs.  ,\n- 
Irew  I'rathei'  ;ind  T.  J.  .Matlock.  Chauiicey 
Hutler.  father  <if  (>\id  Bidler.  .served  as  ])as- 
loi'  for  idiout  a  year  in  18:50-40.  Butler  I\. 
Siiiitli.  a  blaeksmitli.  who  came  here  in  ISL'M 
and  was  one  of  the  lonnders  of  the  ehureh. 
preached    oecasii  nall\'.       He    devoteil    liimsell' 


wholly  to  the  ministry  later.  The  fir.st  regu- 
lar pastor  was  Love  11.  Jameson,  who  took 
eharge  October  1,  1842,  and  served  till  1853". 
He  was  :i  notable  exami)le  of  jtersonal  effort. 
Horn  in  Jeffer.son  County,  Indiana.  .May  17, 
1811.  with  only  fhi>  in.struction  of  his  parents 
and  the  country  s"hools  of  the  territory,  he 
became  "  eonvertetl "  and  was  induced  to  en- 
ter the  ministry.  He  preached  for  the  first 
time  on  December  "25,  1829 :  and  feeling  a 
need  for  more  education  he  took  up  the  study 
of  (Jreek.  using  as  a  text-book  Ironside's 
Ci-anuTUir.  which  was  written  in  Latin.  From 
that  time  on  he  was  self-instiaicted.  with  the' 
exception  of  attenilance  at  D.  I).  Bi'att"s  sem- 
inary at  Rising  Sun,  in  the  sunuuer  and  fall 
of  1833.  He  became  a  good  Greek  scholar, 
and  proficient  in  the  natural  sciences  and 
Miusic.  In  18r)il  the  directors  of  Xorthwest- 
ern  Christian  University,  on  reconnMcndation 
of  the  faculty,  gave  him  an  honoi-ary  degree 
of  A..M.  He  taught  school  both  before  and 
after  connng  hei'c.  He  resided  in  Indiaiuip- 
olis  after  I'csigning  his  pastorate,  and  was 
for  numy  years  a  trustee  of  the  Deaf  and 
Dumb  .Vsyluin,  and  one  of  the  active  pro- 
;iiotei-s  of  Xorthwestern  Christian  University. 
In  the  Civil  AVar  he  went  out  as  chaplain  of 
the  Seventy-ninth  Tiuliaiui,  hut  was  obliged  to 
resign  after  two  \cars  of  service  on  acci>unt 
id'  ill  health.  He  wa,s  noted  as  a  singei-.  and 
com])()sed  a  ninidier  of  hymns,  of  which 
"(iathering  Home"  was  perha|)s  the  most 
jiopular.  His  death  occiu'red  ;it  Indianapolis, 
en    .\pril    (i.    18(12. 

During  the  ministry  of  ^Ir.  Jameson,  in 
IS.")],  it  was  decided  to  make  a  change  of  lo- 
cation, and  a  substantial  brick  church  was 
built  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Delaware 
and  Ohio  streets,  where  Butler  K.  Smith's 
house  had  stood.  In  the  spring  o\'  1SS2,  a 
conuiiittee  was  appoiided  to  build  an  addi- 
tion at  the  west  end  of  this,  fronting  on  Ohio 
street.  This  was  comi)li'ted  in  tinu'  for  the 
semi-centeiuiial  of  the  church,  which  was 
celebrated  oTi  June  12.  l.^S:5.  with  memoi'ablc 
enthusiasm.  Here  the  conurcgation  i-<'mained 
ten  years  longer.  In  1S!I()  it  was  dccidetl  to 
move  farther  nei-lh.  and  a  lot  at  th<'  corner 
of  Ft.  \V;ivne  aviTiue  anil  Walnut  street  was 
secured.  The  w.irk  was  bceun  in  ]\Iay,  1892, 
the  coiMierstone  beiui;  laid  on  July  26;  and 
the  church   was  dedicated   en    .\piil   Ki.   1893. 


DOS 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIAXAPOLIS. 


the  dedication  sermon  being  preached  by  J.  II. 
Garrison,  of  St.  Louis,  editor  of  the  Christian 
Evangelist.  The  cost  of  this  handsome  build- 
ine:,  with  the  furnishings  and  the  lot,  was 
$•47,500. 

The  pastors  of  the  church,  now  known  as 
Central  Christian  Church,  since  Love  It 
Jameson,  have  been  Eli.jah  Goodwin,  1856-9; 
Perry  Hall.  1856-62 :  Otis  A.  Buraess,  1862-!) ; 
Wm.  F.  Black,  1869-77:  Joseph'^B.  Cleaver, 
1877-8;  Urban  C.  Brewer,  1878-81;  David 
AValk,  18S1-5;  Edwin  J.  Gantz,  1885-8;  David 
R.  Lucas,  1888-95;  John  E.  Pounds.  1896-8; 
Allen  B.  Philputt.  1898  to  date.  Of  these 
Elders  Burgess,  AYalk  and  Lucas  were  espe- 
cially ]»oiiular  i)reachers.  Elder  Black  became 
involvcil  in  a  scandal  and  was  dismissed  from 
the  pastorate.  Rev.  Allen  B.  Philputt.  the 
present  pastor,  is  popular  both  in  and  out- 
side of  his  church.  He  is  a  native  of  Ten- 
nessee, born  in  1856.  He  graduated  at  In- 
diana T^niversity.  and  later  studied  at  Har- 
vard ;  and  then  studied  theology  at  the  Epis- 
copalian Divinity  School  at  Philadelphia.  His 
first  call  was  to  Bloomington.  lud..  wher^' 
he  remained  for  six  years,  during  two  of 
which  he  also  served  as  instructor  in  the  uni- 
versity. He  was  then  called  to  Philadelphia, 
where  he  served  for  ten  years,  and  from 
there  was  called  to  Indianapolis. 

The  Second  Christian  Church  is  the  only 
colored  congregation  of  the  denomination  in 
Indianapolis.  It  M-as  establi.shed  as  a  mis- 
sion of  the  First  or  Central  Church  in  the 
spring  of  1867.  The  white  brethren  aided 
largely  in  the  early  -work,  and  especially  W. 
W.  Dowling  and  J.  M.  Tilford.  A  modest 
frame  building  was  soon  erected  on  First 
'Tenth)  street  west  of  ^Mississippi.  Later  it 
occupied  a  building  at  old  Fifth  and  Illinois 
streets  foi-  a  time,  and  then  went  to  its  pi-es- 
cnt  building  at  Missouri  and  Thirteenth.  It 
was  organized  as  a  church  in  1868.  with  Ru- 
fus  Conrad  as  pastor.  The  present  pa.stoi-  is 
H.  L.  Herod,  who  appears  to  make  no  reports 
to  anybody  of  mendiership  or  church  work. 

The  Third  Christian  Church  grew  out  of  a 
Sunday  school  that  was  organized  in  the 
spring  of  1867  at  the  Northwestern  Christian 
T^niversity.  by  Prof.  A.  C.  Shortridge  and 
others.  The  church  was  organized  in  the 
University  Chapel  on  December  10.  1868.  It 
was   without    a    i-cgular   jiastor   for   the   first 


year,  and  since  then  the  pastoral  .succession 
has  been,  Austin  Council,  Elijah  Goodwin, 
John  C.  IMiller,  Dr.  Ryland  T.  Brown,  J.  L. 
Parsons,  AVm.  Holt.  Robert  C.  ]\Iatthews,  S. 
H.  :\Ioore,  D.  R.  Van  Buskirk,  Burris  A. 
Jenkins,  Carlos  C.  Rawlinson,  Charles  B. 
Xcwnan,  and  Harry  G.  Hill.  The  last  re- 
port of  the  church  showed  1,740  members  and 
1,250  in  the  Sunday  school.  The  first  build- 
ing, a  frame,  on  Home  avenue  near  Ash,  was 
tknlicated  on  October  23,  1870.  The  second 
was  dedicated  on  January  1,  1888.  The  con- 
gregation is  now  contem]i]ating  a  thii'd.  to 
be  located  at  Seventeenth  and  Broadway. 

The  Fourth  Christian  Church  began  as  a 
mission  school  in  a  dwelling  on  Blake  street 
on  June  28.  1868,  and  in  November  of  that 
year  moved  to  a  room  at  the  corner  of  New 
York  and  Blake.  That  winter  the  church 
was  organized,  with  Elder  J.  B.  New  as  pas- 
tor. In  the  summer  of  1869  the  congregation 
removed  to  a  hall  on  Indiana  avenue,  and  re- 
mained there  for  a  year  and  a  half.  On 
January  1,  1871,  a  frame  church  at  Fayette 
and  Walnut  was  dedicated.  Its  next  move 
was  to  Pratt  and  West  streets.  The  present 
]iastor  is  Wm.  H.  Smith,  and  the  member- 
ship is  reported  250.  The  Fifth  Christian 
Church,  otherwise  known  as  Olive  Branch, 
was  organized  in  1868.  Its  church  building 
at  old  Fifth  and  Illinois  was  dedicated  on 
December  25,  1870.  It  lost  its  building  and 
went  to  pieces  in  1880,  most  of  the  members 
going  to  the  First  and  Sixth  Churches.  Later 
it  wa.s  revived  and  established  at  1120  S. 
Meridian  street.  Fi'cd  H.  Jacobs  is  the  pres- 
ent pastor  and  the  reported  mendiei'shiii  is 
150. 

The  Sixth  Christian  Church,  at  Elm  and 
Pine  streets,  wa.s  organized  February  14. 
1875.  The  corner-stone  of  its  church  was  laid 
in  1888 ;  it  was  dedicated  in  1897 ;  the  mort- 
gage was  burned  on  October  10.  1909.  The 
pastors  have  been  J.  M.  Caniield.  A.  L.  Or- 
cutt  and  C.  W.  Cauble.  The  membership  is 
600.  and  the  Sundaj'  school  has  250  enrolled. 
The  Seventh  Christian  Church  is  a  Noi-th  In- 
dianapolis congregation,  with  building  at 
Udell  and  Annette  streets.  The  present  pas- 
tor is  Clay  Trusty.  The  membershi])  is  432. 
and  the  Sunday  school  has  300  enrolled.  Bis- 
marck avenue,  or  Haughville  Church,  was  or- 
ganized in  the  .spring  of  1889.  and  its  build- 


HTS^T0T7Y.()F  nUKATKlJ   IXDIANArOT.IS. 


609 


(]V.    JI.    liass    Photo    Company.) 


CHRIST    CHURCH. 


GIG 


jiisToi.'V  OK  (;i;i:a'iki;  inihanai'oi.is. 


ing  was  erected  iu  the  same  year.  Its  pastor 
is  S.  F.  Powers.  There  are  364  members,  aud 
150  in  the  Sunday  school. 

Hillside  Avenue  Cliureh,  at  the  corner  of 
Hillside  and  Nineteenth  streets,  was  organ- 
ized August  2G,  1892,  and  the  church  was 
built  the  following  winter.  The  succession 
of  pastors  has  been  11.  L.  Hendei-son,  \V.  C. 
Payne.  Om.'r  IlutlVrd,  M.  L.  Pierce,  E.  W. 
Hammond.  S.  J.  Tomlinson,  R.  A.  Smith, 
O.  E.  Tomes,  R.  A.  Smith,  and  Charles  M. 
Fillmore.  The  church  has  260  members  and 
275  in  the  Sunday  school.  North  Park  Church, 
at  the  corner  of  Kenwood  and  Twenty-ninth 
streets,  was  organized  June  20,  1897.  The 
pastors  have  been  J.  ^l.  Cantield,  1897-9;  C. 
M.  AVatson,  1890-1900;  J.  P.  Meyers,  1900-2; 
Austin  Hunter,  1902  to  date.  Under  Mr, 
Hunter  a  new  church  has  been  begun,  and  is 
a]>]M'oaching  completion.  The  church  has  561 
members  and  300  in  the  Sunday  school. 

In  1896  the  Christian  Church  Union  was 
organized — incorporated  December  4 — "to 
preach  the  gospel,  organize  and  maintain 
Christian  churches  and  Christian  Sunday 
schools'".  It  has  66  members,  from  the  va- 
rious Christian  churches,  and  has  been  th(> 
active  missionary  ortranization  of  the  denom- 
ination since  its  oruanization.  Other  Chris- 
tion  churches  that  have  been  organized  are 
apparently  flourishini;'.  Englewood  Church, 
at  35  N.  Rural,  has  500  members  aud  460  in 
the  Sunday  school.  O.  E.  Tomes  is  pastor. 
Irvington,  or  Downey  Avenue  Church,  has 
490  members  and  475  in  the  Sunday  school. 
Chas.  H.  Winders  is  pastor.  Morris  Street 
Church,  corner  of  Blaine  avenue,  west  In- 
dianapolis, has  500  membeis  and  200  in  the 
Sunday  school. 

West  Park  Chujch  is  the  outgi-owth  of  :i 
tent  meeting  held  by  the  Union  in  1904.  It 
was  organized  with  60  members  and  now  re- 
ports 240.  F.  P.  Smith  is  the  pastor,  and  the 
church  is  located  on  Addison  street,  north  of 
Washington.  Columbia  Place  is  a  new  church 
oruanizcd  in  1909,  and  its  building  on  Foi'ty- 
seeond  street  was  di'dicated  in  1909.  Cen- 
itenary  is  a  new  church  that  has  no  building 
yet,  and  is  holding  services  in  Odd  Fellows 
liall  at  Tenth  and  Rui-al  streets.  It  was  or- 
ganized in  1909.  South  Side  Church  is  an- 
other new  church  with  no  building,  but  using 
a  hall  at  Hai-|ic>r  and  ('(ittage.    It  has  had  two 


pastois,  M,  V.  Reckhoft'  and  B.  J.  McKane, 
and  reports  20  members  and  50  in  the  Sun- 
day school.  ]\Iost  of  the  members  are  from 
Si.xth  Church. 

The  Church  of  Christ  is  an  independent 
society,  located  at  916  W.  Twenty-ninth 
street,  whose  charter  members  were  "Dis- 
ciples" who  withdrew  from  the  Seventh 
Christian  Church  iu  1893.  The  church  has  no 
pastor  in  the  ordinary  sense,  but  is  served 
by  its  two  elders,  Daniel  Sonnner  and  A.  W. 
Harvey.  It  has  no  Sunday  school.  The 
First  Christian  Church,  at  Seventeenth  and 
Columbia,  is  not  a  congregation  of  the  "Dis- 
ciples" or  "Campbellites",  but  of  tlie 
"Stoneites"  or  "Xewlights"  faction  that  did 
not  luiite  with  the  "Campbellites"  in  1832. 
This  coniiregation  was  organized  on  June  29, 
1898,  and  built  a  Sunday  school  at  ;\Iartin- 
dale  aud  Seventeenth  streets  in  1907.  They 
were  preparing  to  build  a  church  when  the 
German  Evangelical  oft'ered  to  sell  the  build- 
inu-  now  occupied,  and  the  offer  was  accepted. 
J.  F.  :\Iorris  was  pastor,  1898-1906:  Rev. 
WUes,  1906-8;  C.  O.  Brown,  1908  to  date. 
The  church  has  61  members,  and  102  in  the 
Sunday  school.  John  McClung,  the  lirst 
clergyman  that  preached  in  Indianapolis,  was 
a  membei-  of  this  denomination.  They  are 
sometimes  called  "Old  Christians"  by  the 
Disciples. 

Thei-e  is  sometliinff  attractive  about  Christ 
Church  to  most  people,  and  it  is  the  only  old 
building  of  any  size  in  Indianapolis  that  is 
attractive.  An  ideal  of  church  architecture, 
nestled  down  between  the  big  Columbia  Club 
and  the  big  Board  of  Trade,  it  strikes  one  as 
a  step  out  of  the  present  into  the  pa.st ;  and 
the  imjiression  is  strengthened  if  you  accept 
the  kindly  invitation  at  the  side  of  the  ever- 
open  door — "Come  in:  rest  and  pray".  It 
is  old— built  in  1860-  and  it  stands  where  its 
predecessor  was  built  twenty-two  yeai-s  ear- 
iiei-— more  than  three  score  years  and  ten  of 
church,  occuiiancy  of  that  site,  which  is  more 
than  can  be  counted  f(U'  any  other  church  in 
the  city.  In  its  prime  it  had  abundant  com- 
jiany,  for  the  cii'cle  was  the  church  center— 
the  First  Presbyterian  on  the  east,  the  Sec- 
ond Presbyterian  on  the  west,  AVesley  Chapel 
on  the  south  and  Christ  Church  on  the  north : 
and  later  in  that  period  came  Plymouth  Con- 
gi'egational  .iust  across  Meridian  street   from 


; 


iiisToiiv  OK  (;i;i:ati:i;  i.ndi.wai-oi.is. 


(iU 


Christ  C'luirch.  Now  they  are  all  gone;  auit 
in  fact  Christ  Chiireli  is  tlie  "oldest  iiiliabi- 
taiit"  of  the  cirele.  for  every  one  of  the  old 
l)iiildiiij,'s  there  has  been  removed,  except  that 
the  old  walls  of  Wesley  Chapel  still  remain 
in  part  in  the  building  at  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  Jleridian  street  and  iloniunent  place. 
Gone,  too,  are  the  Governor's  ^fansion  that 
stood  in  the  center  of  the  cii-cle,  and  the 
Marion  Engine  House  that  stood  on  the  north 
side  of  it  —  these  ltoui-  so  lontr  that  tiiey  are 
not  even  memories  except  to  a  cdiripai-ative 
few  of  the  oldest  residents. 

As  an  organization  the  Episcopalian  eongi-e- 
sration  was  not  among  the  earliest,  but  thei-e 
were  some  Episcoi)alians  among  the  e.irliest 
settlers,  notably  (ieortre  Smith,  tlu'  firsi  news- 
paj)er  publisher,  but  they  usually  attended 
the  churches  of  other  sects,  except  on  occa- 
sional visits  of  an  Episcopalian  minister. 
There  were  several  of  these.  A  Rev.  Mr. 
Pfeiffer  preached  here  about  1823-4  and  htiyt- 
tized  an  infant.  Rev.  Jlelancthon  Hoyt  was 
here  for  a  time  as  a  missionarv;  and  Rev. 
Jehu  C.  Clay,  later  Dr.  Clay,  of  Piiiiadelphia. 
came  afterwai'ds  and  was  i'e(|uested  to  settle, 
but  did  not.  Rev.  Henry  M.  Shaw  also  vis- 
ited the  place.  In  Apiil.  1837,  a  movement 
for  organization  was  inaugurated.  On  .July 
4,  1837.  Rev.  James  B.  Britton  located  here. 
and  on  July  9,  the  Sunday  following,  held 
.sei-vices.  On  July  13  thirty  resident  Episco- 
palians associated  themselves  as  "the  Parish 
of  Chi'ist  Church",  and  on  August  21,  for- 
nudly  organized  by  i-lccting  Aithur  St.  Clair 
senior  warden:  Thos.  Mc()uat.  junior  wai'den  ; 
and  James  Morri.son,  Joseph  ]\r.  ^foore  and 
AVm.  Ilannanian,  vestrymen. 

On  :May  7,  1838,  the  corner-.stone  of  the 
first  cburch  was  laid:  and  it  was  occupied  on 
Xovend)er  18:  aiul  <ledicated  <in  December 
It;  of  the  .same  year  by  Kt.  Rev.  Jackson 
Kempei-.  D.D..  ]\Ii.s.sionary  Bishop  of  Indiana 
and  Mis-souri.  It  was  a  fi'ame  buildiui;-.  con- 
sidered at  the  time  the  handsomest  church 
structure  in  Indiana ;  though  there  was  noth- 
ing especially  handsome  alxnit  it.  except  thai 
it  had  a  spire  when  spires  were  nut  very 
connnon.  In  18.")7  it  was  moved  away  to 
serve  as  a  meetiuL'  place  foi-  the  ])eople  of 
Bethel  A.  M.  E.  Church,  until  it  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  a  few  years  later.  The  pres- 
ent   church    was    cdmpleled    ;ind    dcciipird    in 


18()().  except  that  the  spii'c  was  not  added  till 
186!l.  The  chimes  wei-e  addeil  in  the  spring 
of  IStil.  Many  I'cmember  how  (iei>rge  Hard- 
ing used  to  revile  them  on  the  ground  that 
they  interfered  w-ith  innocent  Sunday  slum- 
ber, but  he  had  little  sympathy  in  his  on- 
slaughts, for  til  all  Indianai)olis  people  who 
had  any  sentiment  those  chimes  serve  the 
essential  purposes  of  the  bells  of  Shandon. 
Taking  it  altogether,  it  is  not  strange  that  in 
19(H),  when  there  was  a  movoneut  on  foot  to 
abancliin  the  "Id  ehiireh.  and  the  Colundiia 
Club  had  an  option  on  the  property,  there 
arose  a  general  remonstrance  airainst  the  pro- 
posal. The  removal  pi-o.ject  was  therefore 
abandoned,  and  the  chui'ch  was  repaired  and 
a  Sunday  school  room  added.  It  now  has  'I'Ai 
conununicants,  and  9.')  in  the  Sunday  .school. 
The  reetoi-s  of  Christ  Chui'ch  have  been 
James  B.  Britton,  1837-40:  .Moses  H.  Hunter. 
1842-3;  Samuel  Lee  Jnhnson.  1844-8:  Nor- 
man W.  Camp.  D.I).,  1849-52;  Joseph  C.  Tal- 
bott.  18.')2-60;  Horace  Stringfellow.  Jr., 
18(i()-3:  Theodore  J.  Holcomb.  18ti.3-4:  J.  P. 
T.  Iimraham.  18(i4-8;  Benjamin  I'Vanklin. 
18(58-72;  E.  A.  Bradley,  D.D.,  1872-88;  J.  II. 
Ranger,  1888-96;  A.  J.  (Jrahani,  1896-1901; 
James  D.  Stanley,  1901  to  date.  Of  these 
Mr.  Johnson  and  Mr.  Hanger  died  in  office. 
Mr,  Talbott's  service  was  ended  by  his  con- 
secration as  Bishop  of  the  Xorthwest.  .Mr. 
Stringfellow  resiiined  nn  account  of  criticism 
from  outside  of  the  church.  lie  was  a 
Southerner,  and  in  the  time  of  the  Civil  War 
partisan  feeling  ran  high.  Moreover,  there 
were  a  numbei'  of  pi'ominent  Democrats  in 
his  congregation,  and  no  elVort  was  spared  by 
their  yiolitical  enemies  to  cast  odium  on  them. 
I'he  Jonruiil's  mildest  term  foi-  a  Democrat 
was  "copperhead",  and.  as  is  usual,  there 
wei'e  many  who  swallowed  all  their  party  or- 
igan ;-iaitl.  and  enlarged  on  it.  Under  these 
eonditions  Mr.  Stringfellow  and  his  wife 
fui'nished  some  food  to  i-ebel  pi'isoners  in  tie- 
city  who  complained  of  a  hick  of  it;  ami  this 
action  called  forth  bitter  criticism.  .Mr. 
Sti'intrfellow  felt  that  his  usefulness  here  was 
ended  and  handed  in  his  resignation.  His 
congregation  unanimously  re((ucsted  him  not 
to  go,  and  his  vestry  puiilicly  (>xpressed  their 
confidence  in  him  and  condemned  the  injus 
tice   of  the   eritieisni:    but    lir    insisted    mi    his 


613 


HISTORY  OF  (i HEATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


resignation,  and  probably  under  the  circum- 
stances he  was  right. 

But  he  was  brought  back  later.  In  the 
spring  of  1866  Christ  Church  had  grown 
overcrowded,  and  there  was  consideration  of 
a  new  parish.  Some  of  Mr.  Stringf allow 's 
old  friends  invited  him  to  visit  the  city,  and 
he  came  in  the  latter  part  of  June,  and 
preached  on  July  1  at  Christ  Church  in  the 
morning  and  at  Grace  in  the  evening.  The 
new  parish  movement  then  took  form.  Con- 
sent was  obtained  from  Bishops  Upfold  and 
Talbott  on  July  7,  and  on  August  9  the  name 
of  St.  Paul's  was  chosen,  and  Mr.  Stringf el- 
low  was  called  as  rector.  The  preliminary 
organization  meeting  was  held  at  the  office 
of  Alford,  Talbott  &  Co.,  under  Morrison's 
Opera  Hall  on  South  Meridian  street,  and 
W.  B.  Thurston,  R.  L.  McOuat,  Jos.  A. 
Moore,  H.  J.  Horn,  Wm.  Edmunds,  J.  0.  D. 
Lilly  and  D.  E.  Snyder  were  chosen  for  ves- 
ti-jnnen  till  the  Easter  election.  The  old  Mili- 
taiy  Hall,  where  the  Lombard  Building  now 
stands,  was  secured  for  services  temporarily, 
and  Mr.  Stringfellow  preached  his  first  ser- 
mon there  on  September  2.  There  was  some 
consideration  of  the  site  taken  later  by  Rob- 
erts Park  Church,  bait  the  present  site  of  St. 
Paul's  at  New  York  and  Illinois  was  chosen, 
and  the  corner-stone  was  laid  on  June  6,  1867, 
by  Bishop  Talbott.  The  chapel  had  been 
completed  and  occupied  on  December  25, 
1866.  The  cojupleted  church  was  dedicated 
on  May  31,  1868.  The  original  chapel  was  a 
frame  structure  which  was  destroyed  by  fire 
January  9,  1889:  and  its  place  is  covered  by 
the  present  parish  house,  which  was  built  in 
1895-6.  The  parish  reports  552  comiinnii- 
cants,  and  128  in  the  Sunday  school. 

The  petty  political  prejudices  of  the  war 
times  were  transferred  from  Christ  Church 
to  St.  Paul's  for  several  years;  and  though 
there  was  not  the  open  reviling,  facetious 
Republicans  used  to  call  it  "the  Church  of 
the  Holy  Rebellion",  notwithstanding  a  ma- 
.jority  of  its  original  vestry  were  Republicans. 
But  that  wore  off  in  time,  as  the  general  war 
prejudice  did,  and  people  who  had  regarded 
each  other  as  red-handed  monsters  came  to 
find  each  other  fairly  decent  folk.  The  truth 
is  that  in  the  war  time  Christ  Church  was 
one  of  the  few  where  a  Democrat  could  wor- 
ship   without   being   hit   periodically    with    a 


religio-political  brick,  and  that  was  the 
height  of  its  offending.  Rev.  Stringfellow 
remained  with  St.  Paul's  till  July  1,  1869, 
and  then  left  his  established  and  prosperous 
parish  to  take  charge  of  St.  John's  Church, 
at  Montgomery,  Ala.,  impelled  by  the  call  of 
conscience  that  his  services  were  more  needed 
in  the  struggle  of  the  church  in  the  Soutli. 
He  was  in  fact  a  simple,  kindly,  manly  man, 
and  one  incident  has  caused  him  to  be  re- 
membered with  affection  by  those  who  were 
young  when  he  was  here— he  was  the  first 
pastor  who  had  a  Christmas  tree  in  his 
church  in  Indianapolis. 

The  succeeding  rectors  were  Treadwell 
AValden,  1869-72;  F.  M.  Bird,  1874;  John 
Fulton.  D.D.,  1875-6 ;  J.  Sanders  Reed,  1877- 
81;  F.  M.  S.  Taylor,  1881-2;  J.  S.  Jenckes, 
1883-92;  G.  A.  Carstensen,  1892-1900;  Lewis 
Brown,  1900  to  date.  When  the  main  church 
building  was  dedicated.  Bishop  Talbott  an- 
nounced that  by  agreement  the  church  had 
been  made  the  Diocesan  Cathedral,  which  re- 
lation continued  imtil  1885,  wlien  St.  Paul's 
became  an  independent  parish.  During  the 
cathedral  period  the  i-ectors  were  officially 
deans,  though  the  cathedral  was  not  conse- 
crated till  June  4,  1875,  and  the  first  public 
installation  was  on  June  6.  Among  the  nota- 
ble events  in  the  church's  history  were  the 
funeral  of  Bishop  Talbott  on  January  19, 
1 883 ;  the  funeral  services  of  Vice-President 
Hendricks,  who  was  Senior  "Warden  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  on  December  1,  1885;  the 
funeral  of  Bishop  Knickerbacker  in  January, 
1895;  and  the  consecration  of  Bishop  John 
Hazen  White  on  ilay  1,  1895.  On  June  25. 
1882,  the  church  building  was  badly  wrecked 
by  a  tornado— onn  of  the  few  that  ever 
reached  Indianapolis.  The  tower  was  blown 
over  and  fell  thi-ough  the  roof  on  the  north 
side,  and  the  belfry  arch  was  hurled  through 
the  roof  of  the  chancel  and  vestry-room  in  the 
rear.  With  genuine  religion  the  Hebrew 
congregation  tendered  the  use  of  the  syna- 
gogue on  Market  street  while  repairs  were  be- 
ing made :  and  so  did  Cbi'ist  Church :  but  the 
chapel  was  not  injuT'cd  and  so  the  invitations 
were  declined  with  hearty  thanks. 

In  1865  the  parish  of  Grace  Church  was 
organized  by  a  small  colony  from  Christ 
Church,  composed  chiefly  of  Deloss  Root.  J. 
().  D.  Lillv  and  Nelson  Kingman,  with  their 


t 


JlISTUliY  OF  GREATEli  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


613 


families.  M.  V.  Averill  was  called  as  rector 
and  remained  until  1867,  wlien  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Dr.  C.  B.  Davidsciu.  He  retired 
in  (Jetober,  1870,  and  James  Kuncie  followed 
liim  in  187].  The  con-jretration  built  a  mod- 
est frame  church  at  the  southeast  corner  of 
Pennsylvania  and  St.  Joe  streets,  and  in- 
curred a  debt  that  became  a  heavy  burden 
after  the  panic  of  1873.  After  unsuccessful 
efforts  to  settle  it  the  ])ropei'ty  was  taken  by 
the  diocese,  and  P-islioj)  Talbott  runted  the 
church  and  the  little  buildin^  back  of  it, 
where  a  J^irls'  school  had  been  carried  on,  to 
Mrs.  Sewall,  for  her  classical  school.  When 
Bishop  Knickerbacker  succeeded  he  was 
shocked  to  find  that  a  orymna.sium  had  been 
installed  in  the  church  buildinij:  so  he  got 
possession  as  soon  as  possible,  and  in  1884  re- 
stoi'ed  it  to  chiu'ch  uses.  The  i-evived  parish 
did  very  well,  and  in  ISSfi  Bishop  Knicker- 
backer announced  that  he  had  taken  it  as  the 
bishop's  church.  It  was  never  formally  made 
a  cathedral,  but  it  went  by  that  name  until 
1904,  when  Bishop  Francis  cut  off  part  of  its 
dignity  and  added  it  to  its  name,  making  it 
the  Oi-ace  Pro-cathedral.  In  1888  the  build- 
ing was  removed  to  its  present  location  on 
Sixteenth  street,  east  of  Central  avenue, 
where  it  was  enlarged,  and  is  still  in  use. 
The  parish  has  quite  a  fund  for  a  ijew  build- 
ing, composed  in  part  of  a  handsome  beq>iest 
from  Bishop  Knickerbacker.  and  one  of  1,200 
acres  of  western  land,  which  has  much  in- 
creased in  value,  from  Delo.ss  Root:  and  tlnj 
erection  of  a  new  building  is  contemplated 
in  iniO.  If  has  now  278  communicants,  and 
there  are  10.3  in  the  Sunday  school. 

The  Church  of  the  Holy  Innocents  was 
developed  from  a  Sunday  school  mission  of 
Christ  Church  that  was  organized  in  July, 
1866,  at  the  residence  of  James  ^feade,  No.  50 
Forest  avenue,  by  Rev.  C.  C.  Tate,  assistant 
rector  of  Chri.st  Church.  The  school  grew 
rapidly,  and  a  chapel  was  built  on  a  lot  at 
Fletcher  avenue  and  Cedar  .street,  which  was 
donated  for  tluit  purixise  by  S.  A.  Fletcher, 
Jr.  It  cost  $1,800,  and  was  opened  for  sei-v- 
ice  on  January  6,  1867.  Afternoon  Sunday 
services  were  regularly  held  by  Mr.  Tate  un- 
til the  following  July,  when  he  accepted  .-i 
call  to  Dayton.  On  Jainuiry  1,  1868,  he  was 
succeeded  by  Ceo.  B.  Engle.  as  assistant  rec- 
tor of  Christ  Cliun-b.  who  sei-ved  the  mission 


in  that  capacity  until  January  4,  1869,  when 
the  parish  of  the  Holy  Iiniocents  was  organ- 
ized, and  Mr.  Engle  was  called  as  rector.  It 
reports  75  communicants  ajid  6S  in  the  Sun- 
day school,  and  E.  C.  Bradley  is  the  present 
rector. 

St.  George's  Church  was  organized  in  1872,. 
as  a  mission  of  Christ  Church,  and  the  cor- 
ner-stone of  a  building  was  laid  at  Church 
and  Morris  streets  in  1875.  The  rectors  have 
been  E.  A.  Bradlev.  1872-88;  W.  11.  Bam- 
ford.  1888-9;  John  Brann.  1889-94;  J.  H. 
Ranger,  1894-5;  A.  J.  Graham,  1897-1900;  J. 
D.  Stanley,  1901-4;  Geo.  G.  Burbanck,  1904 
to  date.  This  flouri.shing  little  church  was 
transferred  to  the  diocese  by  Christ  Church 
in  1904.  A  new  church  was  built  in  1906-7 
and  was  dedicated  on  April  28.  1907.  It  re- 
ports 98  communicants,  and  171  in  the  Sun- 
day school. 

St.  David's  Church,  at  Talbott  avenue  and 
Twenty-first  street,  was  organized  in  1898, 
and  still  wor.ships  in  a  chapel.  C.  S.  Sar- 
gent has  been  rector  from  the  start.  It  re- 
ports 125  communicants,  and  105  in  the  Sun- 
day school.  In  addition  to  these  parishes, 
there  are  two  unorganized  missions  in  the 
city.  St.  Albans,  for  deaf  unites,  has  35 
commiuiicants,  who  meet  at  Christ  Church. 
St.  Philip's  is  a  mission  of  St.  Paul's  Church 
to  colored  people,  and  has  120  conununicants. 
It  should  be  added  that  the  Diocese  of  In- 
diana was  divided  in  1899,  thirty-one  north- 
ern counties  being  constituted  the  Diocese  of 
Michisran  City,  and  the  remainder  of  tfie 
state  the  Diocese  of  Iiuliana.  Bishop  John 
Hazen  White,  Foui'th  Bishoj)  of  Indiana,  was 
made  bishop  of  the  formei-,  aiul  Joseph  ]\I. 
Fi-ancis,  who  had  been  rector  of  St.  Paul's 
Church  at  Evansville,  was  elected  bishop  of 
the  latter,  and  consecrated  on  September  21, 
1899. 

The  Lutheran  Church  has  found  more 
grounds  for  internal  dissension  than  any 
othei-  protestant  church-  which  is  saying  a 
great  deal-  and  thei-e  are  now  in  the  United 
States  25  separate  Lutheran  associations  with 
separate  governments,  besides  about  150  in- 
dependent or  free  churches  which  flock  by 
themselves.  Three  of  these  as-sociations  are 
represented  in  Tndiana))olis.  known  connnon- 
ly  as  the  "General  Synod",  the  "'Synodii'al 
Conference"   or   ''^fission    Svuod".   and    the 


(>U 


IIISTOKY  OF  (.iKKATKU  JXDIAXAPOLIS. 


"Joint  Synod  of  Ohio  and  other  states".  The 
first  is  represented  by  the  oldest  Lutheran 
ehureh  in  the  eity.  l\Uo\vn  eonniionly  as  tlie 
First  Enirlish  Lutheran  Chureh.  hut  oftieially 
as  ilt.  Pisirah  Lutheran  Chureh.  It  was  or- 
ganized in  Jamiai-y.  IS-il,  by  Kev.  Abraham 
Reck,  with  20  members.  A  building  was 
erected  in  1838  at  the  southeast  corner  oi' 
^leridian  and  Ohio  streets,  where  the  Board 
of  Trade  building  now  stands.  'Sir.  Reek 
was  made  consi)ieuons  by  the  drowning  of 
his  son  Luthei-— the  tiist  fatality  to  those  who 
went  out  from  Indianapolis  as  soldiei-s  in  the 
^lexican  War.  Jlr.  Reek  had  resigned  the 
pastorate  in  1840,  and  his  earlier  sueces.sors 
were  A.  A.  Timper,  184:0-3 :  Jacob  Shearer, 
1843-5;  A.  TI.  :\Iyers,  184.1-50;  E.  R.  Ouiney, 
1851-3.  Mr.  (iuiney  died  in  office,  ami  after 
an  interim  was  succeeded  by  J.  A.  Kunkle- 
man.  who  served  until  ISGtJ.  Under  his  pas- 
torate, in  1861.  a  new  church  was  built  and 
dedicated  at  Alabama  and  New  York  streets. 
Pastors  followintr  him  were  J.  W.  Stucken-^ 
berg,  H.  L.  Baughei-,  AV.  W.  Criley.  J.  AY. 
Rumple,  M.  II.  Richanis.  :Mr.  Richards  re- 
signed on  January  1.  r877,  to  accept  a  pro- 
fessorship at  .Muhlenberg  College,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  was  succeeded  by  6.  F.  Behringer, 
and  he  in  1879  by  John  B.  Baltzley.  Jlr. 
Baltzley  resigned  on  September  1,  1883,  and 
was  succeeded  by  his  son  John,  who  had  been 
assistant  pastor  since  Alarch,  1881.  He  served 
until  1890.  In  187(1  the  chapel  of  a  new 
building  at  Walnut  and  Pennsylvania  streets 
was  completed  and  oceuiiied.  For  ten  years 
no  active  effort  was  made  to  complete  the 
main  building,  and  then  a  .strong  effort  wa.s 
made  which  succeeded.  The  pastoi"s  follow- 
ing :\Ir.  Baltzlev  have  been  A.  R.  Steck, 
1891-4:  D.  L.  :McKenzie,  1894-7;  AY.  AY. 
Criley.  189S-1905;  R.  Foster  Stone,  1905-6; 
C.  Roll  in  Sherck.  1907  to  date.  Air.  Sherck 
is  a  native  of  Alichigan,  educated  at  Olivet 
College,  Alichigan,  and  AYittenberg  College, 
Springfield,  111.:  and  at  Chicago  Theological. 
He  filled  pulpits  at  Nokomis,  111.,  Harris- 
burg,  Penn.,  Sioux  City.  Iowa,  and  Lincoln. 
Xebr..  before  cominu-  here.  The  church  has 
250  members,  and  80  in  the  Sunday  school. 
There  is  one  other  church  of  the  General 
Syno('  in  the  city,  known  as  the  SccoikI  Evan- 


gelical Lutheran  Church,  on  Hosbrook  street, 
near  Woodlawn  avenue.  John  W.  Neuhauser 
is  the  pastor. 

The  oldest  representative  of  the  Synodical 
Confereni-e  in  Indianapolis  is  St.  Paul's 
Evjingelicai  Lutheran  Church  at  Xew  Jersey 
and  AlcCarty  streets.  This  congregation  was 
organized  on  Jiine  5,  1844,  at  a  meeting  held 
in  the  old  seminary  building.  A  site  was  ob- 
tained on  Alabama  sti-eet  below  Washington, 
and  a  church  was  erected  and  dedicated  on 
Alay  11,  1845.  The  succession  in  the  pastor- 
ate has  been  Theodore  J.  G.  Kunz,  1842-50; 
Charles  PVinckc,  1850-68;  Chr.  Hochstetter, 
1868-77;  C.  C.  Schmidt,  1877-87;  Fr.  AVam- 
beganss,  1887-1903;  Richard  D,  Biedermanii, 
1903  to  date.  In  1860  the  congregation  out- 
grew its  (|uarters,  and  a  new  church  was 
built  at  East  and  Georgia  streets;  dedicated 
Xovember  3,  1860,  by  Dr.  Wyneken.  Presi- 
dent of  the  synod.  This  church  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1882,  and  the  present 
chureh  was  built,  and  dedicated  on  July  22, 
1883.  It  has  1,100  conununieant  members, 
and  is  the  "mother  ehuich"  of  the  other  (Jer- 
man  Luthei'an  chui'ches  of  the  city.  The 
Sunttay  school  has  an  enrollment  of  220, 
which  is  the  same  as  the  enrollment  of  the 
parochial  day  .school.  Thei'c  have  been  three 
school  buildings,  practically  adjoining  the 
three  churches,  and  built  respectively  in  1847, 
1859  and  1872.  The  present  school  teachers 
are  D.  Fechtnuuui,  II.  Hahn,  Theo.  Wallis 
and  II.  Alerz.  Both  ehureh  and  school  work 
are  conducted  in  Gernuin  and  English,  and 
the  school  course  is  equivalent  to  the  first 
eight  grades  of  the  eity  schools,  but  witli 
special  attention  to  religions  instruction.  The 
other  Lutheran  churches  of  the  Synodical 
Conference  are  the  Trinity  Danish  Church, 
at  AlcCarty  and  Xoble,  Hans  P.  Bei-thelsen 
pastor;  Ennnaus  (German  and  P^nglish) 
Church,  at  Orange  and  Laurel,  Theodore  F. 
Schurdel,  pastor;  St.  Peter's  (German  > 
Church,  at  Brookside  and  Jefjerson  avenues. 
Carl  P.  Schultz  jiastor:  and  Trinity  (d'er- 
man)  Church  at  East  and  Ohio,  Peter  Send 
pa.stor.  The  only  reju-esentative  of  the  Joint 
Synod  of  Ohio  is  a  small  church  on  East 
Washington  street,  organized  two  years  ago, 
with  Rev,  Hahn  as  i>astor. 


M 


CHAPTER  XLV. 


THE  ClirKcilKS  (Conlitmed). 


There  are  seventeen  Citthulic  (■liurclics  with 
resilient  pastors  in  the  City  of  Indianapolis.' 
In  thirteen  of  these  churches  the  English 
hiiiLTiiasre  is  used  in  the  public  service;  in 
two  (iernian  is  spoken,  and  there  is  one 
ehiu'eh  for  the  Italians  and  one  for  the  Slo- 
venians In  the  larp:er  chnrches  sei'viee  is 
held  at  ditl'erent  hours  in  the  forenoon  in 
order  to  acconunodate  tlie  inend)ers  who 
otherwise  could  not  find  room:  the  afternoon 
or  vesper  service  is  not  obligatory  except  for 
the  childi-en  who  attend  the  instruction  in 
Christian  <loctrine.  Each  church  is  under 
the  direction  of  a  pastor,  aided  whei-c  neces- 
sai-y  by  assistant  ])riests,  niaUinu  the  number 


'This  sketi'h  of  the  Catholic  Cliuieh  in  In- 
dianapolis was  kindly  i)repared  for  this  vol- 
lune  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Denis  O'Donaghuc, 
whose  official  service  here  for  more  than  a 
third  of  a  century  makes  him  pre-eminently 
an  authority.  lie  is  a  native  of  Indiana, 
horn  Xovember  :50.  1S48,  in  Daviess  County, 
mar  thi'  |)i-('sent  town  of  Conuelton.  After 
till-  ordinary  education  of  the  conniion 
schools,  he  passed  three  years  at  St.  ]Mein- 
rad's  College  in  Spencer  County,  entering  at 
the  a^fc  of  ifi:  then  four  years  at  St,  Thomas' 
Sciiiinai\-.  at  l'.ardstowu,  Ky. :  then  thi'ce 
years  at  the  (Irande  Seminaire,  at  .Montreal. 
He  was  oi'daineil  at  Indiana|)()lis  September 
(i,  1S74.  and  was  stationed  at  St.  John's. 
\\liere  he  remained  for  eleven  years,  filling 
various  offices,  lb-  was  then  made  rector  of 
St.  Patrick's,  where  he  continued  in  service 
nnlil  made  Mishcp  of  Louisville,  in  1910. 

iVishop  O'Douae-hue  is  widely  known  as  a 
loi;ician.  a  liniiiiist.  and  a  clergyman  who 
takes  an  intelligent  interest  in  public  alTairs. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  has  been  one  of 
the  vice-i)residents  of  the    Imliana    Historical 


of  clergNinen  engaged  in  chui'cli  wi)i-k  at  this 
time  thirty-two.  The  Catholic  population  of 
the  city  as  nearly  as  can  be  determined  by 
the  best  statistics  available  is  not  less  than 
1wenty-si.\  thousand.  This  niunbei'  includes 
all  who  have  been  baptized  in  the  church  and 
ha\e  not  abandoned  the  practice  of  their 
i-eligious  duties.  Attached  to  all  the  churches 
are  paro<-hial  schools  attended  by  more  than 
four  thousand  children,  and  conducted  by  re- 
ligious connnunities  among  whom  arc  the  Sis- 
t(>rs  of  Providence,  the  Sisters  of  St.  Francis, 
Sistei-s  of  St.  •Iose|)li  and  the  Sisters  of  St. 
Benedict.  .\l)out  ninety  teachers  are  cm- 
ployed   in  the  primary  and  high  schools. 


Societ.v.  In  1899  he  was  mailc  X'ii'ar  (len- 
eral,  and  in  IftOO  titiilar  Bisho])  of  Pomario. 
This  1itlc  comes  from  the  old  Roman  town 
of  I'diiiaiiii.  which  was  on  the  north  coast  of 
.\frica.  where  the  Alg<'rian  city  of  Tlemcen, 
IV  Tilimsan,  now  stands.  It  was  a  cathedral 
town  till  the  Arabs  captured  it  in  1080.  and 
Ihe  see  became  nominal.  In  the  Koman 
church,  an  episcojjal  see  oiice  created  never 
eoes  out  of  existence,  but  continues  in  title: 
and  the  church  sometimes  has  need  of  two 
bishops  in  one  diocese,  but  can  have  only  one 
bishop  of  any  diocese.  lIiMice  this  title  caimi 
to  Iiidian;i  when  an  auxiliary  bishoi)  was 
needed  here.  In  February,  191(1.  liishop 
O'llonairhue  was  made  Bishop  of  Louisville 
{Shu:  Febrmiry  10,  1910);  ami  after  .i  fe\v 
weeks,  during  which  he  \\;is  the  recipient  of 
many  testimonials  of  the  liieli  esteem  ui 
which  lie  is  held,  bnlli  ill  and  mil  of  llie 
church,  he  departetl  on  March  iJS  for  his 
new  Held,  escorted  liy  a  larye  body  of  the 
i-lerev  of  Indiana  and  Kciit  iicUn'.  iSlnr, 
March  IM),  liilO.^ 


616 


HISTORY  OF  GREATEK  IXDIAXAI'OI.IS. 


The  principal  Catholic  church  in  Indian- 
apolis is  SS.  Peter  and  Paul's  Cathedral  at 
the  corner  of  Meridian  and  Fourteenth 
streets,  adjoining  the  residence  of  Bishop 
Chatard.  The  former  bishops  of  this  diocese 
resided  at  Vincennes.  liut  on  his  arrival  her'c. 
the  present  bishop  took  up  his  residence  in 
this  city;  and  subsequently  the  name  of  the 
see  was  changed  from  Vincennes  to  Indian- 
apolis. Bishop  Chatard  is  a  native  of  Balti- 
more, -where  he  pursued  his  early  studies; 
later  he  entered  the  Urban  College  of  the 
Propaganda  in  Rome,  where  he  was  gratin- 
ated  with  the  title  of  Doctor  in  theology,  and 
was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  in  1862.  After 
serving  sevei-al  years  as  Rector  of  the  Ameri- 
can College  in  Rome,  he  was,  at  the  death  of 
Bishop  de  St.  Palais  in  1877,  appointed  to 
the  bishopric  of  Vincennes.  He  arrived  iu 
Indianapolis  August  17,  1878,  where  he  has 
sincje  resided. 

SS.  Peter  and  Paul's  congregation  was  or- 
ganized in  1891.  holding  services  for  the  first 
time  on  Easter  Sunday,  1892.  The  begin- 
nings of  this  parish  were  very  modest,  not 
more  than  fifty  families  being  registered  as 
members.  The  small  chapel  used  at  first  as 
a  place  of  worship  was  thought  sufficiently 
large  to  accommodate  the  people  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  the  Cathedral  being  only  a  thing 
thought  of  in  the  distant  future.  But  the 
rapid  growth  of  the  parish  soon  made  a 
larger  house  of  worship  imperative,  accord- 
ingly steps  were  taken  in  190.5  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  Cathedral.  "Within  a  year  the  edi- 
fice was  completed  except  the  facade,  and  was 
dedicated  and  opened  for  service  on  Christ- 
mas day,  1006.  The  church  has  three  marble 
altars  of  excellent  design  and  is  artistically 
decorated.  The  growth  of  the  parish  has 
been  remarkable.  Whereas  in  the  beginning 
one  mass  in  the  small  chapel  was  sufficient  for 
all  the  members  to  comply  with  their  obliga- 
tions on  Sunday,  now  five  masses  on  every 
Sunday  are  well  attended.  The  Rev.  Joseph 
Chartrand.  pastor  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul's, 
has  been  associated  with  the  congregation 
since  his  ordination  17  years  ago.  The  parish 
has  schools  for  boys  and  girls,  and  within  the 
last  year  the  Sisters  of  Providence  have  re- 
placed the  original  school  building  by  a  brick 
and  stone  academy  which  is  considered  as  one 


of  the  finest  educational    institutions   iu   the 
city. 

The  first  Catholic  church  in  Indianapolis, 
a  frame  structure  known  as  the  Holy  Cross 
Church,  situated  at  the  northeast  comer  of 
Washington  and  California  streets,  was  built 
in  1840  under  the  direction  of  Rev.  Vincent 
Bacquelin,  who  resided  in  Shelby  County. 
The  pastor,  who  visited  his  fiock  once  or  twice 
each  month,  met  his  death  in  18-46  by  a  fall 
from  his  horse  while  returning  from  a  visit 
to  a  sick  man  near  Shelbyville.  The  Catholic 
population  increased,  so  that  in  1850  a  new 
church  to  replace  the  Holy  Cross  was  built 
on  Georgia  street  near  Capitol  avenue  under 
thp  direction  of  Rev.  John  Gueguen,  and  was 
named  by  him  St.  John's.  The  present  St. 
John's  church,  fronting  on  Capitol  avenue, 
was  erected  in  1867  under  the  administra- 
tion of  the  late  IMonsignor  Bessonies,  who 
continued  as  pastor  of  the  congregation  until 
his  retirement  from  active  service  in  1890. 
He  died  February  22,  1901,  in  his  84th  year, 
and  his  remains  were  interred  in  a  vault 
erected  in  one  of  the  side  chapels  of  the 
church  of  which  he  had  been  pastor  for 
thirty-three  years.  St.  John's  Church  is  a 
spacious  and  imposing  structure,  being  one 
of  the  largest  church  edifices  in  the  city.  The 
present  pastor,  Rev.  F.  H.  Gavisk,  chancellor 
of  the  Diocese  of  Indianapolis,  has  been  in 
charge -since  1892,  and  during  his  administra- 
tion extensive  improvements  have  been  made. 
He  has  three  assistant  priests  to  aid  him  in 
the  parish  work.  The  congregation,  although 
several  times  divided  by  the  formation  of  new 
parishes,  numbers  more  than  four  thousand 
souls.  Connected  with  the  church  are  several 
religious  and  benevolent  societies.  The  con- 
gregation maintains  a  parochial  school  for 
boys  conducted  by  the  Brothers  of  the  Sacred 
Heart,  also  a  parochial  and  high  school  for 
girls  under  the  management  of  the  Sisters  of 
Providence  in  St.  John's  Academy,  erected 
in  1S73.  About  six  hundred  pupils  attend 
these  schools. 

St.  ]\[ary's  Church  on  east  ^Maryland  street 
was  begun  in  1856.  and  was  opened  for  serv- 
ice on  the  15th  of  August,  1858.  The  first 
pastor  iu  charge  was  Re\'.  L.  Brandt,  who 
visited  the  German  Catholics  once  a  month 
from  Vincennes.  but  he  wa.s  sent  to  ^Madison 
to  organize  a  congregation  there  befoi'e  the 


IIIS'I'OIJV   OF   CUKATEIJ    l.XDlAXAi'Ol.lS. 


617 


ehnrch  bnildin;:-  wjis  cDiiiiik'tL'd.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Ki'v.  Simon  Sicurist,  who  continued 
as  pastor  of  the  eonyi-egatiou  for  lo  years 
until  liis  deatli  in  1873.  He  is  still  well  re- 
membered by  the  older  members  of  the  parish 
as  au  enerii'etic  worker  as  well  as  a  zealous 
pastor  of  souls.  Under  his  administration 
the  congregation  gvew  in  numbers  and  met 
with  success  in  all  its  undertakings.  St. 
Mai'v's  was  the  first  church  built  in  Indian- 
apolis for  the  use  of  the  German  Catholics, 
and  the  same  edifice  is  still  in  use.  The  pres- 
ent pastor  of  the  congregation,  Very  Rev.  A. 
Sclieideler,  V.  G.,  has  been  in  charge  since 
1874.  and  under  his  judiciou-s  management 
many  costly  improvements  have  been  made. 
Notwithstanding  the  division  of  the  parish 
some  years  ago.  also  tlie  formation  of  new 
pai'ishes  near  liy  and  the  encroaeliment  of 
business  houses  in  close  proximity.  Saint 
Mary's  Church  continues  pro.sperous  and  is 
held  a.s  a  favorite  place  of  worship  by  its 
devoted  members.  The  parish  has'  flourishing 
schools  for  boys  and  girls,  and  a  fine  hall  for 
the  use  of  religious  and  benevolent  societies 
connected  with  the  church.  The  erection  of  a 
new  and  more  elaboi-ate  church  to  replace  St. 
Mary's  is  contemplated  by  the  management, 
and  a  site  for  this  jiurpose  has  been  pur- 
chased in  a  suitable  location. 

The  formation  of  St.  Patrick's  parish 
dates  from  the  year  18(i4.  The  ground,  half 
a  square  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Dough- 
erty fnow  Woodlawn  avenue")  and  Hunter 
streets  was  donated  by  ]\Ii's.  Phoebe  Dough- 
erty, for  whom  the  street  was  named.  ,-\ 
small  brick  church  was  built  under  the  nuui- 
agement  of  Pev.  Joseph  Petit,  ami  was 
opened  for  service  June  29,  1865.  It  bm-e 
the  name  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  and  served 
the  congregation  as  a  house  of  worship  for 
six  years.  In  1870  Pcv.  P.  H.  Fitzpatrick. 
who  was  then  pastor,  couuncni'ed  thi'  ere(>tion 
of  the  present  church,  which  was  na.med  St. 
Patrick's.  The  buildin?  was  coMU^h'ted  and 
opened  foi-  service  with  appropriate  cere- 
monies in  August,  1871.  A  school  for  boys 
was  built  opposite  the  '-hurch  in  1878.  and 
the  Brothers  of  thi>  Sacred  Heart  were  ])laced 
in  charge.  The  Pev.  Patrick  McDermott  be- 
came pastor  in  1870.  and  was  succeeded  by 
Pev.  TTuLdi  O'Xeill.  who  had  charge  of  the 
li.iri-li  foi-  two  yeai's.     On  the  retirement  of 


the  latter  in  1885,  Rev.  Denis  0"Donaghue, 
then  chancellor  of  the  Diocese  of  Indianapo- 
lis, was  appointed  pastor  and  the  following 
year  was  named  permanent  rector.  Under 
his  administration  the  pi-esent  academy  and 
residence  of  the  Sisters  of  Providence  was 
ei-ected,  the  boys'  .school  enlarged  and  a  com- 
modious parish  i-esidence  built  on  Prospect 
street.  The  church,  too,  has  been  entirely 
refurnished  and  decorated.  The  Rev.  D. 
O'Donaghue,  who  in  the  meantime  had  been 
named  Vicar  Genei'al.  was  in  1900  appointed 
by  Pope  Leo  XIII  to  be  Auxiliary  Bishop, 
and  on  April  25  of  the  same  year  was  con- 
secrated titular  Bishop  of  Pomario.  He  con- 
tinued the  pastor  of  Saint  Patrick's  Church 
till  made  Bishop  of  Louisville,  in  1910;  being 
as,si.sted  in  the  pai-ochial  work  by  Rev.  Ray- 
mond Noll  and  Rev.  William  Keefe.  The  con- 
gregation niunbers  2.700  souls.  Twelve  Sis- 
ters of  Providence  teach  the  children  of  the 
parish,  about  450  in  number. 

St.  Joseph's  congregation  was  organized  in 
1873  under  the  direction  of  Rev.  Joseph  Petit, 
who  built  a  small  church  on  Vermont,  near 
Liberty  street,  close  to  where  the  Home  of  the 
[.little  Sisters  of  the  Poor  now  stands.  The 
site  proving  imsuitable,  the  location  was 
changed  in  1879  to  the  corner  of  North  and 
Noble  streets,  where  the  present  St.  Jo.seph's 
church  was  built  under  the  administration  of 
Rev.  Herman  J.  .Vlerding,  who  continued  as 
pastor  of  the  congregation  luitil  the  year 
1900,  when  he  was  ajipointed  Bishop  of  Fort 
Wavno.  This  church  was  opened  for  service 
July  4th,  1880.  The  building  is  of  gothic 
design,  spacious  in  size  and  arlisticall.v  fur- 
nished. Shortly  aftei'  the  completion  of  the 
church  the  Sisters  of  Providence  erected  a 
lai'iie  academy  and  school  for  the  children  of 
the  congregation.  In  1881  the  parish  built  a 
school  for  boys,  with  a  large  and  attractive 
hall  on  the  second  floor  for  the  use  of  societies 
connected  with  the  congregation.  The  i)res- 
ent  pastor  of  St.  Joseph's  is  Rev.  F.  B.  Dowd, 
who  took  charge  in  1900.  Under  his  adminis- 
tration a  parish  residence,  costly  and  elegant, 
has  been  built,  and  other  substantial  improve- 
ments made.  Although  two  churches  have 
been  built  in  recent  years  within  the  original 
territory  of  St.  Jo.seph's,  the  c(mgregation 
is  still  larw  and  flourishing,  the  attenilance 
lui   Sunday   laxiuL"-  the  capacity  of  its  bouse 


(ilS 


JllsToi.'V  OK  (;i;i:a' 


1  \l)l  WAl'ol.lS. 


of  worship,  '['hr  py.stor  requires  tlie  help  ol' 
an  assistant  priest,  the  position  beinjr  now- 
held  by  Kov.  Vineent  Dwyer,  whose  etfieien; 
serviee  is  niueh  uppreciatetl. 

'I'he  formation  of  a  new  eonsrresation  for 
the  German  Catholics  in  the  southern  part 
of  the  city  was  commenced  in  1875  under  the 
direction  of  the  Franciscan  fathers.  Ground 
was  boujiht  on  the  corner  of  Union  and 
Palmer  streets,  and  a  combination  buildintr 
to  serye  as  eliui-ch.  school  and  residence  of 
the  cleriry  was  tii-st  built,  under  tln'  manasc- 
ment  of  Rev.   Ahirdus   .\ii<lri'srlti'k.   tlic  tii-st 


under  tlir  pastorate  of  Kev.  Ki-aneis  Ilaase, 
wlio  had  riuirge  of  the  parish  for  several 
yeais.  The  church  is  of  spacious  size,  ele- 
ijautly  furnished  and  artistically  decorated. 
The  coni;reuation  numbei-s  4.500  souls.  The 
Sisters  of  St.  Joseph  of  Carondolet,  ilissouri, 
conduct  the  parish  schools,  attended  by  750 
children.  The  priests  attendinp:  this  church 
are  from  the  Saint  Louis  province  of  the 
Franciscan  c<immunity.  The  pastor  and  his 
assistants  arc  appointed  by  the  provincial, 
the  parish  work  lieiny:  cai-ried  on  under  the 
direction  of  the  liishop  of  tlie  diocese.     Many 


INTERIOR  OF  ST.  JOHNS  CHURCH. 


pastor.  Thr  corner-stone  was  laid  Septeinl)c!- 
19.  by  the  Rev.  Bede  O'Connor,  chancelloi-  (d' 
the  diocese,  who  on  this  occasion  pi-eached  his 
last  sermon.  lie  died  the  next  day  in  Terrc 
Haute  on  the  way  to  his  home  in  Vincennes. 
The  cong-regation  of  the  Sacred  Heart  num- 
bered at  first  but  few  faunlies.  but  the  erec- 
tion of  the  chui'ch  gave  an  imjndse  to  settle- 
ment in  that  ])art  of  the  city,  so  that  in  a  fe\v 
yeai's  the  number  of  Catholics  had  so  in- 
creased that  a  new  church  became  necessary. 
The  present  building,  a  splendid  gothic  ecli- 
fici\  was  conniienced  in  ISs:-!.  nnder  the  man- 
agement of  Rev.  Ferdinand  Bergmeyer.  It 
was  enlarged  and  completed  two  years  latei- 


<;f  til"  members  of  this  eoiiiiiHiiiity  are  en- 
gaged in  teaching,  others  aic  em])l(iyed  in 
parocliial  work.  They  wear  the  habit  and 
follow  the  rule  of  the  order  founded  by  St. 
Francis  of  A.ssisi.  formally  ai)pi'(iv(>d  by  Pope 
Innocent  III.  in  1216. 

Ry  a  division  of  St.  John"s  pai'ish  in  1S7I1, 
a  new  congregal  i(]n  was  organized  fur  the 
aceonniiodation  of  the  Catholics  in  the  noi-th- 
western  part  of  the  city.  (Ji'ound  was  |)ur- 
I'hased  in  what  was  then  known  as  Rlake's 
Woods,  on  the  coi'ner  of  AVest  and  St.  Clair 
streets,  and  the  church  of  St.  Pi-igid  was  com- 
pleted and  ojiened  for  s(>rviee  in  .Tannai'y. 
18S0.     Tlie  F{m-er(>nd  Daniel  Currau  was  the 


HISTOKY   OF   GKFA'IKi;   J  XDlANAI'Ol.IS. 


(;]9 


founder  and  first  pastor  of  this  eon»rctration. 
and  it  was  throuoli  his  en('r<i(>tie  hilxirs  that 
the  work  was  prosecuted  with  success.  He 
still  holds  the  position  as  pastor,  and  is  as- 
sisted by  the  Rev.  John  V.  ^IcSliane.  The 
conurre^ation  at  first  was  not  large,  but  it  has 
irradually  grown  in  size  until  it  is  now  num- 
bei-ed  among  the  important  pai-i.shes  of  the 
city.  A  pastoral  residence  was  bnilt  in  1881, 
and  later  a  parish  school  was  established,  con- 
ducted l)y  the  Sisters  of  St.  Francis  from 
(tidenburg.  Indiana,  attended  at  this  time  by 
L'dii  children.  .Xttached  to  the  church  are 
several  religious  and  benevolent  societies  that 
do  effective  work  in  the  cause  in  which  they 
are  engaged.  .\  few  years  atro  this  congre- 
iratioii  was  divided  by  the  formation  of  a  new 
parisli  farther  north,  yet  it  has  on  its  rostei- 
of  mrirdw  rship  not  less  than  l.fiOO  soids. 

St.  Francis  de  Sales  eongi'egatidn  in  Bright- 
wood  was  orgainzed  as  a  mission  in  1881, 
and  was  for  several  years  attended  from  St. 
John's  liy  the  Rev.  Charles  Curran.  The 
ground  and  church  on  Depot  street  was 
bou'jht  from  a  reliaioas  denomination  who 
wished  to  change  their  place  of  worship. 
.\ftei'  the  retirement  of  Rev.  Charles  Cnrran. 
who  did  most  effective'  woi'k  while  in  charge. 
Ihe  mission  was  attended  from  the  Sacred 
Heart  Church  for  several  years,  'ilie  firs; 
resident  pastoi-  was  the  Rev.  Victoi'  J.  Bi'uck- 
er,  who  assumed  charge  in  Januai'v.  IftOO. 
T'ndei'  his  administration  the  parish  was  re 
organized  and  inqtortaid  im|)i'ovements  made. 
A  brick  Dastoral  residence  was  imilt  the  first 
year,  and  latei-  a  connnodious  school  huildin'.:' 
with  a  ball  on  the  upper  floor  was  erected. 
The  i)arisb  school  is  in  cliarge  of  the  Sistei-s 
of  St.  Francis,  and  it  has  proved  very  ac- 
ceptable to  tile  people  who  previous  to  its 
establislunent  had  no  school  of  their  own. 
Father  Biaicker.  who  is  both  an  artist  and  a 
musician.  di'Vot(>s  much  of  his  sjiare  time  to 
the  dramatic-  and  musical  c\dtiire  of  tin- 
young  people  of  his  congregation. 

St.  Anthony's  Church  is  situated  on  War- 
man  avenue  near  Vermont  street  in  the  west^ 
side  of  the  city.  Tt  was  decided  to  build  :i 
chundi  in  that  part  of  the  city  as  eai-ly  as 
188(i,  but  the  work  was  not  undertaken  until 
three  years  lat(i'.  'I'Ik'  lirst  pastor  was  i]v 
•Rev.  Francis  B.  Dowil.  undrr  whose  adminis- 
tration a  cond)ination  clnifch  and  sciiool   was 


built,  also  a  pastoral  residi'in-r.  The  church 
was  dedicated  on  F\>l)ruary  the  first,  18'J1. 
'i'he  congregation,  fi'w  in  lunnber  at  first, 
grew  rapidly  so  that  soon  the  chui-ch  edifice 
liad  to  l)e  eidarged  and  a  parish  school  built. 
l"'ather  Dowd  had  chai-ge  of  the  congregation 
for  nine  years  until  his  transfer  to  St.  Jo- 
seph's Church  in  1 !)(!().  The  present  pastor, 
Kev.  Jose|di  V.  B.\  inc.  recognizing  the  ne^d 
of  a  larger  house  of  worship,  soon  conunenced 
the  erection  of  a  new  church,  which  was  coni- 
[)leted  and  opened  for  service  Xovend)er  lo, 
1904.  The  conirregation  continues  to  increase, 
so  that  the  prese^it  membership  is  counted  at 
1,7(10  soids.  with  800  children  attending  the 
pai'ish  school  condu<'tcd  by  the  Sisters  of 
I'l'ovidenee. 

The  Church  of  the  .\ssumption,  situated  on 
Blaim-  avenue  in  west  Indianapolis,  was 
commenced  early  in  the  year  1894,  and  was 
completed  and  dedicated  August  the  l'2th  the 
same  year.  The  first  pastor.  Rev.  Joseph 
Webei-,  under  whose  management  the  congre- 
gation was  oruanized,  is  still  in  charge.  Soon 
aftei-  till'  church  was  completed  a  suitable 
pastoral  residence  was  built.  The  pai'ish  had 
at  the  beginning  but  few  families,  but  its 
L;i-owth  has  been  uninterrupted,  and  at  i)res- 
ent  the  number  of  souls  is  counted  at  950.  In 
189")  the  Sisters  of  St.  Benedict  erected  a 
parish  school  building,  which  has  been  en- 
larjicd  within  the  last  year.  The  school,  hav- 
ing -50  children  in  attendance,  is  conducted 
by  the  Benedictine  Sisters  from  Ferdinand, 
Indiana.  Attached  to  the  church  are  several 
societies  of  religious,  benevolent  and  social 
charactei'. 

The  Holy  Cross  congregation  was  organized 
in  1896,  inider  the  management  of  Rev.  Will- 
i.'ini  F.  (Juigley,  who  for  many  years  had  been 
the  associate  pastor  of  St.  Patrick's  Church, 
lie  purchased  uround  on  Oriental  street  ni'ar 
Market  and  commeiK-ed  the  erection  of  the 
cliiircl:,  bill  the  work  undertaken  was  cut 
short  iiy  his  unexpected  death  a  few  weeks 
after  the  corner-stone  was  laid.  He  was  suc- 
iN'pded  by  the  Rev.  Denis  McCabe,  who  con- 
tinued llic  work  to  completion,  and  later  built 
,1  pastoral  I'esidence.  \\<'  had  charge  of  th.- 
pai'ish  for  seven  years  until  his  death  on 
.\pril  n,  191):!.  The  presi'iit  pastor.  Rev. 
.lames  .1,  Wade,  was  then  iilaced  in  charge, 
;iii(l    iiiidi'i'   Ilis   ;idiiiinist  rat  ion   the  pai'ish   has 


620 


HISTORY  OF  GEEATEIJ  INDIANAPOLIS. 


prospered,  luakiiig  additional  improvemeuts 
and  paying  off  a  heavy  encumbrance.  The 
increase  in  the  meiiil)ership  of  the  congrega- 
tion, now  niTnibering  over  2,000  souls,  will 
soon  require  the  erection  of  a  larger  church 
wliich  will  be  undertaken  at  no  distant  day. 
'I'he  parish  .schools  conducted  by  the  Sistei-s 
of  Providence  are  attended  by  400  pupils. 
The  several  societies  attached  to  the  church 
have  always  been  active  in  lending  aid  to  the 
pastor  in  his  work.  The  Rev.  John  Costello. 
a  native  of  Indianapolis,  is  the  a.ssistant  pa.s- 
tor  of  Holy  Cross  Church. 

The  Holy  Angels'  Chureli  is  situated  at  the 
corner  of  Northwestern  avenue  and  28th 
street.  The  site  was  purchased  in  1899.  but 
the  eongreafation  was  not  orcranized  until  four 
years  later.  The  building  of  the  church,  un- 
der the  direction  of  Rev.  James  L.  Carrico. 
was  commenced  in  1903,  and  on  October  the 
first  of  the  same  year  was  completed  and 
opened  for  service.  The  building  is  of  ro- 
manesque  style,  beautifully  situated  and 
finely  furnished.  The  congregation  when  or- 
ganized had  but  thirty  families,  but  at  pres- 
ent has  over  one  hundred  and  fifty,  and  con- 
tinues to  enjoy  a  healthy  growth.  In  1907 
the  parish  built  a  modern  school  building,  the 
upper  story  of  which  is  u.sed  as  a  hall  for  the 
societies  connected  with  the  congregation. 
The  school,  attended  by  about  one  hundred 
children,  is  under  the  management  of  the 
Sisters  of  St.  Joseph. 

In  1906  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Trinits'. 
situated  at  the  corner  of  Calvelase  and 
Holmes  avenue,  in  the  district  formerly 
known  as  Hfiughville.  was  built  by  the  Slo- 
venian Catholics,  under  the  direction  of  Rev. 
Joseph  Lavric  as  pastor.  The  church,  a  hand- 
.sonie  and  spacious  edifice,  was  dedicated  by 
Bishop  O'Donachue  on  Anril  28.  1907.  The 
congregation.  n\unberintr  five  hundred  mem- 
bers, is  now  under  the  eharse  of  Rev.  John 
~\\.  Smoley.  The  preaching  in  this  church  is 
in  the  Slovenian  language.  All  the  members 
of  the  congregation  are  from  a  part  of  the 
.Austrian  pmpire  where  this  lansxuage  is 
spoken,  and  they  prefer  to  hear  the  gospel 
preached  in  their  mother  toncrue. 

A  Congregation  of  the  Italian  residents  of 
Indianapolis  was  organized  in  July.  1908.  un- 
der the  management  of  Rev.  ]\[arino  Priori, 
who   came   to  America   as   a   missionarv  and 


was  appointed  to  take  charge  of  his  country- 
men living  here.  A  large  house  was  pur- 
chased on  Stevens  street  near  East,  the  first 
floor  of  which  was  converted  into  a  chapel 
for  use  until  a  church  will  be  built  on  Stevens 
street.  This  congregation  is  made  up  of 
Italian.s  who  are  not  members  of  other  par- 
ishes in  the  city,  and  numbers  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  families.  Service  is  held  in 
the  chapel  regularly,  the  pastor  residing 
there,  and  the  congregation  .soon  expects  to 
build  a  church  of  proper  size  for  the  accom- 
modation of  the  Italian  people  of  the  city. 

The  congregation  of  St.  Philip  Neri's  was 
organized  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  1900, 
under  the  direction  of  Rev.  George  Smith  as 
pastor.  The  church,  located  at  the  corner 
of  North  and  Rural  streets,  romanesque  in 
style  and  beautiful  in  appearance,  was  dedi- 
cated on  June  27th,  five  months  after  the 
work  of  construction  began.  Adjoining  the 
church  is  a  pretty  parochial  residence  erected 
at  a  cost  of  six  thousand  dollai-s.  Later  thi- 
Sisters  of  Providence  commenced  the  erection 
of  a  large  school  building  which  is  nearing 
completion.  The  congregation  numbers  one 
hundred  and  fifty  families,  and  starts  out, 
under  the  direction  of  its  energetic  pastor, 
with  briaht  prospects  of  success. 

St.  Catherine's  Parish  was  organized  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  city  in  January, 
1909,  under  the  management  of  Rev.  Otto  C. 
Bosler.  The  corner-stone  of  the  church  was 
laid  July  2.5th,  and  the  work  immediately 
pushed  forward  to  completion.  Besides  the 
auditoriinn  for  public  services,  the  building 
as  designed  also  includes  four  school  rooms 
connected  with  the  main  edifice  so  arranged 
as  to  add  much  to  the  fine  architectural  ap- 
pearance. The  people  composing  this  con- 
gregation were  taken  from  St.  Patrick's  and 
the  Sacred  Heai't  jiarishes,  a])out  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  families.  The  older  parishes, 
particularly  the  former,  extended  substantial 
aid  to  this  new  foundation.  The  pastor,  a 
native  of  Roekjiort.  Indiana,  ordained  in 
1904,  had  his  first  charge  as  assistant  priest 
in  Ilauffhville,  and  foi'  the  last  four  years  was 
one  of  the  associate  pa.stors  of  St.  T'atrick's 
Church. 

'{'he  Chui'ch  of  Our  Lady  of  Tjourdes  is  a 
mission  i-ecently  established  in  Irvins-ton  for. 
the  convenience  of  the  Catholics  in  the  east- 


HISTOJ.'Y   OF  (iJtKATEi;    1  X  I  HAXAPOLIS. 


621 


cm  section  of  the  city.  The  Kev.  Josepii 
i'oelhuis,  formerly  assistant  priest  at  the 
Holy  Cross  Church,  is  the  resident  pastor  in 
charge.  A  large  plat  of  ground  near  the 
corner  of  Washington  sti'eet  and  Audubon 
Koad,  with  a  fine  residence,  was  purchased  in 
190it.  and  a  suitable  chapel  arranged  for 
regular  sei'vices.  This  new  congregation  ex- 
pects soon  to  build  a  church  of  suitable  size 
tor  the  convenience  of  the  increasing  Catholic 
|)opulation  in  that  part  of  the  city. 

The  Connnunity  known  as  the  Little  Sis- 
ters of  the  Pool-  came  to  Indianapolis  in  1873, 
introduc'd  by  the  late  Bishop  de  St.  Palais. 
'i'hey  inuiicdiatcly  built  a  house  on  Vermont 
sti'cct  near  East,  where  they  commenced  their 
work  of  charity.  PVoiu  the  beginning  they 
met  with  much  encouragement,  and  their 
benevolent  work  was  soon  recognized  by  the 
f)eople  of  the  city.  The  original  building  has 
since  been  enlarged  and  now  furnishes  a  com- 
fortable home  for  the  aged  jioor.  who  seek 
shelter  and  comfort  undt'r  its  i-oof.  The  only 
requirement  for  admission  is  that  the  appli- 
cant be  without  means  and  has  i)as.sed  the 
age  when  the  chances  of  self  suppoi-t  are 
troiic.  There  is  no  religious  test.  The  poor 
of  any  creed  or  of  no  religious  profession  are 
received  without  question,  provided  they  be 
well  behaved.  The  community  has  no  income 
from  investments  of  any  kind,  and  depends 
entirely  for  the  support  of  the  inmates  on 
the  alms  solicited  fnmi  charitably  disposed 
people.  Individually  the  Sisters  own  no 
property,  and  receive  no  salaiy  or  recom- 
pense for  their  work  e.Keej)!  their  maintenance 
in  the  house  they  serve.  The  Community 
originated  in  a  sea  coast  town  of  Brittany  in 
France  in  1840.  Its  inception  appears  rather 
an  accident  than  design.  A  few  pious  women, 
led  by  motives  of  charity,  began  the  work  of 
providing  for  the  helpless  poor  by  asking 
alms  from  door  to  door.  Those  engaged  in 
this  work  were  soon  formed  into  a  conununitj' 
under  the  name  of  the  Little  Sisters  of  the 
Poor.  The  irrowth  of  the  little  society  was 
rapid,  and  houses  were  soon  established  in 
many  of  the  countries  of  Europe  and  in  other 
lands.  The  first  Home  of  the  Little  Sisters 
in  America  was  founded  in  Brooklyn,  New 
York,  in  18fi8.  They  have  now  fifty  Houses 
in  the  United  States,  two  beiui:  in  Indiana. 
The  Indianapolis  Home  is  eared  for  by  fifteen 


Sisters,  and  supports  on  a  yearly  average  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  aged  poor,  men  and 
\vomen. 

The  House  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Good  Shep- 
herd, situated  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
city,  on  Kaymond  street,  west  of  Meridian, 
was  founded  in  1873.  The  pui-po.se  of  the  in- 
stitution is  to  furnish  a  home  for  females  of 
waj^vard  character  who  need  reformation, 
guidance  and  protection,  and  to  reclaim  such 
as  have  fallen  from  the  pathway  of  virtue. 
The  Home  is  not  a  prison  but  rather  a  house 
of  reform  and  perseverance  where  sub.jects, 
regardless  of  their  religious  persuasion,  conu^ 
voluntarily  or  are  sent  by  i)arents  or  guard- 
ians. Employment  is  furnished  for  those 
fitted  for  it,  while  those  of  a  tender  age  are 
taught  the  common  branches  of  education, 
and  are  kept  until  able  to  care  for  themselves. 
The  Home  is  maintained  by  charitable  offer- 
ings, and  by  the  work  done  by  the  inmates 
at  some  employment  suited  to  their  capacity. 
The  professed  sisters  wear  a  white  habit,  and 
never  leave  the  convent  except  on  urgent  busi- 
ness calling  them  to  another  city.  The  out- 
door work  is  done  by  lay  sisters  who  dress 
in  black,  and  practically  follow  the  same  rule 
of  life  as  the  professed  members.  The  Com- 
munity of  the  (lood  Shepherd  was  founded 
in  France  about  the  close  of  the  seventeenth 
century.  It  numbers  a  large  membership, 
and  has  many  houses  in  Eurojie  and  America. 

The  institution  known  as  St.  Vincent's  In- 
firmary, was  established  in  Indianapolis  in 
the  year  1881,  and  was  located  on  Vermont 
street  near  Liberty.  The  building  there  was 
.soon  found  inadequate,  and  the  location  be- 
ing also  ob.iected  to  by  resident  property 
owners,  the  site  a  few  years  later  was  re- 
moved to  the  corner  of  l)elaware  and  south 
streets,  where  the  present  St.  Vincent's  In- 
firmary was  built  on  the  gi-ound  formerly  oc- 
cupied by  the  Ray  House.  This  institution 
proved  a  great  success.  After  the  City  Hos- 
pital, it  was  the  first  venture  of  the  kind  as 
a  pi-ivate  enterprise,  tried  in  the  city,  and 
it  was  then  thought  generally  that  it  would 
prove  to  be  of  (loubtful  ntilit\-,  l)ut  experi- 
ment soon  showed  the  contrary  to  be  the  case. 
The  Infirmary  is  owned  and  eondticted  by 
the  Sisters  of  Charity  from  the  Baltimore 
division  of  that  numerous  community,  w-hose 
miitlici'    house    is    in    France.      These    Sisters 


6'22 


HISTORY   OF  GHEATEK   I  XDIAXAl'Ol.IS. 


I'ouduet  hosijitals  in  nearly  every  country  ol' 
the  civilized  world,  two  being  in  Indiana. 

The  Diocese  of  Indianapolis  maintains 
three  asylnnis  for  the  care  of  orphans  or  de- 
j)endent  childi-eii,  one  at  Yincennes,  one  in 
Terre  Haute,  aud  the  third.  St.  Vincent's 
Training  School,  at  T^.")  South  Alabama  street 
in  Indianapolis.  This  school  receives  the  or- 
jihans  from  St.  Ann's  asylum  who  have  at- 
tained their  l'2th  year  and  ai'e  not  called  for 
by  relatives  or  guardians.  The  pupils  are 
instructed  in  the  lines  of  manual  training 
at  such  occupation  as  suits  their  capacity,  and 
when  of  suilicient  age.  they  may  obtain  out- 
side occupation,  still  making  the  school  their 
home.  This  institution  was  established  by 
Bishop  Chatard  in  18!)0  for  the  purpose 
above  mentioned,  and  is  in  charge  of  the  Sis- 
ters of  Providence,  seven  in  number,  who 
gratuitously  give  their  service  to  the  work. 

The  first  I^nitarian  society  in  Indianapolis 
was  formed  on  February  13.  1868.  at  a  meet- 
ing called  by  George  K.  Perrin,  J.  B.  Follett. 
and  others.  It  was  decided  to  secui-e  the 
services  of  a  pastor,  and  ilorrison's  Opera 
Hall  n-as  secured  for  holding  the  services.  On 
April  12  the  tii-st  services  were  held,  con- 
ducted by  Dr.  (i.  W.  Ilosmer,  of  Antioch  Col- 
lege. On  Jlay  14  the  society  organized  for- 
mally, electing  officers,  and  services  were  held 
finite  regularly  for  several  weeks  in  ]\Iorri- 
son's  hall,  after  which  the  society  met  for  a 
time  at  the  oftice  of  Judge  David  ^IcDonald. 
of  the  federal  court,  who  had  l)een  a  member 
from  the  start.  In  October.  ISfiS.  Rev.  Henry 
Blanchard  delivered  a  sermon  before  the  so- 
ciety at  the  Academy  of  ^lusic.  and  was  at 
once  called  to  the  pastorate.  lie  accepted. 
and  began  his  service  in  January,  1869.  He 
was  a  popular  pulpit  orator,  and  his  audi- 
ences averaged  about  -lOO— the  largest  being 
estimated  at  1,200.  A  Sunday  school  was 
organized  which  reached  an  enrollment  of 
120.  Mr.  Blanchard  remained  foi'  about  two 
years,  and  after  he  resigned  no  other  pastor 
was  called,  and  the  congregation  dissolved. 

After  this  there  was  no  I'nitarian  Chui'ch 
in  the  city  until  1903.  when  All  Souls  Uni- 
tarian Church  was  oi-i;anized.  Elmer  E. 
Xewbert  was  secui-ed  as  jiastor,  and  served 
for  three  years.  His  sucees,si)r  was  Frank 
Scott  Corey  AVicks.  the  |ii-esent  pastor.  The 
society  purchased  the  frame  cliurch  buildini; 


<iu  Delaware,  .south  of  Fifteenth,  which  had 
Ijeen  used  by  the  P'irst  Presbyterian  Churcli 
while  it  was  erecting  its  present  building, 
and  has  since  occupied  it.  The  present  mem- 
bership is  160,  and  the  Sunday  school  has 
60  on  its  rolls. 

The  first  Univei'salist  society  in  Indianapo- 
lis was  organized  in  1844,  but  it  was  not  a 
strong  organization  and  soon  went  to  pieces. 
In  1853  another  church  was  organized  under 
the  name  of  '"First  Universalist  Church  of 
Indianapolis''.  Rev.  B.  F.  Foster,  Grand 
Secretary  i)f  the  order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and 
ihe  most  eminent  clergyman  of  the  denomi- 
nation in  Indiana,  was  the  first  pastor.  He 
.served  until  1860,  when  he  resigned  and  was 
followed  by  W.  C.  Brooks  for  one  year.  ^Ir. 
Foster  then  resumed  the  pastorate  until  1866. 
when  J.  'SI.  Austin,  of  New  York,  served 
about  six  months.  .Mr.  Foster,  who  was  at 
that  time  State  Librarian,  i-esumed  charge 
until  1869,  after  which  time  there  was  no 
regular  pastor,  though  occasional  services 
were  held  for  some  time.  The  .society  never 
had  a  building  of  its  own,  but  worshipped  at 
dift'ei-ent  periods  in  the  court  house,  in  the 
old  seminary  buildint;-.  in  College  Hall.  Teni- 
]ierance  Hall,  ^lasonie  Hall,  and  the  hall  at 
Delaware  and  ^Maryland  streets. 

In  1860  the  members  of  the  society  found 
that  they  could  not  harmonize  in  this  world, 
and  a  number  of  them  withdrew.  The  seced- 
ers  raised  $3,000  hy  subscription,  of  which 
.i=1.000  wa.s  from  John  Thomas,  the  wealthy 
manufacturer  who  led  the  movement,  and 
liui-chased  a  lot  on  the  north  side  of  ]\Iichi- 
gan  street,  half  way  between  Illinois  and 
Cai)itol  avenue.  Here  they  erected  a  substan- 
tial brick  church,  of  which  C.  E.  Woodbury 
and  ^V.  W.  Curry  (later  Secretary  of  State  i 
were  pastors  for  a  year.  The  congregation 
then  went  to  pieces,  and  ]\Ir.  Thomas  took  thi- 
building  for  what  the  congregation  owed  him. 
paying  also  some  $5,000  of  othei-  indebtedness. 
It  was  occupied  l)y  Wesley  Chapel  congrega- 
tion while  they  were  building  at  New  York 
and  ileridian  streets:  later  by  a  division  of 
Strange  Chapel,  when  it  split  in  1870.  This 
wa.s  called  the  Couflrreirational  ilethodist 
Church  and  had  for  pastor  J.  W.  T.  Mc:\Iul- 
len.  noted  for  eloquence,  and  as  the  first 
iMilonel  of  the  Kifty-first  Indiana  Regiment. 
Still   latei-  till'  liuildinu-  was  occupied  by  the 


I 


iiist(ii;n-  ()1 


CI 


i;.\ii;i;  ixdi.wai'oi.is. 


G23 


Xinth  Presl)yti'ri?iri  (culoriMl  i  Cliiii-ch,  until 
it  was  coiulciiiiii'd  as  iiiisat'i'  l)y  tlie  city  au- 
thorities, and  torn  down.  l*"or  a  long  time 
there  was  no  I'niversnlist  Chiu-ch  in  the  eity, 
l)iit.  tliere  is  now  a  small  eongreiratiou  with  a 
'huieli  at  Fil'teeiith  and  New  Jersey  streets. 

Tlie  advanee  ir'uard  of  tlie  Salvation  Army 
iMuded  in  New  "^'ork  in  the  spring  of  1880, 
.ind  there  were  two  or  three  etYort.s  to  estab- 
lish a  station  here  in  the  uext  decade,  but 
none  succeeded  until  1S9"2.  I'ossihiy  the  rea- 
son was  tliat  thiMv  were  no  slums  in  Indian- 
;i|)olis.  l)ut  the  ai'm>'  has  found  plenty  of 
iiiatei'ial  to  work  on  since  that  lime.  It  now 
maintains  tliree  institutions  here,  its  liead- 
i|uarters,  in  the  lialdwin  block,  which  .serves 
the  purpose  of  an  intellisreiice  ofifiee  as  well 
IS  directing  the  affairs  of  the  army;  an  in- 
dnstrial  school  .it  111'.")  Kast  Tenth  street, 
w  hei-c  transient  men  ai'c  cared  for  and  pay 
I'nv  tiieir  hoard  and  lodL'ing  in  work;  and  a 
mission  hall  on  South  ('ai)itol  avenue,  where 
irligicnis  services  are  held  every  night.  The 
iitHcers.  fi-oin  lii'utenant  uj).  correspond  in  a 
way  to  clei-gymen.  None  of  them  are  "com- 
mi-ssioned"  until  after  a  satisfactory  course 
ill  a  "Training  Home",  or  school,  of  which 
there  is  one  at  Chicago  and  one  at  New  York. 
The  sergeants  and  ti-easnrei's  and  secretaries 
;ii-c  usually  local  membei's  who  follow  their 
iiistomary  vocatiorLs,  and  give  what  time  they 
can  to  the  ariny  work. 

The  religious  work  is  independent  of  all 
clnuchi's  but  friendly  to  all.  .\  Salvation 
.\rmy  convert,  if  he  does  not  feel  ccpial  to 
iindiM-faking  army  work,  is  I'ecommended  to 
.join  some  church,  making  his  own  selection. 
None  of  the  officers  or  wor-kers  have  any  guar- 
anteed salary.  Each  station  is  self-snpjiort- 
ing.  and  if  receipts  are  small,  expenditures 
nnist  correspond.  There  are  about  fiO  active 
workers  at  Indianapolis,  and  about  120  who 
ai'e  counted  as  regular  subscribers  to  the 
work.  'I'he  work  hei'c  is  in  ehai'ge  of  Ma.joi- 
Wm.  E.scott,  and  consists  of  religions  work 
iiid  practical  chai'ity  to  "the  ])ooi-est". 
Special  features  are  made  of  the  Thaid<sgiv- 
iig  and  Christmas  dinnei-s,  but  the  really 
'jr(>at  work  is  the  steady,  never-ending  relief 
I  if  the  sick,  and  helpless,  and  destitute.  One 
of  the  interesting  characters  among  the  work- 
ers, who  has  been  hei'e  several  times  in  the 
last  ten  years,  is  .Vdjntant    tjiinia   Wcstlirook. 


who  was  one  of  the  original  seven  who  came 
to  this  country  with  Connnis-sioner  Kailton, 
in  1880,  and  "planl"d  the  cdlurs  on  Ami'i-ican 
soil". 

The  Volunteers  of  America  were  organized 
in  18;)(j— incorp(n-ated  November  tj,  189G  — 
after  the  ruj)ture  between  Ballington  Booth 
and  his  father.  There  wei'e  also  attempts  to 
locate  a  station  of  this  here,  before  the  one  in 
]!)()"2  succeeded.  It  was  in  charge  of  Lieuten- 
ant JIa.jor  V.  J.  I'reston,  who  has  been  iu 
charge  ever  since,  except  abotit  eighteen 
months  in  li)()4--'5,  when  Captain  Beisner  and 
Ad.jutant  A.  •>.  llaie  were  in  charge.  Its 
woi'k  is  similar  to  that  of  the  Salvation  Ai-my, 
except  that  all  its  work  is  done  at  the  Mis- 
sion Hall,  and  no  lodging  house  is  maintained. 
The  ^lission  Hall  was  established  at  fj:n  \V. 
Wa.shington  street  on  November  1,  1902,  and 
was  removed  to  its  present  location  at  44  S. 
('apitol  avenue.  The  Voliuiteers  give  a 
Christmas  dinner,  and  an  annual  outing  for 
poor  ehildi-en  on  the  last  Thur.sday  in  Jtnie, 
at  Riverside  I'ark.  The  Volunteers  have  38 
in  their  active  work  here,  and  about  90  who 
are  counted  as  sustaining  members.  The  pro- 
motions are  all  on  merit,  and  to  reach  the 
rank  of  major  one  must  pass  examinations 
about  equivalent  to  thos(>  of  the  ordinary  can- 
didate foi'  oi'dination. 

Christian  Science  was  introilnccd  in  In- 
dianapolis in  1889  when  a  few  persons  who 
had  heard  of  it  elsewhere  organized  a  cla.ss 
to  study  it,  and  called  a  teacher  for  the  usual 
course  of  lectures.  One  membei'  of  this  class, 
Mrs.  Aiuiie  B.  Dorland.  stiulied  later  under 
;\Iis.  Mary  Baker  Eddy,  and  then  took  uj) 
the  woi-k  of  a  teachi>r  and  piactitioncr  in  this 
eity.  On  ^lay  28,  18ft7,  a  permanent  (U-gaiii- 
zation  of  church  workers  was  effected,  and 
incorporated  under  the  state  law  as  "First 
Church  of  Christ,  Scientist,  of  Indianapolis. 
This  church  holds  regular  .services  in  the  east 
]iarlor  of  the  Proi\vlaeinn,  and  maintains  a 
public  Christian  Science  reading  room  at  15 
and  1()  Lombard  Building;-.  The  ])r<'sent  mem- 
bership of  this  church  is  l-IO.  In  August. 
19fl.'3,  anothi'i'  society  seemed  desirable,  and 
the  Second  Church  was  organized.  It  began 
liolding  services  in  Shortridge  High  School 
buildinn-.  but  grew  so  rapidly  that  a  lot  was 
|)urchasi'd  at  ^leridian  and  Walnid  streets, 
and  ,'1  liuililin'j  ^ealiu'j-  ."lOO  was  erected.     This 


C24 


HISTORY  OF  GIJEATEK  INDIANAPOLIS. 


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« 

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O 
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HISTORY  OF  Cltr.ATEH  INDIANAPOLIS. 


6'?5 


was  used  for  lliree  yeai's.  wlu'U  it  bucaiue  too 
small,  and  meetings  are  now  held  in  the 
(irand  Lodge  auditoiiuiii  of  the  Masonic 
Temple.  It  also  maintains  a  reading  room 
at  till  Odd  Fellows  Hiiilding.  The  meuiber- 
shii)  <kt'  this  elnii-<-li  is  ahniit  4(10,  but  the  aver- 
age attendance  is  twiee  that  number.  These 
ehurehes  have  ""  readers''  instead  of  [)astors. 
There  are  two  readers  for  each  meeting,  the 
first  of  whom  reads  from  the  Bible,  and  the 
second  from  "Science  and  Health,  with  Key 
to  the  Scri|iture.s"'.  They  have  their  own  hym- 
nal for  sung  service.  Prayer  is  silent,  fol- 
lowed by  the  Lord's  Prayer  repeated  audibly. 
\vith  "spiritual  interpretation"  by  the  pastor 
in  i-esponsive  reading.  In  addition  to  these 
two  churches  there  are  :5.')  accredited  practi- 
tioners of  healing  on  the  Christian  Science 
system  who  maintain  pul)lic  offices. 

The  Pentecost  Rands  of  the  World  is  one 
(if  the  babes  and  sucklings  among  religious 
deiKiminations,  having  been  in  existence  oidy 
,1  quarter  of  a  century.  It  originated  in  the 
missionary  preaching,  in  Michigan,  of  Vivian 
A.  Dake,  an  Independent  ^lethodist,  and  in 
LSSr>  he  and  six  others  inc(n-i)orated  under  the 
laws  (if  Illinois  as  a  religious  society  under 
the  above  name.  Their  theology  is  very  simi- 
lar to  that  of  the  ^Methodists,  but  with  the 
understanding  that  the  effects  of  faith  and 
jirayer  are  just  as  great  as  in  New  Testament 
times.  They  believe  in  direct  answer  to 
l)rayer  not  only  for  healing  the  sick  but  also 
for  financial  aid  when  needed.  The  work  of 
this  sect  was  begun  in  Indianapolis  in  1890 
by  Thomas  II.  .Xelson,  one  of  the  seven  origi- 
nal incor])orators  and  directors,  and  present 
l)resident  of  the  society.  The  work  here  has 
been  remarkable.  The  large  stone  church 
and  headquarters,  at  'I'l-i  North  New  Jersey 
street,  includes  a  church  room,  a  residence  of 
eighteen  rooms  back  of  it.  and  a  printing 
office  in  the  basement,  in  which  are  printed 
tracts,  books,  and  a  weekly  pai)er.  The  Ifintld 
of  L'mhI.  whicli  is  the  organ  of  the  sect.  The 
j)rititing  oftice  has  three  ])re.sses,  riui  by  elec- 
tricity, and  there  is  a  fully  e(|ui|)ped  bind- 
ery included  in  it.  The  work  is  done  with- 
out charge  by  twenty-live  •  ■  inissionaries"  who 
live  at  the  residence  witli  Mr.  Nelson  and 
family.  Back  of  this  laigc  building  is  the 
Free  Shelter  House,  maintained  on  a  charity 

basis  for  the  relief  of  the  destilllte.  wbiell 
Vol.   1—40 


was  built  in  19()S,  and  gave  shelter  to  4,000 
persons  in  1900. 

The  remarkable  fact  is  that  this  church 
building  was  erected  "without  money  and 
without  price".  The  labor  was  donated;  the 
Bedford  limestone  of  whicli  it  is  constructed 
was  donated  at  the  quarries;  the  money  for 
the  freight  was  "prayed  for",  and  was  do- 
nated with  such  regidarity  that  the  work  was 
never  impeded  for  want  of  material,  althongh 
there  are  'SO  carloads  of  stone  in  the  building. 
There  is  no  eifort  to  secure  members  to  the 
church,  the  work  being  on  a  missionary  basis, 
but  the  Sunday  congregations  average  250, 
and  the  Siuiday  school  abotit  W)  in  attend- 
ance. Although  holdiuir  to  faith  healing,  this 
sect  denounces  Christian  Science  teaching, 
and  believes  th(u-onghly  in  "matter"  and 
"l)ain".  ]\Irs.  Eddy  is  held  up  as  the 
prophetic  Antichrist. 

The  church  was  nine  months  in  buildinir. 
and  was  dedicated  on  January  1.  1902.  In 
Jaiuiary.  1910,  the  society  completed  the 
purchase  of  20  acres  on  AVest  Washington 
street,  between  Big  and  Little  P^agle  Creeks, 
to  be  used  as  a  "camp  ground",  including 
the  notorious  resort  known  as  "Eagle's 
Nest".  All  orthodox  churches  are  to  be  al- 
lowed to  use  these  grounds  for  camp-meetings 
or  other  religious  meetings.  The  society  also 
has  210  acres  about  10  miles  west  of  the  city, 
near  Bridgeport,  on  which  are  maintained  an 
Orphanage  and  an  Old  Folks'  Home.  The 
Ori)haimge  is  for  children  who  have  lost  both 
parents,  and  fotmdlings.  the  charges  being 
taken  with  the  purixise  of  rearing  them.  It 
is  supplied  with  almost  everything  needed  for 
tht^  work,  and  everything  is  donated.  In- 
dianapolis is  now  tiie  hea<lquarters  of  this 
sect,  which  has  branched  out  extensively, 
having  missions  in  Egypt,  India,  Sweden  and 
other  foreign  countries.  The  orphanage  is 
a  feature  of  the  work,  and  there  are  three 
maintained  in  the  United  States  in  addition 
to  the  one  in  Indiana.  The  II i  raid  of  Luiht 
publishes    no   secular    advertisements   of   any 

kind. 

The  Society  of  Friends  was  not  largely 
repi-esented  in  the  early  settlement  of  In- 
(lianai)olis,  the  only  one  recorded  being  "Un- 
cle Billy"  Townsend,  who  came  here  and 
built  a  cabin  in  1S20,  prei)aratory  to  bringing 
his   familv  in   the   rollowiipe  sprini;-.     He   was 


62G 


iiis-1'iinv  OF  (;i;i:atki;  ixdiaxai'hi.is. 


from  (luilfdnl  lOiiiity.  North  Carolina,  and 
would  probably  l)e  accounted  a  "Progi-es- 
sivc"  in  the  latter  day  classification  of 
Fi'iends,  as  he  was  no  stickler  for  mere  forms. 
It  happened  that  he  had  put  his  cabin  in 
what  was  later  laid  out  for  Kentucky  avenue, 
and  when  General  Can-,  the  Agent  of  State, 
told  him  he  woidd  have  to  move  it,  Billy 
remonstrated  on  the  onmnd  that  the  avenue 
was  "'all  woods''  on  both  sides  of  it,  and 
when  his  protest  fell  on  deaf  ears  he  put  oft' 
his  shad-bellied  coat,  observing:  "Lie  there, 
Quaker,  until  I  administer  to  the  gineral  a 
trentle  chastisement"".  But  the  general  was  a 
man  (>f  peace,  and  declined  to  quiet  title  in 
that  way.  so  the  matter  was  compromised  on 
a  basis  of  temporary  toleration.  About  1825 
Billy  removed  to  Hendricks  County,  which  he 
represented  in  the  legislature  in  the  wild-eat 
currency  days :  and  he  then  gained  wide  note 
by  introducing  a  bill  requiring  the  State 
Treasurer  to  issue  to  each  citizen  enough 
paper  moin^v  to  |)ay  his  debts.  This  was  set 
for  discussion  on  a  legal  holiday,  and  after 
a  vehement  debate  was  passed  hy  an  over- 
whelming vote,  but  not  until  it  had  been 
amended  by  a  provision  of  a  heavy  penalty 
for  anyone  who  should  call  for  more  money 
than  he  Tieeded. 

The  next  accession  of  Friends  was  in  1834, 
when  Jacob  S.  "Willets  and  Robert  R.  I'nder- 
hill.  with  their  families,  located  here.  Robert 
rndei-hill  was  accounted  the  wealthiest  man 
in  Indiana  in  his  day — rated  at  half  a  million. 
He  brought  his  family  here  from  New  Yoi-k 
in  a  carriage,  and  after  arriving  traded  the 
cai'i-iat'c  for  the  entire  scpiare  on  which  Short- 
ridge  High  School  now  stands.  Here  he 
erected  a  laru'c  brick  residence  on  the  east 
half  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  the  square. 
Across  Pennsylvania  street,  on  the  square  be- 
low, where  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church 
now  stiinds,  he  built  an  iron  foundry  and 
operated  it  for  a  number  of  years.  Soon 
after  these  two  came  H\igh  Smith,  a  shoe- 
makei'. 'from  Cincinnati,  and  his  wife  Sai'ah, 
who  for  many  years  had  a  school  at  the  south- 
east corner  of  Alabama  and  ^Market  streets. 
Then  came  Mary  White  and  Sarah  Weaver, 
with  theii'  families,  and  John  Reeve  from 
New  Jei"sey,  with  his  family.  A  jietition  was 
now  sent  to  Fail-field  Monthly  ^Meeting,  the 
nearest  to  this  place,  for  an  '"indidged  meet- 


ing"" at  Indianapolis,  which  was  granted  on 
Sejitember  1-^.  1836.  The  sessions  of  this 
meeting  were  held  at  a  small  frame  house 
just  north  of  CnderhilFs  foundry,  under  care 
of  a  committee  from  Fairfield  ilonthly  ]\Ieet- 
ing.  It  was  continued  for  about  two  and 
one-half  years,  and  then  discontinued  on  ac- 
count of  the  removal  of  part  of  the  members 
and  olher  discouragements. 

The  half  dozen  Friends  who  were  left  con- 
tinued to  hold  meetings  at  Robert  Uiulei'- 
hilTs.  As  there  were  no  ministers  among 
them  they  were  usually  silent  meetings,  ex- 
cept that  about  the  middle  of  the  hour  Robert 
Underbill  would  read  a  chapter  from  the 
Bible.  In  1834  he  went  for  a  long  visit  to 
New  York,  and  the  meetings  were  then  held 
at  the  house  of  William  and  Hannah  Hadley. 
on  North  Pennsylvania  street.  The  tide  of 
immigration  now  brought  several  accessions, 
among  them  Alfred  Johns(m  and  John  and 
yiavy  Carter.  The  meeting  grew  too  largi' 
for  the  Hadley  home,  so  they  rented  a  build- 
ing at  426  North  Pennsylvania,  tised  as  a 
church  by  the  English  Lutherans.  About 
this  time  Thomas  and  Hannah  Peai"Son  came 
into  the  meeting,  and  were  especially  wel- 
come, for  Hannah  Pearson  was  a  minister, 
and  the  first  resident  one,  in  their  meetintr. 
In  ^fay.  1855,  a  reqiiest  was  made  to  Fair- 
field .Monthly  Meeting  foi'  an  established 
meeting  at  Indianapolis,  which  was  granted 
in  Seiitember,  1855;  and  from  that  time  dates 
the  organization  of  the  First  Friends  Church 
of  Indianapolis. 

The  first  step  was  to  provide  a  church 
building,  and  it  was  decided  to  go  farthei-  out 
from  the  center  of  the  city  than  the  other 
denominations  had  done.  The  plan  ado|>teil 
was  to  buy  the  triangle  boundi'd  by  Fort 
Wavne  avenue,  St.  Clair  and  Delaware 
streets,  for  $2,800.  reserving  a  lot  100  feet 
s(iuare  at  the  corner  of  St.  Clair  and  Dela- 
ware foi-  the  church,  and  selling  the  remain- 
der, primarily  to  Friends  who  might  desire  to 
locate  there.  It  was  agreed  to  erect  a  two- 
storv  building,  the  lower  one  to  be  used  for 
a  school.  As  they  lacked  about  $3,000  of  the 
money  needed  they  had  to  seek  aid  from 
i>ther  ineetings,  and  the  two-story  proposition 
was  found  a  serious  obstacle  in  getting  dona- 
tions; as  was  also  the  proposal  to  have  seats 
with   h:\rk^  and  ends      S\ii-l!  scats  were  noth- 


fclli 


iiis'ioiiv  oi'  (;!;k.\- 


XDIAXAI'OI.IS. 


G2r 


in^'  less  than  "pews",  iiiui  the  usual  Kiieiuls' 
iiieetinu'-hduse  of  the  time  was  a  low  one-storj' 
liuiltlin;/,  twiee  as  louji  as  wide,  with  a  mova- 
ble pai'titioii  to  separate  tlie  business  lueet- 
inus  of  the  men  and  the  women.  However, 
the  members  jjersisted.  and  the  ehureli  was 
<-(implete(l  au(l  occupied  in  December,  1856, 
til''  tir.st  service  beinsr  conducted  by  Eleazer 
liales,  a  noted  Plaintield  minister,  who  dedi- 
cated it  to  the  Lord,  free  ficim  incumbi-anee. 

Tlie  churcli  ui-ew  slowly  but  steadily.  In 
l>s.")!t  the  Tndiana|)olis  meetin«;'  was  made  part 
<it'  Hi'idneport  Monthly  Meeting',  and  its  mem- 
l)ership  was  then  57.  In  LSGo  the  member- 
ship had  reached  150,  and  Indianapolis  was 
granted  its  own  Jlonthly  Jleeting:.  The 
.Monthly,  (Quarterly  and  Yearly  iMeetings  of 
the  Friends  are  governmental  and  disciplin- 
ai-y  organizations,  cori-esponding  in  general  to 
the  presbyteries,  synods  and  conferences  of 
otlier  Protestant  sects.  Their  ministry,  under 
the  old  system,  wa.s  not  paid  ;  and  called  for  uo 
special  training  or  education,  as  all  preach- 
ing, prayer  and  other  worship  was  on  motion 
of  the  Spirit  :  but  ministers  were  recorded  or 
designated  by  the  meetings  as  their  gifts  ap- 
[)eared.  In  ^><21  the  Friends  divided,  part 
Following  the  teaehings  of  Hlias  Hicks,  which 
inclined  to  Initarianisiii.  The.se  are  com- 
monly Iniown  as  "Ilicksites"  and  the  others 
as  "'Orthodox"'.  Although  the  Ilicksito 
movement  was  quite  strong  in  the  East  it  had 
few  adherents  in  Ijidiana,  and  the  church 
here  was  Orthodo.x.  Another  division  began 
in  the  foi'ties  on  the  teachings  of  Joseph 
<iurney,  against  adherence  to  mei-e  tem]>oral 
forms;  the  o|)position  being  led  by  -lohn  Wil- 
bur. The  foi-nier  ai-e  sometimes  called  "Gur- 
ney''.  or  "Progrcsvsive"  Friends,  and  the 
latter  "Wilbur"  or  "Conservative"  Friends. 
The  foi'mer,  to  which  the  Indianai)olis  church 
belongs,  diseai'ded  distinctive  dress,  and  have 
usually  adopted  paid  ministers,  singing,  ])i'e- 
seribed  services,  insti'umental  music,  and  I'e- 
vival  methods.  They  have  also  oi'ganized  the 
"Five  Years'  ^Meetings",  with  advisoi-y 
rather  than  governnn'iital  powers,  and  most 
of  them  have  ado|)ted  a  ■"Fniform  Disci- 
jiline".  Their  national  oriian  is  '/7m  .l//irri- 
cim  Frii  11(1.  a  Philadelphia  weekly  publica- 
tion. 

The  first  resident  ministers  followini;-  Han- 
nah Pear'son  were  l)a\id  and  Hannah  Tatum. 


who  were  here  from  is.'Ss  to  l»(j(j.  In  1862 
came  James  Trueblood.  who.se  wife,  Jane 
Trueblood,  an  Englishwoman,  was  an  efKcient 
minister  for  :!0  years  in  the  Indianapolis 
church,  and  also  a  prominent  worker  in  the 
city's  charities.  ]n  1864  came  James  Smith, 
whose  wife  Sarah  Smith,  also  an  English- 
woman, and  an  efficient  mini.ster,  became  even 
more  ])rominent  in  charitable  work.  She 
made  her  name  Sarah  J.  Smith,  to  distinguish 
herself  from  Sarah  Smith  the  Friend  school 
•  eacher.  She  and  her  hnsban<l  began  the 
work  among  homeless  and  destitute  women 
which  developed  into  the  Home  for  Fi'iend- 
less  Women  on  North  Capitol  avenue;  and 
when  the  Women's  Prison  and  Girls'  Re- 
f(n-matoi'y  was  (>stablished  she  was  made  its 
sujK'rintendent,  and  served  until  the  infirmi- 
ties of  age  caused  her  to  resign.  Other  min- 
isters of  the  early  period  wei'c  Barnabas  C. 
Hobbs.  Enos  G.  i'ray.  Calvin  W.  Pritchard. 
Drusilla  Wilson,  William  S.  Wooten,  Anna 
iMills,  John  Stanton,  James  Adams,  and  Jo- 
seph John  Mills.  The  jegularly  employed 
])astorate  began  in  1888.  w'hen  Levi  Rees  was 
called,  and  .served  until  18<)8.  Following 
him  camp  Thomas  C.  Brown,  1893-7;  Albert 
J.  Brown.  1897-1902;  and  Moiton  C.  Pearson, 
1902  to  date. 

The  religious  work  of  the  Friends  in  In- 
dianapolis can  hardly  be  separated  from  their 
charitable  work.  During  and  after  the  Civil 
War,  Jacob  Willitts  and  his  son  Penn  had 
charge  of  the  Frecnlman's  Aid  Society  in  a 
one-story  building  on  Pennsylvania  street 
north  of  Washington  —  an  enter])rise  of  West- 
ern Yearly  Meeting  that  was  of  vast  service 
to  the  colored  refugees.  The  ()|-phan  .Asylum 
was  an  ob.iect  of  their  special  interest.  Dru- 
silla Wilson  was  president  of  the  board  of 
maruigers  from  the  early  si.xties  till  she  went 
to  Columbus,  ^Mississippi,  to  take  charge,  with 
her  husband,  of  a  colored  school  there  for  the 
Freedman's  Aid  l^oeietw  She  was  succeeded 
as  president  by  Hannah  llailley.  who  served 
for  some  20  years.  In  1868.  as  colored  or- 
phans were  not  admitted  to  the  asyhim,  she 
initiated  the  movement  for  a  colored  ori)haii 
asylum.  Some  of  the  largest  donoi's,  who 
were  not  Friends,  made  it  a  condition  of 
Iheii-  gifts  that  the  institution  should  always 
be  eonti-olled  by  Friemls.  and  it  has  always 
lii'cn    controlh'il    b\-   boards   of   manauers   anil 


628 


HISTORY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOLIS. 


directors  who  were  members  of  the  Friends' 
Church.  In  1887  the  women  of  Western 
Yearly  fleeting  organized  to  establish  a 
boarding  home  for  girls,  and  opened  it  in 
Augn-st,  1890.  It  was  an  up-hill  work  to 
maintain  it  until  William  Hadley  Ballard, 
seeing  the  importance  of  the  work,  deter- 
mined to  give  it  a  permanent  home  as  a 
memorial  to  his  little  daughter.  He  accord- 
ingly erected  the  tine  bxiilding,  with  all  con- 
veniences, known  a.s  the  Bertha  Ballard 
Home,  with  accdniiiiodation  for  60  girls. 
This  was  put  in  the  hands  of  the  association, 
which  had  been  incorporated,  and  is  now 
self-supporting. 

An  early  mission  Sunday  school  of  Friends, 
in  1866,  at  East  and  St.  Clair  streets,  devel- 
oped into  Allen  A.  M.  E.  Church.  A  mission 
established  in  1890  in  West  Indianapolis  grew 
beyond  tutelage,  and  in  1904  was  set  off  as  a 
new  meeting,  with  17.3  members.  David  Com- 
mons is  the  present  pastor.  A  later  mission 
was  established  in  Haughville.  where  it  has  a 
church  on  Holmes  avenue  with  100  members. 
Josiah  Pennington  is  the  pastor.  The 
Friends'  Church  had  no  regidar  Sunday 
school  of  its  own  until  1863,  when  one  was 
organized  with  Nathaniel  Carpenter  as  super- 
intendent. A  Young  People's  Christian  En- 
deavor Society  was  organized  in  1889.  A 
small  organ  was  introduced  for  the  Sunday 
school  and  Christian  Endeavor  work;  then  a 
piano  for  the  Sunday  school ;  and  finally  an 
organ  for  the  church. 

The  project  of  a  new  church  building  was 
talked  of  for  a  do^en  years  before  it  finally 
ripened  into  action.  Then  the  site  was  se- 
cured at  Alabama  and  Thirteenth  streets, 
and  the  present  modern  and  handsome  build- 
ing was  erected,  at  a  cost  of  .$30,000.  It  was 
dedicated  in  the  fall  of  1895,  the  dedication 
sermon  being  preached  by  Benjamin  F.  True- 
blood,  the  distinguished  secretary  of  the 
.A.mer'ican  Peace  Society,  who  is  a  native  of 
Indiana  and  a  graduate  of  Earlham  College. 
In  this  church,  on  June  4,  1905,  was  cele- 
brated the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  church, 
with  appropriate  s(>rvices.  including  a  his- 
torical review  by  Elizabeth  Harvey  Cox, 
which  is  more  than  a  history  of  the  church; 
it  is  a  history  of  the  Friends  in  Indianapolis. 
The  church  at  the  pi'esent  time  has  962  mem- 
bers, and  300  on  the  Sunday  school  roll ;  and 


is  recognized  as  one  of  the  live  churches  of 
the  city. 

There  may  have  been  Jewish  visitors  to 
Indianapolis  prior  to  the  coming  of  the  rail- 
road, but  none  settled  here  until  1849.  when 
Closes  Woolf  and  Alexander  and  Daniel 
Franco,  of  Plymouth.  England,  came  to  the 
city.  In  1850  the  Knetier  family  came  from 
Hungary.  In  1853  Adolpli  De.ssar,  ]\[ax  and 
Julius  Glaser,  and  ^lax  Dernham  joined  the 
colony.  In  1855  Herman  Bamberger  and 
Jacob  Goldman  settled  here.  Oi'-ganized  con- 
gregational life  dates  from  November  2.  1856, 
when  fourteen  Jews  met  at  the  house  of 
Julius  Glaser  and  organized  the  Indianapolis 
Hebrew  Congregation.  The  officers  elected 
were  Moses  Woolf,  president ;  Dr.  J.  'SI.  Ro- 
senthal, vice  president ;  Max  Glaser.  treas- 
urer; Adolph  Dessar,  secretary:  and  ilax 
Dei-nhain,  Adolph  Rosenthal  and  Julius 
Glaser,  trustees.  At  the  same  meeting  enough 
money  was  subscribed  to  buy  three  and  a 
half  acres  of  laud  south  of  the  city  for  a 
Jewish  burial  ground.  In  1857  a  room  on  the 
third  flooi-  of  Blake's  block,  opposite  the 
Bates  House  (now  Claypool  Hotel)  on  Wa.sh- 
ington  street,  was  rented  by  President  AVoolf 
for  divine  worship.  In  the  fall  of  that  year 
Rev.  ^I.  Berman  was  engaged  for  the  holi- 
days, and  remained  with  the  congregation  for 
a  year,  holding  services  on  Saturday  morn- 
ing's. 

But  othei-s  of  the  faith  were  coming  to  In- 
dianapolis, anil  the  congregation  found  their 
quarters  too  small,  so,  in  1858,  they  estab- 
lished themselves  in  a  hall  on  Washinutou 
street,  across  fi'om  the  eoui't  house,  and  the 
noted  Dr.  Isaac  il.  AVise  came  to  dedicate  the 
hall  to  its  new  use.  The  dedication  was  on 
October  24,  and  on  the  night  of  the  25th  a 
dinner  was  given  at  Parisette'.s.  the  leading 
caterer  of  the  time,  with  prominent  people  as 
guests,  toasts,  and  all  the  accompaniments  of 
a  gala  occasion.-  In  a  short  time  Rev.  .Tndah 
Wechsler  was  engaged  as  Rabbi,  and  re- 
mained in  that  capacity  till  1861.  ^lean- 
while  there  had  been  a  considerable  influx  of 
Jews  from  various  European  eoiuitries.  and 
with  somewhat  conflieting  ideas  of  church 
usage,  so  that  there  was  a  difference  of  opin- 


1 


-Best  account  is  in  TIk  ('i(i:rn.  October  26. 
1858. 


IIISIDin-   (IF  (iKKA'I'RR   IXDIANAI'OLIS. 


629 


iiiu  ;is  to  a  siKx-fsstii-  to  Uabbi  Wuchsk-r;  but 
finally  Rabbi  Max  Closes  was  secured.  He 
was  of  the  prosrressive  type,  and  first  intro- 
duced sinuiug  by  a  choir  in  the  congreiration. 
In  18t)l}-4  J{al)bi  Kallish  was  in  charji'e;  and 
after  him  Jiulali  Weclisler  came  afrain.  and 
i-emained  until  18()7.  Uuriim-  his  I'abliinatc  tlie 
coniireuation  decided  on  permanent  <|uarters. 
On  'J'hanksirivino-  day.  1S64,  a  committee  with 
-Morris  Solomon  at  the  head  was  appointed 
to  hokl  a  fair  and  raise  funds,  and  the  woi'i< 
was  jirosecuted  thereafter  with  sucii  success 
that  in  186.5  the  corner-stone  of  the  Temple 
on  Mai-ket  street  was  laid  by  Ral)l)i  Lillien- 
thnl  and  (iovernoi-  Conrad  Baker. 

Followiii';'  Rabbi  Weclislei-.  came  l\abl)i 
Mayer  blessing,  on  October  21.  18ti7,  for  a 
stay  of  forty  years.  He  is  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, born  in  (iostyn,  Posen.  December  10, 
1S4:5.  His  father  was  a  Ral)l)i,  and  so  are 
his  bi'others,  Henry  J.  Messiny  of  St.  Louis, 
;md  A.  J.  iMes.sin»;  of  Chicaiio.  His  father 
was  also  a  wi-jter  on  reljufious  topics,  and  the 
j>ret'ace  of  one  of  his  books  was  written  l)y 
Sir  .Moses  ]\Iontefiore.  Afayer  INressin'r  was 
carefully  educated,  and  after  I'cceivins"  his 
deirree.  in  1860,  he  was  chosen  Hal)bi  of  Meek- 
lenbui'ir-Schwrrin.  Four  years  later  he  snc- 
ceeiled  his  tatliei'  ;is  Kabl)i  at  (iostyii.  He 
serv<'d  in  the  (ierman  army  iluriiiLr  the  Aus- 
tro-l'iMissian  wai-.  b\it  secured  his  I'clease  aftei' 
its  close,  and  cami>  to  New  York  in  1867.  He 
was  called  from  New  York  hei-e,  and  bejran 
his  work  at  once  on  arrival,  officiating  at  the 
services  for  the  Holy  Days,  which  I)e<ran  the 
day  after  his  arrival.  He  was  an  enthusiastic 
woi-ker  and  educator,  and  made  his  eonyreua- 
tion  the  foremost  i-eformed  eonjire^ation  of 
the  state.  On  his  arrival  he  instituted  Friday 
eveniiii:  services,  and  started  a  (hiily  Hebrew 
class  and  a  Sabbath  school  fni'  tin'  children 
on  Saturday  mni'innjrs,  after  the  services. 
l.Mti-i'  111'  tiiiii<  lip  (Irpartmeiital  woi'k  on  Sun- 
day iiiorniniis,  in  which  the  younii-  people 
took  part  <_dadly.  and  the  Temi)le  has  lonu' 
had  the  unique  feature  of  a  Sunday  school. 

His  work  has  not  bei-n  limited  to  his  church, 
but  has  reached  nut  in  all  rharitable  and  hu- 
mane lines.  .Mtcnlion  lias  often  been  at- 
tiacted  by  his  work,  hand  in  baud  witli  l-"a- 
thei'  Ressonies  and  Oscar  McCullouiih  in  the 
ehaiities  of  the  city.  He  is  on  the  boards  of 
thr  Industrial   lloinr  foi-  the  Hlinil.  tlu'  Fresh 


Air  Mission  and  tlie  Indiana  Red  Cross.  He 
was  the  first  president  of  the  local  Humane 
Society.  At  the  same  time  he  has  always 
taken  an  active  and  stimulating-  part  in  the 
special  charities  of  the  Jewish  church:  and 
in  his  service  he  has  gone  out  to  all  jiarts  of 
the  state.  He  came  here  in  time  to  join  with 
Dr.  Wise,  of  Cincinnati,  in  dedicating  the 
]\rarket  Street  Temple,  and  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  aiding  in  the  dedication  of  its  succes- 
sor. There  had  been  some  advocates  of  a 
change  of  site,  and  in  1897  when  the  Ohev 
Zedek  Hinigai-ian  congregation  offered  $10,- 
000  for  the  old  Temple  it  was  decided  to  ac- 
cept it.  .\  new  site  was  pui'cha.sed  at  St.  Joe 
and  Dehnvare  streets,  where  the  corner-stone 
of  the  new  Temple  was  laid  on  June  5,  1899, 
and  the  handsome  building  was  dedicated  on 
November  8,  1899.  In  1907,  at  the  close  of  his 
forty  yeai-s  of  labor.  Rabbi  Messing  retired  as 
active  head  of  the  congregation  and  was  made 
Rabbi  Emeritus.  In  1909  he  left  foi-  an  eight- 
nmiitlis  toui'  of  Europe  anil  to  the  Holy  Land. 
Habbi  blessing  was  succeeded  by  Rabbi 
Morris  M.  Feuerlicht,  who  had  been  his  as- 
sociate Rabbi  since  1904.  Morris  M.  Feuer- 
licht is  a  son  of  Rev.  Jacob  Feuerlicht,  an 
able  scholar  and  teacher,  who  has  served  sev- 
eral promiiii'nt  congregations,  and  since  1904 
has  been  superintendent  of  the  Jewish  Home 
for  the  Aged,  at  Chicago.  .Morris  M.  Feuer- 
licht was  born  January  17.  1879.  He  was 
educated  at  the  Brinnner  School,  Ho.ston,  and 
the  University  of  Cincinnati  and  Hebrew 
T^nion  College,  receiving  his  degree  of  Rjdjbi 
in  1901.  He  afterw:irds  did  post-graduate 
work  at  the  Chicago  Fniversity.  He  served 
■■IS  Rabbi  at  Lafayette  before  coming  here. 
Since  coming  he  has  taken  an  active  part  in 
the  literary  and  charitable  life  of  the  city,  as 
well  as  actively  pursuing  his  chiiicli  work. 
He  is  president  of  the  (Children's  Aid  So- 
ciety, which  has  been  an  important  coadjutor 
of  th"  Juvenile  Court.  The  membership  of 
the  Temple  at  present  is  "J-J.')  heads  of  fann- 
lies  and  there  arc  loO  children  in  the  Sab- 
bath school.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the 
Indiauai)olis  Hebrew  congregation  has  shown 
the  greatest  libei-alitv  by  tenderiiiL'  the  use  of 
the  temple  to  ^leridian  Street  Church,  St. 
Paul's  Church  and  to  Plymouth  Church  con- 
gregations when  their  ehui-ches  were  de- 
stroved.      The  Jewish   sei'vices  beinir  on   Fi'i- 


630 


iriSTUliY   OF  (iKEATKi;    1  XDIANAI'OLIS. 


day  and  Saturday,  leave  the  Temple  free  on 
Sunday.  The  example  in  toleration  is  well 
worth  consideration  by  Christian  sects;  and 
a  number  of  Christian  ministers  have  ex- 
ehanp-ed  jjulpits  with  Kabbis  JMessing  and 
Feuerlicht. 

The  Hungarian  Ohev  Zedek  (Love  the 
Truth)  congregation  was  organized  in  1885, 
by  Israel  Click,  who  was  not  a  rabbi,  but  a 
teacher  and  "cantor''.  He  served  until  1889, 
and  was  followed  bv  K<ibbi  Fedennan,  1889- 
94;  Kabbi  Klein,  1894-7;  Rabbi  Jacob  Hart- 
man,    1897   to   date.      The   congregation   first 


Hebrew  congregation  which  worships  at  ]Mad- 
ison  avenue  and  Union  street  was  organized 
in  June,  1904,  by  Rabbi  Charles  Hoffman, 
now  of  Newark,  N.  J.  He  was  succeeded  by 
Rabbi  Samuel  B.  Kaufman,  who  established 
a  Hebrew  school  and  Sabbath  school  in  con- 
nection with  the  temple  M'ork.  He  resigned 
in  1908.  and  was  succeeded  in  1909  by  Rabbi 
Hirsh  Coldberg.  The  Polish  congregation 
holding  services  at  Eddy  and  IMerrill  streets, 
known  as  Kenasses  Israel,  was  organized  in 
1892.  The  Rabbi  in  charge  is  I.  Y,.  Neustadt. 
a   thorough    Talmudic    and    Hebi'aic   scholar. 


THE   JEWISH    TEMPLE. 


\\iirsliipi)ed  in  a  hall  at  the  southeast  corner 
of  Ohio  and  ]\[ai'ket  streets.  It  then  went  to 
a  hall  at  Virginia  avenue  and  Louisiana 
street  vintil  1897,  when  it  purchased  the  Mar- 
ket street  Temple.  This  is  an  orthodox  con- 
gregation, following  all  the  old  usages,  such 
as  the  men  wearing  their  hats  during  the 
.services,  etc.  It  formerly  maintained  a  daily 
school  (except  on  Saturdays)  which  was  con- 
ducted in  Hebrew.  (lerman  and  English,  but 
this  has  been  discontinued  for  several  years. 
The  congregation  includes  57  heads  of  fami- 
lies.    Most  of  the  services  are  in  Hebrew. 

There   are   three   other    orthodox    Hebrew 
congregations   in    Indianaiiolis.      The   United 


and  an  active  worker  in  the  Jewish  Federa- 
tion. He  is  also  Rabbi  of  the  Shaare  Tefila 
congregation,  which  holds  services  on  Meri- 
dian street  near  Nerwood.  The  services  of 
both  these  congregations  are  held  in  Hebrew. 
The  Adventi.sts  are  in  a  general  wa.v  the 
successors  of  the  "Millerites",  who  began 
looking  for  the  second  coming  of  Christ  in 
1843.  Xotwithstrinding  disajipointments  there 
were  over  50,000  of  them  who  still  adhered 
to  the  faith  at  the  time  of  William  Miller's 
death  in  1849;  and  there  are  over  90.000  of 
them  now  in  the  six  sects  into  which  the  mil- 
lennial churches  have  divided.  Of  these  much 
the  strongest  is  the  Seventh  Day  Adventists;, 


HISTOKV    OF   (IKKA'I'Ki:    1  M  M  A  N  A  rol.l; 


(i31 


wild  have  ;il)out  ]S>W  cliurehi's  and  over  57.- 
(KM)  iiieiiihi'i's.  Four  (if  the  seels  are  eoiiitrre- 
Lratioiial  in  lidvernnient.  hut  tile  Seventh  Day 
Adveiitists  and  the  Chui'eli  of  (lod  each  have 
eonferene(>.s  that  are  supreme.  The  Seventh 
Day  Adventi.sts,  the  onl.y  one  of  the  sects 
represented  in  Indianapolis,  hold  that  the  mil- 
lennial pnipheey  was  fidfilled  in  1848 :  that 
the  Day  of  .Iudj;iiient  is  in  pro^-i'ess :  that  the 
■'eh'ansina'  of  the  sanctuary "  has  occurred; 
that  total  abstinence,  vegetarianism  and  hy- 
triene  are  essential  features  of  reliiriou:  thai 
the  gift  of  |)ropliecy  still  exists,  and  was  ac- 
corded to  Mrs.  Ellen  G.  White:  that  the 
Tnited  States  is  "the  two-horned  beast";  that 
the  dead  arc  unconscious;  that  the  wicked  are 
punished  by  annihilation-  and  that  salvation 
is  free  to  all  who  accept  its  conditions  before 
death.  Their  baptism  is  by  immersion.  Their 
liea(l(|uarters  arc  at  Hattle  ('reek,  ^lieh..  and 
they  have  seven  publishing-  houses  in  various 
parts  of  the  world,  with  sanitariums  and  sem- 
inaries in  several  states  and  missionaries  all 
over  the  earth. 

The  first  known  organized  work  of  the  Sev- 
enth Day  Advenlists  here,  was  a  nii.ssion  es- 
tablislu'd  on  ("hei-ry  street  (Tenth)  in  1884. 
A  l)uilding  was  erected  at  Fourteenth  and 
Central  avenue  in  1888:  and  the  First  Church 
was  organized  there  on  August  25,  1888.  In 
W(Y.]  this  was  .sold,  aiid  in  1904-5  the  present 
building  Avas  ei-eeted  at  515  East  Twenty- 
third  street.  It  was  dedicated  on  (^ctobei-  8, 
1905.  This  chui'ch  has  92  members,  and  86 
in  the  Sunday  school,  though  two  other 
churches  Inive  been  set  olf  fi'om  it.  The  Sec- 
ond Seventh  l)a\  .\ilventist  Church  is  at 
Thirteenth  and  j-fural  strect.s,  and  has  54 
members.  The  Thii-d.  or  West  Side  Church, 
is  at  212fi  W.  :Michigan  street,  and  has  38 
members.  The  church  <u-gani/.ation  is  es,sen- 
tially  missionary  and  evangelistic,  and  there 
is  seldom  a  i-cgidar  |)astoi-a1e  in  a  church, 
thiiuijli  lliere  are  elders  who  have  charge  of 
them  and  ai'e  for  the  time  being  their  min- 
isters. The  ministei-s  iti  charge  for  1909-10 
are  E!dei-s  ^Fori-is  Lukeiis.   .\.   li.  Miller  and 

W.   A.  Young.     There  is  much  moi- udrol 

of  the  members  by  the  cidei's  than  is  com- 
mon in  other  cIuii-cIk's.  and  their  membiTship 
is   notably  exemplary. 

The  ^loraviiin  Chui-eli  claims  In  be  the  nld- 
"st  of  the  jirotestanl   eliiin-lies,  and  with  snirie 


reason,  for  it  was  originally  organized  by 
the  followers  of  John  Muss,  and  IkkI  over 
2(iO,(K)0  members  at  the  time  of  Luther's 
Keformation.  Its  episcopal  or  apostolic  suc- 
cession came  from  the  Austrian  Waldes.ses, 
through  liishop  Stephens  in  1467.  It  was 
badly  cripjiled  by  i)ersecutions  in  the  Seven- 
teenth centuiy,  but  was  reorganized  uiuler 
Count  Zinzendoi'tT  in  the  Eighteenth,  and  be- 
came notetl  in  America  for  its  )iiissi(jn  work 
amoiiL'-  the  Indians.  In  fact  it  may  almost 
chnni  iirecedenee  at  Indianapolis,  for,  al- 
though there  is  a  tradition  of  an  eai-lier  Cath- 
olic mission,  the  only  certainly  known  mis- 
sion to  the  Indians  on  White  Hivcr  was  that 
of  the  .Moravians,  1801-6.  The  first  church 
organization  was  made  at  Indianapolis  on 
Decern bei-  8.  1894.  The  corruM'-stonc  of  the 
i-hurch  building  at  College  avenue  and  Twen- 
ty-si.\th  street  was  laid  in  1901,  anil  the  build- 
ing was  formally  opened  on  October  26  of 
that  year,  but  was  not  dedicated  until  1909. 
The  pastors  have  been  AVm.  Vogler,  1894- 
190.?:  AF.  E.  Kem|)er.  1903-5;  (ieorge  J. 
Crist,  1905  to  date.  The  church  has  107  mem- 
bers, and  210  in  the  Sunday  school.  The  IMo- 
ravian  Chui-ch  has  no  fixed  creed,  but  its 
teachings  are  those  of  the  pi'otestant  church- 
es in  general,  except  that  it  leaves  to  the  in- 
dividual his  choice  of  belief  as  to  the  "mys- 
teries'', such  as  the  Trinity,  predestination, 
the  sacraments,  the  method  of  regeneration, 
etc.  They  believe  in  the  con.scious  existence 
iif  the  soul  after  death,  and  the  resuri'cetion 
of  the  body.  The  offici,-d  name  of  the  church 
is  I'nitas  Frali-um.  oi-  I'uity  of  Bretlu-en. 
but  they  arc  sometimes  called  I'nited  Kn-tli- 
r-en  or   I'nited    Brethren   in   Christ. 

What  are  moi-e  conniKiuly  known  as  the 
I'nited  Hrcthi-en,  howevei',  oi-  moi-e  pr(i]>ei-ly, 
"rniled  Hrethren  in  Chi-ist  ",  are  thi-  mem- 
bers of  a  denominalion  foi-mally  organizcil  in 
1800.  as  the  result  of  a  i-cvival  moveiiK'nt  bc- 
•jnn  among  the  (iei-iiians  of  Pennsylvania  ami 
.Mai-yland  in  1765  by  I'hilip  William  Ottcr- 
bein.  a  miinstei-  of  the  (Jei-irian  Heformeil 
('hui-i-h.  and  .Mai-tin  Koelnii.  a  Meiuionite  min- 
ister. The  theolog\-  of  the  chun-li  is  .\niiin- 
lan.  anil  it  has  no  oflicial  cennection  with 
either  the  .Moravians  or  the  .Melhodisls. 
tlioui;h  its  orijanizalinn  is  vi'vy  similar  to  the 
l;ittei-.  Origiiudh-  its  ser\-iccs  were  conducti'd 
in   (ienrian.   lint    they   ai-e   now    almost    wholly 


632 


HISTOKY  OF  GKKATEK  IXDIAICAPOLIS. 


in  Enulisli.  Womeu  have  been  aihiiittcd  to 
the  ministry  on  equal  terms  with  men  since 
1889.  Tlie  first  society  of  this  denomination 
in  Indianapolis  was  organized  in  1830,  and 
in  185]  it  built  a  luiek  church  at  the  south- 
east corner  of  Ohio  and  Xew  Jersey  streets 
which  was  occupied  for  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury. In  18(ii)  there  was  a  split  in  the  socie- 
ty, and  the  majority  reorganized  under  the 
name  of  the  Liberal  United  Brethren,  and 
closed  the  dooi-s  of  the  church  to  the  minor- 
ity. The  .minority  brought  suit,  and  recovered 
po.ssession  of  the  property  on  August  31, 
1870.  The  Lilierals  then  disbanded,  most  of 
the  members  going  into  the  Jlethodist  Church. 
The  pastors  up  to  1870  were  J.  D.  Vardaman, 
A.  Long,  A.  Davis.  :\r.  Wright,  D.  Stover,  C. 
W.  Witt,  P.  S.  Cook,  William  Nichols,  L.  S. 
Chittenden.  J.  S.  Wall,  Amos  Hanway,  B.  F. 
]\Ioi'gan  and  W.  J.  Pruner.  Amos  Hanway, 
the  liest  known  of  these,  went  off  with  the 
Liberals  and  became  a  ^Methodist.  The 
United  Brethren  afterwards  removed  to  Oak 
street,  between  Vine  and  Cherry;  and  later 
built  their  present  church  at  Park  avenue 
and  St.  Clair,  of  which  Rev.  Elmer  E.  Swords 
is  pastor.  The  Second  United  Brethren 
Church  was  oi-ganized  in  1889,  and  at  one.' 
built  its  chui'ch  at  Dearborn  and  Eleventh 
streets.  The  i)astor  is  M.  K.  Richardson,  and 
it  has  125  members,  and  100  in  the  Sxinday 
school. 

The  Rcfdriiied  Church  in  the  United  States, 
formerly  known  as  the  German  Reformeil 
Church,  is  an  offshoot  of  the  Reformed 
Church  of  Germany,  one  of  the  great  sects 
resulting  from  the  Reformation.  It  is  rep- 
resented in  Indianapolis  by  six  churches.  The 
First  Reformed  Church,  at  Ohio  and  Noble 
streets,  the  oldest  of  the,se,  dates  hack  to 
1852.  In  the  fall  of  1851  the  Board  of  Do- 
mestic IMissious  sent  Rev.  George  Lang  here 
as  a  mis.sionary.  and  lie  began  pi'i>acliing 
every  Sunday  in  the  court  house.  He  soon 
gathered  a  permanent  congregation,  and  on 
June  24,  1852,  tlie  corner-stone  of  a  church 
building  was  laid  on  a  site  on  Alamalia  sti-eet. 
half  a  scpiare  north  of  Washingtmi.  Tlic 
church  was  comjilcted  and  dedicated  on  l)e- 
cembei-  5.  1852.  Mr.  Lang  served  until  l!*5t), 
and  his  successors  have  been,  M.  G.  J.  Stern, 
1857-65;  Henrv  Echmeier,  1865-8;  J.  S. 
Barth   (supply).  1868-9;  H.  Helming.  1871- 


M);  Jolui  Kettiu,  1881-:3;  C.  F.  Keller,  1883-6; 
C.  AVisner,  1880-8;  J.  G.  Steinib,  1888-9;  W. 
Wittenberg,  1899-1901;  C.  Wisner,  1901-5; 
H.  Helming  (supply),  1905-7;  Frederick  W. 
Engelnumn,  1907  to  date.  During  tlie  pas- 
torate of  ]\Ir.  Echmeier  the  church  was  en- 
larged; but  the  congregation  outgrew  it,  and 
in  1889  moved  to  a  new  building  at  Noble  and 
Ohio  streets,  which  was  dedicated  on  Sep- 
tember 1,  1889.  This  church  now  has  108 
members,  and  50  in  the  Sunday  school. 

The  Second  (St.  John's)  Reformed  Church 
was  organized  as  a  free  church  in  1859,  with 
C.  E.  Kuester  as  pastor  till  1866.  Then  C.J. 
E.  Steinbaeh,  a  Lutheran  missionary  worker, 
ministered  to  it  for  two  years'.  On  January 
1,  1868,  the  congreaation  called  M.  G.  J. 
Stern  in  his  place ;  and  in  1871  the  second 
Reformed  Church  was  organized,  ~Slr.  Stern 
serving  as  its  pastor  for  over  thirty  yearsT^ 
Connected  with  this  church  is  a  German- 
English  parochial  school.  The  first  church 
building  was  on  East  street,  south  of  ^lerrill. 
The  present  one  is  at  the  corner  of  ilerrill 
II nd  Alabama,  and  Henry  AV.  Vitz  has  been 
the  pastor  since  January,  1898.  The  church 
has  467  members,  and  387  in  the  Siuiday 
school.  In  1S80,  sixty  of  the  members  of 
tht>  First  Church  left  it  and  organized  the 
Third  (Immanuel)  Reformed  Church.  Its 
buildins  at  New  Jersey  and  Prospect  street 
was  dedicated  Alay  29,  1881.  The  pastors 
have  been  Herman  Helming,  A.  G.  Gekeler, 
E.  Yornholt  and  William  Knierim,  the  pres- 
ent incumbent.  It  is  a  strong  church,  out 
of  debt,  with  450  members,  and  310  in  the 
Sunday  school. 

St.  Paul's  German  Reformed  Church,  at 
709  N.  Belmont  avenue,  was  organized  May 
26.  1884,  and  the  building  was  dedicated  in 
.Xovember,  1885.  The  pastors  have  been  N. 
Rene,  1S84-7 ;  W.  Diehiii.  1889-92;  F.  Kalb- 
tleisch,  1893-1901  ;  L.  D.  Bans.  1902-5;  L.  W. 
Stolte,  1906  to  date.  This  church  has  164 
members,  and  175  on  the  Sunday  school  lull. 
There  are  two  other,  later  and  smaller 
churches  of  this  denomination.  Butler  Ale- 
iiioiial  Church,  twenty  years  old,  is  at  Tenth 
and  Oakland  avenue,  and  J.  F.  Grand  is 
the  pastor.  Central  avenue  is  at  the  corner 
of  Twenty-first  aiul  Central  avenue,  and 
Henry  F."  Gekeler  luis  been  the  pa.stor  since 
its  or','anization.  June  9,  1905.     The  buildim:- 


JiisT(ii;v  (IF  (;i;i;.\'i'Ki;  india.xai'uus. 


033 


was  purchased  from  tlie  T'nited  lirethren, 
who  erected  it  in  isns.  This  church  has  7() 
nieuibers  and  So  in  the  Snnday  school.  It  is 
the  only  Enuiish  church  of  this  denomina- 
tion in  the  city,  the  other  five  beiut;-  Ger- 
man. The  denomination  has  had  a  mission 
Sunday  school  at  Ra.vmond  and  Chestnut 
streets  since  litOT,  but  no  conj;resatiou  is  yet 
oriranized  there. 

Tlie  German  Evaugelical  Church  is  the 
.\nii>rieiui  ivpi'csentative  of  the  national  Prot- 
istant  Church  of  Prussia,  wiiieh  was  formed 
in  1S17  l)y  a  union  of  IjUtheran  and  Cal- 
vinistic  ehui'ch(>s.  Its  oldest  congregation  in 
Indianaj)olis  is  Zion's  Church  at  32  W.  Ohio 
street.  It  was  organized  in  April.  1841,  and 
the  corner-stone  of  its  fii-st  bvulding  (frame) 
was  laid  in  lf^43.  on  the  present  site.  The 
building  was  completed  and  dedicated  on  ilay 
IS.  184").  T'ntil  then  the  church  had  no  reg- 
ular i)astoi'.  but  was  sei'ved  by  Eev.  J.  G. 
Kuuz.  In  1844  Rev.  J.  S.  Isensee  was  called 
and  served  from  184a  to  1850.  Following 
iiini  were  Adolph  Rahn,  1850-1:  Carl  Riele, 
1851-3:  C.  E.  Zobel.  1853-4;  C.  E.  Kuester. 
1854-D;  Hermann  Queuius,  1859-83:  J.  C. 
I'.'ters,  1883  to  date.  The  pastorate  of  Mr. 
((luenius  was  closed  by  his  death  on  -Taiuiaj-y 
(i.  ISS.!.  'I'he  membership  is  I'oiujted  by  fam- 
ilies, of  which  there  are  308:  and  the  mem- 
bcrsbi])  of  the  Sunday  school  is  488. 

'!"he  corner-stone  of  the  present  briclv 
riiurcji  wa.s  laid  on  July  1,  1866:  and  it  was 
dedicated  on  February  5,  1867.  'i'he  paro- 
chial school  was  established  in  1841.  and  in 
18(10  a  two-slory  brick  building  was  erected 
for  it  in  the  reai-  of  the  church.  It  was  con- 
tinued until  1880.  aiul  then  stopped  until 
ISS.j.  when  it  was  revived  for  one  year,  and 
tlien  finally  discontinued.  The  Ladies'  Aux- 
iliary Societ.y  of  this  church  does  charitable 
work  over  the  city,  iiulependent  of  the  Char- 
ity Organization.  It  was  organized  in  1883 
and  has  550  mendiers.  This  is  the  parent 
church  of  this  den(miiiuition.  There  are  now 
three  othei's:  St.  John's  Chiurh,  at  Sanders 
aiul  Leonard  streets,  Theodore  Schory,  i)astor: 
St.  Lucas  Church,  at  Temple  avenue  and 
New  York.  John  A.  Reller.  pastor:  St.  Paul's 
(iiuich.  Cohunbia  avenue  and  Seventeenth, 
Ciuistian  Hansen,  pastor.  St.  John's  was  or- 
canized  Julv   l:*>,  18!)(;.  bv  the  mi.ssion  board. 


and  became  self-supporting  in  three  years. 
Its  church  was  built  in  the  sununer  of  1897, 
and  dedicated  on  August  8,  18;)7.  Mr.  Schory 
has  been  the  pastor  from  the  organization. 
The  church  has  457  members,  and  3"25  in  the 
Sumlay  school.  St.  Lucas  is  still  a  mi.ssion, 
organized  in  April,  1904.  Its  building  was 
erected  in  the  spring  of  1906,  and  dedicated 
in  July.  It  has  56  members,  and  70  iu  the 
Sunday  school.  ISh:  Reller  has  been  the  pas- 
tor since  the  organization. 

The  Evangelical  Association  is  a  sect  that 
was  organized  by  Jacob  Albright,  a  .Metho- 
dist evangelist  among  the  Germans  of  West- 
ern Pennsylvania,  iu  1807.  It  is  very  simi- 
lar to  the  ]\Iethodist  (Tuircli  in  organization 
and  doctrine.  It  grew  rapidly,  and  in  1901 
had  27  annual  conferences— one  in  Japan, 
one  in  Switzerland,  two  in  Germany.  Its 
first  society  in  Indiana])olis  was  organized 
June  19,  1855,  as  Inuuiinvul  Church,  and  its 
first  building  was  on  Xew  Jer.sey  street,  be- 
tween ]\Iarket  and  Ohio.  On  August  23,  1870, 
the  name  of  the  society  was  changed  to  Sa- 
lem Church,  but  it  it  now  known  as  First 
Chui'ch.  Evangelical  As.sociation.  It  was 
originally  a  Geiinan  church,  but  all  services 
ai-e  now  in  Enulish.  The  pastors,  with  years 
of  accession,  have  been  ]M.  \V.  Steffy.  1855: 
H.  Kramer,  1857;  M.  Hoehn,  1858:  M. 
Krueger,  I860;  A.  B.  Schafer,  1862;  G.  G. 
Platz,  1863:  J.  .M.  Corner,  1864;  J.  Fuchs, 
1865;  F.  Witthaup,  1867;  I,  Kaufmaiui, 
1868;  Conrad  Tramer,  1870;  M.  Hoehn,  1871: 
H.  L.  Fischer.  1874;  Conrad  Tramer.  1875; 
('.  F.  Hausing,  1878;  I.  Fischer,  1880;  M. 
Hoehn,  1883;  :\I.  AV.  Steffy,  1885;  C.  F. 
Hausing.  1888:  J.  M.  Hang,  1891:  1 T. 
Schleucher.  1893;  F.  Schweitzer.  1894:  W.  G. 
Hraeckly,  1897:  Frederick  Rausch,  1899;  J. 
H.  Brei'sh.  1903;  S.  H.  Baumgartner,  1907; 
(J.  B.  Kimmcl,  1909.  The  corner-stone  of  the 
present  church,  at  New  York  ami  East  street, 
was  laid  in  1882.  and  the  church  was  dedi- 
cated Xoveudier  4.  1882.  The  dnu-ch  has  240 
members  and  there  are  400  enrolled  in  the 
Sunday  school.  Tiiere  are  two  later  churches 
of  this  sect:  Second  Church,  at  Wilkins  ami 
Church  streets,  of  which  ('has.  F.  Hausing  is 
pastor:  and  Grace  IVIi.ssion.  on  Beville  ave- 
iHie  near  ^Fichiiran.  of  wbieli  Daniel  E. 
Zeehiel  is  i)aslor. 


CHAPTER  XLVl. 


■R08TE]!  OF  crrv  OFFICIALS,  184T-1909. 


MA^()l!. — Saimiel  Henderson,  1847-9;  Ho- 
ratio ('.  Newcomb  (resigned  Xovember  7, 
is:)l  ).  1849-01  :  Caleb  Scudder.  1851-4;  James 
.McCreadv.  18o4-6;  Henrv  F.  Wi^t  (died  Xo- 
vuniliiT  S.  18r)(;).  1856:  Charles  Coiilon  (filled 
\aoaiu-v  to  Xovember  22).  1856;  William  John 
Wallace  (resif;ned  Mav  3,  1858),  1856-8;  Sam- 
uel D.  Alaxwell.  1858-63;  John  Caven.  1863-7, 
1875-81:  Daniel  Macaiilev.  1867-73;  James  L. 
Mitchell.  1873-5;  Daniel' W.  Grubbs,  1881-3; 
John  L.  McMaster.  1883-5;  Caleb  S.  Dennv, 
1885-9,  1893-5;  Thomas  J..  Sullivan,  1889-93; 
Thomas  Tagjr;ii-t.  1895-19(11  ;  Charles  A.  Book- 
waiter,  1901-3.  1906-9:  John  W.  Holtzman,^ 
1903-5;  Samuel  L.  Shank,  1910. 

City  Clehk.— Daniel  B.  Culley,  1853-4; 
James  X.  Swectser.  1854-5;  Alfred  Stephens 
(died  October  14,  1856),  1855-6;  Frederick 
Stein  (to  fill  vacancy),  1856-7:  Geo.  H.  West, 
1857-8:  John  G.  Waters,  1858-63;  Cvrus  S. 
Butterfield,  1863-7  :  Daniel  M.  Ransdell  1867- 
71;  John  K.  Clinton.  1871-5;  Benj.  C.  Wright, 
1875-9;  Jos.  T.  Alagner,  1879-83;  Geo.  T. 
Breunig.  1883-5;  :\Iichael  F.  Shields,  1885-7; 
John  W.  Bowlus,  1S87-9:  Elias  B.  Swift. 
1889-91  :  Kandall  .F.  Abrams.  1891-3;  Lee  Xix- 
on,  1893-5  :  ('has.  H.  Stuckmever,  1895-9  ;  John 
F.  Geckler.  1899-1901;  Chas.  X.  Elliott, 
1901-3:  Win.  M.  Fogartv,  1903-5:  James  Mc- 
Xultv,  1906-9:  Edward  A.  Ramsav.  1910. 

City  CoMPriioi.i.KU. — Wm.  W.  Woollen. 
1891-3:  Preston  C.  Trusler.  1893-5;  Eudorus 
^r.   Johnson    (resigned   .lune  30.  1901),   1895- 


Breunig, 


Julv-Oetober.    1901. 
1901-3.    1906-9; 


'By  act  of  Manli  6.  19()5.  the  Mayors  term. 
formerly  endina'  in  October,  was  extended  to 
the  .succeeding  January,  making  the  years  fol- 
lowing calendar  xcars.  The  term  was  made 
four  years,  and  the  incumbent  not  eligible  to 
a  consecutive  second  term. 


1901;    .Jacob     P.     Dunn, 
1903-5:    Geo.     T. 
Howard   Kindiall,   1910. 

City  Civil  Exgixeer. — James  Wood,  Sr. 
(died  Xovember  15.  1862).  1845-55,  1858-62; 
.\ni7.i  B.  Condit.  1855-6:  Daniel  B.  Hosbrook'. 
1.S56-8:  James  Wood,  Jr.  (died  July,  1866). 
1S62-6;  Joshua  Staples,  Jr.,  1866-7;  E,.  M. 
Patterson  (resigned  June  1,  1881),  1867-73. 
1878-9.  1S79-81;  James  W.  Brown,  1873-5; 
P.ernhard  H.  Dietz  (resigned  June  10,  1878), 
1S75-8:  Thaddeus  Keed  (removed  July  14, 
1879),  1879;  Samuel  H.  Shearer,  1881-90;  A. 
1'.  Shauver,  1890;  Henrv  A.  Mansfield,  1891-3  ; 
Charles  C.  Brown,  1893-5;  Bernard  J.  T. 
Jcup.  1895-1901,  1903-5;  James  B.  Xelson, 
1901-3:  Blaine  H.  Miller,  1906-9;  Henry  W. 
Klaussman.  1910. 

City  JtiKiE.— John  X.  Scott,  1867-8. 

Police  Jldge.— E.  C.  Buskirk.  1891-3 
(;eo.  W.  Stubbs,  1893-5.  1901-3:  Chas.  E.  Cox. 
1895-9:  Wm.  C.  Dalv.  1899-1901;  Thos.  C. 
Whallon.  1903-9;  Janies  A.  Collins,  1910. 

City  Solicitor. — Bvron  K.  Elliott,  Xovem- 
ber 11.  1872-:\[ay  12,  1873. 

City  .Vttouxey". — Andrew 
(resigned  April  3.  1848).  1847- 
Tavlor,  1848,  1853-6:  Wm.  B. 
Edwin  Coburn,  1849-50:  William  Wallace  (re- 
signed October  28,  1850),  1850;  Abram  A. 
Ili^mmond,  1850-1;  Albert  G.  Porter,  1851-3: 
•John  T.  ^Forrison.  1856-7;  Benjamin  Harri- 
son. 1857-8;  Samuel  V.  Morris,  1858-9;  Bvmn 
K.  Elliott  (resigned  October  31,  1870),  1859- 
r,l,  l,S(;5-70.  1873-5:  James  X.  Sweetser, 
1861-3:  Richard  J.  Ryan,  1863-5:  Jonathan  S. 
Harvey,  1870-3;  Casabianca  Bvfield  (depo.sed 
May  8,  1876).  1375-6;  Roscoe  0.  Hawkins, 
1876-9:  John  A.  Henry.  1879-82:  Caleb  S. 
Dennv.  1882-5:  Wm.  L.'  Taylor,  1885-9;  Leon 


if.     Carnahan 

-8 ;  Xapoleon  B. 

Greer,  1848-9; 


634 


IS'lOin-    OF  (lUEATElt  IMJlANArolJS. 


635 


O.  Baik'V,  ]M.S!i-!n  ;  A<iiiilla  (}.  .)oih>.<,  1803-3; 
.Idhii  E.'Scott,  IS!):]-.");  ,7iuiifs  B.  Curtis.  18!).".- 
::  John  W.  Kern.  Is!i7-l!t()l  ;  Frederick  A. 
.Io>^.  1901-:!:  Ilcnrv  Wiirruiii.  l!l03-5:  Fred- 
.  IK  k  I-:.  MniM.ii.  1;hi(;-<(:  Cniir  \).  i^dwen. 
lIHlIt;    Mrrle    X.    A.    Waliver,    liMH. 

Coiii'oiiATiON  Counsel. — Frederick  K.  Mat- 
ron, lilOi);  Joseph  H.  Kealing,  1910. 

BoAHU  OK  Trm.ic  Works. — .\.  W.  Gondii, 
1891-:!:  :\I.  M.  Defrees.  1891-:);  Adolpli 
Schcrrcr.  1891-:i:  James  .V.  Wihliiian,  ls93-.J: 
Andrew  Kramer.  1 8!):i-."') ;  Frederick  J.  .Mever. 
1893-.) :  W.  B.  Jlolton.  Fehruary  to  October. 
1 89.5 ;  John  Osternian,  February  to  October. 
189.5;  E.  L.  .\tkinson.  F'ebruarv  to  October, 
1895;  M.  A.  Downiiijr.  1895-9,  "l903-5 ;  E.  A. 
Austin  (resigned  December  8.  189(V).  1895-G : 
\V.  Scott  .Moore.  1 89.5-9 ;  .Martin  ('.  .\udersoii 
(died  October  13.  1897),  1897:  Tlios.  .1.  Moni- 
iromerv  (died  December  20,  1899),  1897-9; 
.loseph  T.  F\ninin<j  (resigned  Mav  25,  1900), 
1899-1900;  Albert  Sahni,  1899-1901;  Jos.  W. 
Smith,  1899-1901  :  Charles  .Maguire  (filled 
Fanning"?  vacancy).  190(1-3:  Tiarojd  C.  ^le- 
grew,  1901-3;  Edwin  D.  Eogsdon.  1901-3; 
Jacob  Woe.s.sner.  1903-5;  David  Wallace, 
1903-5;  Joseph  T.  Elliott,  190G-9;  Preston  C. 
Trusler,  190(i-9:  Fred  J.  ilack.  1906-9;  Chris- 
tian A.  Sciirader,  1910;  Charles  L.  Hutchinson, 
1910;  Edward  J.  O'Keiliy,  1010. 

SlX-IiKTARV     BOAUO     OF      PUBLIC      WoHKS. — 

Bart  Parker.  1891-8;  (^has.  H.  Spencer,  1898- 
1901;  iMerle  Sidener.  1901-2;  E.  F.  Harris, 
1902-3:  W.  K.  Williams.  1903-5:  Frank  .1. 
Xoil.  190r>  to  date. 

BoAHn  oi-  PuHLic  SaI'Hty. —  Kdward  ifaw- 
kins,  1801-3;  W.  A.  Sullivan,  1891-3:  Bobert 
Catterson,  1891-3;  Nicholas  R.  Buckle,  1893-5; 
John  B.  Conner,  1893-5;  John  F.  White, 
1893-5;  Charles  Maguire,  1895-8;  Fred  J. 
Mack,  1805-0:  Thos.  J.  Morse,  1895-9;  Chas. 
C.  Both.  1898-1900;  Nelson  J.  Hyde,  1899- 
1901;  W.  S.  McMillen.  1899-1901;  John  H. 
Mahonev,  1900-1;  Wm.  Iv  English,  1001-2; 
Conrad  "Keller,  1001-3:  Wm.  H.  Schoppen- 
hor.st,  1901-3;  Robert  A.  Bryson,  1902-3;  Thos. 
Madden.  1903-5;  Frank  Straub,  1903-5;  John 
Q.  Hicks.  1903-5:  Lew  \V.  Cooper,  1906-9; 
Charles  W.  Tutewiler.  1006-9;  Wm.  Schopjien- 
horst.  1006-9;  William  K.  Davis.  1010;  Elmer 
F.  Gay,  1910;  Jesse  S.  Sisslof.   lOlo. 

Skcretary  Board  of  Public  Safety. — 
John  L.  F.  Steeg,  1891-3;  Richard  C.  Herrick, 


1803-8;  Edward  II.  Davis.  1899-1901;  John  B. 
Wood.  1901-3,  190(;-0.  1910;  Edward  Mc- 
Laughlin,  1903-5. 

Chief  F'ire  FLngixeer  (known  as  Super- 
intendent of  Fire  Department  after  1891). — 
Thomas  M.  Smith,  1843-7 ;  Joseph  Little, 
1853-4;  Jacob  B.  Fitler,  1854-5;  Charles  W. 
Purcell,  1855-6;  Andrew  Wallace,  1856-8; 
Joseph  W.  Davis,  1858-6;i;  John  E.  Foudray 
(resigned  November,  1859),  1859;  Charles 
Hicbmann,  1863-7,  1868-70,  1872-4;  George  W. 
Buchanan.  1867-8;  Daniel  Glazier  (killed 
March  11,  1873),  1870-3;  Michael  G.  Fitchey, 
1873-6;  W.  0.  Sherwood,  1876-8;  John  G. 
Pendergast,  1878-82;  Joseph  H.  Webster, 
1882-9.  1891-5;  Frank  L.  Doughertv.  1880-01; 
Thos.  F.  Barrett,  1805-1901  ;  Chas".  E.  Coots. 
1901    to  date. 

iiuu.DiXG  Inspector.  —  M.  G.  Fitchey, 
1803;  John  G.  Pendergast,  1893-5;  Geo.  W. 
Bunting,  189.5-7;  John  C.  Robi.son,  1807-9: 
Jacob  H.  Hilkene.  1899-1900;  Geo.  V.  Bedell, 
1900-1:  Samuel  G.  Bartel,  1901-3;  Geo.  W. 
Stanley.  1903-5;  Thos.  A.  Winteriwvd,  1906 
to  date. 

City  Marshal.— William  Campbell,  1847-8; 
John  L.  Bishop.  1818-9;  Sims  A.  Col- 
lev.  1849-50.  1851-2;  Benjamin  Pilbean. 
1850-1,  1853-5;  Elisha  McNee'ly,  1852-3;  Geo. 
W.  Pitts,  1855-6;  Jefferson  Springsteen. 
1856-8,  1859-61;  Augnstine  D.  Rose,  1858-9; 
David  W.  Loucks  (died  Ajiril  24,  1862), 
1861-2:  John  Unversaw.  1862-9;  George  TafFe. 
1869-71:  Thomas  I).  Amos.  1871-3;  W.  Clin- 
lon  West.  1873-5:  Eli  Thompson,  1875-7: 
Alonzo  D.  Harycy.  187  7-9:  Richard  S.  Colter 
( legislated  out  of  office  April  16.  1883), 
187-0-83. 

Captain  of  the  Watch. — Jefferson  Spring- 
steen, 1854-5;  Jesse  M.  Yani)laricum,  1855-(;. 
1862:  Chas.  G.  Warner,  185(5-7  ;  Augustine  D. 
Rose  (resigned  September  14.  1861),  1857-8: 
1850-61:  Samuel  Lcfever,  1858-0;  Thomas  A. 
Ifamsey,  1861-2:  John  R.  Cotton,  1862. 

Chief  of  Police  (Superintendent  of  Po- 
lice after  1891).— David  Powell,  1864-5;  Sam- 
uel A.  Cramer.  1865;  Jesse  M.  Vanblaricum. 
1865-6;  Thomas  S.  Wilson,  1866-9;  Henry 
Paul,  1870-1:  Eli  Thompson.  1871-4;  Frank 
Wilson.  1874-6;  .\ustin  C.  Dewev.  1876-7: 
Albert  Travis.  1877-80.  1887-01;  Robert  C. 
Williamson  (legislated  out  of  office  April  1(!, 
1883),  1880-3;  John  A.   Lang,  1883-7;  Thoui- 


()3f> 


HISTOKY  OF  GREATER  INDIANAPOI.LS. 


a^  F.  Colbert,  1887,  1S91-3,  1895-T  ;  V,vo.  W. 
Powell,  1893-5;  James  F.  Quigley,  1897-1901; 
George  A.  Taffe,  1901-3;  C.  "L.  Krueger, 
1903-5;  Robert  Metzger,  1906-9:  Martin  J. 
Hyland,  1910. 

Street  CoioiissioxEU  (corresponding  of- 
iice  known  as  Foreman  of  Street  Repairs  after 
181U,  and  Superintendent  of  Street  Repairs  af- 
ter 1897).— Jacob  R.  Fitler.  1847-8,  1855-7; 
John  Bishop,  1848-9 ;  Geo.  W.  Pitts,  1849-50 ; 
Geo.  Youngernian,  1850-1 :  Joseph  Butsch, 
1851-2;  Hugh  Slaven.  1853-3:  William  Hugh- 
ey,  1853-5;  Henry  Colestock,  1857-61;  John  A. 
Colestock,  ]861-;5:  John  M.  Kemper,  1863-5; 
August  Richter,  1865-9;  August  Bruner,  1869- 
73;  Tlios.  Wiles,  1873-5;  Stephen  Mattler 
(deposed  Mav  8,  1876),  1875-6;  Lcander  A. 
Fulmer,  1876-85;  Chas.  S.  Rouev,  1885-9; 
Derk  De  Ruiter.  1889-91:  Patrick  Harrold. 
1891-3;  J.  L.  Fisher,  1893-5;  Geo.  H.  Herpiek, 
1895-1901,  1903-5;  Wm.  H.  Evans,  1901-3; 
Joseph  L.  Hogue,  1906. 

City  Gas  Ixspectok. — George  H.  Fleming 
(left  city  in  March,  1871),  1868-71;  William 
S.  Cone  (resigned  Xovember  6,  1871),  1871  ; 
E.  T.  Cox,  1871-3;  Ryland  T.  Brown,  1873-4: 
Alexander  Robertson  (defaulted — office  abol- 
ished), 1874-5. 

]\rAi!KET  PIASTER  (East  Market). — Jacob 
Miller  (resigned  August  2,  1852),  1847-52, 
1854-5;  Sampson  Barbee,  Sr.  (resigned  March 
20,  1848),  1847-8;  Geo.  W.  Harlan,  1852-3, 
1856-7;  Henrv  Ohr,  1853-4;  Richard  Weeks, 
185.5-6,  1857-8;  Charles  John,  1858-61,  1862-3, 
1864-7 :  Thos.  J.  Foos,  1861-2  ;  John  J.  Wen- 
ner,  1863-4:  Sampson  Barbee.  Jr.,  1867-8; 
Gideon  B.  Thompson,  1868-9:  Theodore  W. 
Pease,  1869-70;  John  G.  Mardick,  1870-1; 
John  Unversaw,  1871-4;  John  F.  Gulick. 
1874-6;  William  Shaw,  1876-7;  Jehiel  B. 
Hampton,  1877-8 ;  Joseph  M.  Sutton,  1878-9 ; 
Albert  Izor.  1879-80;  James  A.  Gregg  (to  De- 
cember 31.  1881),-  1880-1;  Orville  B.  Rankin, 
1882-4;  Wra.  H.  Pritchard,  188.5-6:  Benj. 
Alldridge,  1887-8 ;  J.  E.  Isgrigg,  1889-90;  Jno. 
P.  Schiltges,  1891-2:  Armin  Koehne.  1893-5; 
E.  M.  Goebel,  1895-1901:  Thomas  Shufelton. 
1901-3;  James  A.  McCrossan,  1903-5;  Joseph 
Foppiano.  1906-9;  Carlin  H.  Shank.  1910. 


1884-6,  1891-2 ; 
Richard  Wells, 


-  The  act  of  ^larch  8,  1881,  required  election 
of  officers  bv  council  for  terms  running  two 
rears  from  following  January. 


Market  Master  (West  Market). — Roger 
R.  Shiel,  1877-8;  Charles  X.  Lee  (resigned 
February  15,  1879),  1878-9;  Levi  H.  Rowell 
(tilled  r>ee's  vacancy),  1879;  Ix'rov  C.  Mor- 
ris, 1879-80;  Ed.  A.  Guthrie  (resigned  Octo- 
ber 4,  1880),  1880;  Abraham  L.  Stoner  (re- 
signed Jlay  14,  18S3),  1880-3;  James  R.  Shel- 
ton,  1883-4;  Thomas  Kearnev. 
James  B.  McCaffrey,  1887-8: 
1889-90. 

Market  Master  (South  Side  Market). — 
Joseph  Wagner,  1899-1901 :  Eliot  T.  Oburn, 
1901-3:  James  T.  Smith,  1903-4. 

City  Weigh  ^Iaster.  — ■  John  Patton, 
184:-S;  Adam  Hauffh,  1848-56;  Willard  Nich- 
ols. 187  6-8:  John  W.  Smither,  1878-9;  Will- 
iam P.  Ballard,  1879-80;  Jesse  De  Haven, 
1880-4;  Edward  J.  Conwav,  1885-8;  Harrv 
Phillips,  1889-91:  Jos.  C.  "Cabalzer,  1891-3: 
Charles  0.  Britton,  1893-5. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  ^Measi'res. — 
Joseph  W.  Davis,  1853-4;  Jacob  T.  Williams. 
1854-6:  Hugh  J.  Kellv,  1856-7:  James  M. 
Jameson.  1857-8;  John' G.  Hanning,  1858-9; 
Cyrus  S.  Butterfield,  1859-61 ;  James  Loucks, 
1861-6;  John  L.  Bishop,  1866-7;  Augustus 
Bruner.  1867-8;  Samuel  B.  Morris,  1868-71, 
1873-4:  William  H.  Phillips.  1871-3:  Ignatz 
Cook   (office  abolished),  1874-5. 

LvsPECTOR  OF  Scales,  Weights  axd 
Measures.— J.  M.  Bartlev.  1902-3;  Patrick  .1. 
Ryan,  1903-5 ;  Isidor  Wulfson,  1906  to  date. 

City  Coyi^iissioxERS. — Edmund  Browning, 
185.5-61;  Xathan  B.  Palmer,  1855-8:  J.  M. 
Talbott,  1855-8;  W.  Clinton  Thompson,  1855- 
61:  G.  K.  West.  1855-8;  David  S.  Beatv, 
1858-61,  1863-6:  Adam  Gold.  1858-61: 
Adam  Knodle,  1858-61;  James  Blake,  1861-4; 
Wm.  Boaz,  1861-4;  Andrew  Brouse,  1861-4: 
.lames  Sulgrove,  1861-6  ;  Lemuel  Yanlaningham 
(resigned  November  27,  1865),  1861-5: 
Aegidius  Naltner,  1863-6;  David  V,  Cullev 
(resigned  November  27,  1865).  1863-5;  Will- 
iam Coughlen.  1866-7:  J.  W.  Davis,  1865-6; 
T.  L.  Roberts.  1865-6;  William  Braden  (re- 
signed Mav  21.  1870).  1866-70;  James  N. 
Rus.^ell  (died  November,  1869),  1866-9: 
Thomas  Schoolev,  18(i6-9;  Samuel  M.  Seibert. 
1866-73;  James  C.  Yohn.  1866-9,  1879-85; 
.Tohn  F.  Ramsev.  1869-73;  Joseph  M.  Sutton 
(resigned  June' 27,  1873).  1869-73;  Ignatius 
Brown  (filled  Russell's  vacancy).  1869-73; 
WilliMiii  S.  Ilubliaid,  1871t5;  George  W.  Alex- 


HISTORY  OF  (;i;i:.\Ti;i;  ixdi.wapolis. 


637 


midur,  ]Sr3-."):  William  .1.  l-'JlioU,  1873-5; 
.).  (Icorgc  Stilz,  18:3-.");  Peter  Weis,  1873-5; 
John  L.  Avorv,  187:,-!):  J.  S.  Hildebrand, 
1875-9;  (ion.  W.  Hill.  18:5-84:  Wm.  Mansur, 
1875-9:  KolxTt  II.  Pattor.<on.  1875-9;  William 
ifadlev.  1S79-89;  .Michael  Steinhauer,  1879-84; 
Xewtoii  Ivellog-e.  1879-84;  F.  \V.  Hamilton, 
1884-5,  1889-90:  Augu.-^t  Kuhii.  1884-5:  John 
L.  F.  Steeg,  1884-8,  "l  891 ;  Joseph  T.  :Ma<jner, 
1885-8;  Wm.  Johnson.  1885-8:  James  Renihan, 
1885-90:  John  K.  Klder.  lsSii-90;  Ivan  N". 
Walker,  1889-9(1:  Horace  llailley,  1890-1; 
Jame.s  Smith,  1891;  ('has.  K.  Balke,  1891; 
Wm.  M.  ("oval,  1891. 

CiiiKK  or  Assessment  Biheau. — ^f.  L. 
Jeffer.son,  1893-5;  Wm.  A.  Hughes,  1895-7; 
Mvron  D.  King.  1897-1901;  Samuel  P.  Stod- 
dard, 1901-3:  .M.  F.  Lahey,  1903-5;  W.  0.  Mc- 
Kinuev,  1905-.S:  Eugene  F.  Harris,  1909; 
Henry  M.  Cochrane,  1910. 

BoAui)  OF  Health. — W.  Clinton  Thompson, 
1849-50.  18()9-';0:  James  S.  Harrison,  1849-50; 
David  Funkhouser  (resigned  March  4,  1850), 
1849-50,  1857;  (ioorge  W.  Mears  (resigned 
September  14,  ]8(;i)',  18.50-3;  1854-5,  18G1, 
1863-9;  Livingston  Duiilap,  1850-3;  John  L. 
Mothershead,  1850-5 ;  Patrick  H.  Jameson, 
1853-4,  1855-7;  Charles  Parrv.  1853-4,  1857-9; 
John  S.  Dobbs,  1854-7;  Talbot  Bullanl. 
1855-7;  James  H.  Woodburn.  1857-01,  1889- 
90;  John  :M.  Kitchen,  1858-(il;  Clay  Brown, 
1861-2;  Mansur  H.  Wright.  1861-5;  John  M. 
Gaston,  18(i-M.  is:i--i:  Will  R.  Bullaid, 
1864-6;  Emil  Kline,  l,s(;5-i;:  Thos.  B.  Harvey, 
1866-7,  1869-:i  :  Robert  X.  Todd,  1866-9;  John 
P.  Averv,  186: -S;  John  A.  Comingor.  18(;9-:3; 
Guido  Bell.  ls:o-4:  Wm.  Wards,  1872-4, 
1877-80,  1881-8;  Samuel  A.  Elbert,  1873-1, 
1876-7;  James  S.  Athon,  1874-6;  A.  Stratford, 
1874-6;  Charles  E.  Wright.  1874-6;  Francis 
^r.  Hook,  1876-7;  Joseph  W.  :\Iarsee,  1876-7; 
Thomas  \.  Hrvnn.  1877-8:  Henry  Jameson, 
1877-80;  William  E.  JefTries.  1879-S1;  Elijah 
S.  Elder  (resi<:ncd  November  10,  1883), 
1880-3;  Wm.  J.  Elston,  1880-1  ;  Moses  T.  Run- 
nels. 1881-3:  John  A.  Sutcliffc,  1881-8;  Ed- 
ward J.  Brennan  (filled  Elder's  vacancy), 
1SS3-8:  John  X.  Hurtv.  1889-90;  S.  E.  Earp 
(resigned  :\rarch  15,  'l889),  1889:  Otto  B. 
Pettijobn,  1889-90;  Frank  A.  :\Iorrison,  1891; 
H.  S.  Cunningham.  1891:  W.  J.  r.rowning, 
1891. 


BoAiii)  OF  PriiLic  Health  and  Charities. 
—Frank  A.  Morrison,  1891-3,  1895-1901, 
1906-9;  Allison  Maxwell,  1891-3,  1895;  Geo. 
J.  Cook,  1891-3;  Franklin  W.  Hays,  1893-5; 
Francis  J.  Hammond  (resigned  May  18,  1894), 
1893-4;  Joseph  0.  Sfillson  (resigned  May  13, 
1894),  1893-4;  Patrick  H.  Jameson,  1894-5; 
S.  E.  Earp  (resigned  March  22,  1895),  1894-5; 
Martin  H.  Field,  1895-7;  Lewis  C.  Cline, 
1895-7;  John  E.  Lockridge,  1897-9;  Charles  B. 
Durham,  1897-9:  E.  D.  ^rofl■ett,  1899-1901  ; 
J.  F.  Bcnham,  1899-1900;  E.  C.  Rever,  1900-1, 
1903-5;  Geo.  H.  F.  House,  1901-3;  Geo.  D. 
Kahlo,  1901-3:  Frederick  C.  Heath,  1901-2; 
H.  M.  Lash,  1902-3;  Thos.  E.  Courtnev, 
1903-5;  .\lbert  C.  Kimherlin,  1903-5;  Edmund 

D.  Clark.  1906;  Thos.  B.  Xoble.  1906;  Mavitv 
J.  Spencer.  1907;  Paul  F.  Martin.  1909. 

CiTV  Saxitakian. — Frank  B.  Wvnn  (from 
April  1),  1895;  Chas.  E.  Ferguson,  1895-7; 
Edmund  D.  Clark,  1897-1901  ;  Eugene  Buch- 
Icr.  1901-3.  1906-9;  M.  J.  Spencer,  1903-4; 
T.  A'ictor  Keene,  1904-5;  Chas.  S.  Woods. 
1910. 

f;iri'ERi.\"TE\i)EXT  City  Hosimtal. — Grcen- 
Iv  V.  Woollen.  lS(i6-70;  Evan  Hadlev,  1870-1; 
Jo.seph  W.  :\Iarsec.  1871-3;  A.  W.  Davis, 
1873-4;  W.  B.  .McDonald,  1874-6;  Flavins  J. 
Van  Vorhis,  1876-7;  W'm.  H.  Davis,  1878-9; 
Wm.  M.  Wlshard,  1879-87;  John  H.  Oliver, 
1887-91:  Geo.  F.  Edenharter.  1891-3;  Charles 

E.  Ferguson,  1893-4.  1895-7;  Wm.  M.  Wright, 
1894-5;  Charles  H.  C.  Poucher,  1897-9;  M.  J. 
Si)encer.  1899-1900;  N'onnan  E.  Jobes,  1901-3; 
Paul  F.  Martin.  1903-5;  .Xornum  E.  Jobes  (re- 
signed Julv  15.  1907),  1905-7;  J.  L.  Free- 
land,  190:.' 

SuFEiiiXTENDENT  Cffy  Dispexsaky. — Will- 
iam B.  Fletcher.  1875-9;  Caleb  A.  Ritter. 
1879-82;  John  J.  Garver,  1882-7;  G.  W. 
Combs,  1887-9;  F  C.  Woodburn.  1889-01; 
Chas.  X.  :\rctcalf,  1891-3;  E.lward  I).  MolVcil. 
1893-4;  John  A.  Lambert.  1891-5;  Leonard 
Bell.  1895-7:  M.  J.  Spencer.  1897-9;  John  F. 
Benham.  1899-1901;  Chas.  O.  Lowry,  1901-3; 
Henrv  Lohrmann.  1903-5;  Edgar  F.  Riser. 
1906-9;  Harry  Dunn.   1910. 

BoAi.'i)  (IF  Park  Commissioxehs. —  E.  F. 
Clavpool.  1S95-6:  W.  II.  Leedy  (resigned  May 
9,  189(;).  1895-(;:  Oran  I'errv.  1895-6;  Henry 
Clav  .\llen  (resigned  Xovember  2,  1896). 
1895-6;  Frank  A.  M:\\\^  (deposed  September  I. 
1S9.-).   1895:   Albrrt    Libber,   1S95-6:   SlrrliiiL' 


638 


llISTOltV   OK   (MM'.ATKi;    1  X  I  )|  A  \  A  l'(  H.IS. 


Holt    (resigned   October 


1897),   1895-7; 


K. 

\V.  E.  Engli.-^h  (resigned  August  24,  1900), 
1.S97-1900;  Clias.  K.  Coffin,  1897:  Isaac  King, 
1897-1902:  George  Merritt,  1897-1906;  M.  A. 
Downing,  1901-3,  190C-8:  Fred  Mack,  1903; 
lliram  Brown  (resigned  Jamiarv,  1906), 
1904-6;  A.  J.  Lauck,  1904-6;  John"  J.  Appel, 
1907;  Dr.  Henrv  Jameson,  1907;  Ferdinand 
L.  :Maver,  1907.  ' 

('i.KUK  OF  Park  Board. — Wni.  K.  HoUowav 
(resigned  April  1,  1897),  1895-7;  Charles  H. 
Sjx'ncer,  1897;  Otis  Hann,  1898;  Bert  Feible- 
man,  1899-1903;  Blvthe  Q.  Hendricks,  1904-8; 
Leroy  E.  Snyder,  1909. 

City  Commox  Council. — Charles  W.  Cadv, 
1847-8;  Uriah  Gates,  1847-8;  Abram  W.  Har- 
rison (resigned  June  7,  1847),  1847;  Morris 
]\rorris  (filled  Harrison's  vacancy),  1847-8; 
Cornelius  King.  1847-8,  1849-50;  Samuel  s! 
Kookcr,  1847-8,  1849-51,  1856-7;  Henrv  Tute- 
wiler,  1847-9:  William  L.  Wingate,  1847-8; 
Matthew  Alford  (resigned  March  12,  1849), 
1848-9:  Frederick  H.  Brandt,  1848-9;  George 
A.  Chapman,  1848-9;  Thomas  Eaglesfield, 
1848-9:  Eoval  :\[avhew,  1848-9;  Hiram  Seibert, 
1848-9,  ]  8.54-5:  Hervey  Bates,  1849-50:  Will- 
iam Eckert,  1849-51;  James  Gillespie  (died 
Xovember  2,  1849).  1849;  David  Y.  CuUev 
(filled  Gillespie's  vacancv),  1849-53;  William 
Montague,  1849-50;  James  Sulgrove,  1849-50, 
1855-6;  Samuel  Hetzelgesser,  1850-1;  Joseph 
^r.  Landis,  1850-1  ;  Andrew  A.  T/>uden,  1850-3  ; 
George  McOuat,  1850-1;  Thomas  Buchanan. 
1851-3;  George  Durham,  1851-4,  1856-9;  Xa- 
tlian  Edwards.  1851-4;  Geo.  W.  Pitts,  1851-6; 
Charles  Woodward,  1851-2;  Samuel  Delzell, 
1852-4,  1855-7:  Jacob  B.  Filler,  1852-3;  John 
Greer,  1852-3;  Wm.  A.  Bradshaw.  1853-4; 
Carlisle.  1853-4;  Livingston  Dunlaji. 
:  Wm.  H.  Karns.  1853-5;  Xicliolas  :\Ic- 
1853-4:  Douglass  Maguire,  1853-6; 
H.  Xelson,  1853-5;  Horatio  C.  Xew- 
1853-4:  David  Strickland,  1853-4:  Ed- 
win H.  Wingate,  1853-4;  John  L.  Avery, 
18.54-5;  Wm.  Boaz.  1854-6  (resigned  Mav  31. 
1866).  1863-6:  Sims  .V.  Collev.  1854-5.  1862-9: 
Canada  Gowan.  1854-5;  Alexander  Graydon. 
Jr..  1854-6;  Wm.  H.  Jones,  1854-6;  Daniel 
Keelev,  1854-6  :  John  Trucksess,  1854-5 ;  Sam- 
uel Beck,  1855-6  ;  Samuel  M.  Douglass.  1855-6  ; 
.Vndrew  W.  Fuf|ua.  1855-6;  Berl  S.  Goode. 
1855-6;  Ileinv  .1.  Horn,  1855-6:  Win.  Man- 
sur.    1855-::    J.    B.    K.    Reed,    1855-(;:    Henrv 


Daniel 
1853-9 
Carty, 
Henry 
comb. 


Huscher,  1856-7;  Adam  Gold,  1856-7;  Xixon 
Hughes,  1856-7 :  William  McKee,  1856-7 ; 
Frisby  S.  Xewcomer,  1856-7  ;  Xathan  B.  Pal- 
mer, "l856-7;  Robert  M.  Patterson,  1856-7; 
Thomas  Cottrell,  1857-60,  1867-73;  Joseph  K. 
English  (resigned  Xovember  12,  1859),  1857-9; 
Stoughton  A.  Fletcher,  Jr.,  1857-9,  1862-5; 
Geo.  W.  Geisendortt'  (resigned  February  2, 
1862),  1857-62;  Robert  Greenfield,  1857-9; 
William  Hadley,  1857-9;  Jonathan  S.  Harvev, 
1857-8;  Erie  Locke,  1857-61,  1869-72;  Stephen 
McXabb,  1857-65,  1866-7;  Myron  Xorth, 
1857-9;  Albert  G.  Porter  (resigned  April  30, 
1859),  1857-9:  Jacob  Vandeijrift  (resigned  Oc- 
tober 12,  1861),  1857-61;  Jacob  S.  Pratt  (re- 
signed March  24.  1860),  1858-60;  Theodore 
P.  Haughey,  1859-60:  Ernest  H.  L.  Kuhlman, 
1859-63;  Alexander  Metzger.  1859-63;  Charles 
Richmann.  1859-63:  Samuel  M.  Seibert. 
1859-63  :  Herman  Tilly.  1859-61 ;  Andrew  Wal- 
lace. 1859-63:  John  Blake  (resigned  April  4. 
1864),  1861-4;  James  G.  Douglass  (filled 
Blake's  vacancy).  1864;  Austin  H.  Brown, 
1861-75;  W.  Clinton  Thompson  (resigned  ilav 
1,  1867),  1861-7;  Wm.  Allen,  1863-6;  Henrv 
Coburn,  1863-9;  William  Cook,  1863-5;  Ros- 
well  B.  Flmerson,  18()2-7;  Horace  A.  Fletcher, 
1862-7:  Charles  Glazier,  1863-9;  Patrick  H. 
Jameson,  1863-9:  Samuel  Lefever  (resigned 
March  12,  1866),  1863-6:  Joseph  Staub, 
1863-T  ;  Wm.  Jolni  Wallace  (resigned  Febru- 
ary 15.  1864).  1863-4;  Adolph  Seidensticker 
(tilled  Wallace's  vacancy).  1864-9;  Julius  A. 
Grosvenor  (left  city:  seat  declared  vacant). 
1865-7;  G.  A.  Foster  (filled  Grosvenor's  va- 
cancv). 1867-9;  J.  Henrv  Kappes,  1865-9; 
Wm.'  H.  Loomis.  186.5-9 ;"  John  B.  McArthur, 
1865-9:  Christian  F.  Schmidt,  186.5-9;  Charles 
Kempker  (filled  Boaz  vacancv).  1866-7;  James 
Burgess,  1867-9;  Joseph  W.  Davis,  1867-9; 
Henry  Geisel,  1867-9:  Samuel  Goddard, 
1867-9;  Wni.  H.  Herscher,  1867-9;  Ambrose 
P.  Stanton,  1867-9;  James  H.  Woodburn. 
1867-75;  Henrv  Gimber,  1869-70,  1871-6: 
Temple  C.  Harrison,  1869-71  :  Christoiiher 
Heckman.  1869-72:  Leon  Kahn,  1869-71, 
1872-6,  1879-81:  Hobert  Kennington,  1869-75; 
John  L  Marsee,  1869-:2,  1877-79;  John  S. 
Xewnian.  18(;9-72:  John  Pvle,  1869-71;  James 
McB.  Shepherd.  lS(!9-:i.  1873-5;  Isaac  Thai- 
man.  1869-77,  1880-9;  Frederick  'Ilioms, 
lSf!9-72:  Wm.  W.  Weaver.  1869-72;  C.  E. 
Whit^it.  lS(;!i-:3:  Wm.  D.  Wiles,  1869-73:  Ed- 


4 


r 

1 


IS'I'OKV   OF  CKKATKK    1  N'l  )|  A  \  A  l'(  U 


039 


ward  Reagan,  1870-4;  John  H.  Batty,  1871-4; 
Win.  II.  Craft,  187 1-7;  Hoydon  s".  Bifrhani, 
lsn-.3:  Frederick  C.  Bollinaii.  187i-(i:  David- 
(lihson,  187-.i-4;  E.  J.  Hardestv,  187-^-4:  Joliu 
'1'.  I'ressley,  1872-4  ;  Frederick  P.  Rush.  1872-4  ; 
l.ynian  Q.  Sherwood,  1872-4;  Justus  ('.  Adams, 
1873-7;  'S[.  C.  Anderson,  1873-5:  Calvin  F. 
Darnell,  1873-7,  1888-9;  Wm.  .AIcLau<;hlin, 
1 873-5:  Thos.  H.  S.  Peck,  1873-4;  Ralph  C. 
J.  Pendleton,  1873-4:  Isaac  W.  Stratford, 
1873-7:  James  E.  Twiname.  1873-5;  Boswell 
Ward,  1873-(;.  1881-4;  Heurv  F.  Albershardt, 
1874-r);  Patrick  II.  Curran, '  1874-6  ;  Geo.  W. 
(Jeigcr,  187l-(i:  Marshall  E.  Hall,  1874-6; 
F'rancis  il.  Hook,  1874-6 ;  Thomas  Gladden, 
1874-6;  Robert  C.  Magill,  1874-7;  Enos  B. 
i^ecd,  1874-8;  John  Stuckmeyer,  1874-6;  Will- 
iam Buehrig,  1875-7:  John  J.  Diffley,  1875-7; 
(ieorge  Kenzel,  1875-7;  James  C.  Langhlin, 
187.5-7;  Daniel  M.  Ransdell,  1875-7;  Wm.  F. 
IJeasner,  1875-7,  1878-9;  Frederick  Schmidt, 
1875-7;  Geo.  C.  Webster,  1875-7;  Joseph  W. 
Bugbee  (expelled  April  15,  1878),  1876-8; 
N'orman  S.  Bvram,  1876-8;  John  L.  Case, 
1876-8:  Albert  Izor,  1876-8;  Martin  McGintv. 
1876-80;  Thomas  J.  Morse,  1876-9;  Milton 
Ponder.  1876-8;  :\[ichael  Steinhauer,  1876-8; 
Jolin  Thomas.  187(i-8;  Arthur  L.  Wright, 
1.S76-9:  Wm.  G.  Wright,  1876-8;  Robert  B. 
I'.airbv,  1877-9;  Marcus  L.  Brown.  1877-80; 
William  M.  Cochran,  1877-8;  Josiah  B.  Dill. 
1877-9;  .Tames  T.  Lavman,  1877-9;  Thomas  C. 
Heading.  1877-9;  Abraham  L.  Stoner,  1877-8; 
Wm.  II.  Tucker,  1877-80;  Isaac  C.  Walker, 
1877-9;  James  E.  Watts,  1877-8;  Geo.  P. 
Wood.  1877-80;  George  Anders(m.  1878-9; 
Henrv  Bermann.  1878-80;  Jacob  ^I.  Bruner, 
1878-9;  Matthew  M.  Cummings,  1878-9.1886- 
9;  M.  Horace  M(  Kav,  1878-81  ;  Frank  A.  Maus. 
1878-9;  Sheldon  Morris.  1878-9;  Chris  11. 
O'Brien,  1878-9;  Christian  Off.  1878-9;  Omer 
Rddibaugh,  1878-9;  Samuel  Showalter.  1878-9; 
Gottlieb  Sindlinger.  187«-9;  John  L.  F.  Stecg. 
1878-9:  Christian  F.  Wiese.  187  8-80;  Jacob 
Bichr.  1879-80;  Peter  F.  Bryce,  1879-80; 
Harviv  (i.  Carev.  1879-80;  James  T.  Dowling. 
1879-86:  John  T.  Downev.  1879-81.  1884-6; 
Francis  W.  Hamilton,  1879-80;  Chris  II.  llar- 
iiioning.  1879-80;  George  King.  1879-80;  Win. 
C.  I.anib.  IS7ri-,sl  :  Wm.  If.  Morrison.  1S7'.I- 
^1:  .I<ilin  »)"Ciinncir.  187!i-.sl,  IS8,><-9;  John  1.'. 
i'.ar.-^on.  1879-84.  1886-91;  llrnrv  J.  I'ricr. 
is;!i-81:   Calvin    F.    l?ool<cr.    ls7'.t-S0.    1S.S(;.7; 


Josejih  11.  Sheppard,  1879-80;  William  E. 
Shilling,  1879-81  ;  Flavins  J.  Van  Vorhi.s. 
1879-81;  Collins  '1\  Bedford,  1880-4;  Wm.  l-\ 
\.  licrnhamer.  1880-1;  Allen  Caylor,  1880-4; 
Fdward  11.  Dean,  1880-4;  John  W.  Fultz, 
1880-4;  Patrick  Harrold,  1880-4;  Ernest  H. 
Koller,  1880-4;  John  A.  Lang,  1880-1;  Henry 
J.  ^[auer,  1880-4;  James  A.  Pritchard,  1880-4; 
Wm.  G.  White,  1880-1;  Nelson  Yoke,  1880-4; 
Fdgar  Brundage,  1881-4;  Barton  W.  Cole, 
1881-4:  John  R.  Cowie,  1881-4:  Simeon  Coy, 
1881-91;  John  Egger,  1881-4;  Frederick  Hart- 
man.  1881-4;  Ernest  F.  Knodel,  1881-4: 
Philip  Reichwein,  1881-4;  Han^ev  B.  Stout, 
1881-4;  George  Weaver,  1881-4;  Frank  Benja- 
tnin.  1884-7;  John  R.  Cowie,  1884-6;  William 
Currv.  1884-6;  Philip  J.  Doyle.  1884-6;  G.  F. 
Fdenharter,  1884-7:  P.  M.  Gallahue.  1884-6; 
Charles  E.  llaugh,  1884-7;  Fred  Mack.  1884-7; 
John  ^ioran.  1884-6;  Robert  C.  McClelland. 
1884-9;  W.  C.  Xewcomh,  1884-6;  J.  F.  Kein- 
ecke,  1884-7;  R.  II.  Rces,  1884-6;  M.  M.  Rey- 
nolds. 1884-7;  J.  L.  Sheppard,  1884-6;  Theo- 
dore F.  Smither.  1884-7:  (leo.  W.  Spahr, 
1884-6:  Preston  C.  Trusler,  1884-6,  1888-91; 
J.  W.  Wharton,  1884-6:  P.  H.  Wolf,  1884-(;; 
David  F.  Swain.  1886-9:  Henrv  L.  Smith. 
1886-9;  Chris  F.  II.  Waterman. '1886-7 ;  Ed- 
ward Dunn.  1886-91;  Jos.  H.  Howes.  1886-7; 
Michael  J.  Burns.  188(i-91;  Cornelius  Me- 
Groarty,  1886-7;  Frank  if.  Dell,  1886-7;  Chas. 
H.  Stuckmever.  1886-9;  Abner  I,.  Xowland. 
1886-7:  Thos.  Jfarkev.  1886-91;  .lolm  II.  II.- 
rig.  188(i-7;  Elton  B."  Elliott.  1888-9;  Wm.  II. 
Wils(m.  1888-9;  John  C.  Finch,  1888-9;  Wm. 
T.  Long,  1888-9:  Jos.  L.  (iasper.  1888-91; 
Win.  E.  Davis.  1888-91  ;  Wm.  J.  Parkinson, 
1888-9;  Wm.  :M.  Hicklin,  1888-91;  Patrick  J. 
Kellev,  1888-9:  James  Johnston.  1888-9; 
Frederick  W.  Gaul.  1888-9;  .John  A.  Weber. 
1890-1;  David  A.  Meyers,  1890-1:  Henry 
Sweeiland.  1,S90-1  ;  Edward  J.  Slu'rcr.  1S!I0-1  ; 
Otto  Stechhan.  1890-1;  M.  I).  Yontz.  1890-1; 
Emil  C.  Kassnian.  1890-1;  Wm.  W.  Wodlleii. 
1890-1;  Robert  Martindalc.  1890-1:  W.  11. 
Cooper.  18110-1;  Kobert  C.  Mctiill.  1890-1; 
Fdward  .\.  .\ustiii.  18!)0-i:  Ohif  R.  Olsen, 
1890-1;  .Martin  .1.  Murphv.  1890-1;  Charles 
A.  Gauss.   18i)0-l  :   1.'.  .1.    N'olan,  1890-1. 

I'miiK       \i:\\       ClIAItTKl! — CorN't'ILMKX      AT 

I.M.ci:.  — llriiiN  W.  I.aut.  1892-3;  John  B.  Mc- 
Gullin.  1SI»2-:!:  K.lward  J.  Shcrer.  1892-3. 
1895-7:  Martin  J.  Murpbv.   1892-3;   Fred.'riek 


(i40 


HISTORY  or  GREATER  IXDIAXAPOLIS. 


Srhra.ler,  1892-3;  Robert  C.  McGill  (died 
.^fay  ;,  1893),  1892-3;  Henrv  C.  Habeny 
(filled  A[cGiir.s  vacaucv),  1893;  Lucius  W. 
Drew,  1893-5:  Charles "  Krauss,  1893-5;  Geo. 
Merritt,  1893-5;  Henry  Rauli,  1893-5;  Theo- 
dore Stein,  1893-5;  Edward  G.  Stott,  1893-5; 
Geo.  J.  Dudley,  1895-7;  Robert  :M.  Gladden, 
1895-9;  Thos.  J.  jMontgomerv  (resigned  Oct. 
2(:,  1897),  1895-7;  Albert  E."  Rauch,  1895-9; 
John  O'Connor,  1895-7  ;  John  ]\Iahonev,  1897- 
9;  James  H.  Costello,  1897-9:  Albert  Harston, 
1897-9;  Edward  W.  Little  (elected  Xov.  22, 
1897 — ^Montgomery's  vacancy),  1897-9;  Albert 
Daller,  1899-1901";  Chas.  M.  Dickson,  1899- 
1901 ;  Geo.  H.  Evans,  1899-1901 ;  Wm.  Kaiser, 
1899-1901:  Conrad  Keller.  1899-1901;  Wm. 
H.  Wheeler,  1899-1901  :  Lew.  W.  Cooper.  1901- 
5;  Jacquelin  S.  Holliday,  1901-3:  Harold  C. 
Megrew  (resigned  Oct.  I'l,  1901).  1901;  Wm. 
P.  Sprav  (elected  Xov.  -1,  1901 — ^legrew's  va- 
caucv), "l901-3 :  Edward  G.  Sourbier.  1901-3; 
John  L.  McFariand,  1901-3;  Harrv  M.  Halde- 
man  (resigned  Xov.  17,  1902),  1901-2;  James 
H.  Billingsley  (elected  Dec.  11,  1902— Halde- 
man's  vacancv),  1902-3;  Charles  G.  Davis, 
1903-9;  Frank  S.  Fishback,  1903-5;  Otto  Hoff- 
man, 1903-9;  J.  Edward  Krause,  1903-5;  Al- 
bert E.  Uhl,  1903-9;  Benj.  A.  Brown,  1906-9; 
Chas.  L.  Hartniann,  190(5-9;  Henry  C.  Smith- 
er,  190fi-9. 

TTndkh  Xi:w  Chartei! — Ward  Councilmen. 
—Thos.  B.  Linn,  1892-3:  John  K.  Allen,  1892- 
9  ;  A.  A.  Young,  1892-5  ;  Jolin  Purvear,  1892-7  ; 
James  H.  Costello.  1892-7;  Wm.'  H.  Cooper, 
1892-7;  Jos.  L.  Gasper,  1892-5;  Emil  C.  Rass- 
man,  1892-3:  John  F  White.  1892-3:  Geo.  E. 
Colter,  1892-9:  P.  J.  Rvan,  1892-5:  Chas.  A. 
Gauss,  1892-3:  Olaf  R.  Olsen  (resigned). 
1892;  Chas.  P.  Froschauer  (elected  XoV.  10. 
1892— Olsen's  vacancv),  1893-3;  Anton 
Schmidt.  1892-3:  Henrv  Holloran.  1892-3:  0. 
M.  :Murphv.  1893-7;  G.  W.  Shaffer.  1893-9; 
Henry  Magel.  1893-5;  J.  H.  Schmid.  1893-5; 
Wm.  Hcnnessv,  1893-5:  Chas.  Koehring,  1893- 
5;  Wm.  Kaiser.  1893-5;  Daniel  W.  O'Brien, 
1893-5:  Gavin  L.  Pavnc  1895-7;  :\rahlon  P. 
Woodv.  1895-7:  Frank  K.  Wolcott,  1895-7; 
Duncan  Dewar.  1895-7:  Frank  S.  Clark,  1895- 
9 :  J.  H.  Kirkhoff,  1895-1  :  ,Tas.  T.  Smith,  1895- 
7:  John  G.  Oidever,  1895-7:  Willis  F.  Smith, 
1897-9:  John  R.'  Crall.  1897-1905:  Thos.  A. 
Bowser,  1897-9:  Riehanl  :\icrrick,  1897-9; 
Edward    D.    MotVctt.    isn:-!);    J„lin    A.    V(in 


Spreckelson,  1897-9;  John  H.  Scanlon,  1897-9; 
James  W.  McGrew,  1897-1901:  Edward  G. 
Bernaucr,  1897-1901:  Wm.  W.  Knight,  1897- 
1901;  John  :M.  Hisjijins  (resigned  1901), 
1897-1901;  John  WoL^ifter  (elected  Julv  18, 
1901— Higgins's  vacancy),  1901-5;  Harry  E. 
.Veglcy,  1899-1903;  James  H.  Billingslev. 
1Si)9-i905:  James  R.  Munro,  1899-19oi  : 
-Micbnel  Horan,  1899-1901;  H.  C.  Megrew, 
US!)9-1901:  Henrv  L.  Spiegel.  1899-1901; 
Saml.  Y.  Perrott;  1899-1901;  James  Reilly, 
1899-1901;  James  D.  Moriaritv,  1899-190.5; 
.Michael  C.  Kellv,  1899-1903;  Frederick  W.  Ep- 
jiert,  1901-9;  Andrew  H.  Wahl,  1901-5:  Wm. 
A.  Rhodes,  1901-9;  Thos.  A.  Wynne,  1901-3; 
Christ.  H.  Warweg.  1901-3:  .Michael  J.  Shea, 
1901-5;  BenJ.  F.  Wvsons,  1901-3;  James  E. 
Herrv.  1901-3  :  Gustav  J.  T.  ilever.  1901-3  :  Al- 
Ijert  E.  Cottev.  1903-9;  James  B.  Murrav,  1903- 
5  ;  Daniel  Linus,  1903-5  :  John  W.  Storm,  1903- 
5 :  Jas.  F.  Sullivan,  1903-9 ;  Fav  Wright,  1903- 
9 :  John  H.  Hamlet,  190G-9 ;  John  F.  Wood, 
190(!-9:  Wm.  J.  Xeukom.  190G-9;  Wendel  0. 
Bangs.  1906-9;  Ed.  J.  Stickelman,  1906-9; 
Theodore  Portteus.  1906-9;  Harry  E.  Rovse, 
l!tO(;-!);  .lolm  L.  Donavon,  1906-9;  Jacob  H. 
Hilkene,  190G-9;  Louis  F.  Henry,  1906-9. 

Board  of  Aldeumex. — Thos  E.  Chandler, 
1877-80:  Henrv  Coburn,  1877-81;  Robert  S. 
Foster.  1877-9  :"Gottlieb  C.  Krug,  1877-8:  Rob- 
ert C.  McGill,  18:7-8;  Horatio  C.  Xewcomb, 
1877-8:  William  IL  Snider,  1877-9;  Isaac  W. 
Stratford,  1877-9:  William  Wallace.  1877-8; 
William  D.  Wiles,  1877-9:  Daniel  W.  Grulibs 
(resigned  Mav  1,  1881),  1878-81;  Diedrich 
Mussman,  18:8-84:  William  F.  Piel,  1878-80; 
Jonathan  :M.  Ridenour,  1878-80:  Harrv  E. 
Drew,  1879-84:  James  T.  Lavman,  1879-84; 
.lobn  Xewman,  1879-84:  Hiram  Seibert.  1878- 
S4:  Fram-is  W.  Hamilton.  1880-4:  Wm.  H. 
Tucker.  1880-4:  George  P.  Wood,  1880-4;  Derk 
Do  Ruiter,  1881-4:  Brainard  Rorison,  1881-6; 
W.  F.  A.  Bernhamer,  1884-(; ;  S.  H.  Cobb,  1884- 
6;  W.  A.  Cox,  1884-6;  Thos.  E.  Endlev,  1884- 
7;  Isaac  King,  1884-7:  James  McHugh.  1884- 
6:  H.  J.  Prier,  1884-7:  James  A.  Pritchard, 
1884-7:  Thiimas  Talentire,  1880-6:  John  S. 
Croslev,  1886-7  ;  Granville  S.  Wright,  1886-9  ; 
:\Iarcus  L.  Brown,  1886-7;  Henry  W.  Laut, 
1886-91:  John  Rail.  1886-9;  Lorenz  Schmidt, 
1886-9:  i\richael  W.  Toomev.  1888-9;  Miles  M. 
Revnolds,  1888-91:  James  H.  Tavlor,  1888-9: 
Will.   E.   I'ousev.   1888-9:  :\nilard   F.   Cnnnett, 


"I 


* 


IIIS'I'OIJV    (IF   CI.'KA'I'KR    IXDI.WAl'oi.I^;. 


r.41 


isss-ii:  llarrv  W.  Siiiitli,  1888-91;  Timothy  J. 
Clnik.  l^SS-!i:  Isaac  'Jlialiiian,  1890-1;  Saimicl 
\'.  IVnott.  1.S!)0-1:  Geo.  T.  Brounig,  1890-1; 
M.  II.  Fanvll.  1890-1  ;  Thuo.  T.  Smithcr.  1890- 
I:  -Fames  ]{i>illv,  1890-1;  John  ,1.  BlackwcU, 
1890-1;  John  V.  Keinecke,  1890-1. 

PitKsiDKXT.s  Ro.Miu  OF  An)EinrEN. — Horatio 
C.  Newcomh,  1877-8;  William  D.  Wilos,  1878- 
9  :  Jonathan  M.  Kidenour,  1879-80  :  Henrv  Co- 
l)urn,  1880-1:  ;Tainos  T.  Layman,  1881-:i; 
Biainard  I{(.ri.<on,  1884-5;  Tlios.  J.  Endley, 
188(1-7;  (Iranviile  S.  Wright,  1888-9;  Isaac 
Tlialman.  18l)(i-l. 


Ci-KUK  Bo.VRD  01'  Aldkumen. — Geo.  T.  Breu- 
nig,  1877-8.'?;  Frank  W.  Ripley,  1884-5 ;  Jos.  T. 
Fanning,  1886-7;  Samuel  V.  Pcrrott  (from  Oct. 
a,  188: ),  1887,  1890-1  ;  Mi.liael  Toomey,  1888- 
9. 

DisTiiicT  CouNCiLiriON  (Ihider  Law  of 
1909).— Wm.  H.  Johnson,  1910— ;  John  Blum- 
lierg,  1910—;  Charles  F.  Copeland,  1910—; 
Geoige  L.  Denny,  1910-;  Frank  E.  McCarthy, 
1910—;  Fred  C.  Owen,  1910—;  George  B.  Ru- 
hcns.  1910—;  Charles  B.  Stilz,  1910—;  James 
E.  Trov.  1910—. 


614^^1 


'i- 


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